‘Gotta Have Hope’ To Beat The Climate Crisis
Climate crisis: keeping hope of 1.5°C limit alive is vital to spurring global action
Richard Black and Catherine Happer, March 30, 2021 (The Conversation)
“…[Since the 2015 Paris climate summit, the question has been whether national emission-cutting pledges will meet] the 1.5°C target…The outcome depends on two things we cannot know with precision: how sensitive the climate system is to rising greenhouse gas concentrations, and how quickly the world will cut emissions…Humanity has little sway over climate sensitivity. But on the second issue – what we do about emissions – humanity clearly holds the lever of influence…
The recent UN report showed that governments are not pushing that lever on short-term emissions hard enough. Only 40% of countries have so far set a new emission-cutting target for 2030…Collectively, they are pledging to bring emissions down by 1% below 2010 levels rather than the 45% proposed by the IPCC as being compatible with meeting the 1.5°C limit…Yet, since autumn 2020, China, the EU, the US, Japan and South Korea have all pledged to reach net zero emissions around mid-century. If they follow through, that would halve the gap to the 1.5°C target – and that’s without factoring in the wider effect on global markets, investment and prices that will inevitably follow…
…[T]he future is not set, and much will depend on decisions made in these next few crucial years…The chances of stopping warming at 1.5°C increase the faster the global community cuts greenhouse gas emissions to zero…[How fast we do that depends on] consensus and empowerment…From climate change to vaccination, a consensus message from scientists increases public faith and willingness to act…[And chances are better] if people feel they have a chance of succeeding…[No one can possibly know if we will, but] US president Barack Obama once said: “Yes, we can.” And knowing that we can makes it more likely that we will.” click here for more
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home