For young people, the note of climate change will be salt – consoGlobe

A report of the association NextGenClimate has counted how much would it cost to climate change to younger generations. Natural disasters, lack of water, health problems, degradation of biodiversity and decline in agricultural productivity as consequences of climate change that will cost many tens of thousands of euros to our young people.

The oct 15, 2016

Written by Benjamin Delille

With the signing of the Paris agreement by the European Parliament, Tuesday 4 October, the ratification of the agreement in the COP21 is confirmed. Supposed to stop global warming on the threshold of two degrees at the horizon of 2100, the consequences of climate change remain unrecovered, and it is the young who will pay the price.

In its report entitled ” The price to be young “, the association NextGenClimate attempts to establish the price of this change for the young people of the XXI^e century. A figure emerges : a young graduate who was 21 years old in 2015, and that would touch the median wage an american should pay his whole life, us $ 188,000 (about 166.000 euros) due to climate change.

Before addressing the ecological aspect, the report list all the social problems that are already facing young people, in particular to introduce in the world of work. Not surprisingly, the issues are the same for the past ten years : devaluation of diplomas, rising cost of education, economic dependency on to the generations above, in short, the picture is already quite dark.

natural Disasters and cost of living

then Comes the cost of climate change. The multiplication of natural disasters, for example, may push up the price of insurance but also taxes. In fact, to protect themselves in the face of multiple risks, the State should increase public spending to ensure the citizen security. An increase may well be exponential.

agriculture also promises to have a cost of higher and higher. The deteriorating weather conditions and soil are all factors that will increase the cost of food the most basic, and thus make life difficult for citizens, that is the young people of today.

the Other figure is particularly striking in the report : the GDP per capita in developed countries could be reduced by an average 36% by 2100.

The hope of the energy transition

In his report(1), the association NextGenClimate tends still to put into perspective its about showing how some of the alternatives could change the situation, by taking the path towards the energy transition.

The study shows for example that if a country like the States-States able to enter in 2050 in a economy based on 100 % clean energy, things would be much more positive : creation of two million jobs, increase GDP per capita of several hundred dollars or even several million d'save money on energy costs.

The other hope on which is based the report : the awakening of the consciences of the youth who will vote tomorrow. If this generation suffers from the mistakes of its elders, its electoral weight can still allow him to change the game. Still it is necessary that it is sufficiently informed on the individual’s effects of climate change.