Come round to earth with a bang là gì
Global temperatures are rising because of human activity, with more intense heatwaves and rising sea-levels among the consequences. Show Things are likely to worsen in the coming decades, but urgent action can limit the worst effects of climate change. What is climate change?Climate change is the long-term shift in the Earth's average temperatures and weather conditions. The world is now about 1.1C warmer than in the late 19th Century. Are humans causing climate change?The climate has changed throughout the Earth's history. But natural causes cannot explain the particularly rapid warming of the past century. It is mainly because of the widespread use of fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas - in homes, factories and transport. More on the COP28 climate summitWhen fossil fuels burn, they release greenhouse gases - mostly carbon dioxide (CO2). This traps extra energy in the atmosphere near the Earth's surface, causing the planet to heat up. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution - when humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels - the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has risen by about 50%. The CO2 from burning fossil fuels also has a distinctive chemical fingerprint. This matches the type increasing in the atmosphere. What are the effects of climate change so far?A global average temperature increase of 1.1C might not sound much. However, it has had a huge effect on the environment, including:
People's lives are also changing. For example, parts of East Africa recently suffered their worst drought in 40 years, putting more than 20 million people at risk of severe hunger. In 2022, European heatwaves led to an abnormal increase in deaths. How will future climate change affect the world?The more temperatures increase, the worse the impacts of climate change become. Limiting long-term temperature rises to 1.5C is crucial, according to the UN's climate body, the IPCC. The science is not completely certain, but the impacts of 2C global warming versus 1.5C could include:
The 1.5C limit was partly designed to avoid crossing so-called "tipping points". Beyond these points, changes could accelerate and become irreversible, such as the collapse of the Greenland Ice Sheet. However, it's not clear precisely where these thresholds sit. About 3.3 to 3.6 billion people are highly vulnerable to climate change, the IPCC says. People living in poorer countries are expected to suffer most as they have fewer resources to adapt. However, knock-on impacts could be felt over wide areas. For example, crop failures linked to extreme weather could raise global food prices. What are governments doing about climate change?In a landmark agreement signed in Paris in 2015, almost 200 countries pledged to try to keep global warming to 1.5C. To achieve this, net zero CO2 emissions should be reached by 2050. Net zero means reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible, and removing any remaining emissions from the atmosphere. However, greenhouse gas levels are still rising quickly and the world is "likely" to warm beyond 1.5C, the IPCC says. However, there has been progress in some areas like renewable energy and electric vehicles. World leaders meet every year to discuss their climate commitments. The next summit (COP28) will be held in the United Arab Emirates between 30 November and 12 December 2023. What can individuals do?Major changes need to come from governments and businesses, but small changes by individuals can help:
Top image from Getty Images. Climate stripes visualisation courtesy of Prof Ed Hawkins and University of Reading. What questions do you have about COP28? In some cases your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy. Use this form to ask your question: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in. |