What Climate Will We Be Giving Our Children

The Scientific American magazine recently provided some numbers on the climate which are based on real science, data and modeling.  (No political disinformation or technoeconomic paradigm allowed.)

One measure of climate change is the forecasted world temperature rise in 2100, compared to pre-industrial times.  When we first discovered that human beings were wrecking the climate by their behavior, the predicted temperature rise in 2100 was 4.3 degrees Celsius.  For us Americans, that is about 8 degrees Fahrenheit.  Most people and countries in the world know that we can do something about that and are working on correcting our climate destroying activities.  Evidence is that the predicted rise in 2100 is now 2.9 degrees Celsius.  The reason that the forecast is better is evidenced by the world's commitment in the Paris Climate Treaty, adopted in 2015.  This means that we are one-third of the way to correcting the harm we have done.  We are headed in the right direction, but we need to work harder.  

We are already seeing climate change effects, and we will reach an average increase of 1.5 degrees increase very soon.  What are the effects that we are seeing?  Heat waves, droughts, crop failures, river floods, wildfires and tropical cyclones (hurricanes).  These are just the human impacts.  Loss of habitat, biodiversity and species is also devastating.  I like the chart below because it lays out the stark reality for all humans, our children, grandchildren and future generations.  

On this chart, I am at the top of the chart, and my grandson is at the bottom.  The chart is using the pre-industrial climate as the baseline.  I will experience 5 times more heat waves than the pre-industrial time, but my grandson will experience 39 time more.  In other words, he will be experiencing 6 times the heat waves that I will.  He will experience three times as many droughts, crop failures, and floods.  He will experience two times as many wildfires and hurricanes.  All of this is using the current projected temperature increase.

We can and must do better than this.  We are one-third of the way back from the brink with minimal effort since the Paris Climate Treaty, so I want to believe that we can get to the point that my grandson will not have any worse of a climate when he gets to my age.  Also, when getting there, let's not deviate into irreversible impacts to the earth.

If our political leaders have a self-destructive bent, if technocrats are willing to sacrifice themselves on the altar of technology, or greedy people will sell their soul for a dollar, so be it.  And, if they are willing to harm others to worship their selfish greed, how can they condemn their own offspring to a destroyed planet?

Here is some specific information for individuals who want to save the climate for their grandchildren.  On a personal note, energy conservation would go a long way.  Every time you turn on a light or use electricity you are adding climate destroying emissions to the atmosphere, unless you have solar panels and are energy independent.  Every time you run an internal combustion engine, you are adding climate destroying emissions to the atmosphere. Limiting car trips and purchasing energy efficient vehicles would go a long way to decreasing that impact.  I know some of these things take some personal resources that may not be available, so mass transit, car sharing, biking and walking may be possible.  Lastly, having a government that takes climate change seriously is very-very important.  Listing the ways that the current administration is damaging needed climate change efforts is an extensive list.  Suffice to say that we need to vote for government leaders who will enact earth friendly policies and support world efforts, such as the Paris Climate Treaty.