Sunday, March 20, 2022

IPCC Warns of 'Irreversible' Impacts of Global Warming

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that humans and nature are being pushed beyond their abilities to adapt, with reports indicating that places, where people live and work, may cease to exist. The authors of the most recent report state that "this is a really key moment. Our reports point out very clearly, this is the decade of action if we are going to turn things around." 

This report is the second of three reviews from the foremost body of climate researchers, looking at the causes, impacts, and solutions to climate change. The report shows that extreme weather events linked to climate change are hitting humans and other species much harder than previous assessments indicated. 

Like what we learned in class, some are being hit much harder than others, with parts of Africa, South Asia, and Central and South America being the more vulnerable regions than in other parts of the world. Under all emissions scenarios, the IPCC expects a million more people to be at risk from coastal-specific climate hazards within the next few decades. If temperatures rise between 1.7 and 1.8 C from the 1850s level, then half the human population could be exposed to life-threatening climatic conditions arising from heat and humidity. Diseases will likely spread more quickly as we see the physical health impacts for the first time including stress and trauma related to extreme weather events and the loss of livelihoods and culture. 

By: Genevieve Weiss

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60525591 


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