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Humans have 12 years to curb climate change catastrophe, U.N. warns


MadFan

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NYTimes: A landmark report from the United Nations’ scientific panel on climate change paints a far more dire picture of the immediate consequences of climate change than previously thought and says that avoiding the damage requires transforming the world economy at a speed and scale that has “no documented historic precedent.”

The report, issued on Monday by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of scientists convened by the United Nations to guide world leaders, describes a world of worsening food shortages and wildfires, and a mass die-off of coral reefs as soon as 2040 — a period well within the lifetime of much of the global population.

The report “is quite a shock, and quite concerning,” said Bill Hare, an author of previous I.P.C.C. reports and a physicist with Climate Analytics, a nonprofit organization. “We were not aware of this just a few years ago.” The report was the first to be commissioned by world leaders under the Paris agreement, the 2015 pact by nations to fight global warming.

The authors found that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate, the atmosphere will warm up by as much as 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above preindustrial levels by 2040, inundating coastlines and intensifying droughts and poverty. Previous work had focused on estimating the damage if average temperatures were to rise by a larger number, 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius), because that was the threshold scientists previously considered for the most severe effects of climate change.

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Terrifying and incredibly frustrating.  

The fact too that so many of the mass media (  Murdoch's papers for example )   demonise anyone who is aware of climate change as being "  climate warmists"   as an insult  and have their right wing writers all thinking they have more knowledge and skill than actual scientists,  it is like banging our heads against a wall.  

Our own Great Barrier Reef is dying before our very eyes and we are supposed to bury our heads in the sand and pretend it is not happening.  

Of course having that orange buffoon Trump also agreeing with the conspiracy theorists about ignoring esteemed scientists who actually work in the field and leaving the climate change accord is just another step to insanity.  As well,  many don't even bother to listen to the journalists who also have done research on the groups against Climate change and expose their monetary interests in coal, oil etc.   

Human beings have the knowledge, skill, intelligence and means to fight this - but the question remains if they will make sure it is done. 

 

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Yeah, it's baffling to me that this is not the top story everywhere and our most paramount concern as a species.

This is a big fucking deal. :manson: 

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9 minutes ago, MadFan said:

Yeah, it's baffling to me that this is not the top story everywhere and our most paramount concern as a species.

This is a big fucking deal. :manson: 

I know.  It is like the complete dumbing down of society.   This should be discussed everywhere in detail but it is either not seen as a main issue or dismissed by people that don't respect scientists who study and know what they are talking about.   The evidence is there plainly to see as well.  It is a huge deal and I totally share your concerns. 

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@horn  Those tweets from Trump says it all.  

It reminds me of a report I saw recently that showed previous governments, politicians and corporations from years back mocking anyone that said smoking was dangerous.  They deliberately tried to make the scientists and medical researchers out to be hoaxers and straight out dismissed any research so they could protect their financial interests.  Same thing happening now.  

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