Six degrees can change the world
Scientific research and climate models indicate some serious changes to our climate and they proved that earth's climate has increased less than a degree of warming. Six degrees it’s a sobering but riveting look at what the future could hold in store if we don't take serious action about reducing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
1º At a one degree Celsius increase, the Bay of Bengal in Asia faces continual flooding. and severe droughts in the western United States could cause shortages in global grain and meat markets. Arid regions of the western United States could slip back to desert-like environments. There can be a new American Desert- the Sand Hills may resemble their namesake. The green, grassy hills that cattle graze on could be gone. Dust and sandstorms might be commonplace. Heavier irrigation may fail as water is overexploited by industrial agriculture.
2º At two degrees, Greenland's glaciers begin to disappear and so do most coral reefs. When oceans heat up beyond the temperature tolerance of corals, the corals eject the algae that live in them and become bleached. Massive Coral Bleach-out events may happen all too regularly in the future. Barrier reefs protect coastlines and play a role in the good chain, both of which influence human lives beyond tourist pleasure.
The oceans begin to lose their capacity to absorb carbon, heightening the problem. Scientists have learned that increasing levels of carbon dioxide cause the oceans to become more acidic. Unfortunately, this can affect organisms with calcium carbonate shells. Therefore, many of tiny creatures are at the base of the food chain and assist in the carbon cycle.
3º At three degrees, the Arctic polar region is ice-free all summer and El Niño weather fluctuations become the norm. 80 % of sea ice could be lost. Open oceans lacking these ice caps might change North American weather patterns, bringing more rain to Alaska and Canada, while further drying out the West Coast. Land ice caps and glaciers would melt quickly. In Scandinavian countries, the growing seasons could lengthen, but the soil would still be rocky and acidic.
4º At four degrees, Bangladesh washes away and Egypt is inundated. New York is under assault from rising seas and super storms. If sea levels were to rise and a storm hits Manhattan, the storm surge could submerge parts of the city. Flooding might occur often. In Europe five years ago there were heat waves that took many lives. More and more of these extreme heat waves could occur and cause fatalities, particularly among the elderly. In South Europe new deserts could form as the land would dry out. In contrast, the UK could be hit with storm surges and cyclones in the winter.
5º At five degrees, there are 100 million environmental refugees seeking new homes. Social systems begin to break down. There won’t be natural water anymore for example for Lima if Peru’s mountain glaciers melt. Then agriculture would be troubled and jobs lost. Also Ecuador and Bolivia, in South America, survive on water from mountain glaciers but can share a similar fate as Lima. As well, the Amazon rain forest, which supplies about a 5th of the world’s oxygen, could enter into a cycle of drought and fire. Tribal communities could be displaced, and some biodiversity could be lost forever. Warming temperature may thaw deep into the rock, melting the permafrost in the Alp. This way, widespread rock falls could occur more and more often. Landslides might bury unprotected populations as melting continues.
6º At six degrees, as the British climate researcher and author Mark Lynas predicts, "We see a planet that is unrecognizable" and eventually it will be the end of the Earth.
1º At a one degree Celsius increase, the Bay of Bengal in Asia faces continual flooding. and severe droughts in the western United States could cause shortages in global grain and meat markets. Arid regions of the western United States could slip back to desert-like environments. There can be a new American Desert- the Sand Hills may resemble their namesake. The green, grassy hills that cattle graze on could be gone. Dust and sandstorms might be commonplace. Heavier irrigation may fail as water is overexploited by industrial agriculture.
2º At two degrees, Greenland's glaciers begin to disappear and so do most coral reefs. When oceans heat up beyond the temperature tolerance of corals, the corals eject the algae that live in them and become bleached. Massive Coral Bleach-out events may happen all too regularly in the future. Barrier reefs protect coastlines and play a role in the good chain, both of which influence human lives beyond tourist pleasure.
The oceans begin to lose their capacity to absorb carbon, heightening the problem. Scientists have learned that increasing levels of carbon dioxide cause the oceans to become more acidic. Unfortunately, this can affect organisms with calcium carbonate shells. Therefore, many of tiny creatures are at the base of the food chain and assist in the carbon cycle.
3º At three degrees, the Arctic polar region is ice-free all summer and El Niño weather fluctuations become the norm. 80 % of sea ice could be lost. Open oceans lacking these ice caps might change North American weather patterns, bringing more rain to Alaska and Canada, while further drying out the West Coast. Land ice caps and glaciers would melt quickly. In Scandinavian countries, the growing seasons could lengthen, but the soil would still be rocky and acidic.
4º At four degrees, Bangladesh washes away and Egypt is inundated. New York is under assault from rising seas and super storms. If sea levels were to rise and a storm hits Manhattan, the storm surge could submerge parts of the city. Flooding might occur often. In Europe five years ago there were heat waves that took many lives. More and more of these extreme heat waves could occur and cause fatalities, particularly among the elderly. In South Europe new deserts could form as the land would dry out. In contrast, the UK could be hit with storm surges and cyclones in the winter.
5º At five degrees, there are 100 million environmental refugees seeking new homes. Social systems begin to break down. There won’t be natural water anymore for example for Lima if Peru’s mountain glaciers melt. Then agriculture would be troubled and jobs lost. Also Ecuador and Bolivia, in South America, survive on water from mountain glaciers but can share a similar fate as Lima. As well, the Amazon rain forest, which supplies about a 5th of the world’s oxygen, could enter into a cycle of drought and fire. Tribal communities could be displaced, and some biodiversity could be lost forever. Warming temperature may thaw deep into the rock, melting the permafrost in the Alp. This way, widespread rock falls could occur more and more often. Landslides might bury unprotected populations as melting continues.
6º At six degrees, as the British climate researcher and author Mark Lynas predicts, "We see a planet that is unrecognizable" and eventually it will be the end of the Earth.
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