You might be wondering the things that will happen as the earth gets hotter. In this post, we will go over the outcomes of specific temperature increases and their potential effects.
1°C: This isn’t super bad, but also not good. This mainly lead to more severe heatwaves, which lead to things like droughts and desertification. We are currently beyond this, specifically at 1.36°C, but this was as of 2023.
2°C: This is where things start to get pretty bad. Northern China is currently having a severe drought. This will get much worse once we reach 2°C. It will also lead to ocean acidification, which will end the lives of many different marine species. It will also lead to severe heatwaves around Europe. In 2001, Europe had a major heatwave that ended in tens of thousands of deaths. By 2040, this could become a thing every summer if we reach 2°C, which we will at this rate. It will also cause southern Europe and the Mediterranean region to have major wildfires and droughts, which is bad for obvious reasons. It will also lead to the Arctic melting, which would cause many effects (see yesterday’s article for more information). The extreme heat will also lead to crop failure, leading to decreased food production, which is also bad for obvious reasons. Lastly, it will lead to biodiversity loss, which is when species go extinct.
3°C: Botswana, as well as other south African countries, would experience a severe drought, which would lead to major crop failure and famine and mass displacement. Australia and the Amazon would have similar effects, but Botswana would be so bad that plants wouldn’t even be able to grow at all. Similar to a 2°C increase, it will also lead to issues with food and biodiversity. Lastly, it could also lead to social unrest in some parts of the world due to how hard it is to survive on the planet
4°C: The Nile river would have a high increase in sea level, leading to displacement of millions of people. There is an extremely high chance that Antarctica would melt, leading to major sea level rise. Lastly, mountain ranges like the Alps would have severe issues. The snow seasons would be much shorter, the glaciers would be melted, and there would be a disruption of water supplies all across Europe. The heatwaves would lead to increased risk of avalanches, flooding, and major consequences for things that rely on the mountain, such as agriculture and water that some people get.
5°C: Large parts of southern Europe would have worse droughts than ever before to the point that the deserts in the region would expand. The remaining glaciers in Europe (especially in the Alps) would be pretty much completely melted. This would cause there to be very little water, as losing the glaciers would reduce the flow of major rivers used for obtaining water (e.g. the Rhine and Danube), causing millions of people to lose access to water, irrigation, and hydropower. Countries in norther Europe would have more intense rain storms, leading to major flooding. This might sound good for agriculture, but the timing would not be good for agriculture due to there being water scarcity and flooding at different times of the year.
6°C: Goes without saying, but this is the worst out of these. Southern Europe would have worse droughts and desertification than it already had at 5°C, leading to more severe droughts and desertification. Northern and central Europe would possibly have even more extreme rainfall, which would cause frequent and severe flooding. Countries that rely on mountain glaciers for water would have very little to no water due to the glaciers being almost or completely melted. Major European rivers (Rhine, Danubem Po, etc.) would have their flow patterns changed, which would either cause there to be too much water, leading to floods, or not enough water, leading to droughts.
As you can see, global warming is a major issue. The odds of us reaching 6°C is practically 0%, but it will eventually happen if things continue at this rate. In our lifetime, it will likely reach 2°C, but it might even reach 3°C, although this isn’t super likely.
Also, this information was taken from the book “Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet” by Mark Lynas. I suggest you buy it if you want to learn more.
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