U.N. Body Claims End Of Humanity Near Due To Climate Change
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) – Billions of people are facing the prospect of more government control over their lives, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) saying Monday that human activities “unequivocally” caused climate change with the world “likely” to hit the “1.5 Celsius (34.7 Fahrenheit) limit within 20 years”.
The IPCC, the United Nations body for assessing “the science” related to climate change, warned the world is sure to face further climate disruptions for decades, if not centuries, to come.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres described the report as a “code red for humanity.” “The alarm bells are deafening,” he added in a statement. “This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels before they destroy our planet.”
The report was due to speed up international plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles effectively. Several cities across the European Union, for instance, are already banning diesel cars. And the E.U.’s executive European Commission has proposed to end traditional car sales by 2035.
The Netherlands’ government and others are also planning to take households of natural gas. Discouraging flying by additional taxes is also on the table in the Netherlands and other nations. And customers are increasingly under pressure to move away from meat consumption to cut what climate activists view as dangerous carbon dioxide emissions.
However, not all scientists and politicians agree with these measures. And Monday’s report was due to raise questions. Ironically, the report suggested that even as societies move away from fossil fuels, temperatures would be pushed up again “by the loss of the airborne pollutants” that come with them. They currently reflect away some of the sun’s heat, the report noted.
HUMAN ACTIVITIES
The IPCC assessment also claimed that emissions “unequivocally caused by human activities” already pushed the average global temperature up 1.1 Celsius from its pre-industrial average. But in a twist, it noted that it would have raised it 0.5 Celsius further without “the tempering effect of pollution” in the atmosphere.
A rise of 1.5 Celsius is the most that humanity could cope with without suffering widespread economic and social upheaval, according to the ICPP. The landmark report says the global warming limit will be hit by 2030, suggesting a near-decade to save the planet.
That’s slightly better than the previous scenario given by Britain’s Prince Charles, who in 2019 predicted there were only 18 months to save the world as we know it. “I am firmly of the view that the next 18 months will decide our ability to keep climate change to survivable levels. And to restore nature to the equilibrium we need for our survival,” Prince Charles said, speaking at a reception for Commonwealth foreign ministers.
Monday’s climate alarm came, however, came amid “great reset” and “build back better” talks by world leaders expressing concern about climate change. Stay-at-home orders, used during the COVID-19 pandemic, are expected to be increasingly used for climate purposes, according to critics. The report also suggested that sea levels could rise by about 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) in eighty years or higher if emissions aren’t reduced faster. Yet, despite dire warnings, not all self-declared high-profile climate activists seem in a hurry to change their lifestyles.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama celebrated his 60th birthday over the weekend at his extensive seaside Martha’s Vineyard home with an outdoor party for hundreds of “close friends and family,” including Gayle King, John Legend, H.E.R., and Erykah Badu. At least some of them reportedly arrived in private jets, burning 40 times as much carbon per passenger as regular commercial passenger planes.
U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry was in the headlines over the weekend after it was reported he had flown via private plane to attend the party. But the U.S. State Department denied the claim.
Kerry has come under criticism for using private aviation while warning ordinary people that flying harms the environment. But the former secretary of state defended his private flights. “If you offset your carbon, it’s the only choice for somebody like me, who is traveling the world to win this battle.”
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