What EVERYONE should know: Climate Change, the IPCC, & The Price ofCarbon Pollution

Since climate change was my main reason for starting this blog, let's talk about the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC operates under the umbrella of the United Nations and its purpose is "to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts."

Last week the IPCC released their 5th report on climate change. Here are the biggest conclusions:

•  Scientists say global warming is "unequivocal." They report with 95% certainty that human activities are responsible for the increase in global average temperatures since 1950. This is up from 90% certainty in the last IPCC report.
• Humanity can emit 1 trillion tons of CO2 in order to keep warming below 2 degrees celsius (3.6 degrees Farhenheit), which is what they say is needed to avoid the most catastophic effects of climate change. We have already emitted more than half of that through burning fossil fuels and destroying forests and other ecosystems.
• At this rate, we will reach 1 trillion tons of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by 2040.

But don't just take my word for it. You can read the IPCC report summary yourself to get more facts, figures, statistics and trends, or consider reading this Grist article. Also read this amusing, yet factual BuzzFeed post which responds to many of the lies that "deniers" cling to in order to confuse people into thinking that climate change is not real or dangerous. If you are totally new to climate science read my laymans summary.

Why should we worry about climate change? Professor Sir Brian Hoskins, from Imperial College London summed it up nicely for BBC News when he said, "We are performing a very dangerous experiment with our planet, and I don't want my grandchildren to suffer the consequences of that experiment." Well, I certainly don't want my children to suffer the consequences either, and I know this is a common sentiment among parents and grandparents around the country and the world. Let's not beat around the bush: runaway climate change threatens most life on earth. Maybe the cockroaches will be fine.

Americans are not worried enough about climate change. That needs to change. We should have more people marching in the streets demanding action from our politicians. We need more individuals to divest from fossil fuels, invest in renewables, and reduce their own carbon footprint. I have shared with you what my family has done so far, but we all need to become fossil fuel free, ASAP. 100%.

We can't do it alone as concerned individuals though. The most effective way to drastically reduce CO2 emissions at this time is to put a price on carbon. Make polliters pay. I will explore this more in future posts, but to get you started, watch this:




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