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At the climate talks in Paris this week, world leaders have a very specific goal: how to stop the Earth from warming by two degrees Celsius. The Earth’s overall temperature has risen and fallen at different times over the last 10,000 years, but never by more than one degree Celsius. Now, experts say that large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) trapping the sun’s radiation in the atmosphere have caused temperatures to grow dangerously close to the two degree threshold. No one knows for sure exactly what would happen if that target is reached. Scientists predict serious droughts and heatwaves impacting the food supply and that rising sea levels would likely flood many coastal communities. “We are entering a climate space now which is entirely different than anything that’s existed in the history of humanity, and way out of the range that has existed for the history of civilization,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton University. This year has been the hottest year on record. The nations of the world need to develop a plan to cut back on emissions before it is too late, said Oppenheimer. Three of the world’s biggest carbon producers — China, the United States and Europe — have pledged to reduce their emissions. Still, many experts remain skeptical of any real accountability coming out of the conference in Paris. “It’s easy to agree to something when you announce the pledge yourself and when you know you’re not really going to be held accountable as to whether you meet the pledge or not,” said Columbia University professor Scott Barrett.Vocab
COP21
– “Conference of Parties,” also referred to as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, or “Paris talks,” is a two-week UN conference to address critical climate issues. Members first met in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and adopted the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to deal with greenhouse gas emissions; nearly every nation in the world is a UNFCC member
climate change
– a change in the Earth’s climate patterns
carbon emissions
— the release of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere through the combustion of fossil fuels, including carbon dioxide (CO2), from human activities such as electricity production, driving and heating
Warm up questions
- What do you know about the Paris climate talks?
- What countries or parts of the world are the largest producers of carbon emissions?
- What can countries do to cut back on the amount of fossil fuels they burn?
Critical thinking questions
- What are some environmental effects that are likely to take place if the Earth’s temperature continues to warm?
- Why are some scientists skeptical about the pledge to prevent the Earth’s temperature from increasing?
- Do you think the pledge made by nations to cut carbon emissions should be mandatory instead of voluntary? Explain your answer.
- How do you think the planet will be different when you are 50 years old?
