As many bricks have been removed from the foundation of the Wall by irresponsible human activity, the Wall is now more exposed to the elements and has been eroded far more quickly than it should otherwise. Accentuated by rising temperatures due to global warming, the bricks have been undergoing more drastic expansions and contractions with the highly fluctuating temperatures, causing the pressure on joints and fissures in the rocks to increase. This causes brick structures to weaken and the Wall to be more susceptible to erosion and weathering, and ultimately causes an increase in the rate of degradation of the Wall via physical weathering processes.

Additionally, large chunks of the wall’s structure are collapsing due to the erosion of the surrounding slope. Extreme weather conditions, like sandstorms, due to climate change have worn away a 25 mile long section of the wall, causing it to collapse. 

The Wall mostly consists of bricks made of metamorphic rocks, but marble, calcium carbonate, has been known to be mixed into these bricks. With increasing levels of urbanisation and release of gases like sulphur dioxide, the atmospheric environment is growing more and more acidic, which may lead to chemical weathering of the Wall as the carbonate in the wall would react with the acidic rainfall.

Other human activities have also caused detriment to the wall structure. For example, mining activities carried out near the Wall have affected the Wall’s stability and sustainability, by weakening the soil formation and eventually affecting the support provided for the Wall by the ground. As such, bricks have come loose, accentuated by the erosive nature of the environment, and caused the degradation of the Wall.

As such, 311 hopes to raise awareness of the threats faced by the Great Wall of China, one of the best-known Wonders of the World: To have everyone be responsible for their actions, and help to preserve our memories.

Yet, it is being destroyed by climate change even as you read this.

Extreme weather is the main culprit of the erosion of the Great Wall. Already, two chunks of its structure have collapsed; and it is well within the realm of possibility that the rest of it will follow too. Sandstorms relentlessly buffet the bricks of packed earth, wearing them down one grain at a time - if this keeps up, it is in danger of collapsing entirely.

Erosion of the soil surrounding the Great Wall of China is also a factor keying into the collapse of China’s Great Wall. Climate change had caused increased rainfall, which led to the soil to become waterlogged, its stability worsened. 

It was only a matter of time before the soil eventually eroded. 

Now, the Great Wall of China no longer has a stable foundation, and still the soil continues to erode. To make matters worse, many Western sections of the wall are constructed from mud, rather than the typical brick and stone used, making them even more susceptible to erosion and collapse. 

Time is running out. So far, a third of the full structure has vanished completely, and the remaining 60% is in various states of disrepair. The Wall is not what it once was, merely a shadow of its former glory. 

And so, the ball is in your court: will you do something to fight against climate change today?

The Great Wall of China, which has stood for more than two millennia, has recently experienced the collapse of two chunks of its structure: one due to climate changes causing erosion of the land surrounding the wall and the other caused by mining taking place in nearby areas. Acid rain which causes erosion is a direct result of climate change. Natural factors that have negatively affected the Great Wall include thousands of years of sunshine, rain, wind, storms, mudslides, and earthquakes. Due to climate change, the chances of these natural disasters happening have increased. Climate change also caused more storms, mudslides and earthquakes which damaged the Great Wall even further. These horrible effects of climate change can only be expected to worsen as we approach a future of no return, where climate change cannot be stopped. :) 

it starts with us

and it is a must

not just for us

in the present

but the future of theirs

so let’s be decent

and make this world last

let’s do this fast