Summary:
The United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a crucial report early on during the year, warning world leaders that they are running out of time to hinder the impacts of climate change. Climate scientists that contributed to this report claim that there will be dire consequences related to global warming if governments continue to ignore greenhouse gas emissions. Such consequences include more severe weather, significant sea level rise, and dramatic shifts in temperature that could render parts of the ecumene uninhabitable. Furthermore, some of these impacts do not even have to be proved through physical science because they are already affecting human life and natural ecosystems. For example, severe heat caused by global warming has been shown to have acute effects on crop yields in the U.S. Now more than ever the decisions that we make will determine how severe the impacts of climate change will be throughout this century. For this reason, the IPPC hopes that their report will convince international leaders to do more to reduce carbon emissions. However, we will not be able to avoid all of the impacts of global warming, which is why governments need to take on the responsibility of supporting those that are at risk.
Reaction:
Prior to reading this article, I had no idea that the world is currently facing serious threats from climate change. The article mentions that more extreme storms and record levels of flooding are becoming more common as a result of climate change. This statement corroborates a proposition found in my article for "Earth Systems and Resources", which is that droughts and floods are linked to global climate change. If both of these authors and a panel of climate scientists are correct, then this means that our world is running out of time to prevent serious issues. For example, severe weather caused by climate change threatens to dwindle our ability to maintain safe drinking water. Lives are not yet being lost at a massive scale, but we cannot wait until that happens. We simply cannot afford to keep ignoring the big picture. By doing this, we are being inconsiderate of future generations and their livelihood. Still, there are people who call global warming a hoax.
I believe that we have all contributed to global warming in some way, which is why we must now adapt to the repercussions. However, it is the responsibility of governments to show leadership and to declare a state of emergency whenever the threat exists. According to this article, the consequences of global climate change are more than tangible and they will only become more severe. If this is true, then why are governments not taking action? By waiting until the last minute to respond to climate change governments are being quite irresponsible. This is the case in the U.S., where global warming has turned into an ongoing political debate. Politicians, especially Republicans, are reluctant to approve climate legislation because of the role that money plays in making these decisions. Consequently, I agree with the report released by the IPCC when it states that it is the duty of governments to prepare their people for the impacts of climate change.
I believe that we have all contributed to global warming in some way, which is why we must now adapt to the repercussions. However, it is the responsibility of governments to show leadership and to declare a state of emergency whenever the threat exists. According to this article, the consequences of global climate change are more than tangible and they will only become more severe. If this is true, then why are governments not taking action? By waiting until the last minute to respond to climate change governments are being quite irresponsible. This is the case in the U.S., where global warming has turned into an ongoing political debate. Politicians, especially Republicans, are reluctant to approve climate legislation because of the role that money plays in making these decisions. Consequently, I agree with the report released by the IPCC when it states that it is the duty of governments to prepare their people for the impacts of climate change.
Vocabulary:
Dire- (of a situation or event) extremely serious or urgent.
"Global warming"- a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.
"Climate change"- a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.
"Greenhouse gases"- any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide,
methane, ozone, and the fluorocarbons.
"Greenhouse effect"- the trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface.
Marginalized- something or someone that has been pushed to the edge of a group and accorded lesser importance.
"Physical science"- the sciences concerned with the study of inanimate natural objects, including physics, chemistry, astronomy, and related subjects.
Mitigate- to make less severe, serious, or painful.
"Global warming"- a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.
"Climate change"- a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.
"Greenhouse gases"- any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide,
methane, ozone, and the fluorocarbons.
"Greenhouse effect"- the trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface.
Marginalized- something or someone that has been pushed to the edge of a group and accorded lesser importance.
"Physical science"- the sciences concerned with the study of inanimate natural objects, including physics, chemistry, astronomy, and related subjects.
Mitigate- to make less severe, serious, or painful.
Source:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140331-ipcc-report-global-warming-climate-change-science/