![]() ![]() ![]() The Optimist: Being “hopeful” about climate change requires a strong foundation of reality. They provide contrasting approaches to ingenuity, entrepreneurship and social movements, which can be bastions of hope (or a lack thereof) in response to climate change impacts. We asked a “pessimist” and an “optimist” to share their hypothetical views about climate change futures. One of the key conundrums is how we can remain hopeful while facing the growing-and, for some, irrefutable-evidence of change around us. leadership on climate? Will market forces and private sector ingenuity get us there? Will the international community fill the gap and take bolder steps with the potential absence of U.S. administration, the future of climate action is even more uncertain. For many, the future oscillates between the two. For others, is about building resilience and taking advantage of opportunities despite adversity-it is about hope. For some, it is about preparing for a rather grim future characterized by more frequent and intense climatic impacts. The next few years will be critical to bending our emissions curve, or it will become incredibly difficult to reduce the pace of increasing emissions.Īs researchers and practitioners in the field of climate change, our work is inseparable from scientific evidence and the willingness of governments, the private sector and individuals to take action. These troubling forecasts are twice the maximum temperatures we have committed to. Inaction could cause warming of over 4.5☌. If all countries deliver on their current climate pledges, the world will likely experience a 2.9 to 3.4☌ average temperature increase. To stay within climate-safe limits, we must reduce our emissions and limit temperature increases to no more than 2☌ while aiming to stay below 1.5☌. These changes are troubling, and forecasts are not any better. Some description adapted from the Scripps CO2 Program website, "Keeling Curve Lessons." Data: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The science is clear-the climate is changing, and this change is caused by human activity. Since the industrial revolution, we have seen a rise in greenhouse gases exceeding levels not experienced for over 650,000 years. Scientists are concerned about the speed of the increase: a temperature rise that would typically occur over a few centuries has happened over just a few decades. This may sound like a small increase, but it is not trivial. Global average temperature in 2016 was about 1.1☌ higher than the pre-industrial period. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 2016 was the hottest year on record. ![]()
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