The Climate Emergency

April 2024 Forums General discussion The Climate Emergency

  • This topic has 23 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 5 months ago by Moo.
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  • #239833
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    Researchers at Stanford University and Colorado State University found that 1.5C of warming over industrial levels will probably be crossed in the next decade.

    And a nearly 70% chance that the two-degree threshold would be crossed between 2044 and 2065, even if emissions rapidly decline.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/30/climate-crisis-global-heating-artificial-intelligence

    The difference between 1.5C and 2C results in twice the amount of lost habitat for plants and three times the amount for insects.

    Heatwaves will become more severe and more common, occurring 5.6 times more often at the 2C benchmark, with roughly 1bn people facing a greater potential of fatal fusions of humidity and heat.

    Some regions warm faster than others and the effects from global heating won’t unfold equally. The highest toll is already being felt by those who are more vulnerable and less affluent and the devastating divisions are only expected to sharpen.

    “Net-zero pledges are often framed around achieving the Paris Agreement 1.5C goal,” he added. “Our results suggest that those ambitious pledges might be needed to avoid 2C.”

    #239837
    alanjjohnstone
    Keymaster

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/31/emissions-divide-now-greater-within-countries-than-between-them-study

    The report found that “carbon inequalities within countries now appear to be greater than carbon inequalities between countries. The consumption and investment patterns of a relatively small group of the population directly or indirectly contribute disproportionately to greenhouse gases. While cross-country emission inequalities remain sizeable, overall inequality in global emissions is now mostly explained by within-country inequalities by some indicators.”

    The report also found that although overseas climate aid – a key focus of the recent Cop27 climate negotiations – would be needed to help developing countries reduce their emissions, it would not be enough and developing countries also needed to reform their domestic tax systems to redistribute more from the wealthy.

    The finding is further evidence of the growing divide between the “polluting elite” of rich people around the world, and the relatively low responsibility for emissions among the rest of the population. It confirms a growing body of work suggests that a “polluting elite” of those on the highest incomes globally are vastly outweighing the emissions of the poor.

    It shows that people on low incomes within developed countries are contributing less to the climate crisis, while rich people in developing countries have much bigger carbon footprints than was previously acknowledged.

    #244002
    Ozymandias
    Participant

    The latest from Eliot Jacobson. He refers to himself as a “Doomer” whilst predicting the collapse of civilisation within a few decades. Still the figures speak volumes. Basically we’re all fucked…

    WTF is Happening? An Overview

    • This reply was modified 10 months, 2 weeks ago by Ozymandias.
    #244014
    chelmsford
    Participant

    The future looks to be a wee bit foggy if that graph(?) is anything to go by.’Doomster’.The name sort of gives it away. What is the difference between this joker and those fellows in days of yore who would tramp the streets carrying placards bearing the legend ‘Prepare To Meet Thy Doom’?
    They are online.
    Relax.There is no climate emergency.

    #244035
    Ozymandias
    Participant

    Well surely it’s staring us in the face!

    #248105
    Moo
    Participant

    Climate scientists say we only have a carbon dioxide budget of 250 billion tonnes to avoid the global average temperature being 1.5C above what it was in 1850. This is very concerning because it was previously thought to be 500 billion tonnes.

    Seeing as how the world currently emits 40 billion tonnes of CO2 per year, at that rate, the 1.5C threshold will be breached by 2029.

    The climate scientists also say the world could have until 2034 to reach net-zero CO2 emissions, provided it cuts 25 billion tonnes of CO2 per year, starting next year. Sadly, it’s almost impossible that capitalist society will do this.

    Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67242386

    #248115
    ALB
    Keymaster

    Yes, with two wars going on everybody has forgotten about that. I wonder if anybody has calculated what they are contributing to global warming. Those aircraft with their missiles must be burning up quite a bit of fuel.

    #248132
    Moo
    Participant

    “In 2017 alone, [the U.S. military’s] CO2 emissions added up to 59 million tonnes – more than many industrialized nations including Sweden and Switzerland.”

    And that’s just the U.S. military!

    Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/06/13/report-the-u-s-military-emits-more-co2-than-many-industrialized-nations-infographic/?sh=7ba2e9c24372

    Graph: https://blogs-images.forbes.com/niallmccarthy/files/2019/06/20190613_Military_CO2.jpg

    #248515
    Moo
    Participant

    Two Just Stop Oil protesters have been sentenced to 2 & 3 years in jail (respectively) for climbing a bridge. The activists have been refused permission to challenge the sentences in the Supreme Court.

    The UN special rapporteur on the promotion & protection of human rights has written a letter to the British government. This letter expresses concern that they are acting increasingly authoritarian by giving two peaceful activists such harsh sentences.

    The letter (sent in mid-August) requested a reply within 60 days, but the UN rapporteur has not received one.

    SOURCE: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6pxn4z1rqno

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