What Would Happen If The Earth Became 42 Degrees Hotter?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts the earth could become as much as 6 degrees Celcius (42 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter by the end of this century. What would that mean exactly? An article by Mark Lynas explains what changes we might expect for each degree of temperature rise.
In his book Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet Mark Lynas tries to predict the changes we may see as the temperature of the earth rises in coming decades.
Lynas examines each degree of temperature rise, one at a time, and suggests changes that might be seen at that level.
At a one degree celius rise, Lynas suggests that the central plains of the U.S. could become desert like, to a degree greater than the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. Coral reefs and the Great Barrier Reef may vanish.
At a two degree celius rise, Europe may become more like the Middle East. The Greenland could melt, causing sea levels to rise by 7 meters. The rate of ice loss from Greenland has tripled since 2004. A third of all species alive today may be driven to extinction.
At a three degree celius rise, global warming may spin out of control, beyond our ability to do anything about it. The Amazon rainforest could burn to the ground.
At a four degree celius rise, huge quantities of carbon locked up in Siberian permafrost will be released in to the atmosphere. The arctic ice cap will vanish.
You can read additional predictions in this article or by purchasing the Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet.
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