The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the second part of its fifth assessment report (AR5) earlier this week. Focused on impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation, it emphasizes that climate change is happening now and is a serious threat to human civilization.
Authored by more than 300 scientists from 70 countries, the report states, “In recent decades, changes in climate have caused impacts on natural and human systems on all continents and across the oceans.” If left unchecked, according to this 2007 Nobel Prize winning group, the risks will only increase.
Of the many hazards listed in the massive report, one of the most significant involves global food production. Crop yields – especially wheat and corn – are forecast to decrease 2% per decade through 2100 while demand is expected to grow by 14% per decade through 2050. Renewable freshwater supplies are also likely to become stressed as weather patterns shift and dry areas become even drier. According to the report, “Each degree of warming is projected to decrease renewable water resources by at least 20% for an additional 7% of the global population.”
Another dire finding in the report concerns coastal communities around the globe. It states, “Due to sea-level rise throughout the 21st century and beyond, coastal systems and low-lying areas will increasingly experience adverse impacts such as submergence, coastal flooding and coastal erosion.”
Some of the other potential vulnerabilities mentioned in the report include political instability, economic losses, and threats to human health.
To minimize these grim possibilities, the IPCC emphasizes that, “Mitigation is considered essential for managing the risks of climate change.” If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, we can expect an additional 6-7°F increase in global temperature by 2100. “Large magnitudes of warming increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and challenging impacts,” according to the report. The current international goal is to keep the temperature increase below 2°C (3.6°F).
The third part of this report, the mitigation section, is due out later this month.
Below is a short video summary of the IPCC Working Group II report ….
Video Credit: IPCC and YouTube