What will the Earth be like in 2050 if we do nothing about climate change?

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

Today is Blog Action Day. The subject this year is climate change. This is my contribution.

My son was born in 2008. In 2050 he will be 42 years old, still young and healthy, perhaps with children of his own.

In 2050, if carbon emissions continue to grow at today’s rate, the Earth’s temperature will rise an average of 2 degrees Centigrade by the year 2050. By 2050, outputs of corn, rice and wheat could be severely curtailed. Rising sea levels, water shortages and famine could create up to 1 billion homeless refugees. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, droughts and floods, will increase, while we will lose many species of plants and animals forever. Disease, particularly insect-borne diseases, will spread to more areas. The effects of global warming will be most felt in developing areas, destabilizing these regions and leading to more conflict. This is the world I’m leaving to my 18-month-old son and his children. This is the world you are leaving too.

But if we halve our carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 1990, global warming can be contained within the all-important 2-degree increase. Scientists predict that keeping the temperature rise under 2 degrees will contain global warming and mitigate its worst consequences.

Scientific evidence tells us that climate change is real and happening, and it is largely due to human causes. I believe it is the greatest crisis that has ever faced our species. Sometimes, when I think about what is happening to our planet, I feel a profound sense of hopelessness. To effectively address global warming and to curb the effects, we will have to come together in a way that humanity has never been able to before. But more often, I feel a sense of optimism. I know that one of our greatest strengths is that when we put our minds and will to something, we will accomplish it.

Make your voice heard:

• Change.org’s Global Warming channel has the latest news and specific actions you can take.
• At the Nature Conservancy’s Planet Change site, learn more and then spread the word.
• Vote for the Earth and let world leaders know that they must take action at the Copenhagen meeting this December.
• More ideas…

Sources: Reuters; Medical News Today; The Independent; United Nations Foundation; Wikipedia; Science Daily