The current forest fires in Australia might just seem rather small in a couple of years. This is because Australia’s temperatures are expected to rise by 5C (41 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2090.
This data comes from the aggregate findings of 40 different models devised by scientists at the national science agency CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology. Australia has experienced its first and third warmest years ever recorded (2013 and 2014 respectively), so already the country is well on its way.
Though Australia is set for the worst outcome, the rest of the world isn’t merely escaping these temperature rises. At the very lowest, aggregate scores predict that countries will gain in temperature by 2.6C (37F). As this happens sea levels are also expected to rise as well.
This can be mitigated to a significant degree if countries lower the greenhouse gas emissions. However the earth is, at this point, either very close to, or perhaps even past the point of no return, which is why such drastic change is needed. This new research is expected to have some influence at the upcoming international meeting in Paris to discuss climate change.
The US has surprised the world by finally making some commitments to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but it is still one of the leading producers. Meanwhile China’s economy is also growing rapidly. It has instigated no small measure of effort to invest in clean energy. It’s clear that a global effort will be needed to mitigate the effects of climate change.
