The reason for climate change denial...
The fact that people around the world have engaged in so little response to climate change is that they believe that everything is fine. Although we all know the facts most do not think climate change is happening; believe that their governments will take care of things; or that international agreements on emissions reductions will be effective. This perspective could be a variation of; climate change scepticism, blind faith in government or blind faith in our ability to produce a technological cure.
Now you can talk of the psychological reasons for this until the cows come home or save yourself time by equating it all to the same thought process (or denial) of our ultimate demise at the end of our personal life spans. In truth it is a sense of knowing and not knowing, of having information but not thinking about it.
Ask yourself; how often do you think of death? Ask yourself; do you live your life as a consequence of this, are you keeping yourself in optimal health, do not drink, smoke, eat too much? Well, do not bother to answer because like you, we all feel guilty but we all still have our ‘bad’ habits and to hell with a few more weeks months years of prolonged life. Now take that a stage further (Attitude to Climate change) and you have the answer!
Well that is as far as i'm going towards a thesis and I am not about to cross the I's or dot the T's but if you want something to chew on point you in the general direction of Kari Marie Norgaard who has worked very hard on this question!
Myself? I tend to simplify things, so If you want to know about the brave new world of geo-engineering or blind faith then read In Denial by Cuger Brant.
The weather forecast
The ultimate objective of the UNFCCC as stated in Article 2 is to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system
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There will be substantial warming in temperature extremes.
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It is virtually certain that increases in the frequency and magnitude of warm daily temperature extremes and decreases in cold extremes will occur on the global scale.
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The length, frequency and/or intensity of warm spells, or heat waves, will increase over most land areas.
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A 1-in-20 year hottest day will become a 1-in-2 year event.
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The 1-in-20 year extreme daily maximum temperature will likely increase by about 1°C to 3°C by mid-21st century and by about 2°C to 5°C by late-21st century.
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The frequency of heavy precipitation or the proportion of total rainfall from heavy falls is increasing radically.
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Heavy rainfalls associated with tropical cyclones are increasing and droughts will intensify.
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Changes in heat waves, glacial retreat and/or permafrost degradation will affect high mountain phenomena such as slope instabilities, movements of mass and glacial lake outburst floods.
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By 2040, yields from rain-fed agriculture will be reduced by up to 50%. Agricultural production, including access to food, in many countries will be severely compromised.
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Before 2050, sea level rise will seriously affect low-lying coastal areas with large populations.
Is Climate Change Happening? YES
Are Humans Causing It? YES.
What's going to happen?
Well, if you are easily frightened, stop reading from this point on.
Firstly, climate modelling forecasts will become irrelevant (more so than they already are) as an upsurge in the amount of extreme weather events, such as wildfires, heat waves, floods and strong tropical storms will increase in frequency, severity and unpredictability.
The Arctic will have a completely ice-free summer in the very near future and big business will be arguing over mineral/oil rights in the region.
While they are arguing, sea level will rise will flood many coastal areas including cities causing a hundred million people to become ‘climate change refugees’ who will start migrating.
There will be large-scale food and water shortages, which will have catastrophic effects on wildlife and crops as well as humans.
The ocean's circulation system, known as the ocean conveyor belt, will be permanently altered.
The average temperatures (which have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit in the last 150 years) will double in the next 35 years.
Climate change deniers and politicians will become irrelevant as society begins to fragment and fall apart.
At some point warming will become uncontrollable by creating a so-called positive feedback effect (rising temperatures will release additional greenhouse gases by unlocking methane in permafrost and undersea deposits, also freeing carbon trapped in sea ice, and causing increased evaporation of water) this in turn will hold more gasses, causing the oceans to overheat thus going acidic and losing the ability to act as a carbon sink.
All this in your and your children’s lifetime!
What can we do about it?
What do you want everybody else to do about it?
They say a picture paints a thousand words...
