Pulling back from the brink

Pulling back from the brink

Article:

1. Scientist Sujatha Byravanin her findings has shown concern over extreme form of climate change.

Important Analysis:

2. All climate change started from Holocene period when development in Agriculture and Technology brought social and economic transformation.

3. Holocene period was followed by Anthropocene period during which humans plays an important role shaping the climate change.

4. This has led the scientist to discuss on how the planet may move into high temperature “Hothouse Earth”.

Hothouse Earth– Is a period with no continental glaciers, the levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (such as water vapor and methane) are high, with high sea surface temperatures and uncontrollable warning.

5. Several factors are responsible for increase in GHGs (Green House Gases) leading to global warming like burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and increasing human activity.

6. Global warming led to increase in open water due to melting of ice. Open water absorb more sunlight and further cause warming.

7. Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 (now over 400 ppm) are responsible for global average temperatures that are about a degree Celsius higher than at pre-industrial times.

8. Increase in CO2 level enhances chemical weathering which depletes CO2 from atmosphere and cools the atmosphere.

9. Changes beyond tipping point is a major concern.

Tipping Points – Geophysical tipping point is a threshold beyond which a system moved from one stable state to another

10. Scientist have found crossing a threshold (roughly determined to be about 2º Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times) would lead to series of tipping points which will lead to

• The destruction of the Amazon forest due to wildfires.
• The loss of permafrost with warming.
• The weakening of CO2 absorption by the oceans.
• Melting of polar ice caps

11. Research says that global target of 1.5-2 degree Celsius to control the global warmingmay not be able to control the earth entering into Hothouse path.

12. Amajor change in technological innovation, behavior, values and governance are need of an hour to control climate change