How temperature increases of 1.5°C and 2°C could affect the environment:-
Coral reefs –
1.5°C 70-90% decline
2°C More than 99% lost
Sea levels –
1.5°C Up to 77 cm increase by 2100
2°C Up to 87 cm increase by 2100
Arctic ice –
1.5°C Ice-free at least one summer in 100
2°C Ice-free one summer in 10
Species –
1.5°C 6% of insects, 8% of plants and 4% of vertebrates lose half their habitat
2°C 18% of insects, 16% of plants and 8% of vertebrates lose half their habitat
Global carbon dioxide emissions must almost halve within twelve years to avoid a catastrophic loss of coral reefs and Arctic ice, intense floods and droughts, according to a UN report.
Preventing the worst effects of climate change will require “unprecedented changes in all aspects of society,” costing £1.8 trillion a year.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that the global average temperature should be limited to 0.5°C in addition to the 1°C increased that has already occurred since pre-industrial times.
The UN body said there were “clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems” from restricting global warming to 1.5°C compared with 2°C… It’s report, written by 91 scientists from 40 countries and based on 6000 scientific papers, will inform key decisions at a climate change meeting in Poland in December about implementing the Paris Agreement.
Hundreds of millions of people would be at greater risk of poverty, particularly in Africa, southeast Asia and Central and South America where yields of maize, rice and wheat would decline. CO2 emissions must fall 45% on 2010 levels by 2030. And be at “net zero” by 2050. Global emissions rose by 1.6% last year.
Claire Perry, the energy minister, said that this report should “act as a rallying cry for governments around the world to innovate, invest and raise ambition to avert catastrophic climate change.”
Certainly, there is some progress, not enough, but some. More than 80% of China’s total energy requirement is met by coal and oil but air pollution is threatening the health of the population, making face-masks de rigueur for commuters. [Air pollution is one of the major health risks on the planet and is responsible for an estimated 9 million premature deaths a year.] So it is Beijing plans to slash coal’s contribution to its energy mix to 11% by 2050. Too slow by IPCC standards, but Britain has shown how fast emissions can fall when coal-fired stations are shut down. Between 2012 and 2017 coal’s share of total power to the British grid fell from 40% to 7%. In the same period the country’s carbon emissions fell to levels not seen since the 1890s but have to be cut by a further 40% relative to 1990 levels to meet Britain’s legally binding target. For that to be achieved, we need a wholesale switch to electric transport.
Cutting emissions fast enough to keep the planet sufficiently cool could mean a $2.5 trillion hit to global GDP.
Others estimate that switching to electric cars will create new industries worth $7 trillion a year in the US alone.
“It is true that a revolution will be necessary, but it should be bloodless and it will be good for us. Bring it on.” Times leading article
Sources: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/halve-emissions-or-face-catastrophe-as-arctic-ice-melts-8qt0b7n5x