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‘Time running out to reduce greenhouse gas emissions’
Why in news?
- Five global risks that have the potential to impact and amplify one another in ways that may cascade to create global systemic crisis, have been listed by ‘The Future of Earth, 2020,’ which was released recently by the South Asia Future Earth Regional Office, Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science.
More in news
- As many as 222 leading scientists from 52 countries conducted the survey by Future Earth, an international sustainability research network.
- The Bengaluru launch was among similar parallel ones across other parts of the world scheduled between February 13 and 21.
- Aim of the Report: The report was prepared with the aim of reducing carbon footprint and halting global warming below 2 degree Celsius by 2050.
- Findings in the report
- 5 Global Risks: The report, released lists following global risks:
(1) failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation;
(2) extreme weather events;
(3) major biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse;
(4) food crises;
(5) water crises.
- Interrelated factors: Offering examples of how the interrelation of risk factors play a role, scientists say extreme heat waves can accelerate global warming by releasing large amounts of stored carbon from affected ecosystems, and at the same time intensify water crises and/ or food scarcity.
- Biodiversity Loss Increases Vulnerability: The loss of biodiversity also weakens the capacity of natural & agricultural systems to cope with climate extremes, increasing our vulnerability to food crises.
- Rising temperature:
(1) This has inspired declarations of a climate crisis or climate emergency by the leaders of more than 700 cities, States and governments.
(2) Yet, during 2019, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached more than 415 ppm, and the five years from 2014 to 2018 were the warmest recorded over land and ocean since 1880,” read the report.
- Populism versus grassroots movements: Right-wing populism, a breed of politics that exploits people’s fears during times of economic decline & growing inequality, and that focuses on nationalist tendencies to clamp down on borders & reject immigrants,” is on the rise around the world. This often leads to a denial of climate change facts or impacts.
- Altered Land Areas: Humans have now “significantly altered” 75% of our planet’s land area; about a quarter of species in assessed plant and animal groups are threatened.
Sources
The Hindu