Global Warming (Photo : Reuters)
Global warming's technical evaluation by a scientific panel was agreed to keep the global average temperature to be within 2 °C of pre-industrial levels. Scientists believe it should be at 1.5°C.
Climate talks which will be held in Paris this coming December will tackle this primary subject about global warming. The panel's report is scheduled to be released on April 3. This report will gauge the forecasts of meeting the goal and its impact on our environment and society. Such events will happen and will impose a subjective debate to change the target even lower.
"We have provided a substantive basis for the political discussion," explained Andreas Fischlin, an ecological modeler at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and co-facilitator of the process, Nature.com reported.
Several scientists from different countries believe that the set 2°C target was not enough and most are asking to have it revised during the 2013-2015 Review.
According to Petra Tschakert of Penn State University, the target should be at 1.5°C and is positive that most countries will side with his thoughts. It may look ambitious and idealistic but pinning that target will force everyone to hit that goal and will result to a positive outcome of the 2013-2015 Review.
Caribbean countries and other island states are regions that are likely the most critical of the 2°C mark. The high target will threaten the very existence of their country. The 1.5°C target is problematic for them as well. The rise in oceans will affect them first off.
According to Newsledge, any change in the target will be debated by panels based on several factors. Economic crisis will happen when drastic changes to the current environmental policy are made. Rich countries will not spend their wealth and poor countries cannot afford to pay.
Another factor is the study behind the set target. Most studies have used 2°C mark and the new studies will need to use 1.5°C. Politicians would like to see the scientific proof to back up that lower temperature rises is better.
