Average global temperatures have
increased by less than 1C since the Industrial Revolution, but they are
projected to increase by up to 5C over the coming century if carbon dioxide
levels continue to rise without restraint. With each 1CF rise
in average global temperatures, the Stern Review portrays progressively more
serious scenarios.
- Arctic Sea Ice
Current computer models suggest that the floating
summer sea ice of the northern hemisphere could disappear completely by the
year 2070. Some experts believe that polar ice could disappear even
earlier this century with accelerating warming trends, making the polar bear
extinct.
- Amazon Rainforest
Continued deforestation of the tropical rainforests
increases the amount of carbon dioxide circulating in the atmosphere. As
temperatures rise, scientists fear that local droughts and soil erosion
could cause the complete collapse of the remaining rainforest.
Return to
Home
Continue to
Of our own making