The human race has been responsible for global warming since the Industrial Revolution and recent studies suggest that the situation is more dire than ever. The levels of carbon emissions and greenhouse gas are endangering the future of our species and could be responsible for a severe climate change that would bring the world as we know it to catastrophe.
A new study published in the open journal Earth System Dynamics places this issue under the responsibility of young people, whose primary objective should be turning the Earth into an environmentally friendly place.
"Global temperature has just reached a level similar to the mean level in the prior interglacial (Eemian) period, when sea level was several meters higher than today, and, if it long remains at this level, slow amplifying feedback will lead to greater climate change and consequences," explains the study.
The human-caused greenhouse gases have increased more than 20 percent over the past decade, mostly because of CH4 (methane), which makes it almost impossible to limit the consequences. According to the study, we have come to a point where not only do we have to reduce the emissions we're currently releasing into the air, but we also have to focus on "negative emissions." The concept involves extracting the CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere. Improving industrial and agricultural practices would also be a necessary step toward the goal of reducing global warming, along with reforestation.
The study brought together 12 authors who were led by James Hansen, a former chief of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The paper underlines the seriousness of the status quo, as the current annual temperatures exceed those of the 1880s-1920s by more than 1.25 degrees Celsius.
"On the other hand, if large fossil fuel emissions are allowed to continue, the scale and cost of industrial CO2 extraction, occurring in conjunction with a deteriorating climate with growing economic effects, may become unmanageable," the authors also explained.
There have been various propositions from worldwide organizations such as the United Nations aimed at reducing global warming. One of these is replacing the current carbon taxes with the cap and trade system, in which a regulatory body sets a limit on pollutant emissions from polluters such as power plants. The total emissions deemed acceptable under the cap are split into individual permits, which then carry financial value and become suitable for trading.
However, as the technology necessary to limit the levels of pollution is not affordable for all the UN member states, the motion did not pass the General Assembly.
