ESSAY IN SHORT(ISH) LETTER FORM TITLE:
WHY I AM FUNDRAISING ON/FOR MY BIRTHDAY FOR THE GLACIER TRUST
One almost instantly noticeable difference for many people from the continuing global upheaval that Covid-19 has caused is the number of clear skies over cities as pollution levels drop, possibly somewhere near you.
Many people have seen online the pictures of the Himalayas, visible from more than 100 miles away in parts of India for the first time in young people’s memories.
And indeed, the International Energy Agency is expecting global industrial greenhouse gases to be about 8 percent lower in 2020 than the previous year.
But the cold Covid reality is that even if we abandon our planes, trains and cars, we are still not "decarbonising" enough to meet the Paris Agreement goals.
If we are to reluctantly accept our post climate change world, we need to adapt, and some need to do that much more quickly than others.
Unfortunately, according to the Climate Policy Initiative, whilst a huge $537 billion was spent on climate change MITIGATION in 2017-18, only $30 billion was invested in ADAPTATION.
Furthermore, in 2016 the UN Environment Programme suggested that adaptation would cost at least $140 billion and possibly up to $300 billion annually by 2030.
It would seem hopeless EXCEPT for one huge hidden bonus: those large figures we have to put aside for adaptation can be outweighed by the huge benefits that they would bring – it is estimated that $1.8 trillion worth of investments between now and 2030 could generate $7.1 trillion in net benefits.
In an ocean of sinking ships, some ships sink faster. The need for adaptation is already very real for people living on the margins of climate change. Which brings me back to those Himalayas. Even within a country like Nepal, varied topography means climate and weather effects are very localized. That’s why The Glacier Trust is helping the most vulnerable upland communities to adapt now, and why we dearly hope you would consider investing in them and their children’s future.
If you have the time, please visit our fundraising page and take the opportunity to visit The Glacier Trust website, I promise your valuable time (and hopefully money!) won’t be wasted. (And BTW I did mention that it was my birthday, didn’t I?!).
Love, Arthur and baby Hallam xxx