LYRICS
What is the peril
With all of this?
Risk to life
Risk to limb
Bringing strife
To who I am
Taking life
From who I am

Vector-borne disease
Under a scorching breeze
Dying of thirst
As hopes are coerced

Loss of the trees
No more gentle breeze
Extremes abound
Dreams shattered, ground

Loss of home
Forever to roam
Refugee’s fate
A self-imposed state

Intensified rain
Reigning severity’s pain
Water refuses to drain
Sustaining sanity becomes a strain

Hazard, threat, jeopardy
High-risk probability
Time hangs on the line
Under constant alarms of harm
Susceptible to vulnerability
In debt, regretting the threat

• Risk-Part-II.mp3
• Risk-Part-II-Instrumental.mp3
• Risk-Part-I.mp3
• Risk-LH-Casio-WK-3500.MID (Left Hand / also controlled Korg PS60)
• Risk-RH-Yamaha-PSR-740.MID (Right Hand / also controlled microKorg and miniNOVA vocorder)

Chords: Dm Em Am Em / Em D6 Em / Am G F Em / C F G Am / F Dm C Dm / C B7 A G E / E C D E; Part II @ 40 & 80 to 120 Beats Per Minute
Instrumentation: Vocals (TC-Helicon VOICELIVE and MiniNova Vocorder), Ibanez Acoustic Guitar (AW54CE), Ibanez Electric RG-270 (Boss Digital Delay), Fender Jazz Bass (Boss Digital Delay), Keyboards (Korg PS60, Casio WK-3500, Yamaha PSR-740, MiniNova, MicroKorg)

ABOUT THE SONG
This song “Risk” delves deep into the myriad perils posed by climate change. It portrays a world where every aspect of life is under threat, from the fundamental well-being of individuals to the stability of entire ecosystems.

The opening lines prompt reflection on the nature of the danger: what form does the peril take, and who bears its brunt? The repetition of “Risk to life, Risk to limb” emphasizes the pervasive threat looming over existence itself.

The imagery of vector-borne diseases carried on scorching winds evokes a harrowing scenario where even the air we breathe becomes a source of danger. The desperation of “Dying of thirst, As hopes are coerced” captures the existential struggle against a relentless adversary.

The loss of trees, traditionally a symbol of life and vitality, signifies a world turned upside down, where the very essence of nature is under siege. This loss is compounded by the absence of the cooling breeze they once provided, replaced instead by the oppressive heat of extremes.

The theme of displacement and loss continues with the portrayal of homelessness and the plight of refugees, forced into a perpetual state of wandering by the upheaval of their environments.

Intensified rainfall brings not relief but further suffering, with flooding and waterlogged lands exacerbating the challenges already faced. The inability of water to drain symbolizes the stagnation and helplessness felt in the face of such overwhelming odds.

Finally, the song concludes with a stark acknowledgment of the grim reality: a world characterized by hazard, threat, and jeopardy, where the probabilities of danger are ever-present. In this landscape of vulnerability, the specter of regret looms large, as societies grapple with the consequences of their actions and the uncertain future they have wrought.

ABOUT THE SCIENCE
Climate change poses a wide range of risks across various sectors and aspects of life. Some of the main risks associated with climate change include:

1. Extreme Weather Events: Climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, droughts, and storms, leading to property damage, loss of life, and disruption of essential services.
2. Rising Sea Levels: Melting polar ice caps and thermal expansion of seawater lead to rising sea levels, increasing the risk of coastal flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources, threatening coastal communities and ecosystems.
3. Changes in Precipitation Patterns: Climate change alters precipitation patterns, resulting in more intense rainfall in some regions, leading to flooding and landslides, while other areas experience prolonged droughts, affecting agriculture, water availability, and ecosystems.
4. Impacts on Agriculture and Food Security: Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns affect crop yields, livestock health, and fisheries, leading to food shortages, price volatility, and loss of livelihoods for farming communities.
5. Ecosystem Disruption: Climate change disrupts ecosystems, leading to habitat loss, species extinction, and shifts in species distributions, affecting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human well-being.
6. Health Risks: Climate change exacerbates health risks by increasing the frequency of heat-related illnesses, vector-borne diseases, air pollution, and waterborne diseases, particularly in vulnerable populations.
7. Water Scarcity: Changes in precipitation patterns and increased evaporation rates exacerbate water scarcity in many regions, leading to competition for water resources, conflicts over water access, and impacts on agriculture, industry, and human health.
8. Displacement and Migration: Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation force communities to relocate, leading to displacement, migration, and potential social conflicts.
9. Infrastructure Damage: Climate-related hazards, such as storms and floods, damage infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings, and utilities, disrupting economic activities and increasing the costs of repair and reconstruction.
10. Economic Risks: Climate change poses significant economic risks, including damage to property and infrastructure, reduced agricultural productivity, increased insurance premiums, loss of tourism revenue, and disruptions to supply chains, trade, and investment.

Conclusion
Triggering tipping points results in the CO2 stored in nature to be released without the assistance of humans. Though we do not know how much carbon is stored in nature, it would be reasonable to assume that the temperature could be pushed from 3 degrees to 6 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Humans cannot thrive above a rise of 1.5 degrees. Much of the Earth will be uninhabitable if the temperature rises an additional 6 degrees Celsius. If humans also add 3 degrees Celsius, the temperature and humidity will approach a wet-bulb temperature that will not sustain human life. In any event, there will be exponential loss and damage.

For the first time in human history, global warming is going to continue no matter what humans do. Even if humans stopped their greenhouse gas emissions today, humans have invoked nature’s greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, the sooner humans stop their emissions, the better. In addition, humans must adapt their habitat to remove, reduce, and hinder nature’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Welcome to the Age of Loss and Damage.

* Our climate model employs chaos theory to comprehensively consider human impacts and projects a potential global average temperature increase of 9 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

What Can I Do?
There are numerous actions you can take to contribute to saving the planet. Each person bears the responsibility to minimize pollution, discontinue the use of fossil fuels, reduce consumption, and foster a culture of love and care. The Butterfly Effect illustrates that a small change in one area can lead to significant alterations in conditions anywhere on the globe. Hence, the frequently heard statement that a fluttering butterfly in China can cause a hurricane in the Atlantic. Be a butterfly and affect the world.
Here is a list of additional actions you can take.

4D Music: Songs About ScienceA song about The Human Induced Climate Change Experiment