UN report on climate change: World leaders called on to act
NEW YORK - Wildfires are scorching parts of the planet from Greece to California. Catastrophic flooding is happening in Europe. And flooding is happening more quickly in the New York area.
These are continuous signs our planet is warming. And United Nations officials say without action it will get worse.
"Climate change is a problem that is here now, nobody is safe and it's getting worse faster," said Inger Andersen, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, also known as IPCC, released its latest report Monday, which scientists say is a "code red for humanity," a dire warning to cut fossil fuel emissions or suffer the consequences.
"It's time to get serious because every ton of CO2 emission adds to global warming," Andersen said in a press conference, unveiling the report's findings on Monday.
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The report envisions five different scenarios. Under the worst, carbon emissions continue to increase. Under the best, the world experiences large and quick pollution cuts. But in every scenario, the planet would still exceed a crucial warming threshold by the 2030s, an increase of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century.
"The big change in today's report is the certainty that's being conveyed by all these leading scientists and experts," said Jase Berhnhardt, an assistant professor in the Department of Geology, Environment and Sustainability at Hofstra University. "Especially the temperature changes we're expected to see in the coming decades."
When it comes to solutions moving forward, Bernhardt said while everyone can do their part, the onus is on world leaders to make major policy changes, like overhauling our energy sources.
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"Individual actions like taking mass transit and driving a higher fuel efficiency vehicle and being efficient with appliances in your home — all those individual actions can certainly help," he said. "But that's only a small piece of the pie, so to speak."
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has helped spotlight the climate emergency among young people in recent years, said the public needs to hold people in power accountable.
"I hope that this can be a wake-up call and that it really gives perspective," Thunberg said in response to the report. "And, that it once again can be a reminder that the climate crisis has not gone away. It's only escalating and it's only growing more intense by the hour."