A note from the editor Vanessa Byrne / Managing Director
The biggest welcome to our 40th edition of OTWO !! Wow , the big four-O .
This week , in true Halloween fashion , it ’ s been a real-life horror story with the most startling environmental facts announced . If no major action is taken to lessen global carbon emissions and move to a more sustainable world we are headed for a 2.7degree temperature rise by the end of the century – that is by 2100 !! Yes your grandchild could see and feel that if YOU do not act .
In all my editorials I always urge and plead that we think of our future generations . Well , it seems like it will affect all of us and as evidence shows , and much more than it already is . It ’ s surreal to even write this , feels like I ’ m writing about some fictional movie here but it ’ s real life . I ’ m sure many of you already feel the difference in temperature from this year to previous , still undecided if to bring out the coats or to leave the shorts and vests out that little longer .
Already there is an increase in wildfires , droughts , and unprecedented weather events . This is with only a slight increase , I fear what a 2.7degree increase would do . Change is needed and quick . Where are all targets and promises that were made by the world leaders in all these COP events , did they not listen to the expert ’ s plea for change and acknowledge importance of this ?! What can be of more importance than our environment ? It should be at the forefront of every debate , every decision , every initiative - until the problem is resolved or at least controlled .
In 2021 alone 4.8 million acres of the Amazon rainforest was lost to deforestation . How can this still be happening ? Instead of slowing down its actually got worse ! At this current rate of deforestation , the world ’ s rainforest will be gone by 2100 . The home to more than half of all species on Earth - gone . Soon the Amazon rainforest will reach the point of no return and will cease to be a self-sustaining ecosystem . What does this mean ? Well , the Amazon helps stabilise the climate with around 76 billion tonnes of carbon stored in its rainforest . The trees in the Amazon release 20 billion tonnes of water into the atmosphere every day playing a critical role in global and regional carbon and water cycles . If the Amazon dies , we are next .
Next month we plan to release an article specifically focused on where we are with these global targets and why we are spiralling out of control . I personally am dreading this article as I feel my environmental anxiety will reach all-time highs but there ’ s is no way I am digging my head in the sand , and neither should anyone else .
We need to deal with this head on and learn how best to fix the problem we have created . We need to learn how we can change and amend our ways both individually and as a community to help this situation and improve our shared environment . We need to fight and do more not only for our generations of the future but for our own . Be the change you wish to see in the world . Peace and love to you all , always .
OTWO 40 / NOVEMBER 2022 5