With the UN COP21 Paris meeting approaching and countries lagging in their commitments to reduce CO2 emissions we have to ask, how safe is a 2C temperature rise? Its not humans who are affected as we are very tough and resilient to wide temperature ranges, its the environment on which we depend that matters.
We are already committed to certain outcomes, such as the 1.5C to 1.75C temperature increase, that will come from the 400 ppm of CO2 we have already put into the atmosphere.
We are already committed to certain outcomes, such as the 1.5C to 1.75C temperature increase, that will come from the 400 ppm of CO2 we have already put into the atmosphere.
As the planet warms the ice melts and we should have between 12 and 20 metres of sea level rise over a period of centuries if the planet repeats its original action.
Ocean acidity is rising as the CO2 is absorbed into the oceans and we know that plankton and coral reefs find it difficult to survive in an acidic ocean but quite how bad it will be is poorly understood.
Marine life is much more sensitive to temperature changes than land creatures and many fish are already on the move to regions that suit them better.
Marine life is much more sensitive to temperature changes than land creatures and many fish are already on the move to regions that suit them better.
Trees are also very sensitive to temperature and rainfall as they are not mobile have developed over millions of years to a certain set of conditions and are not tolerant to even small changes.
Even if humans can survive the higher temperatures, it will be a bleak world without the trees we know and love and the oceans that provide us with sustenance.
Even if humans can survive the higher temperatures, it will be a bleak world without the trees we know and love and the oceans that provide us with sustenance.
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