Why a 2° Increase Will Change the World Forever - Behind the News
2,921 views · Published 19 October 2018 · 2:58 · Indexed 4 October 2026
Channel: Behind the News · 2018 · Education
It might not seem like much, but an international report by the UN says 2 degree change in the global temperature would bring about disastrous extreme weather events around the world. The report says this change would all but wipe out the coral reefs. Rising sea levels would affect up to 80 million people, the arctic could be ice free once every decade and extreme weather events would be worse and happen more often. That's why most scientists are calling for change now. The report has found the world could be 1.5 degrees hotter by 2050 unless some big changes are made now. If you're talking about a cup of tea, studying at university, or building a shelf, an extra 1.5 degrees can be a good thing. Or, at least not a terrible thing. But when it comes to the temperature of the Earth, 1.5 degrees Celsius is more than enough to upset the delicate balance of our ecosystem. That's the finding of a new report from the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC. A team of 91 scientists who found temperature rises of just 1.5 degrees will lead to more heat waves, floods and droughts. The death of 90 per cent of the world's coral reefs and damage to crops and fisheries everywhere. The report also says that at the current rate, we'll most likely hit a 1.5 degree temperature rise by 2040 and 2 degrees sometime after 2060. So, in case you were wondering, we're talking about all this happening within your lifetime. Easily. HANS-OTTO POERTNER, IPCC: If action is not taken it will take the world to an unprecedented climate future. PETTERI TAALAS, IPCC: The message from the scientist community is that we still have a possibility to change it and something needs to happen within the coming ten years. They have calculated that greenhouse gas pollution needs to reach zero by 2050. Which basically means changing how we live, what we eat, and how we generate power. For example, phasing out coal and replacing it with renewables like solar and wind. That could be a really big deal for Australia. We're the third biggest producer of coal in the world, and most of our power comes from coal powered stations. But the Australian Government says there might be other answers by then. MELISSA PRICE, ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: To say it's got to be phased out by 2050 is drawing a very long bow. I just don't know how you could say by 2050 that you're not going to have good clean technology when it comes to coal. The Government also says that Australia's only a tiny polluter, so bigger polluters should make the biggest changes. But in the meantime, people will be paying very close attention to this little number and its potentially big impact. _ For the past 50 years, Behind the News has been helping to break down current issues and events for young people all around the world. The program is a high-energy, fun way for people to learn about the stories we see in the news, while providing background information that isn’t usually given by other news bulletins. We have over 1000 stories on all sorts of topics - everything from politics & volcanoes, to online security & fortnite. If you're looking for help to understand something, you'll probably find it on BTN. Make sure to like & subscribe our videos if you want to stay in the know! Visit our website: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/ Follow us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abcbtn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthenews/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/behindthenews
