Well the IPCC just released it’s Sixth Assessment Report and the outlook is grim, to say the least. A civilization-collapsing temperature rise of 1.5C (2.4F) is now pretty much baked in and humanity’s utter lack of action and devotion to Big Oil has almost certainly doomed us to extinction within our lifetimes. Climate scientists, who were once dedicated to avoiding hyperbolic statements so as not to “induce panic” have thrown caution to the wind and are now using words like “Code Red”, “inevitable”, and “irreversible” replacing words like “unprecedented” or “potential” or “likely”.
We are, of course, seeing the direct results of a 0.8C (1.4F) temperature increase on the planet, with entire towns being wiped out due to massive fires raging across the US West due to fire seasons that last all year and records being shattered across the board. We’re seeing massive and unprecedented heat domes over the Pacific North West, a region more accustomed to cool summer temperatures and wet winters. We’re seeing massive flooding all over the planet, with thousand year towns being wiped out in Europe and all over China as well as the US Midwest. We’re seeing massive amounts of ice melting with the Arctic being predicted to be experiencing ice-free summers in the not too distant future. We’re seeing the Gulf Stream weakening and in danger of collapsing. We’re seeing ALL the effects of climate change happening across the board. We’re seeing hydro power stations being shut down due to lack of water. Effects that were predicted by climate scientists literally DECADES ago.
And this is only the beginning. The planet is literally burning up and we’ve only seen a global temperature increase of ZERO POINT EIGHT DEGREES CELSIUS. The tipping point has been reached and the positive feedback loops have begun. We are already experiencing major climate disasters that are costing us BILLIONS of dollars and it’s only going to get worse.
This is a GLOBAL EMERGENCY, folks. This is an ALL HANDS ON DECK situation. Nothing else matters anymore. Not the Olympics, not the price of tea in China, not the newest aircraft carrier or fighter jet, nothing. If we don’t undertake a MASSIVE GLOBAL EFFORT to eliminate CO2 outputs then it’s literally all over for humanity.
The Sixth Assessment Report is clear. We’ve doddered and dithered and delayed and procrastinated and gazed at our navels for FAR TOO LONG. The media needs to get onboard. Government needs to get onboard. Corporations need to get onboard. We need to STOP letting greed dictate policy in this country and worldwide and we need to STOP listening to people who benefit from doing nothing about the climate.
Climate scientists are unequivocal about this. IF we want humanity to survive into the future we need to fix this problem NOW. Not ten or twenty years from now. NOW. As in TODAY. This is no longer theoretical or hypothetical because the data is clear. Climate change is HERE NOW and human activity is 100% the cause.
Oh yeah, another UNPRECEDENTED heat wave is about to hit the Pacific North West, with Portland’s high temperature forecast to be 108F.
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. IN PORTLAND.