https://arab.news/c8vt2
More than a year into US President Donald Trump’s second term, one of the most noticeable shifts in political discourse is the disappearance of the words “climate change” from the news cycle. Just a few years ago, headlines were dominated by dire climate predictions and calls to immediate action.
Today’s changed media environment does not mean that the Earth’s atmosphere is suddenly healthier or that greenhouse gases have mysteriously diminished. The physical reality of our planet — its biochemical composition and position in the solar system — has not changed with the international political calendar. Scientists still agree that greenhouse gas concentrations, such as carbon dioxide, have risen substantially since pre-industrial times.
Global levels of CO2, measured in parts per million, have crossed the 422-424 ppm mark, up from about 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution. Studies indicate that these concentrations are rising by roughly 2-3 ppm per year and are at levels not seen for hundreds of thousands of years. In other words, climate change has not suddenly ceased to be a challenge.
What has changed is the belated realization that progress must be achieved with a sense of proportion, one that does not set back broader human development or exaggerate the chances of climate catastrophe.
