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n Scorching hot temperatures, entire regions of the Earth made inhospitable, and toweringn sea level rises: according to a new study by an international team ofn climate scientists, this is the bleak future we are heading for unless drastic measures are taken to combat global warming.n n n Average global temperatures have risen by 1C compared to pre-industrial levels. And they are still rising by about 0.17 degrees every decade. Researchers claim that if warming reachesn 2C, the planet could become fixed into an "irreversible pathway" to a catastrophic temperature rise of 4 to 5 degrees.n n The reason for this prediction is what scientists call "feedback processes". These are Earth's natural systems that help keep the planet cool. n n For example, each year forests, oceans and soil absorb 4.5 billion tonnes of CO2 that would otherwise end up in the atmosphere. Polar ice sheets also store huge quantities of greenhouse gases and moderate global temperatures byn reflecting sunlightn back into space.n n n But scientists fear that once global warming passes a certainn tipping point, these systems will fail - releasing the gas they had previously stored, supercharging global warming.n n Earth would effectively become a "self-heater", claims Professor Johan Rockstrom, with the study predicting "massive, sometimes abrupt and undoubtedly disruptive" consequences. n So what can be done to avoid this scenario? n According to Rockstrom, carbon emissions must be stopped entirely by 2050, and the "whole world [needs to] embark on a major project to become sustainable across all sectors." n How likely this is to happen remains to be seen. In 2016, world nations signed the Paris Climate Agreement, in which they committed to keep global warming to "well below" a 2C rise. n n However, the accord suffered a major blow last year when US President Donald Trump removed America - the world'sn second largestn polluter - from the commitment.n n Can we limit global warming to below 2C? " "How melting Arctic ice could cause uncontrollable climate change."
Guardian News
- YouTube. (1:17) "Forests: Key to confronting climate change."
WWF Forest and Climate
- YouTube. (4:14) "Climate change: 'Hothouse Earth' risks even if CO2 emissions slashed."
BBC News. (1,300 words) "The planet is dangerously close to the tipping point for a 'hothouse Earth'."
Live Science. (1,000 words) "What the world would look like if all the ice melted."
National Geographic. (650 words) Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.
Not a chance, some argue. Geopolitical tensions are rising across the planet, and world leaders are distracted with fighting domestic political battles at home. This leaves little hope for the international cooperation that is needed to fight climate change. Furthermore, kicking fossil fuels would require a revolution in how the global economy operates ? an unlikely scenario, particularly by 2050.
Do not be defeatist, others respond. Human will and ingenuity are powerful. Renewable energy solutions will improve, and scientists are working on contraptions to suck excess CO2 out of the atmosphere. What's more, the unseasonable heatwave now sweeping the planet might be the wake-up call that politicians need. There is hope.Expert Links
Word Watch
Q & A
n
n Average global temperatures have risen by 1C compared to pre-industrial levels. And they are still rising by about 0.17 degrees every decade. Researchers claim that if warming reachesn 2C, the planet could become fixed into an "irreversible pathway" to a catastrophic temperature rise of 4 to 5 degrees.n n The reason for this prediction is what scientists call "feedback processes". These are Earth's natural systems that help keep the planet cool. n n For example, each year forests, oceans and soil absorb 4.5 billion tonnes of CO2 that would otherwise end up in the atmosphere. Polar ice sheets also store huge quantities of greenhouse gases and moderate global temperatures byn reflecting sunlightn back into space.n n n But scientists fear that once global warming passes a certainn tipping point, these systems will fail - releasing the gas they had previously stored, supercharging global warming.n n Earth would effectively become a "self-heater", claims Professor Johan Rockstrom, with the study predicting "massive, sometimes abrupt and undoubtedly disruptive" consequences. n So what can be done to avoid this scenario? n According to Rockstrom, carbon emissions must be stopped entirely by 2050, and the "whole world [needs to] embark on a major project to become sustainable across all sectors." n How likely this is to happen remains to be seen. In 2016, world nations signed the Paris Climate Agreement, in which they committed to keep global warming to "well below" a 2C rise. n n However, the accord suffered a major blow last year when US President Donald Trump removed America - the world'sn second largestn polluter - from the commitment.n n Can we limit global warming to below 2C? " "How melting Arctic ice could cause uncontrollable climate change."
Guardian News
- YouTube. (1:17) "Forests: Key to confronting climate change."
WWF Forest and Climate
- YouTube. (4:14) "Climate change: 'Hothouse Earth' risks even if CO2 emissions slashed."
BBC News. (1,300 words) "The planet is dangerously close to the tipping point for a 'hothouse Earth'."
Live Science. (1,000 words) "What the world would look like if all the ice melted."
National Geographic. (650 words) Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.
Not a chance, some argue. Geopolitical tensions are rising across the planet, and world leaders are distracted with fighting domestic political battles at home. This leaves little hope for the international cooperation that is needed to fight climate change. Furthermore, kicking fossil fuels would require a revolution in how the global economy operates ? an unlikely scenario, particularly by 2050.
Do not be defeatist, others respond. Human will and ingenuity are powerful. Renewable energy solutions will improve, and scientists are working on contraptions to suck excess CO2 out of the atmosphere. What's more, the unseasonable heatwave now sweeping the planet might be the wake-up call that politicians need. There is hope.Expert Links
Word Watch
Q & A
The reason for this prediction is what scientists call "feedback processes". These are Earth's natural systems that help keep the planet cool.
n For example, each year forests, oceans and soil absorb 4.5 billion tonnes of CO2 that would otherwise end up in the atmosphere. Polar ice sheets also store huge quantities of greenhouse gases and moderate global temperatures byn reflecting sunlightn back into space.n n n But scientists fear that once global warming passes a certainn tipping point, these systems will fail - releasing the gas they had previously stored, supercharging global warming.n n Earth would effectively become a "self-heater", claims Professor Johan Rockstrom, with the study predicting "massive, sometimes abrupt and undoubtedly disruptive" consequences. n So what can be done to avoid this scenario? n According to Rockstrom, carbon emissions must be stopped entirely by 2050, and the "whole world [needs to] embark on a major project to become sustainable across all sectors." n How likely this is to happen remains to be seen. In 2016, world nations signed the Paris Climate Agreement, in which they committed to keep global warming to "well below" a 2C rise. n n However, the accord suffered a major blow last year when US President Donald Trump removed America - the world'sn second largestn polluter - from the commitment.n n Can we limit global warming to below 2C? " "How melting Arctic ice could cause uncontrollable climate change."
Guardian News
- YouTube. (1:17) "Forests: Key to confronting climate change."
WWF Forest and Climate
- YouTube. (4:14) "Climate change: 'Hothouse Earth' risks even if CO2 emissions slashed."
BBC News. (1,300 words) "The planet is dangerously close to the tipping point for a 'hothouse Earth'."
Live Science. (1,000 words) "What the world would look like if all the ice melted."
National Geographic. (650 words) Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.
Not a chance, some argue. Geopolitical tensions are rising across the planet, and world leaders are distracted with fighting domestic political battles at home. This leaves little hope for the international cooperation that is needed to fight climate change. Furthermore, kicking fossil fuels would require a revolution in how the global economy operates ? an unlikely scenario, particularly by 2050.
Do not be defeatist, others respond. Human will and ingenuity are powerful. Renewable energy solutions will improve, and scientists are working on contraptions to suck excess CO2 out of the atmosphere. What's more, the unseasonable heatwave now sweeping the planet might be the wake-up call that politicians need. There is hope.Expert Links
Word Watch
Q & A
n But scientists fear that once global warming passes a certainn tipping point, these systems will fail - releasing the gas they had previously stored, supercharging global warming.n n Earth would effectively become a "self-heater", claims Professor Johan Rockstrom, with the study predicting "massive, sometimes abrupt and undoubtedly disruptive" consequences. n So what can be done to avoid this scenario? n According to Rockstrom, carbon emissions must be stopped entirely by 2050, and the "whole world [needs to] embark on a major project to become sustainable across all sectors." n How likely this is to happen remains to be seen. In 2016, world nations signed the Paris Climate Agreement, in which they committed to keep global warming to "well below" a 2C rise. n n However, the accord suffered a major blow last year when US President Donald Trump removed America - the world'sn second largestn polluter - from the commitment.n n Can we limit global warming to below 2C? " "How melting Arctic ice could cause uncontrollable climate change."
Guardian News
- YouTube. (1:17) "Forests: Key to confronting climate change."
WWF Forest and Climate
- YouTube. (4:14) "Climate change: 'Hothouse Earth' risks even if CO2 emissions slashed."
BBC News. (1,300 words) "The planet is dangerously close to the tipping point for a 'hothouse Earth'."
Live Science. (1,000 words) "What the world would look like if all the ice melted."
National Geographic. (650 words) Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.
Not a chance, some argue. Geopolitical tensions are rising across the planet, and world leaders are distracted with fighting domestic political battles at home. This leaves little hope for the international cooperation that is needed to fight climate change. Furthermore, kicking fossil fuels would require a revolution in how the global economy operates ? an unlikely scenario, particularly by 2050.
Do not be defeatist, others respond. Human will and ingenuity are powerful. Renewable energy solutions will improve, and scientists are working on contraptions to suck excess CO2 out of the atmosphere. What's more, the unseasonable heatwave now sweeping the planet might be the wake-up call that politicians need. There is hope.Expert Links
Word Watch
Q & A
Earth would effectively become a "self-heater", claims Professor Johan Rockstrom, with the study predicting "massive, sometimes abrupt and undoubtedly disruptive" consequences.
So what can be done to avoid this scenario?
According to Rockstrom, carbon emissions must be stopped entirely by 2050, and the "whole world [needs to] embark on a major project to become sustainable across all sectors."
How likely this is to happen remains to be seen. In 2016, world nations signed the Paris Climate Agreement, in which they committed to keep global warming to "well below" a 2C rise.
n However, the accord suffered a major blow last year when US President Donald Trump removed America - the world'sn second largestn polluter - from the commitment.n n Can we limit global warming to below 2C? " "How melting Arctic ice could cause uncontrollable climate change."
Guardian News
- YouTube. (1:17) "Forests: Key to confronting climate change."
WWF Forest and Climate
- YouTube. (4:14) "Climate change: 'Hothouse Earth' risks even if CO2 emissions slashed."
BBC News. (1,300 words) "The planet is dangerously close to the tipping point for a 'hothouse Earth'."
Live Science. (1,000 words) "What the world would look like if all the ice melted."
National Geographic. (650 words) Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.
Not a chance, some argue. Geopolitical tensions are rising across the planet, and world leaders are distracted with fighting domestic political battles at home. This leaves little hope for the international cooperation that is needed to fight climate change. Furthermore, kicking fossil fuels would require a revolution in how the global economy operates ? an unlikely scenario, particularly by 2050.
Do not be defeatist, others respond. Human will and ingenuity are powerful. Renewable energy solutions will improve, and scientists are working on contraptions to suck excess CO2 out of the atmosphere. What's more, the unseasonable heatwave now sweeping the planet might be the wake-up call that politicians need. There is hope.Expert Links
Word Watch
Q & A
Can we limit global warming to below 2C?
"
Not a chance, some argue. Geopolitical tensions are rising across the planet, and world leaders are distracted with fighting domestic political battles at home. This leaves little hope for the international cooperation that is needed to fight climate change. Furthermore, kicking fossil fuels would require a revolution in how the global economy operates ? an unlikely scenario, particularly by 2050.
Do not be defeatist, others respond. Human will and ingenuity are powerful. Renewable energy solutions will improve, and scientists are working on contraptions to suck excess CO2 out of the atmosphere. What's more, the unseasonable heatwave now sweeping the planet might be the wake-up call that politicians need. There is hope.
"How melting Arctic ice could cause uncontrollable climate change."
Guardian News
- YouTube. (1:17) "Forests: Key to confronting climate change."
WWF Forest and Climate
- YouTube. (4:14) "Climate change: 'Hothouse Earth' risks even if CO2 emissions slashed."
BBC News. (1,300 words) "The planet is dangerously close to the tipping point for a 'hothouse Earth'."
Live Science. (1,000 words) "What the world would look like if all the ice melted."
National Geographic. (650 words) Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Word Watch
Q & A
<h2></h2>
"Forests: Key to confronting climate change."
WWF Forest and Climate
- YouTube. (4:14) "Climate change: 'Hothouse Earth' risks even if CO2 emissions slashed."
BBC News. (1,300 words) "The planet is dangerously close to the tipping point for a 'hothouse Earth'."
Live Science. (1,000 words) "What the world would look like if all the ice melted."
National Geographic. (650 words) Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Word Watch
Q & A
"Climate change: 'Hothouse Earth' risks even if CO2 emissions slashed."
BBC News. (1,300 words) "The planet is dangerously close to the tipping point for a 'hothouse Earth'."
Live Science. (1,000 words) "What the world would look like if all the ice melted."
National Geographic. (650 words) Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Word Watch
Q & A
"The planet is dangerously close to the tipping point for a 'hothouse Earth'."
Live Science. (1,000 words) "What the world would look like if all the ice melted."
National Geographic. (650 words) Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Word Watch
Q & A
"What the world would look like if all the ice melted."
National Geographic. (650 words) Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Word Watch
Q & A
Read excerpts from the climate study here.
Stockholm Resilience Centre. (900 words) Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Word Watch
Q & A
Sea level rises: The paper predicts that in the worst case scenario sea levels could rise by 60 meters. See the
National Geographic
link in Become An Expert for more. Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Q & A
Climate scientists: Their study has been published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For more details, see the final link in Become An Expert. 2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Q & A
2C: The study does not claim that this is the definite tipping point. The consequences described could potentially occur with a larger or smaller temperature increase. Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Q & A
Reflecting sunlight: Professor Peter Wadhams claims that the warming this reflection prevents is equivalent to 20 years worth of CO2 emissions. Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Q & A
Tipping point: The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause larger, more significant change. Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Q & A
Second largest: The world's biggest polluter is China, which pumps out over 10 billion tonnes of CO2 every year. The US emits just over 5 billion tonnes. What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.Q & A
What do we know?: The climate scientists prediction is not based on new research, but on a study of numerous other research papers. Across the world, humans emit approximately 40 billion tonnes of CO2 every year, and approximately half of that is absorbed by oceans, trees and land. Without these processes, the consequences of global warming would be more severe. What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.
What do we not know?: We do not know for sure if the period of hot weather we are currently experiencing is a direct result of global warming. We also do not know what level of temperature rise will cause Earth's "feedback processes" to fail. Nor do we know if governments and industries will be able to stop burning fossil fuels entirely by 2050.
Climate chain reaction risks hothouse Earth
