A new study by geoscientists in the UK and Netherlands indicates we've nearly run out of time for action to hold global warming at bay. The study, published in Earth System Dynamics by the European Geosciences Union, warns that by 2035 unless action is taken to reduce carbon emissions, increases in the earth's temperature will reach two degrees Centigrade:
"In our study we show that there are strict deadlines for taking climate action," says Henk Dijkstra, a professor at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and one of the study authors. "We conclude that very little time is left before the Paris targets [to limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C] become infeasible even given drastic emission reduction strategies." (our emphasis)The dire warning comes as the U.S. fossil fuel industry is emboldened by the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, it's promotion of coal production and use, and its relaxation of environmental air pollution standards. The fossil fuel industry not only has a place at the table as far as Trump's energy policies are concerned, they own the table.
To illustrate how urgent action is needed to accelerate renewable energy use, we are already fighting a rear guard action:
"To likely limit global warming to 1.5°C in 2100, humanity would have to take strong climate action much sooner. We would only have until 2027 to start if we could increase the share of renewables at a rate of 5% a year. We have already passed the point of no return for the more modest climate-action scenario where the share of renewables increases by 2% each year." (our emphasis)Facts matter, elections matter. Our lives and our planet matter.
