Climate change, a long-term shift in global weather patterns and average temperatures, is one of the most pressing challenges addressed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is directly targeted by SDG 13 (Climate Action), which calls for urgent measures to combat climate change and its impacts. However, climate change also cuts across virtually all other SDGs. For instance, it threatens to undermine progress towards SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by disrupting agricultural production, and exacerbates problems of clean water availability, a concern of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). It also impacts SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) due to increased heatwaves and spread of vector-borne diseases. Furthermore, climate change can induce migration and conflicts, affecting SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). Hence, tackling climate change is integral to achieving the SDGs.
"We're no acme or pinnacle of anything, we're just simply evolutionary steps," says this week's "World We Want" podcast guest, Dr. Gabriel Filippelli, of the human hubris surrounding climate change. In a long conversation, Márcia Balisciano and Dr. Filippeli, author of Climate Change and Life, touch upon the history of the world, both in terms of climate change and in the patterns of evolution and extinction, as well as what the presently changing climate means for human beings. Balancing pragmatism and optimism, this episode serves as a stark look at the reality of climate change and the will—political, environmental, and personal—needed to adapt.