Since the Industrial Revolution, the global average temperature has risen significantly, leading to a phenomenon known as global warming. In recent years, the amount of global warming that has occurred has become a highly discussed topic. The effects of this phenomenon, both positive and negative, directly affect our world, and, as a result, it is important to understand how much global warming has occurred so far in order to assess the potential risks and impacts of future climate change.
A key contributor to global warming has been the increase in the average concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, specifically carbon dioxide and methane, which trap heat from the sun, allowing it to use the Earth’s atmosphere as a warming blanket. Over the past century, these concentrations have steadily risen, with the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stating that there has been a 1.5F increase in global average temperature from pre-industrial times. This is the highest elevation the temperature has achieved since the Middle Ages, when we were at the end of a previous warm period in Earth’s history.
This 1.5F increase has had a number of notable effects on our world. In the Arctic, warming temperatures have led to drastic reductions in sea ice cover, changes in oceanic circulation patterns, and a rise in permafrost melt. In addition, global sea levels also increased an average of 3.2 inches over the past 24 years, while the rate of sea level rise is increasing in intensity. Further, there has been an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods and heatwaves, as well as an increase in the frequency of droughts and devastating wild fires in some regions.
On the flip side, global warming has also had a number of positive effects. In many parts of the world, warmer temperatures have allowed for new crops to be grown, increased economic productivity, and improved human health due to the increase in CO2. Further, regions that were previously too cold for some animals to survive have seen new species move in, allowing for a greater variety of wildlife. As such, it becomes difficult to try and draw a clear line between good and bad impacts associated with global warming.
It is clear that global warming has already had a tremendous impact on our world, and it is only going to get worse in the future as concentrations of greenhouse gases continue to rise. To truly understand the scale of global warming so far and the risks to our future, we must continue to conduct rigorous research and monitor the effects of global warming on our world. With that, it is also essential to develop effective policies to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and minimize further climate change.
Ultimately, the scale of global warming so far should reinforce the need for immediate action, and urges us to work together to ensure that we can mitigate the effects of climate change and build a more resilient, sustainable world. Thus, as citizens and policy makers, we must do our part to reduce the amount of global warming that has occurred so far and strive for a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come.
