Life relies on a fine balance between energy in and energy out. But heating the world 1.2℃ means we’ve trapped an extraordinary amount of extra energy in the Earth system.
When groundwater comes to the surface, sunlight and air convert organic molecules to greenhouse gases. That’s going to be a problem as we will need this water more as the world warms.
Incremental change is not enough if we want to limit temperature rises to 1.5°C, says the IPCC’s Working Group III, which includes UNSW sustainability expert Tommy Wiedmann.
If we are to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2050, we haven’t made a good start. Governments, industry and individuals need to do much more, a new study shows.
A lot more work needs to be done if we are to satisfactorily reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of coal mining, write Bryce Kelly and Charlotte Iverach.
An apparent slow-down in global warming during the past decade does not change best estimates of the long term response to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, writes Dr Steven Phipps.
There may be no belching smoke stacks, but every time we build an energy inefficient building we are needlessly pushing the greenhouse gas emissions curve up, writes Professor Deo Prasad.
