The Earth We Borrowed: A Warning from the Future
Global warming, driven by the surge in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, has been discussed for decades. Yet, effective countermeasures remain elusive. According to recent reports by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), if current trends continue, global temperatures are projected to rise by 6℉ to 9℉ by the end of this century.
What Will Japan Look Like in 2100?
If we stay on our current path, what will Japan’s climate look like at the turn of the century?
First, national average temperatures are expected to rise by 6℉ to 9℉.
Remember, this is just an average. Temperature fluctuations are often more extreme inland than in coastal areas. In inland regions of Kanto, where summer highs already approach 104℉,
We could see peaks of 113℉~116℉. While this is my own estimation, the actual regional disparities could be even more severe.
In a high-humidity country like Japan—unlike the arid Middle East—living a “normal” life in 113℉ heat is almost unimaginable.
Furthermore, while total annual rainfall is expected to increase, the number of dry days will also rise. We are looking at a future of extremes: more torrential downpours paired with more frequent droughts. Typhoons are projected to become more intense, larger in scale, and bring wider gale-force wind zones.
On the other hand, the number of “ice days” (where the high stays below 32℉ in Northern Japan will decrease, and snowfall along the Sea of Japan in Eastern Japan is expected to decline.
A Message from the Ancestors
If these climate shifts become a reality, what kind of world will our grandchildren and their descendants inherit? Can our generation truly justify leaving this crisis unaddressed?
Interestingly, this temperature rise is not uniform; it is expected to be more pronounced at higher latitudes. In the context of Japan, this means temperatures in Hokkaido will rise more sharply than in Okinawa. Simply put, the temperature gap across the Japanese archipelago will shrink as the entire country becomes significantly hotter.
I would like to share an indigenous proverb that deeply moved me. It was famously quoted by the American astronomer and sci-fi author Carl Sagan in his book, Billions and Billions:
“Cherish the Earth.
We have not inherited this land from our ancestors;
we are borrowing it from our children.”
This ancient Native American wisdom serves as a sharp warning to all of us living today. It suggests that this beautiful nature was not a “free gift” from the past, but something we must return to our descendants in its pristine state, without passing on the bill for our negligence.
Carl Sagan’s Billions and Billions is filled with many other thought-provoking warnings for humanity. I have explored these in detail in a companion post linked below—please check it out!
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