Climate change, a dark future
The latest IPCC climate change report has given us a dark and scary future unless we make huge changes and fast. I have gathered some of the information from the report for this blog.
The affects of climate change are getting more and more clearer, there's no hiding it.
We have been seeing extreme weather across the globe. From flooding in Germany, France, Netherlands, Turkey and now Japan. There have been heatwaves across the UK and Europe, and the severe wildfires we have been seeing in California and Australia. Sadly we can only expect to see even more of these extreme weather's and more regularly.
Since 1970 global surfact temperatures have risen faster than in any other 50 year period over the past 2,000 years. The global surface temperature was 1.09°C higher in 2011-2020 than it was between 1850-1900. The past 5 years have been the hottest in record since 1850. Not the mention the rate of sea level rise has nearly tripled compared to 1901-1971.
New reports say that under all the emissions scenarios considered by scientists, our main targets will be broken this century unless huge cuts in carbon take place. These targets are to keep the global temperature rise well below 2°C this century and to do everything we can to keep it below 1.5°C.
Some facts and tipping points-
- There has been a 1.1°C increase in temperature since pre-industrial times.
- Humans have emitted 2,400 billion tonnes of Co2 to date.
- Only 500 billion more tonnes would leave only a 50/50 chance of staying below 1.5°C.
- Forests could start to die as temperatures rise, becoming less able to absorb Co2.
-Antarctic ice sheets could become unstable, leading to rapid sea level rise. This can cause sea levels to rise more than a metre by 2100, and 15 metres by 2500.
-Methane levels are now higher than any point in the past 800,000 years and are well above the safe limits.
There are some areas of the world that will be affected more than others. These places include the Arctic, Amazon rainforest and Australia and its great barrier reef which has been seeing mass coral bleaching over the recent years. The Arctic will highly likely be practically ice free in September atleast once before 2050 in all scenarios assessed.
There are parts of the Amazon rainforest that are now emitting more Carbon than what they are absorbing. Earlier reports showed that the part of the forest in Brazil released 20% more Co2 than it absorbed in over the period of 2010-2019. Another area that can be affected is the Gulf stream which is very likely to weaken over the century. The Atlantic ocean current could collapse which would disturb weather patterns, as well as weaken the African and Asian monsoons, meaning that there will be more dry spells and droughts.
However, there is a glimmer of hope. Scientists are hopefull that if we cut global emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by the middle of the century we can hault and possibly reverse the rise in temperature.
In my next blog I will talk about how climate change will affect our worlds wildlife. So be sure to keep a look out for my next blog.
The affects of climate change are getting more and more clearer, there's no hiding it.
We have been seeing extreme weather across the globe. From flooding in Germany, France, Netherlands, Turkey and now Japan. There have been heatwaves across the UK and Europe, and the severe wildfires we have been seeing in California and Australia. Sadly we can only expect to see even more of these extreme weather's and more regularly.
Since 1970 global surfact temperatures have risen faster than in any other 50 year period over the past 2,000 years. The global surface temperature was 1.09°C higher in 2011-2020 than it was between 1850-1900. The past 5 years have been the hottest in record since 1850. Not the mention the rate of sea level rise has nearly tripled compared to 1901-1971.
New reports say that under all the emissions scenarios considered by scientists, our main targets will be broken this century unless huge cuts in carbon take place. These targets are to keep the global temperature rise well below 2°C this century and to do everything we can to keep it below 1.5°C.
Some facts and tipping points-
- There has been a 1.1°C increase in temperature since pre-industrial times.
- Humans have emitted 2,400 billion tonnes of Co2 to date.
- Only 500 billion more tonnes would leave only a 50/50 chance of staying below 1.5°C.
- Forests could start to die as temperatures rise, becoming less able to absorb Co2.
-Antarctic ice sheets could become unstable, leading to rapid sea level rise. This can cause sea levels to rise more than a metre by 2100, and 15 metres by 2500.
-Methane levels are now higher than any point in the past 800,000 years and are well above the safe limits.
There are some areas of the world that will be affected more than others. These places include the Arctic, Amazon rainforest and Australia and its great barrier reef which has been seeing mass coral bleaching over the recent years. The Arctic will highly likely be practically ice free in September atleast once before 2050 in all scenarios assessed.
There are parts of the Amazon rainforest that are now emitting more Carbon than what they are absorbing. Earlier reports showed that the part of the forest in Brazil released 20% more Co2 than it absorbed in over the period of 2010-2019. Another area that can be affected is the Gulf stream which is very likely to weaken over the century. The Atlantic ocean current could collapse which would disturb weather patterns, as well as weaken the African and Asian monsoons, meaning that there will be more dry spells and droughts.
However, there is a glimmer of hope. Scientists are hopefull that if we cut global emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by the middle of the century we can hault and possibly reverse the rise in temperature.
In my next blog I will talk about how climate change will affect our worlds wildlife. So be sure to keep a look out for my next blog.