Climate Change and Global Warming A summary
CARBON CYCLE
THE CARBON CYCLE
NATURAL CARBON
EQUILIBRIUM
CARBON CYCLE
THE CARBON CYCLE
+
HUMANS
NATURAL CARBON
EQUILIBRIUM
HUMAN IMPACT
Humanity dumps over 40 billion tonnes of extra carbon into the atmosphere anually Source: Earth System Science Data Journal, C. Le Quéré et al.
HUMAN IMPACT
So there is now too much carbon in the atmosphere to be naturally reabsorbed Source: U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
HUMAN IMPACT
ATMOSPHERIC CO2 (PPM) TODAY
PRE-INDUSTRIAL RANGE
Source: Scripps Center of Oceanography, UCSD
HUMAN IMPACT
AVERAGE GLOBAL TEMPERATURE
NEW YORK CITY UNDER ICE -2%
-200OC
-273OC ABSOLUTE ZERO
Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
-100OC
NEW YORK CITY UNDER WATER +2%
0OC
14.6OC TODAY
40OC
HUMAN IMPACT
The climate is extremely sensitive
HUMAN IMPACT
COASTAL CITIES OF MORE THAN ONE MILLION PEOPLE
HUMAN IMPACT
"We've essentially designed civilisation to be super-sensitive to climate change" Elon Musk
CONSEQUENCES
Potential displacement of 1 billion people due to rising sea levels Source: UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
CONSEQUENCES
Increase in the propensity of flooding, drought, heatwaves and natural disasters; a massive economic disaster, outbreak of war... Source: NASA Global Climate Change and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
SOLUTION
THE GOAL TO EXIT THE FOSSIL FUEL ERA AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE
SOLUTION
THE GOAL TO EXIT THE FOSSIL FUEL ERA AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE
~ 1800 AD
?
SOLUTION
SOLAR
WIND
GEOTHERMAL
HYDRO
IF WE WAIT
IF WE WAIT...
BEST CASE
WORST CASE
POSTPONE THE INEVITABLE TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
MORE DISPLACEMENT AND DESTRUCTION THAN ALL THE WARS IN HISTORY COMBINED
IF WE WAIT
IF WE WAIT...
BEST CASE
WORST CASE
POSTPONE THE INEVITABLE TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
MORE DISPLACEMENT AND DESTRUCTION THAN ALL THE WARS IN HISTORY COMBINED
3%
97%
OF SCIENTISTS
Source: 97% Consensus Paper
OF SCIENTISTS