With a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, it could be projected that the long term rates of global warming may significantly be reduced and "buy us more time". However, I do say the rates of global warming may be reduced and not that this will help stop climate change.
A reduction is greenhouse gas emissions to a safe level is theoretically 'Earth management'. By this I'm implying that we will see the consequences of our actions (through increased global temperatures), but this so called 'Earth management' is making the best of a bad situation and making sure that the temperature increase does not reach that of unprecedented levels and the increase remains as low as it possibly can. Put simply, a reduction in greenhouse gases to safe levels is only really undergoing the process of damage limitation, and making sure the effects don't get worse.
We will still notice global warming due to the delay in effects noticed by the damage we have already done to our planet, but COP21 plans on attempting to make sure we don't make any more mistakes regarding polluting our atmosphere.
Now I did promise I would get onto talking about the positives COP21 will bring about to "the melting world", but I wanted to convey this idea that COP21 will not fix global warming, but it has the potential to reduce the long term impacts on this planet, hence the term 'damage limitation'. Part III will go into the benefits COP21 can bring to cold environments both short and long term.
I like the illustration that you have used here, it adds a little light relief to a rather serious topic.
ReplyDeleteIt does doesn't it! I am a massive fan of it but you do have to question if this is what the previous COP's have done in attempt to "control" greenhouse gas emissions. Hopefully the next one we see of these images we will see after COP21 will have someone slaying the dragon!
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