Why Climate Crisis Action Matters

From Antarctica to the Oceans, Climate Change Damage Is About to Get a Lot Worse, IPCC Warns; Dangerous shifts are already underway. If fossil fuel use continues at this -- pace, the world will see sweeping consequences for nature and humans, report authors say.

Sabrina Shankman, September 25, 2019 (Inside Climate News)

“…[The earth’s] cryosphere—areas of the planet that are frozen—is shrinking as glaciers and sea ice melt, snowpack declines and permafrost thaws. At the same time, oceans have absorbed 90 percent of the excess heat and about a quarter of the carbon dioxide from human activities, leading to greater acidification that harms shellfish and corals and lowers oxygen levels in the water…[The severity of the impacts] – whether sea level rise stops at 1 to 2 feet by 2100 or continues to rise as high as 3.5 feet; whether the planet sees 20 times more marine heat waves or 50 times more – depends on how, and how quickly, humanity responds…[The difference between modeled impacts] presents a strong argument in favor of climate action…

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Even if greenhouse gas emissions were stopped tomorrow, the warming impacts of what has already been emitted will continue. That means that a best-case, low-emissions scenario for the future will still see some significant impacts, especially for coastal communities…Under a high-emissions scenario, the outlook [for food and water security] darkens even more…[Five actions could [contribute as much as 21 percent of the emission reduction required in 2050 to] mitigate climate change: scaling up renewable energy; decarbonizing shipping and transport; protecting and restoring coastal and marine ecosystems; changes to fisheries, aquaculture and diets; and using the seabed for carbon storage…” click here for more

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