"Humans never have lived on a planet that's 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) warmer than it was before we started burning fossil fuels, in the late 1800s, and climate experts say we risk fundamentally changing life on this planet if we do cross that 2-degree mark."
Climate experts think that if we cross the 2 degrees Celsius mark our world is going to change drastically. Here is a list of what would happen if we ever cross that line:
• Wildfires in the United States are expected to increase 400% to 800% in size.
• Hurricanes are expected to become 2% to 8% more intense.
• A range of species will be at risk for extinction, particularly amphibians. The IPCC estimates 20% to 30% of animals and plants species will be at "increasingly high risk of extinction" at or even near the 2-degree mark.
• The Arctic is expected keep melting, losing 30% of its annual average sea ice.
• Certain crop yields in the United States, India and Africa are expected to decrease 10% to 30%.
• The availability of freshwater is expected to decline by 20%.
Climate scientist don't know what would happen at 2.1 degrees but the climate has warmed from 0.85 since the industrial revolution and we can already see changes in the nature like the seasons, the migrations of birds, the melt of the arctic...
If we want to stay under these 2 degrees, we would have to cut greenhouse gas emissions by some 80% to 90% by 2050. If we continue burning fossil fuels at the current rate, we would hit 2 degrees of warming before the mid-century (2050). Scarier still, we could hit 3 to 5 degrees of warming by 2100.
Are worried about this article and what could happen? Do you think we should talk more about it (at school, radio, in the newspapers, TV...)?
Would you do something to try to stay under that 2-degree mark? if yes, what?
Replies
Great job!
There's no doubt that pollution is a major problem in all parts of the world, but quite frankly, there is no way of knowing if we are the cause of global warming. Human have been on this planet for hardly any time compared to how long Earth has been here. This could happen once every few millennium, there is just no way to be sure yet, and I'm guessing the human race will die out before there is a clear answer.
I think it is something to worry about because the future of the human race could be in danger. I think we should do something about it and that we should have taken better care of the earth in the first place.
I think people should be worried and think about what they are doing and try to help keep it under 2 degrees. I think we should be informed of whats happening and how we can stay safe.
Yes,I totally agree
I am kind of worried about it, but at the same time there are many people that study things like this and if they say we need to be worried that's when we should worry
Yep, these are experts so they know what they are talking about
I don't think that something like this should be worrisome in my lifetime, however if we don't start thinking about things like this now, we are going to put the next generations in jeopardy. Global warming is obviously an actual thing, the scarcity of freshwater could most definitely become a serious problem. We are not making anything any better with all of the waste and pollution that we are personally contributing everyday. We need to think about the future before every action that we take,.
They said if we continue at the current rate, we would reach the 2-degree mark by 2050. and I totally agree about thinking more about the consequences of our actions
Simply put, humans haven't been around long enough to tell if this is natural or all our doing. I completely believe that we may have sped up this process, but I don't think humans are completely responsible. So personally, I don't think there's enough evidence for it to be a concern.
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