Now Is the Time To Stop Climate Change

If ever there was a time for governments to take measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, this is the time. A study by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) of the Arctic Council states that a climate “tipping point” could happen in the next 20 years because the permafrost region of the Arctic is melting and it contains large amounts of carbon dioxide. The tipping point could occur between 2020 and 2030, according to the study.

“Our research shows that the release of carbon from permafrost will result in an irreversible climate tipping point in only 20 years … Once the frozen carbon thaws out and decays, there is no way to put it back into the permafrost,” said Kevin Schaefer of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Boulder, Colorado.

Schaefer said that the study has two important messages: melting permafrost releases large amounts of carbon, and the “process is irreversible on a human timescale and will affect our targets for reducing fossil fuel emissions.”

The study also found that the last six years (2005 to 2010) has been the warmest period ever recorded in the Arctic. Snow cover and sea ice has decreased across the Arctic. The largest bodies of ice in the Arctic have been shrinking faster than 2000 than they did in the previous decade.

The chief economist for the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol warned in January that countries are not doing enough to stop climate change. “As we stand now,” Birol said, “we’re only a few meters away from saying goodbye to the 2-degree target.” The two-degree target refers to keeping the global mean temperature from increasing over two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

“When I look at the next 10 years,” Birol said, “even if I take into consideration the pledges made after the Copenhagen meeting, the best case is that this could put us on a trajectory in line with 3.5 degrees Celsius.”

Read more: global warming, melting ice, permafrost

Photo from Lorinc via flickr

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Samantha R.

11:01AM PDT on Mar 24, 2012

When people speak of the world ending in 2012, I think its a bit more like this is the last year we have to enact real change - otherwise, we will bring about our own demise. If this carbon is released, the damage will be immense and irreversible, and natural disasters will devastate settlements around the world. Look at what has happened in the last number of years - if something drastic is not done RIGHT NOW to reverse the green house emissions, the Arctic and Antarctic ice will never recover.

send a green star

Mary P.

8:20AM PST on Feb 11, 2012

In many ways it feels like it is already too late, but to avoid the abject human and planetary misery ahead I say we have no choice but to act now.

Bette M.

4:32PM PST on Jan 27, 2012

People should have started all this awareness a hundred years ago. Or even fifty years ago.
With seven billion people on this planet it is a bit late to stop what is coming our way!!!!

Wherever you are there once was a forest.
Plant & protect Danny's trees for life.
Trees are the lungs of the earth.

Joe R.

4:26PM PST on Jan 27, 2012

Thanks.

Ellie D.

1:56PM PST on Nov 28, 2011

thanks

4:27PM PST on Nov 18, 2011

Joanna C.

6:38AM PDT on Jul 9, 2011

Patricia, our generation will most-likely not live to see the end result of our collective stupidity, but our children, and most assuredly our grandchildren will live to see civilization collapse. Just think of the world economy built around oil... plastics, polyester, make-up, pesticides, etc., etc. they will literally disappear. Hominids survived and prospered for nearly two-million years without coal, oil, and gas... the one thing that allowed our survival was clean fresh water. More than 70 percent of the world lives in water stressed regions today. We'll be fighting wars over water by 2015, if the CIA's 2000 prediction comes true, and the evidence is that it will come true. The Republican mantra is to deny science and climate change. All they can think about is "drill baby drill" and turning our Republic into a theocracy. They have become the American version of Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Farah H.

1:50AM PDT on Jul 9, 2011

I do agree that it is time to act with no further delays. The consequences are horrible and have dramatic effects on us. Thank you

Berny P.

12:20AM PDT on Jul 9, 2011

Man has lost his capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will end by, destroying the Earth.
AlbertSchweitzer

12:17AM PDT on Jul 9, 2011

Governments will only do what is good for them whilst in power, they are not interested in a solution for the next 20 years as they won't get votes for it.