Greenhouse gas levels hit record; world struggles to curb damage

[JudyM]

Source: Reuters

Greenhouse gas concentrations hit a record last year and the world is "way off track" on capping rising temperatures, the United Nations said on Monday, showing the task facing climate talks in Glasgow aimed at averting dangerous levels of warming.

A report by the U.N. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) showed carbon dioxide levels surged to 413.2 parts per million in 2020, rising more than the average rate over the last decade despite a temporary dip in emissions during COVID-19 lockdowns.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said the current rate of increase in heat-trapping gases would result in temperature rises "far in excess" of the 2015 Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average this century.

"We are way off track," he said. "We need to revisit our industrial, energy and transport systems and whole way of life," he added, calling for a "dramatic increase" in commitments at the COP26 conference beginning on Sunday.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/world-scrambles-contain-damage-greenhouse-gas-emissions-hit-record-2021-10-25/

[CrispyQ]

1. "We need to revisit our industrial, energy and transport systems and whole way of life,"

We can't even get people to wear masks & get vaccinated, how are we going to get entire societies on board for a "whole new way of life?"

We are so fucked.

[Javaman]

2. we are so fucked. nt

[Mickju]

3. Yes, we are so fucked.

[marie999]

4. Growing up through my 20s and 30 senior citizens would tell me how lucky I was to be young.

I am 78 and I am glad I am not young.

[roamer65]

14. I'm glad I don't have children.

Really glad.

[bronxiteforever]

5. "And I looked, and behold a pale horse:

and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him."

[bucolic_frolic]

6. No way to avoid this

Lockdowns and living local solve the problem.

Meanwhile, most goods come from thousands and tens of thousands of miles away, fossil fuel transportation is ubiquitous, and no one wants to underconsume on anything.

Greenhouse gas levels will fall when climate is so bad as to reduce the population like a stock market correction. All systems are altered at that point to an era of chaos.

[Kaleva]

9. I pretty much agree.

[The Mouth]

7. Without the rest of the world shutting down all the new planned coal plants

and one HELL of a lot more effort by China and India, we're fucked.
No matter how much each and every American, Englishman, and German goes green.

[oldsoftie]

11. Correct. And without nucear pwr, its useless

[Kaleva]

8. I think it'd be wise for UN to start informing people on how to prepare for what's coming

Or they could just send out a world wide text in a few years saying "You Are Sooooo Fucked!".

[c-rational]

10. Unfortunately, I agree.

[NickB79]

12. The last time we had CO2 over 400 ppm was 3.5 million years ago

Sea levels were 75' higher, there were forests growing in the Arctic and Antarctica, most polar ice was gone, and alligators lived in the upper Midwest. Hippos, ostriches and giraffes lived in Germany.

That's our future.

[roamer65]

13. 8 billion is too many.

It’s the cold, hard fact.

[marie999]

15. The Planet can easily sustain 10-11 billion people.

All we have to do is stop using all fossil fuels and everyone becomes a vegan.

[NickB79]

17. Oh, that easy?

Well then......

Incidentally, we'd also have to give up most plastics, as they're now generating as much carbon as coal in the US, and set to rise rapidly in coming years.

[marie999]

18. We'll add those to the list.

Right, plastic bottles, plastic bags, and disposable diapers. And no more gas lawn mowers, weed eaters, or other tools. See how easy it is to slow down and probably stop climate change.

[hunter]

16. This is the most important news of today and it will be the most important news of tomorrow...

... short of a giant mass-extinction-level-event rock hitting the earth.

If we don't quit fossil fuels soon our world civilization is toast.

Even if the U.S.A. quit fossil fuels alone we'd be developing technology that would be in high demand around the world.