Warning: Global Heating Accelerating Faster Than Expected, Urgent Action Needed
Renowned climate scientist James Hansen is sounding the alarm once again, this time warning that global heating is happening at a much faster rate than previously understood. Hansen, who initially raised concerns about the greenhouse effect back in the 1980s, believes that the world is on the brink of crossing a critical temperature threshold sooner than anticipated.
New research, led by Hansen, reveals that the Earth's climate is more sensitive to human-induced changes than previously acknowledged. This heightened sensitivity means that the planet is set to experience a "dangerous" surge in heating, pushing global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the 2020s and 2 degrees Celsius hotter by 2050, breaching international climate agreements well ahead of schedule.
This rapid acceleration of global heating poses a severe risk, leading to a world with more extreme climate events and becoming less hospitable to humanity. Hansen emphasizes that a significant amount of global heating is already "in the pipeline" due to ongoing fossil fuel use, and the Earth's sensitivity to these changes is far greater than previously estimated by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The debate surrounding the rate of global heating acceleration has been ongoing, especially in a year marked by record-breaking temperatures. Hansen points to an increased imbalance between incoming solar energy and outgoing energy from the Earth, which has nearly doubled over the past decade. This imbalance could lead to disastrous sea-level rise, particularly affecting coastal cities worldwide.
Hansen's research, conducted with a team of scientists, attributes this imbalance, Earth's heightened climate sensitivity, and reduced pollution from shipping (resulting in fewer airborne sulphur particles that reflect sunlight) to the escalating global heating.
The paper underlines the urgent need for action to address this climate emergency. Hansen and his colleagues recommend implementing a global carbon tax and, controversially, the deliberate release of sulphur into the atmosphere to deflect heat and lower global temperatures—an approach known as "solar geoengineering."
While cutting emissions remains a top priority, Hansen argues that the slow progress in developing carbon-free energy sources and a failure to price carbon emissions make it unlikely to achieve a sustainable future for the younger generation without temporary assistance from solar radiation management.
This year is on track to be one of the hottest ever recorded, with dwindling carbon budgets to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius due to continued fossil fuel use and deforestation. Although scientists agree that global heating is on an upward trend, there is no consensus on whether this trend is accelerating.
Hansen's dire warning about supercharged global heating has prompted a range of reactions from the scientific community. Some express skepticism, while others recognize his past prescient warnings and the urgency of taking action to address the climate crisis.
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