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Emma Smith

Mr. King

English Honors 1

18 October 2018

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13

The size of the Arctic sea ice has shrunk since 1979, losing 1.07 million square

kilometers of ice every decade. The United Nations’ thirteenth sustainable development goal is

to take action and reduce the effects of climate change on the planet. The UN hopes to strengthen

resilience and adaptive capacity on climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

as well as Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning. By

the year 2020, the UN would like to put the committed developed country parties in the UN

convention on climate change with a goal to mobilize one hundred billion dollars per year to

address the needs of countries still developing and put the green climate fund into full operation

as soon as possible.

Climate change has been increasing Earth’s atmospheric temperature causing many

problems both locally and globally. “For each 1 degree of temperature increase, grain yields

decline by about 5 per cent.” (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/UN sustainable

development goals.) As the climate temperature rises, we are losing the amount of grain

harvested. Crops like wheat and corn have significantly lowered due to a warmer atmosphere.

The rising temperature of the planet has also caused polar ice caps to melt causing sea levels to
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rise. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “From 1901 to 2010, the

global average sea level rose by 19 cm as oceans expanded due to warming and ice melted.”

(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/UN sustainable development goals). As sea levels

rise and the atmosphere heats up, stronger storms form which can affect many people when it

hits land. With many changes to the atmosphere and the environment, it puts the lives of many

different species, including humans, in question.

The United nations chose climate change as one of their seventeen goals because many

parties communicated the problems it caused. “Climate change is caused by human activities and

is threatening the way we live and the future of our planet. By addressing climate change, we can

build a sustainable world for everyone. But we need to act now.” (UN Climate Change Why It

Why It Matters.) The UN believes that climate change is a huge problem affecting many people.

People everywhere are being affected by climate change. “Severe weather and rising sea levels

are affecting people and their property in developed and developing countries.” (UN Climate

Change Why It Matters). Around the world climate change is causing problems like severe

drought, massive hurricanes, and rising sea levels.

We already know what we need to do to solve climate change but some people just don’t

want to believe that it’s a problem in the first place. “We know exactly what we need to do-

construct a carbon neutral global energy system by the middle of the century.” (Burke, Tom) We

need to reduce our carbon emissions and create a more sufficient global energy system. Rather

than using fossil fuels, we need to improve our technology to make renewable energy sources

more sustainable. There are some organizations working to better the environment and work
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against climate change. For Example, the World Wildlife Fund is working on tackling climate

change. “In the United States, WWF works to advance policies that reduce carbon pollution,

support clean energy technologies, prepare for the effects of climate change, and curb

deforestation.” (The World Wildlife Fund). The World Wildlife Fund has focussed on protecting

the future of nature for nearly sixty years and is working to put an end to climate change.

Climate change has posed a threat on nature and the whole planet. Crops are decreasing

and different species cease to exist because of habitat loss or change. With a heating planet

causing weather destruction and rising sea levels, the future of nature on planet earth is in

question. What will you do to stop climate change and save the planet?

Works Cited

“Climate Change - United Nations Sustainable Development.” United Nations, United Nations,

www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change-2/.

“Climate Change: What Needs To Be Done.” ProQuest, ProQuest,

https://search-proquest-

com.ezproxy.wakegov.com/docview/1945161424?accountid=14867

“Climate Change: Why It Matters.” United Nations, United Nations,

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/16-

00055m_Why-it-Matters_Climate-Action_3p.pdf

“Goal 13 .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform.” United Nations, United Nations,

sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg13.

“Risk Management In Agriculture Under Climate Changes.” ProQuest, ProQuest,

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https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.wakegov.com/docview/1879590027?pq-

origsite=summon

Wenzel, Lauren. “Faces of Climate Change.” Alert Diver | Faces of Climate Change,

www.alertdiver.com/Faces_of_Climate_Change.