Why the world must keep its goal of 1.5 alive

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By Peter Schlosser / For The Conversation

The world could still, theoretically, meet its goal of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius, a level many scientists consider a dangerous threshold. Realistically, that’s unlikely to happen.

Part of the problem was evident at COP27, the recently concluded United Nations climate conference in Egypt.

While nations’ climate negotiators were successfully fighting to “keep 1.5 alive” as the global goal in the official agreement, reached Nov. 20, some of their countries were negotiating new fossil fuel deals, driven in part by the global energy crisis. Any expansion of fossil fuels — the primary driver of climate change — makes keeping warming under 1.5 C (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times much harder.

Attempts at the climate talks to get all countries to agree to phase out coal, oil, natural gas and all fossil fuel subsidies failed. And countries have done little to strengthen their commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the past year.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-why-the-world-must-keep-its-goal-of-1-5-alive/

[CrispyQ]

1. "Theoretically" is the operative word in that first sentence.

Climate change: No ‘credible pathway’ to 1.5C limit, UNEP warns

https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/10/1129912

snip...

There’s “no credible pathway to 1.5C in place” today, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) insisted in a new report, despite legally binding promises made at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference to prevent average temperatures rising by more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

“This report tells us in cold scientific terms what nature has been telling us all year, through deadly floods, storms and raging fires: we have to stop filling our atmosphere with greenhouse gases, and stop doing it fast,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

“We had our chance to make incremental changes, but that time is over. Only a root-and-branch transformation of our economies and societies can save us from accelerating climate disaster.”

It's looking grim for humanity.

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2. Check out the podcasts Watt It Takes and The Energy Gang

Yes we can. We must.

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3. The latest episode of The Energy Gang is all about COP27 outcomes.

Perspective. We have not failed. Celebrate and push forward.