The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its latest report on Monday 8th October.
They warned that 2.0C of warming would be terrible for the planet. Previously, they believed 2.0C would be safe. They recommended people to make big changes to their lives. They say warming must be kept below 1.5C.
If we continue to 2.0C of warming, we will experience droughts, extreme heat, floods and poverty.
10 million more people will be affected by sea level rise at 2.0C. Also, 50% more people will suffer water shortages.
Debra Roberts, of the UN said “Now is the time. We must act now.”
The impacts on nature are also dangerous. At 2.0C, 99% of the coral reefs will die. At 1.5C, 10% will be saved. Insects, vital for pollination, and plants, will lose 1/2 their land at 2.0C.
At present, we are going to warm the planet by 2.7C by 2040. This will be very dangerous. The UN is warning us to change our lifestyles now.
To keep temperatures at 1.5C, deforestation must end now. We must also plant millions of trees. Trees usually absorb Twenty Five percent of the carbon that humans produce. If we lose the forests, we will release 3 trillion tons of carbon.
The best way to do this is to eat less meat. Meat diets use between 3-18 times more land than plant based diets. Beef production uses 18 times more land and chicken and pork use 3 times more land. Meat diets also use 3,000 gallons of water each day (11,356 liters), but plant based diets only use 400 gallons (1,514 liters).
The science is very clear. The future depends on our actions.
