Prof James Hansen says pace of global heating has been significantly underestimated, though other scientists disagree

Summary

Renowned climate scientist James Hansen warns that limiting global warming to 2°C is no longer possible due to underestimated climate sensitivity and reduced sun-blocking pollution from ships.

His study suggests warming could hit 2°C by 2045, increasing extreme weather and accelerating ice melt. The research challenges IPCC models, arguing for a higher climate sensitivity estimate.

Hansen calls for carbon taxes, nuclear energy, and geoengineering research.

He warns of an Atlantic ocean current collapse within 20-30 years.

  • @DarkFuture@lemmy.worldEnglish
    46•3 months ago

    Spoiler Alert: Look around you. Humanity is not going to address this issue. Enjoy your life and if you have kids, let them know their futures and their kid’s futures etc are going to be progressively bleaker.

    • @dukepontus@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      -19•3 months ago

      You dont know the future and you dont know what hope is left. Stop being such a defeatist. Either do something positive or go smoke some weed or something…

      • @DarkFuture@lemmy.worldEnglish
        21•3 months ago

        You dont know the future

        Nope. But I know humanity and I’ve picked up a history book.

        Again, look around you. Look at world politics. We’re moving in the opposite direction of addressing climate change. As long as money is our prime motivator, we will keep acting in direct opposition to the wellbeing of our planet. And, another spoiler alert, money is going to be our motivator for the foreseeable future. Probably forever. We will only address the issue when it seriously affects every man, woman, and child on this planet and by then it will be far too late.

        Humanity was always going to destroy this planet on a long enough timeline. It was inevitable. I’m not a defeatist. I’m a realist.

  • @AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
    34•3 months ago

    Wow, wasn’t it just last year when they took the 1.5° target off life support and called it?

    Now the 2° is dead? Are we killing off 2.5° by summer?

  • @Yodan@lemm.eeEnglish
    34•3 months ago

    We either become mole people, dolphin people, or space people

    Maybe oxygen clubs will be the new thing in 50 years to get out of the smog/humidity

      • @Yodan@lemm.eeEnglish
        12•3 months ago

        Okay my next big idea is the bodega van. Instead of an ice cream truck for kids it’s a convenience store for adults in the suburbs. It’s 6:47pm and you’re out of milk, tissues, and you forgot to buy broccoli for your dinner. Oh shit it’s the bodega van music. Brb, gotta walk down the block instead of spend 20m in a car, parking lot, store, line, back. As long as the margins are less than doordash it’s worth using.

        Cmon please tell me I have one original thought in this wide world.

        • @AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2•3 months ago

          We need ice cream truck reform first. The damn things never stay still long enough for me to catch them

        • @FinishingDutch@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2•3 months ago

          We had those for decades in the Netherlands. They were literally small supermarkets on wheels. They had a limited assortment on board, but you could order specialty items for delivery next week. They were reasonably popular in the 70’s and 80’s, even in larger cities. Those days, there were fewer supermarkets and they tended to close at 5-6 pm. They also didn’t really do delivery like we have now.

          They are still around in a limited way, but usually only for small villages that don’t really have a supermarket.

          Here’s a modern example.

    • @AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3•3 months ago

      Apparently some of us “dril baby drill” and we’ll make those profits when we get there

    • kamenLady.English
      14•3 months ago

      If your mean “we” as humanity, yes. If you mean “we” like you and me, then no.

      The main responsible didn’t do enough and that’s not us.

      Only a few decided to ignore all the warnings, so money could be made.

  • @Preflight_Tomato@lemm.eeEnglish
    11•3 months ago

    Some good news:

    • emission rates have plateaued; we are still destroying the planet, but no longer accelerating the rate at which we do it
    • Solar panels (unsubsidized) are the cheapest method of electricity generation as of 2022
    • there is a fundamentally limited amount of fossil fuels, so as long as we don’t turn to Venus 2.0 by 2100 we will deplete most coal and oil and it will be possible for our ancestors to repair the planet over the following centuries.

    Yeah I know even this “good news” is bleak, but it’s worth celebrating. There is some hope.