As I'm sure many of you have heard, the United Nations recently released an IPCC report regarding the current status of the climate change issue. And unlike previous reports, this one garnered quite a bit of attention from news outlets, websites, and the like, drawing focus towards the debate on this pivotal problem. While this is great news when it comes to educating others about climate change, there's always complications. With large media attention comes debate, and with that debate comes confusion. Who do you trust when both sides demand your support? I can't even begin to think of a proper way for someone just exposed to this to decide (although I have clearly made my own decision!) but I can, however, provide personal experience and information.
What is the IPCC?
Okay, but first we need to establish some background info. What even is the IPCC? Well, it's the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group that was created in 1988 to assess the scientific basis of climate change, as well as provide suggestions for how to limit its impact and prepare for consequences if solutions aren't implemented. Every few years, the group releases various kinds of reports, focusing on different aspects of Climate Change as well as the effects they will have on our Earth. These reports are then used to inform debates and planning within the United Nations to create proper methods of addressing the issue.
This year, the IPCC released a specific report detailing a "1.5 degree Celsius World", or what the world will look like if we are unable to prevent the global temperature from rising 1.5 degrees Celsius, as well as what we need to do to prevent it in the first place. This report, written by scientists and economists, was compiled from over 90 different studies conducted over the past few years, and approved by a wide variety governments (including the U.S.). So, we should be dealing with accurate information here.
The findings
If you'd like to sort through what the findings yourself (judging by recent disagreement, I wouldn't blame you) then you can do so through their website by clicking here. However, it is a bit complicated (too much so for me!) so I'm going to explain the important parts of it using information I gathered from a recent Sunrise Movement webinar on the topic. The talk, hosted by two members of the organization, highlighted the most important information from the report, as well as allowed for discussion on how best to take in and use what we learned. I thought they did a wonderful job, so let's talk about it!
The first part of the webinar was strictly about the report, which said two major things: first, what a warming of 1.5 degrees means for our world (and what happens if we go past that) and second: what it will take for society as a whole to keep temperatures under that vital number.
What does 1.5 degrees even mean?
First off: the Earth has already warmed a degree. That 1.5 doesn't refer to an additional 1.5, it's talking about a total increase since the industrial revolution. Realistically, we have a margin of .5 degrees of increase until we start experiencing major effects. While a rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius really doesn't seem like much, according to the report it can make a world of difference for us and our ecosystems. For instance, .5 degrees more is the difference between sea ice remaining in the arctic during the summer each year vs. a 10x more likely chance that there will be absolutely no sea ice by the end of the century. Imagine the sea level rise that will come from that.
Additionally, this increase will escalate heat waves. In a 1.5 degree warmer world, 14% of the world's population will experience extreme heat waves frequently. And in a 2 degree warmer one, that number goes up to 37%. And finally, the last major fact that the Sunrise Movement highlighted was that this heat obliterates coral reefs. Even if we were to limit the temperate rise to 1.5 degrees, we will only be able to keep a third of our coral reefs.
How can We stop this?
So how can society avoid the devastation? That's the second part of the IPCC report. First off, by 2030 the world needs to cut its emissions in half, begin reforesting large swaths of land, and eliminate the equivalent of Japan's annual emissions each year. By that time, the world also needs to get 60% of its power from renewable energy sources. We're at 20% right now. By 2050, we need to be net-zero (meaning that all further emissions released are leveled out by the removal of C02 or other greenhouse gasses) and completely discontinue the use of coal. If we do all of this (plus a whole lot of other, more minor things) then we have a fighting chance of curbing climate change devastation.
Conclusion
This is scary. What the hell are we going to do? How are we supposed to triple the amount of renewable energy, completely cut our emissions, reforest, remove coal, all in the next few decades? We talked about this during the Sunrise Movement's webinar, and the answer is pretty clear: we need a cultural shift. A shift unprecedented in any recorded history. A total, complete, worldwide understanding of the problem, as well as a drive towards a solution from all sides of the issue. Essentially, we need to change the world, and it's going to take a tremendous effort
But if people, movements, and governments can band together, then we might just have a fighting chance. I'm not saying it will be easy. If anything, judging by the United States' current administration, it's going to be tremendously difficult. But we've already made progress. We have a place to start. People, organizations, and even entire countries are crafting creative, effective solutions to climate change. We just have to take that starting point and expand upon it, until we're happy with the product. Until we can make a world without climate change. After all, what other choice do we have?
All credit for information used in this post goes to:
http://ipcc.ch/
https://www.sunrisemovement.org/
Other ways you can learn about and help fight in the climate change battle:
https://www.drawdown.org/solutions
bit.ly/sunriseGOTVphonebank
https://www.pachamama.org/engage/intensive
tinyurl.com/suntraining
Images:
https://www.democracynow.org/2016/10/20/in_warmest_year_ever_climate_change
http://latinoweeklyreview.com/?p=138805
https://www.environewsnigeria.com/1-5c-report-campaigners-assess-ipccs-rescue-plan-for-humanity/
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1018/IPCC-report
https://wagingnonviolence.org/feature/sunrise-movement-climate-change-elections/
http://legal-planet.org/2015/12/14/does-the-paris-agreement-open-the-door-to-geoengineering/
https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/paris-agreement-what-you-need-know/
https://theconversation.com/great-barrier-reef-bleaching-event-what-happens-next-56664
https://nocoalinoakland.info/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/armine-sahakyan/the-grim-pollution-pictur_b_9266764.html
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