Introduction
Climate change is currently affecting every nation on every continent. Individuals are encouraged to take action to combat climate change and its effects by following Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals (Lofts et al., 2017). Daily, climate change impacts people, the economy, and lives. Extreme weather conditions are becoming more common, including drought, rising sea levels, and shifting weather patterns.
Human activity continues to produce greenhouse gases, a factor in climate change. At this time in history, greenhouse gas levels are at their highest (United Nations, 2022). Over the next century, it is predicted that global temperatures will rise by more than 3 degrees Celsius in some places. The groups most impacted by climate change are the most vulnerable.
Target
Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals contains numerous targets that it seeks to achieve to limit climate change. SDG 13.3 is focused on enhancing education, boosting awareness, and building human and institutional capacity for early caution, adjustment, and moderation of climate change. Compared to other climate change targets, raising awareness and enhancing education on climate change is underdeveloped (Hwang et al., 2021).
There is little evidence that awareness is rising despite limited attempts to do so. SDG 13.3 refers to integrating global citizenship and sustainable development education into national educational policy, curricula, teacher preparation programs, and student evaluation. To execute climate change policies and strategies and achieve the goal, it will be essential to understand how different societies view and perceive climate change from different perspectives.
Action on climate change is influenced not only by individual awareness and perception but also by government and scientific levels. However, various limits affect cross-national transformation, such as limited measurement, time commitment, and geographical and cultural differences between countries. As a result, investigating consciousness and perception within a particular country is critical (Rahimi, 2020).
Different levels of climate change awareness in a specific nation should be considered to enable widespread participation of people and communities in urgent climate action. Rising climate change awareness is seen as one of the reasons for the sustainable development aim and climate policy. People can participate in raising awareness about climate change. People can set an example by utilizing reusable items, participating in recycling programs, learning about climate change, and promoting it on social media.
Specific Global Community
The United Nations has been the worldwide authority that sets the environmental agenda and advocates the consistent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development through the United Nations Environmental Program. The UNEP is the world’s foremost champion for the environment (Sachs, 2017). It provides leadership and encourages collaboration in environmental stewardship by inspiring, informing, and allowing nations and people to improve their quality of life without jeopardizing future generations.
Through its programs, UNEP increases awareness and advocates for environmental action. Governments are only accountable for a small part of greenhouse gas emissions; thus, they must encourage businesses and individuals to change their behavior to reduce emissions and promote adaptation. Because of the various means at their disposal, the government is best placed to raise awareness about climate change. The government can enact laws that increase the cost of activities that release greenhouse gases or develop vulnerabilities to the effects of climate change (United Nations, 2020). The government can also help minimize the cost of emissions-reducing efforts and promote their adoption.
Governments and non-governmental organizations are aggressively promoting climate change awareness. Many people and interests must be influenced for change to be effective. Governments will seek to persuade local governments, non-governmental groups, educators, the media and entertainment industries, and citizens to take action (Mavrodieva et al., 2019).
Governments must make information available and encourage public engagement in addressing the issue. The government must design and implement climate change training and awareness campaigns to increase public understanding of climate change. (Mazzarino et al., 2020). The government should make knowledge about climate change and its effects available to the public.
Anyone seeking information should be able to find it in libraries and on the Internet. Public participation in tackling climate change and its consequences should be allowed to aid in developing policy and implementing climate change programs that contribute to massively effective action. The government should train its management and scientific staff to reach more people. The course is intended to improve specific technical abilities that will be immediately useful. Finally, nations should collaborate and promote internationally through relevant organizations.
Nursing
Climate change causes weather changes that impact human health, either directly or indirectly. High temperatures and heat domes cause heat stress and heat stroke, leading to heart, lung, and kidney problems. (Kalogirou et al., 2020). As a result of wildfires, people can get respiratory issues and long-term breathing problems, which can lead to death.
Rising temperatures and melting glaciers can create flooding and landslides, leading to drownings, freezing to death, contaminated water, and spreading illnesses transmitted through water. The worry of such tragedies produces anxiety, leading to mental health issues. Climate change indirectly causes food insecurity, community displacement, malnutrition, poverty, inequality, and violence.
Nurses play a critical role in supporting communities in adapting to climate change by advocating for patients and the environment to ensure a better future. Nurses are the only healthcare providers with the most contact with the communities in which they work. This compels nurses to evaluate how environmental changes may affect people’s health in their community. (Angelini, 2017). The nurses must inform the communities in which they work on how to prepare for climate-related events that may impact their health.
Nurses may implement sustainable practices, advocate for a more climate-resilient future, and take action. Nurses have a lot of power since they are the largest group of healthcare providers, and they can assist in making changes that benefit patients and the environment. With climate change on the rise, nurses may assist in making adjustments in their workplaces that need to be made. Nurses can advocate for the reduction of harsh chemicals, plastics, and paper products that have a negative influence on the environment.
The increased public awareness and interest in all things green have generated a demand for nurses to comprehend environmental issues and their connection to health. Nurses must understand the relationship between climate change and health and how the health sector may respond to climate change. Awareness of climate change allows nurses to advocate for solutions that minimize climate change within the scope of their nursing practice. Nurses must practice ecologically, safely, and healthily as part of their scope of practice.
Conclusion
Climate change is accelerating and generating severe environmental consequences. Extreme weather conditions are wreaking havoc on the country’s economy and people’s lives. The government is taking the lead in preventing climate change. The primary method the government can use to effect change is by raising awareness about climate change.
People can make adjustments when they are aware of the threats of climate change. The United Nations, through the UNEP, has been the worldwide authority that encourages environmental spectrum implementation through sustainable development. Climate change significantly impacts the health system, prompting nurses to join the battle against climate change. Nurses are essential to the healthcare system since they can reach many people from various groups.
References
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