When it comes to the long-term forecasts of global warming, there’s plenty of uncertainty — and that’s an understatement. While the scientific models are becoming increasingly sophisticated and the public is recognizing the effects of climate change, hard facts and numbers are harder to pin down. This article takes a look at the current state of global warming and the broader question of when — and if — global warming will stop.
Most experts agree that we can’t expect global warming to end on its own. Since the industrial revolution marked the beginning of human’s reliance on fossil fuels for energy, the average temperature on Earth has been steadily rising, leading to climate-related issues such as increased sea levels, shifting weather patterns, and extreme events. The consensus among scientists is that to mitigate the impact of global warming, we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to keep temperatures from increasing significantly — and the onus for this falls on the world’s governments and the public.
So far, international agreements such as the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol have made some strides in curbing emissions, but they haven’t done enough to stop global warming in its tracks. And while countries have adopted increasingly stringent emissions standards, it’s unclear whether these have or will have an impact. Moreover, there are limits to what individuals can do with regards to reducing their emissions.
If emissions continue to increase, then global warming will continue. Indeed, some experts have even suggested that the climate may pass a point of no return. This means that even if we were to reduce emissions to zero, global warming will still continue, although at a slower rate. Moreover, there is also growing evidence that global warming is already causing some irreversible changes.
At the same time, there is some optimism. Technological breakthroughs, green energy sources, and innovative carbon capture methods could enable us to transition away from dirty fossil fuels, cutting emissions and reversing the trajectory of global warming. Furthermore, deep decarbonization — that is, reducing emissions from all sectors of society — could also reduce temperatures, along with some geoengineering approaches.
Ultimately, the answer to the central question of when global warming will stop is unclear — it depends on what actions we take as a society in the years ahead. People and businesses can do their part; choosing cleaner energy sources, investing in carbon capture, and using less electricity. Governments around the world must also step up, enacting legislation and developing initiatives to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change. Doing so should go a long way towards slowing down — and eventually, halting — global warming.
