. For these same apes to imagine they can stabilize this atmosphere is arrogant beyond belief."
We managed to destabilize it. Eventually, it'll stabilize again, but at a warmer temperature, which will make bigger storms.
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Posted on August 28, 2021
Earth is heating up.
Why? Because greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), are piling up in the atmosphere.
Why? Mainly because we’re burning fossil fuels, which takes carbon out of the ground and puts CO2 in the air.
Way back in 1750, before the industrial revolution, we were only burning a tiny amount of fossil fuel (a wee bit of coal) and only emitting a tiny amount of CO2. But our emissions have grown over the years, so much that what started as a “tiny amount” has swollen to 36 billion tonnes per year.
We were only about 280 parts per million (ppm) CO2 when the industrial revolution started; by the time Charles Keeling began his measurements in 1958 we were up to 315 ppm, and we’re now about 415 ppm.
Our planet has warmed about 1.2°C since those pre-industrial times, and we’ve already seen more and hotter heat waves, worse wildfires, more drought and flooding, ice disappearing on land and sea, more furious hurricanes, while the sea itself rises to flood our streets.
Every fraction of a degree dials up the pain. The only way to dial it down is to reduce CO2 emissions.
The only way to do that, is to vote out all the politicians who resist, while voting in all the politicians who insist.
The future depends on our actions. |
