According to a new study global warming is likely to remain irrepressible irrespective of environment friendly measures being implemented across the globe.
As per the research conducted by Norwegian researchers, earth’s temperature is expected to increase continuously with rise in ocean levels up to several meters over centuries to come in future.
The study report published in Nature journal Scientific Reports, increasing carbon pollution will contribute to shrinking sea ice, thawing permafrost.
“According to our models, humanity is beyond the point-of-no-return when it comes to halting the melting of permafrost using greenhouse gas cuts as the single tool,” said Jorgen Randers – lead author and professor emeritus of climate strategy at BI Norwegian Business School.
In order to stop this melting process, we need to suck out carbon dioxide (CO2) and store it underground to make earth’s surface brighter, he added.
By using stripped-down climate model, he along with his colleague Ulrich Goluke, Randers has projected climate changes that are expected to take place till year 2500.
The projections have been made under two possible prospects i.e. the instant cessation of emissions, and the gradual reduction of planet warming gases to zero by 2100.
In case of immediate ceasing of carbon emissions, earth’s temperature still continues to rise over the next 50 years to about 2.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, according to the projections.
Furthermore, the model predicts that earth’s temperature will rise in 2150 with average temperatures climbing another degree over the following 350 years, and sea levels going up by at least three meters.
Meanwhile, the second prospect shows that earth will heat up to the level that will essentially dismantle the fabric of civilization.
However, the second scenario too ends up at around 2500.
Point of No Return
A significant number of prominent scientists and researchers have contended that the world has already surpassed key tipping points to curb/tackle global warming.
The exponential decrease in sea ice in the Arctic is one of the aspects that has emerged as the prime factor causing the word climate to deteriorate beyond the point of no return.
Since the late 20th century, millions of square kilometers of snow and ice which reflects about 80 percent of the Sun’s radiative force back into space, this further has contributed to worsening of global environmental indicators.
The second significant factor is that of ‘permafrost’ which holds twice as much carbon as there is in the atmosphere.
The third is increasing amounts of water vapor, which also has a warming effect.
It is pertinent to know that significantly greater sophisticated models and projections provided by UN’s IPPC, Paris Climate Agreement objectives cannot be achieved till the high levels of CO2 are duly addressed.
