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I will do my best to keep this page updated with the latest news on 2C policy developments and associated stories
Apparently scientists have now decided 1.5c is the dangerous limit
After ten years of reporting that scientists have defined 2C as a dangerous limit The Guardian has, without so much as a blush, changed its mind and reports scientists have now decided 1.5C of warming is the dangerous limit. The head of the IPCC is joining in the deceit, arguing that apparently it has only now become apparent that 2C will wreck the world.
World's scientists to join forces on major 1.5C climate change report
Scientists from around the world will contribute to a major UN report on how global temperatures can be held to a rise of 1.5C and what the impact might be on sea level rises, the bleaching of corals and biodiversity.
The special report, from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will assess all the available peer-reviewed science along with other special reports on how land and oceans are being affected by climate change. These will look at the melting of ice in polar and mountain regions, as well as the impact of climate change on cities and food supplies.
“We now have a roadmap for the next comprehensive assessment which will be published in 2022, in good time for the global stocktake by governments in 2023,” said Hoesung Lee, chair of the panel, in Nairobi.
The 1.5C report was requested by governments meeting at the Paris climate talks in December where countries unexpectedly agreed to “pursue efforts” to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. 1.5C marks the point, say many scientists, where there is a real danger of serious “tipping points” in the world’s climate. Temperatures have already risen 1C and show little sign of slowing.
“Before the Paris meeting governments were focussing on [a rise of ] 2C. The latest assessment by the IPCC showed that some serious risks to corals and sea-level rise emerge at 1.5C. But there was not much available [science] on these topics. There is a lot we need to find out about 1.5C. We are ready to embark on this,” said Lee.
“Limiting warming to 1.5C will be a significant challenge,” said Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem Science at Oxford university’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI).
Continued at http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/14/worlds-scientists-to-join-forces-on-major-15c-climate-change-report?CMP=share_btn_tw
After ten years of reporting that scientists have defined 2C as a dangerous limit The Guardian has, without so much as a blush, changed its mind and reports scientists have now decided 1.5C of warming is the dangerous limit. The head of the IPCC is joining in the deceit, arguing that apparently it has only now become apparent that 2C will wreck the world.
World's scientists to join forces on major 1.5C climate change report
Scientists from around the world will contribute to a major UN report on how global temperatures can be held to a rise of 1.5C and what the impact might be on sea level rises, the bleaching of corals and biodiversity.
The special report, from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will assess all the available peer-reviewed science along with other special reports on how land and oceans are being affected by climate change. These will look at the melting of ice in polar and mountain regions, as well as the impact of climate change on cities and food supplies.
“We now have a roadmap for the next comprehensive assessment which will be published in 2022, in good time for the global stocktake by governments in 2023,” said Hoesung Lee, chair of the panel, in Nairobi.
The 1.5C report was requested by governments meeting at the Paris climate talks in December where countries unexpectedly agreed to “pursue efforts” to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. 1.5C marks the point, say many scientists, where there is a real danger of serious “tipping points” in the world’s climate. Temperatures have already risen 1C and show little sign of slowing.
“Before the Paris meeting governments were focussing on [a rise of ] 2C. The latest assessment by the IPCC showed that some serious risks to corals and sea-level rise emerge at 1.5C. But there was not much available [science] on these topics. There is a lot we need to find out about 1.5C. We are ready to embark on this,” said Lee.
“Limiting warming to 1.5C will be a significant challenge,” said Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem Science at Oxford university’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI).
Continued at http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/14/worlds-scientists-to-join-forces-on-major-15c-climate-change-report?CMP=share_btn_tw
Despite being 'the biggest threat facing humanity' climate change and its impacts fail to make headlines, says study
Even as 60 million people around the world face severe hunger because of El Niño and millions more because of climate change, top European and American media outlets are neglecting to cover the issues as a top news item, says a new research report funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) today.
"It's incredible that in a year when we have had record temperatures, 32 major droughts, and historic crop losses that media are not positioning climate change on their front pages," said IFAD President, Kanayo F. Nwanze. "Climate change is the biggest threat facing our world today and how the media shape the narrative remains vitally important in pre-empting future crises."
The report, "The Untold Story: Climate change sinks below the headlines" provides an analysis of the depth of media reporting around climate change in two distinct periods: two months before the 21st session of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris, and two months after. Specifically, it explores whether issues connecting climate change, food security, agriculture and migration made headlines, and if so, how much prominence these stories were given
Continue...
Even as 60 million people around the world face severe hunger because of El Niño and millions more because of climate change, top European and American media outlets are neglecting to cover the issues as a top news item, says a new research report funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) today.
"It's incredible that in a year when we have had record temperatures, 32 major droughts, and historic crop losses that media are not positioning climate change on their front pages," said IFAD President, Kanayo F. Nwanze. "Climate change is the biggest threat facing our world today and how the media shape the narrative remains vitally important in pre-empting future crises."
The report, "The Untold Story: Climate change sinks below the headlines" provides an analysis of the depth of media reporting around climate change in two distinct periods: two months before the 21st session of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris, and two months after. Specifically, it explores whether issues connecting climate change, food security, agriculture and migration made headlines, and if so, how much prominence these stories were given
Continue...
Scientists say 2C is the dangerous limit, according to The Guardian
On Wednesday 10th April The Guardian ran a commentary by Will Straw, titled
Failure to put climate on G8 agenda will cast a shadow on 'greenest government' In the article Will Straw writes 'Two degrees constitutes a level of warming referred to as a "dangerous" by scientists.'
So if it is indeed science, why the quote marks around the word dangerous? You wouldn't write 'referred to by scientists as "gravity".
Information is Beautiful is a project by David McCandless which explores engaging ways of presenting data about the issues affecting peoples' lives. He has turned his attention to carbon emissions, in which he frames some the of the targets around the "safe" limit of two degrees. http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/how-many-gigatons-of-co2/ Again, if 2 degrees of warming is safe, why the need for quotation marks. If I use quotation marks it is because I don't believe the information contained within them is correct.
Failure to put climate on G8 agenda will cast a shadow on 'greenest government' In the article Will Straw writes 'Two degrees constitutes a level of warming referred to as a "dangerous" by scientists.'
So if it is indeed science, why the quote marks around the word dangerous? You wouldn't write 'referred to by scientists as "gravity".
Information is Beautiful is a project by David McCandless which explores engaging ways of presenting data about the issues affecting peoples' lives. He has turned his attention to carbon emissions, in which he frames some the of the targets around the "safe" limit of two degrees. http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/how-many-gigatons-of-co2/ Again, if 2 degrees of warming is safe, why the need for quotation marks. If I use quotation marks it is because I don't believe the information contained within them is correct.