The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published a new climate report - with scary findings. Global warming is progressing faster than originally thought. The consequences of this are already visible.
What the IPCC report is all about
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was founded in 1988. The task of the IPCC is to inform politicians as neutrally as possible about new scientific findings on climate change and possible countermeasures. A total of 195 countries belong to the IPCC, but in total thousands of scientists are writing the report. Every 5 – 6 years a new report is published that presents the current status of climate research. The entire report consists of over 1,500 pages and is divided into three parts. The first part of the report has now been published, which deals with the physical basis of climate change. Parts two and three will not appear until next year, which will deal with the consequences and adaptation of global warming.
Climate report is alarming
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns in its sixth report that it will soon be impossible to achieve the climate target of 2 degrees, let alone 1.5 degrees. The past decade was 1.1 degrees warmer than the period between 1850 and 1900. Sea levels are currently rising by an average of 3.7 millimeters. Heat waves are becoming more frequent and precipitation patterns are fundamentally changing. We can still change something, but we have to act immediately, we don't have much time left.
The increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere makes it clear that major changes have occurred. CO2 levels are 47 percent higher than before industrialization and are at their highest level in two million years. The methane content has even increased by 156 percent.
Another finding of the report: If the CO2 content in the atmosphere doubles, the temperature rises between 2.5 to 4 degrees.
Consequences of global warming
According to the climate report, this warming is changing the weather. Extreme weather situations are occurring more and more frequently: since 1950, heat waves have become more frequent and severe, and are increasingly accompanied by droughts and fires. Heavy rain and tropical cyclones have also increased.
If the earth warms by two degrees, extreme heat events would become 14 times more likely, and at four degrees they would become 40 times more likely. As far as heavy rain is concerned, at two degrees the probability could increase by 70 percent and be up to 30 percent more severe.
So far, the IPCC has assumed that the carbon budget - i.e. the amount of CO2 that the atmosphere can absorb without the temperature rising above it - would last for around 20 years. However, the latest findings make it clear that everything will be at capacity in a decade and we should be completely climate neutral.
We have to live practically 100% climate neutrally in order to stop climate change.
Now or never!
This report should serve as a wake-up call, especially for politicians. We must act, and act quickly, before it is too late! We, as citizens of this world – the only world we have – can and must do something!
What you can do:
- Compensate for your emissions by investing in climate protection projects.
- Choose parties that want to combat climate change quickly and efficiently.
- Obtain your electricity from independent eco-providers.
- Go to work by bike instead of by car.
- Turn off your lights when you leave the house.
- Consume less (e.g. clothing) and if necessary, consume from sustainable companies.
- Lower meat consumption reduces emissions. With our Easy To Mixes you can get started on a vegan diet.
Together we can STILL change something. Let's achieve the climate goal. THERE IS NO PLANET B!🌎
Sources:
- https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/
- https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/weltklima-bericht-ipcc-101.html
- https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/extremwetter-alarmstufe-rot-fuers-klima-weltklimarat-warnt-in-neuem-bericht-vor-kontrolleLOS/27495732.html?ticket=ST-4459229-TiMfeSfPHwsVhfj1dFFt- ap3
- https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/weltklimarat-ipcc-klimabericht-100.html