By Eduardo Fernandez
A new year begins as well as good resolutions and wishes for it to be better than the previous one, for which the challenges that are pending, especially global ones, must be overcome.
The great challenge for humanity in this century is climate change caused mainly by global warming, which in turn is produced by the greenhouse effect.
Scientists since the last century have insisted on this serious threat that can cause not only the extinction of human beings but also a good part of other living species.
After the Second World War the main fear was global devastation if a third global conflagration arose in which atomic bombs were used.
However, with scientific advances, it was detected that there was a more lethal silent enemy: global warming.
The UN organized periodic meetings of representatives of its member countries to analyze the problem, propose solutions and act accordingly.
So far there have been 28 that have been carried out, including those in Tokyo and Paris. The last one was held in Dubai, COP28.
Held late last year, the summit concluded with a final agreement that fossil energy sources should be phased out.
A historic agreement that must now be implemented and therein lies the problem because the economic and political interests of the oligarchies that maintain power in the world persist.
Significant was the absence of the presidents of the United States and China, the two nations that pollute the most as they are the most powerful economies on the planet.
Both countries are more invested in maintaining their hegemony than in complying with the necessary measures to stop using the combustion of oil, gas and coal.
The continuous protests of young activists, such as those of the Swedish Greta Thunberg, have received little attention from governments and instead, due to the pandemic, the use of fossil fuels has increased to achieve economic recovery.
Another great global challenge is wars, such as the current ones in Ukraine and Gaza.
In addition to the great human and material losses they cause, they affect the world economy and of course also contribute to climate change.
The two political leaders responsible for these war conflicts should be in prison due to their crimes against humanity.
We are, of course, talking about Putin and Netanyahu, who use their military offensives against the civilian population to strengthen their political position in their respective countries.
Another of the great global challenges, migration, cannot be left aside.
Growing misery and insecurity in their countries of origin force millions of people around the world to emigrate to other, more prosperous nations. An example of this is the increase in immigrants to our country who are passing through to reach the neighboring country to the north.
This problem has not been properly attended to, much less resolved by the UN, so the countries involved should commit to at least trying to propose possible solutions.
These are some of the most relevant challenges we face in 2024. For now, I wish my readers a more prosperous and good year than the recently concluded 2023.
Contributor to El Heraldo de Chihuahua