The way China and the USA polarize the world, I am pessimistic about the COp26 outcome. And I am a skeptic that shortly, we will forget the climate change, global warming, ecocide, etc., issues and find a remote location to hide from the war genocides. Besides, the new variant of COVID-19- Omicron is already classed 'of concern' by WHO. And Moderna already announced the combination of mutations Omicron does represents a significant potential risk to accelerating natural and vaccine-induced immunity. Again lockdown is knocking at the doors.
Research published in nature.com upend all the calculations of global warming computations. It claims- global warming started 300-years earlier than the industrial revolution, as we thought. So, the scientists raised the big question- what is the principal reason for climate change? And if we cannot identify it, can we fight it? Another question in my mind- how much influence do human activities have on nature?
For now, I share the three pieces of news my readers liked on my social and professional platforms this month.
On Nov 22, 2021, undp.org posted, Direct or indirect results of unsustainable human activity threatened 1 million species extinction. Under current policies, one in six species will be at risk of elimination due to the impacts of climate change.
Global biodiversity loss is linked inextricably to climate change. Under all emission scenarios, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report finds that global surface temperature will continue increasing until at least mid-century, with a warming of 1.5–2°C exceeded during this century, unless there is a rapid and significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Transformative change is urgently needed; if we are to combat both biodiversity loss and the climate crisis.
On Oct 21, 2021, phys.org published- We found microplastics in the most remote places on the land, ocean, and our food. Several studies have confirmed they are also present in the air we breathe. Microplastics do not stay in soils, rivers, oceans, or the atmosphere; but move between different parts of the Earth system.
An estimated 5 billion tons of plastic waste has already accumulated in landfills or the environment. Scientists projects this figure to double over the next three decades. The current concentration of microplastics in the atmosphere is low, and they have little influence on the global climate. But given projections for a doubling of plastic waste over the coming decades, we expect microplastics could have a tremendous impact on the earth's climate system.
On Nov 22, 2021, nature.com printed- China, the world's top carbon emitter, has for the first time published plans broadly outlining how it might achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060 and a peak of emissions before 2030.
Researchers say the documents, released ahead of the COP26 climate talks, send a strong message to the industry, government agencies, and universities in China to ramp up their efforts to help the country meet its climate goals.
Achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 is a big challenge for China. From emitting more than 11 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide in 2020, China has to drop to net zero within four decades. China's current emissions are more than double the United States and three times as big as those of India, which made a similar pledge to reach net-zero by 2070 during COP26.
There will be a lot of areas needing contribution from researchers. These include low-carbon energy technologies, from hydrogen fuel cells to batteries; market-based mechanisms to control emissions, such as carbon taxes and trading schemes; and modeling to help local governments and industries set realistic targets for cuts.
But many research institutes have a long way to go in aligning their research departments with the carbon-neutrality goals. They will need to drop traditional engineering subjects that focus, for example, on coal-fired boiler technology and internal combustion engines. Carbon capture and sequestration technologies will also be significant to achieving China's goals and could be another focus for researchers. There is also a plan for electric and hybrid vehicles to make up 40% of those sold by 2030.
China has not set any absolute limits on emissions nor targets for emissions of other greenhouse gases besides carbon, such as methane, but has committed to doing both. Researchers say these measures will be crucial for the world to have a chance at limiting global warming to below 1.5 °C.
China's size means its pledges have global ramifications. When China moves a little to the left or the right, up or down, the whole world feels it. Although China's goals are not as ambitious as some would like, they are realistic. What China should do is sometimes not what China can deliver.
