The Synthesis Report (SYR) of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) summarises the state of knowledge of climate change, its widespread impacts and risks, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. (CNN)
The world is running out of time to avoid catastrophe, new UN report warns.
The world is rapidly approaching catastrophic levels of heating with international climate goals set to slip out of reach unless immediate and radical action is taken, according to a new UN-backed report. (Source 1; 2)
“The climate time-bomb is ticking,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in a statement to mark the launch of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s synthesis report on Monday. “Humanity is on thin ice – and that ice is melting fast,” he added. (Source)
The richest one percent of the world’s population are responsible for more than twice as much carbon pollution as the 3.1 billion people who made up the poorest half of humanity during a critical 25-year period of unprecedented emissions growth.
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The report draws on the findings of hundreds of scientists to provide a comprehensive assessment of how the climate crisis is unfolding.
The impacts of planet-warming pollution are already more severe than expected and we are hurtling towards increasingly dangerous and irreversible consequences, the report says.
Concentrations of carbon pollution in the atmosphere are at their highest level for more than two million years and the rate of temperature rise over the last half a century is the highest in 2,000 years.
The impacts of the climate crisis continue to fall hardest on poorer, vulnerable countries that have done least to cause it.
In order to ward off the worst effects of the climate crisis, radical changes in all areas of the economy and society are required.
It called for profound cuts in the pollution of the planet by departing fossil fuels and investments in renewable energies.
In order to limit the heating to 1.5 degrees, global pollution by heating the planet must decrease by 60%. by 2035 compared to 2019,
The climate crisis threatens the future of all children
The global climate crisis already has a massive impact on the life of children in many regions of the world. Because as a result of climate change, extreme weather phenomena increase or change, such as heat, droughts and lack of rain, but also storms and massive rains. According to a UN study, the number of climate-related catastrophes worldwide has doubled over the previous decades in the past twenty years. Even in East Africa, where Dürren are not a new phenomenon, these have become more and less predictable.
The global increase in weather extreme and natural disasters means that the future of the children, born since 2020, will be significantly determined by the effects of climate change – if we are not now determined against it. This is shown by the new climate report “Born into the Climate Crisis” by Save the Children in an alarming way. Accordingly, the youngest generation could be exposed to a much higher number of climate -related weather extremes than people who were born in 1960. (Source)
These children could be exposed to seven times more heat waves in their lives than their grandparents. In addition, on average, these children could experience twice as many forest fires, 2.8 times more crop failures, 2.6 times more drought and 2.8 times more floods than people who were born 60 years ago. (Source)
Climate change in Thailand
Since the 20th century, climate change has caused temperatures in Thailand to increase. Thailand is considered highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Extreme heat and rising sea levels threaten parts of Thailand, including the capital city of Bangkok. Erosion is considered a major problem due to climate change within the country.
As a signatory to the 2015 Paris Agreement, the Thai government has committed a nationally determined contribution to reduce its annual greenhouse gas emissions by 20–25%. by 2030. (Source)
Nineteen of the twenty hottest years on record have occurred since 2001, not including 2020 which is on track to top the list. Research has found that mean annual temperatures (MAT) above 29°C, currently found on 0.8% of the planet, could affect up to one third of the world’s population by 2070.
According to a paper by “Xu et al 2020”, Thailand could become too hot to live in. (Source)
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Other climate-driven issues in Thailand, namely droughts, floods, decreasing yields and sea level rise, are pushing the government to draft adaptation plans for the future. While the general direction of these strategies is obvious, their decisiveness remains to be seen. There are many obstacles in the form of political and economical strife that will hinder its ability to act efficiently. (Source)
Global climate change
Absent climate mitigation or human migration, the temperature experienced by an average human is projected to change more in the coming decades than it has over the past six millennia.
Compared with the preindustrial situation 300 y BP, the mean human-experienced temperature rise by 2070 will amount to an estimated 7.5 °C, about 2.3 times the mean global temperature rise, a discrepancy that is largely due to the fact that the land will warm much faster than the oceans, but also amplified somewhat by the fact that population growth is projected to be predominantly in hotter places.
A Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) is a greenhouse gas concentration (not emissions) trajectory adopted by the IPCC. Four pathways were used for climate modeling and research for the IPCC fifth Assessment Report (AR5) in 2014. The pathways describe different climate futures, all of which are considered possible depending on the volume of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted in the years to come. The RCPs – originally RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6, and RCP8.5 – are labelled after a possible range of radiative forcing values in the year 2100 (2.6, 4.5, 6, and 8.5 W/m2, respectively).
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I asked the Bing Chatbot:
Is that 1.5 degrees goal to achieve? CHAT-BOT: The 1.5-degree goal is the goal of the Paris Agreement, which calls for countries to take concerted climate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100.
It is an important goal to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events, sea level rise, biodiversity loss and water scarcity.
To achieve the 1.5-degree goal, global greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut by at least 45% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels and reach net zero by 2050.
This requires a rapid and far-reaching transformation of all sectors of society, such as energy, transport, agriculture and industry.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the 1.5-degree goal is still achievable, but only with decisive and coordinated action from all states and actors.
What happens if the 1.5 degree goal is not met? CHAT-BOT: If the 1.5-degree goal is not met, the world will face more severe and frequent impacts of climate change, such as droughts, floods, heat waves, wildfires, storms, sea level rise, food insecurity, biodiversity loss and human displacement.
According to the IPCC, every fraction of a degree of warming matters for human and natural systems.
For example, limiting warming to 1,5 degrees Celsius instead of 2 degrees Celsius could prevent up to 10 million people from being exposed to sea level rise by “year 2100”.
It could also reduce the risk of extinction for many plant and animal species and preserve some ecosystem services that are vital for human well-being.
Therefore, it is crucial to take urgent and ambitious action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming as much as possible.
Can humans stop global warming ? CHAT-BOT: Humans can stop global warming by taking collective and individual actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changing climate.
Some of the possible actions include using renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, eating less meat, driving less, planting trees, and supporting policies that address climate change.
However, stopping global warming requires a global effort and cooperation among all countries and sectors.
It also requires a rapid and deep transformation of the current economic and social systems that are based on fossil fuels and unsustainable consumption patterns.
What climate risks does Thailand have? CHAT-BOT: Thailand is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Some of the climate risks that Thailand faces are:
- Floods and droughts, especially in the north and northeast regions
- Extreme heat and rising sea levels, which threaten Bangkok and coastal areas
- Erosion and land degradation due to deforestation and agriculture
- Malaria and other vector-borne diseases in rural and forested areas
- Severe storms and cyclones that damage infrastructure and livelihoods
How can I help reduce my carbon footprint? CHAT-BOT: Your carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases that you produce directly or indirectly by your activities.
Reducing your carbon footprint can help mitigate climate change and its impacts.
Some of the ways you can help reduce your carbon footprint are:
- Eat more plant-based foods and less meat, especially beef and lamb
- Eat with the seasons and buy local and organic produce
- Wash your clothes in cold water and hang them to dry
- Use public transportation, bike, walk, or carpool instead of driving a car
- Take fewer flights and opt for train or bus travel when possible
- Switch to renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power
- Use energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs
- Turn off or unplug devices when not in use
- Reduce, reuse, and recycle your waste
- Plant trees or support reforestation projects
Read also: Climate Endgame: Exploring catastrophic climate change scenarios
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