Minimising the global temperature increase

A team of scientists has done some computer modeling to determine how much industrial emissions must be limited in order to avoid exceeding a 2°C increase in global temperatures. The results are:

“A 100% reduction of emissions saw temperature change stabilise at 1.5°C above the pre-industrial figure. With a 90% reduction by 2050, the computer model predicted that temperature change will eventually exceed 2°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures but then plateau.”

A warming of 2°C above pre-industrial temperatures is frequently cited as the limit beyond which the world will face “dangerous” climate change. So basically humans need to reduce their industrial emissions down to zero to avoid dangerous climate change. Anything less and the result will be dramatic ecological changes, including widespread coastal flooding, reduced food production, and widespread species extinction. And that DOES NOT sound good!

Tags: Environment, Science