This means that some parts of the world have already experienced temperatures greater than 1.5☌ above pre-industrial levels.Įxtra warming on top of the approximately 1☌ we have seen so far would amplify the risks and associated impacts, with implications for the world and its inhabitants. This is due to self-amplifying mechanisms, for instance due to snow and ice melt reducing the reflectivity of solar radiation at the surface, or soil drying leading to less evaporative cooling in the interior of continents. Temperatures are not changing at the same speed everywhere, however: warming is strongest on continents and is particularly strong in the Arctic in the cold season and in mid-latitude regions in the warm season. This estimate of the increase in global temperature is the average of many thousands of temperature measurements taken over the world’s land and oceans. Human activity has warmed the world by about 1☌ since pre-industrial times, and the impacts of this warming have already been felt in many parts of the world. The size and duration of an overshoot will also affect future impacts. The consequences of temporarily overshooting 1.5☌ of warming and returning to this level later in the century, for example, could be larger than if temperature stabilizes below 1.5☌. Limiting warming to 1.5☌ rather than 2☌ can help reduce these risks, but the impacts the world experiences will depend on the specific greenhouse gas emissions ‘pathway’ taken. An average warming of 1.5☌ across the whole globe raises the risk of heatwaves and heavy rainfall events, amongst many other potential impacts. However, they are not spread uniformly across the globe, and different parts of the world experience impacts differently. Summary : The impacts of climate change are being felt in every inhabited continent and in the oceans. Zougmoré (Burkina Faso, Mali)įAQ 3.1: What are the Impacts of 1.5☌ and 2☌ of Warming?

Richard Wartenburger (Switzerland, Germany).

Annette Hirsch (Switzerland, Australia).

Tania Guillén Bolaños (Germany, Nicaragua).

Anjani Ganase (Australia, Trinidad & Tobago).

Chapter 3 drivers ed answers