Climate change research and action must look beyond 2100 [Scholarly Article - Global Change Biology, 2021]

Title:

Climate change research and action must look beyond 2100 

 

Authors:

Christopher Lyon,Erin E. Saupe,Christopher J. Smith,Daniel J. Hill,Andrew P. Beckerman,Lindsay C. Stringer,Robert Marchant,James McKay,Ariane Burke,Paul O’Higgins,Alexander M. Dunhill,Bethany J. Allen,Julien Riel-Salvatore & Tracy Aze

 

Published:

Global Change Biology, 24 September 2021

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.15871

 

Abstract:

Anthropogenic activity is changing Earth's climate and ecosystems in ways that are potentially dangerous and disruptive to humans. Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere continue to rise, ensuring that these changes will be felt for centuries beyond 2100, the current benchmark for projection. Estimating the effects of past, current, and potential future emissions to only 2100 is therefore short-sighted. Critical problems for food production and climate-forced human migration are projected to arise well before 2100, raising questions regarding the habitability of some regions of the Earth after the turn of the century. To highlight the need for more distant horizon scanning, we model climate change to 2500 under a suite of emission scenarios and quantify associated projections of crop viability and heat stress. Together, our projections show global climate impacts increase significantly after 2100 without rapid mitigation. As a result, we argue that projections of climate and its effects on human well-being and associated governance and policy must be framed beyond 2100.

United Nations - UN World Water Development Report 2021 (21 March 2021)

Title:

UN World Water Development Report 2021

 

Published:

United Nations, 21 March 2021

https://www.unwater.org/publications/un-world-water-development-report-2021/

 

From this webpage:

The 2021 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR 2021) entitled ‘Valuing Water ’ groups current methodologies and approaches to the valuation of water into five interrelated perspectives: valuing water sources, in situ water resources and ecosystems; valuing water infrastructure for water storage, use, reuse or supply augmentation; valuing water services, mainly drinking water, sanitation and related human health aspects; valuing water as an input to production and socio-economic activity, such as food and agriculture, energy and industry, business and employment; and other sociocultural values of water, including recreational, cultural and spiritual attributes. These are complemented with experiences from different global regions; opportunities to reconcile multiple values of water through more integrated and holistic approaches to governance; approaches to financing; and methods to address knowledge, research and capacity needs.

This map shows where on Earth humans aren’t [National Geographic, 5 June 2020] & other related articles

Title:
This map shows where on Earth humans aren’t

Author:
Emma Marris

Published:
National Geographic, 5 June 2020
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/06/where-people-arent/

From the article:
A newly created map reveals the “wildest” places on Earth—places where humans have the lowest impact. The findings could be used to support the push to set aside half of Earth for nature, its authors say.

Blog owner's notes:
See also the following three articles:
 
* The Human Footprint [EarthData, last updated 7 February 2020] focusing on the increasing human population that "often leads to greater influence on the environment and sharper declines in species and ecosystems."

* How will the world's COVID-19 response impact the environment? [Phys.org, 12 May 2020]. Three professors from the Lehigh University - Benjamin Felzer, Sharon M. Friedman & Dork Sahagian - provide answers to this question.

* Easing our impact on biodiversity and nature [Population Matters, 5 June 2020]. "As the world is gradually but cautiously easing restrictions to prevent further infections and deaths from COVID-19, humans should similarly ease the impacts of their population size and rate or pattern of consumption on biodiversity, to prevent irreparable damage and allow nature space and time to heal."

Cardiff University research - Scientists predict the size of plastics animals can eat

Title:
Scientists predict the size of plastics animals can eat

By:
Cardiff University

Published:
Phys.org, 27 March 2020

From the article:
"A team of scientists at Cardiff University has, for the first time, developed a way of predicting the size of plastics different animals are likely to ingest."

To read this article:
https://phys.org/news/2020-03-scientists-size-plastics-animals.html