Three Degrees

The first major problem that occurs at 3 degrees of global temperature rise (as we just discussed on Monday) is drought. The chapter begins by telling of the country Botswana, where rain is cherished for its rarity. (A movie just came out with a lot of educational material on the country of Botswana, and also a romance) The narrator than goes on to say that by the time our planet reaches 3 degrees of warming, much of Africa and, indeed, our own country will be surrounded by drought. The drying of the region also leads to the building of an environment which fosters the Kalahari Dune Fields, which in turn creates essentially a larger desert, complete with new dunes, and violently blowing sand. It's estimated that this region in Africa will be unsuitable for human life by 2070.

The chapter reveals that at our current emission levels, a 3 degree rise in global temperature could occur as soon as 2050. In addition to widespread drought, 3 degrees could bring the death of the Amazon jungle. This is because warmer temperatures cause CO2 absorbing plants to release the gas in large quantities instead of absorbing it. So not only does 3 degrees bring death of our jungles, it feeds into a vicious cycle which pumps out even more carbon into our atmosphere. And, as talked about in Eaarth, temperatures raising also leads to more frequent, more unpredictable, and more powerful tropical storms (hurricanes, mostly.)

Not sure what movie this is from. A wave overtaking Manhattan.

There's many, many more than three large issues coming our way that are raised in this chapter. But I'll focus the last one on something that hits close to home for our country. The book says that the flooding of New York City is not a question of if but when. Sea levels are rising all over the planet, thanks in part to our melting polar ice caps. Along the New York coast, they've risen 25 centimeters over the last century. They're projected to rise anywhere from another 25 centimeters, to a full meter by the time our planet reaches 3 degrees of temperature rise.

He goes on to talk about food shortages, Australia becoming inhospitable, extinction of plant life on land and in sea, and flooding in Europe. A lot of the stuff at 3 degrees seems to be what Eaarth talked about, and what we heard as projections for our future planet in the presentation by Dr. Karowe. At the end of this chapter, I'm truly terrified to hear what happens beyond 3 degrees. Because 3 degrees sounds like the apocalypse our movies keep portraying. Hope everyone liked Mad Max!

Apocalyptic waste-world portrayed in Mad Max fury road. Hot temperatures, widespread drought, food and water shortages.

Also from Mad Max. Sounds like the sandstorms Six Degrees predicts happening in Africa.