Global warming is a fact and its effects will have serious impacts on Earth. To limit its impacts, recycling helps keep the roads clean, but it is not the ultimate solution. Thus a better idea is needed in order to cut carbon emissions.
When the US announced that they withdraw from the Paris agreement, this development came in the hottest year the world has seen since 1880. Namely, during 2016, the Earth ‘s temperature averaged 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.26 degrees Celsius) above preindustrial averages, which is very close to the 1.5-degree-Celsius limit.
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That means that even if carbon emissions were to be completely eliminated tomorrow, human-driven climate change wound still take place for a long time.
That is what Gavin Schmidt, a climate scientist who is the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies, said, adding that this would be the future of Earth within 100 years even if we succeed in reducing climate change. He also mentioned, that the planet will surpass the 1.5-degree target by 2030.
However, he is optimistic that we are able to keep climate change from surpassing 3.6 degrees F, or 2 degrees C, which is the increase the UN wants to avoid.
If eventually we manage to stop somewhere between those two temperature targets, by the end of this century, Earth’s temperature will be almost 3 degrees Fahrenheit higher than now. Nevertheless, even if we eliminate emissions, summers in the tropics could see a 50% increase their extreme-heat days by 2050.
This is important considering the possible implication on our planet. Namely, with oceans absorbing one third of all carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, they become warmer and more acidic. In addition, coral reef habitats could be devastated, as now half of tropical coral reefs are under risk.
Moreover, less water resources and more droughts are expected according to a 2013 paper, which notes that climate change may cause droughts across 40% of all land.
