It is no secret that climate change has reached all-time high levels in recent years. In a world becoming entirely dependent on technology, carbon emissions continue to skyrocket daily. This is fueled by driving cars, heating homes, living everyday life, and more. Even since moving to Park City a few years ago, the snowpack levels have declined yearly reaching a staggering 40% percent of what it was last year.
Photo from bbc.news comparing Victoria Falls in January 2019 to December 2019
This scary reality not only affects tourism in a mountain town like Park City, but affects so many others on an even larger scale. Those who live in the town of Victoria Falls have been living through a horrific drought for years now. With no access to water for growing crops or staying hydrated, the well-being of community members are in danger. In addition, the falls that typically gush with water from the Zambezi River were trickling this past season. This poses a huge threat to the tourism economy in Zimbabwe, especially as the country works to emerge from so many losses during the pandemic.
In the past 100 years, the global average temperature has risen by 2 degrees Fahrenheit. The majority of this has occurred in the past 40 years as technology has become more prevalent. This number may not seem very large, but this is only an average. Many places are experiencing this rise in temperature at a much faster rate. If society continues to contribute to climate change at the current rate, it is expected that the average global temperature will rise by 13 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.
This photo was taken when I visited Zimbabwe in March 2019
However, on a more positive note, if we become serious and change our habits by reverting to low carbon emissions, there can be a serious change by 2100. The best way to achieve this is by halving emissions annually, which can be done by working together.
Although it is common to hear about this on the news and ignore reality (because, well, it’s scary), the thing that drives me to make a change in my life are the girls who face this on a larger scale than any of us do. I want their families to have the ability to feed and provide them with access to drinking water. I also hope for them to have the opportunity to have a career in something they feel passionate about. For most girls, tourism is a huge factor that will lead them to succeed in future endeavors in life.
Source: www.theglobeandmail.com
Luckily, from a covid perspective, things seem to be getting better. The Zimbabwe government made the decision to offer vaccines to the town members of Victoria Falls with hope to encourage more tourism. This has been a very valiant and productive effort as 80% of the town has received vaccinations. Though many people have not been traveling yet, there is hope that tourism will soon bounce back.
We can only do our best as humans to make a positive impact on the world and it can all start with one simple task!
Love,
Emily