The good news is that Santa Barbara County has programs in place that address food insecurity and care for seniors, but the bad news is that climate change will make them more needed than ever. Doom and gloom dominate a new California Public Health study on the social ills that the changing climate will bring on. By the end of the century, it recounts, temperatures will rise by 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit in the happiest scenario and by 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit in Santa Barbara County in the worst. The social disruptions caused by increased heat and water issues will most affect those who are isolated — either by language or a lack of transportation — or made vulnerable by extreme youth or age or illness.
And it's irreversible now, says the study. The longevity of carbon dioxide, methane, and other pollutants trapped in the atmosphere means the effects from rising ocean and air temperatures are long-term. Carbon dioxide hit a high in 2013 unrecorded in the previous 650,000 years. The happier outlook sees world economies cutting back on fossil fuel use and populations leveling off after 2050. But, if greenhouse gases continue to turn up the heat, a 6.1 degree Fahrenheit rise worldwide would generate even greater storms and poorer food production. Humanity will suffer.
The environmental group 350.org has compiled a list that raises hope, however, of a leveling off. Collecting news reports from around the world, the group states that global carbon emissions have been flat since 2014, with both China and India cancelling coal plants in favor of renewable energy projects. The International Energy Agency stated U.S. CO2 emissions were down 3 percent in 2016 — the lowest level since 1992 — down one percent in China, and stable in Europe, conditions that offset increases in other parts of the world.