“Mysticals, gather around,” exclaimed Verum, “The United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report on climate change. The IPCC comprises a group of scientists whose findings are endorsed by the world’s governments.”
“What did the report say?” said a solemn Orak.
“The study confirms that human activities have resulted in an increase in global temperatures,” replied Verum, “This climate change will, in turn, lead to extreme heatwaves, drought, and flooding.”
“You mean like the devastating heatwaves in Greece, Russia, and western North America?” said a worried Felix.
“Unfortunately, yes,” agreed Verum, “And also, just like the floods in Germany and China.”
Mysticals wore a concerned look. Verum added, “Did you know the global surface temperature (the temperature at or near the surface) was 1.09 Celsius (C) higher between 2011-2020 than between 1850-1900? This period is considered as the time before the industrial revolution.”
“That makes global warming an even bigger threat,” said Orak, “With this, the rate of sea-level rise would have also increased.”
“Yes, it is triple that of 1900-1971!” said Verum, “According to UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres, this is a code red for humanity. And the concerning part is that under any emissions scenario, the temperature will be 1.5C above the levels of 1850-1900 by 2040. The frequency of extreme weather events will also increase. And there is no going back for many consequences like melting glaciers.”
“Is there anything that humans can do?” said Scorch.
“If humans act fast and cut down deeply on the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, then the rising temperatures could be stabilized,” said Verum, “For this, humans have signed the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. Through it, they plan on keeping the rise in global temperatures below 2C this century. In fact, they will also make efforts to keep it below 1.5C.”
“In this, countries such as China, United States, and India will play an especially important role,” added Felix, “Take China for instance. Its economy has grown so much and with it, the greenhouse gas emissions. It emits about a quarter of the world’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.”
He continued, “While it is making efforts to switch to greener sources of energy, action against climate change must be taken now and rapidly.”