Climate Change

Climatechangeisoneofthefewscientifictheoriesthatmakesusexaminethewholebasisofmodernsociety.Itisachallengethathaspoliticiansarguing,setsnationsagainsteachother,queriesindividuallifestylechoices,andultimatelyasksquestionsabouthumanity’srelationshipwiththerestoftheplanet.ThelatestIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC)reportstatesthattheevidenceforclimatechangeisunequivocal;withevidenceoverthelast100yearsofa0.8°Celsius(C)riseinglobaltemperaturesanda22centimetres(cm)riseinsealevel.Dependingonhowmuchwecontrolfuturegreenhousegas(GHG)emissionstheglobalmeansurfacetemperaturecouldrisebetween2.8°Cand5.4°Cbytheendofthe21stcentury.Inadditionglobalsealevelcouldrisebybetween52cmand98cmandtherewillbesignificantchangesinweatherpatternswithmoreextremeclimateevents.Thisisnottheendoftheworldasenvisagedbymanyenvironmentalistsinthelate1980sandearly1990s,butitdoesmeanahugeincreaseinmiseryforbillionsofpeople.