Climate change inaction by governments threatens planet by end of century
Experts say the world is on track for a catastrophic 4 degrees of global heating if no immediate action is taken by our governments.
Today during a Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee meeting at Scottish Parliament, Climate Change Committee’s Head of Adaptation, Richard Millar stated that we are on track for a global core temperature increase of 4 degrees by the end of the century if governments don’t take action now.
Scottish Greens MSP Mark Ruskell asked Richard to explain what this would mean for people across the UK. Mark was told that this predicted change is on the same global scale as the changes between the present day and the last Ice Age.
A climb of this magnitude would lead to significant changes such as more intense and more frequent heatwaves, even wetter and colder winters than we already have in Scotland, and rising sea levels. All of which pose a threat to our very existence.
Mark said:
“An increase of 2 degrees poses a threat to people and planet. Now, there is a prediction that we are going to double that by the end of the century if no real action is taken globally to tackle climate issues.
“I was quite frankly horrified to hear that a change in our climate as drastic as between now and the last Ice Age is possible.
“Many of us reading this won’t be alive in the year 2100- but our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be. It is our duty to give them a healthy world to live in.
“There must be more than warm words offered, this must be a huge wake up call or else we will end up with a planet so hot that it becomes uninhabitable for future generations.
“Scotland has already felt the effects of severe weather changes; between the increasing wildfires to extreme flooding and storms that many communities have faced this year, we are being warned that this will only increase further unless governments globally put their efforts into fixing our climate.
“The Scottish Greens have long called for real, tangible actions to be taken, rather than continuing to sit scratching our heads debating what could be done, promising Net Zero, and carrying on with business as usual. If we make the necessary steps and fund our climate efforts now, we can stop this from becoming reality.”