Climate change

Global warming and climate change: The silent threat looming over our planet

The Rising Temperature

Have you ever wondered why the Earth is getting warmer? It’s not just a natural phenomenon; human activities, especially since the Industrial Revolution, are driving this rise. Fossil fuel burning, deforestation, and certain industrial practices release greenhouse gases that have led to a 50% increase in carbon dioxide levels, unseen for millions of years. This has caused global temperatures to soar, making 2023 the warmest year on record at +1.48 °C above pre-industrial levels.

The Impact on Our Planet

Climate change isn’t just about rising temperatures; it’s a multifaceted crisis that affects every corner of our planet. Deserts are expanding, heat waves and wildfires are becoming more common, and storms, droughts, and other weather extremes are intensifying. These changes threaten people with increased flooding, extreme heat, food and water scarcity, disease, economic loss, human migration, and conflict.

Health Impacts

The World Health Organization considers climate change a major threat to global health in the 21st century. Societies and ecosystems will experience more severe risks without action to limit warming. Poorer communities are particularly vulnerable but have limited ability to adapt. Recent years have seen rising temperatures, with 2023 being the warmest year on record.

Global Warming Projections

To keep global warming below 1.5 °C with a 50% chance, emissions after 2023 must not exceed 200 gigatonnes of CO2. This requires halving emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Phasing out fossil fuel use can be achieved through conserving energy and switching to low-carbon energy sources like wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear power.

Causes of Recent Global Temperature Rise

The main causes include natural cycles (like El Niño), an imbalance of energy from external forcings, and human contribution. Human activities since the Industrial Revolution have increased concentrations of greenhouse gases such as CO2, methane, and others, with CO2 levels exceeding their natural range over the last 14 million years.

Feedback Mechanisms

The climate system’s response to an initial forcing is shaped by feedbacks. Self-reinforcing or positive feedbacks increase the response, while balancing or negative feedbacks reduce it. The main reinforcing feedbacks are the water-vapour feedback, the ice–albedo feedback, and the net effect of clouds.

Environmental Effects

The oceans have heated more slowly than the land, but plants and animals have migrated towards colder poles faster than on land. Heat waves in the ocean harm a wide range of organisms, while ocean acidification makes it harder for marine calcifying organisms to produce shells and skeletons. Coastal ecosystems are under particular stress due to climate change.

Human Impacts

Humans are being impacted by climate change everywhere in the world, with low-latitude, less developed areas facing the greatest risk. The World Health Organization calls climate change one of the biggest threats to global health in the 21st century. Extreme weather events affect public health, food and water security, leading to increased illness and death.

Economic Damages

Economic damages from climate change may be severe, with 120 million people at risk of falling into extreme poverty between 2016 and 2030. Inequalities based on wealth and social status worsen due to climate change, particularly for marginalized people who have less control over resources.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere are necessary. The United Nations estimates that countries need to triple their Paris Agreement pledges within a decade to limit global warming to 2°C, or increase their efforts to meet the 1.5°C goal.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy and increased energy efficiency measures are key to achieving these goals. Fossil fuel use is expected to peak before 2030 and decline, with coal use decreasing the most. Renewables now account for 86% of new electricity generation installed in 2023, but their future growth is limited compared to nuclear and hydropower.

Adaptation Strategies

Adaptation involves adjusting to current or expected changes in climate. Without mitigation, adaptation cannot avert severe impacts. The capacity for humans to adapt is unevenly distributed across regions and populations, with developing countries having less. Many countries have implemented adaptation policies, but progress is slow.

Ecosystem Adaptation

Ecosystems adapt to climate change through human intervention, including increasing connectivity between ecosystems and restoring natural areas. There are synergies and trade-offs between adaptation and mitigation, such as increased food productivity and more compact urban development.

Global Efforts

The 1987 Montreal Protocol has had benefits for climate change mitigation by banning production of ozone-depleting gases, potentially avoiding a temperature rise of 0.5 °C–1.0 °C. In 2015 all UN countries negotiated the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming well below 2.0 °C and contains an aspirational goal of keeping warming under 1.5 °C.

Conclusion

The fight against climate change is a global effort that requires immediate action. We must work together to reduce emissions, increase renewable energy use, and adapt to the changes already happening. The future of our planet depends on it.