Could Just One Degree Change the World? | National Geographic

if the world warms by one degree the

if the world warms by one degree the Arctic is ice-free for half the year

Arctic is ice-free for half the year

Arctic is ice-free for half the year opening the legendary Northwest Passage

opening the legendary Northwest Passage

opening the legendary Northwest Passage for ships tens of thousands of homes

for ships tens of thousands of homes

for ships tens of thousands of homes around the Bay of Bengal are flooding

around the Bay of Bengal are flooding

around the Bay of Bengal are flooding hurricanes begin hitting the South

hurricanes begin hitting the South

hurricanes begin hitting the South Atlantic severe droughts in the western

Atlantic severe droughts in the western

Atlantic severe droughts in the western US caused shortages in global grain and

US caused shortages in global grain and

US caused shortages in global grain and meat markets this could be our world

meat markets this could be our world

meat markets this could be our world plus 1 degree at 1 degree additional

plus 1 degree at 1 degree additional

plus 1 degree at 1 degree additional warming – today we’re likely to see the

warming – today we’re likely to see the

warming – today we’re likely to see the emergence of new deserts in the western

emergence of new deserts in the western

emergence of new deserts in the western half of the United States from Texas in

half of the United States from Texas in

half of the United States from Texas in the south right up to the Canadian

the south right up to the Canadian

the south right up to the Canadian border is in danger of becoming new

border is in danger of becoming new

border is in danger of becoming new hyper arid areas where really no crops

hyper arid areas where really no crops

hyper arid areas where really no crops can be grown at all the Earth’s average

can be grown at all the Earth’s average

can be grown at all the Earth’s average temperature has always fluctuated and a

temperature has always fluctuated and a

temperature has always fluctuated and a variable climate isn’t unusual it’s the

variable climate isn’t unusual it’s the

variable climate isn’t unusual it’s the pace of climate change today that’s

pace of climate change today that’s

pace of climate change today that’s unprecedented

if you had asked us 10 or 20 years ago

if you had asked us 10 or 20 years ago what would be the impact of 1 or 2

what would be the impact of 1 or 2

what would be the impact of 1 or 2 degrees

degrees

degrees additional warming we would say well

additional warming we would say well

additional warming we would say well probably we can live with that NASA

probably we can live with that NASA

probably we can live with that NASA climate scientist James Hansen was one

climate scientist James Hansen was one

climate scientist James Hansen was one of the first to sound the alarm about

of the first to sound the alarm about

of the first to sound the alarm about global warming the threat has only

global warming the threat has only

global warming the threat has only escalated as he struggled to be heard

what we realize now is that we’re

what we realize now is that we’re getting so close to tipping points that

getting so close to tipping points that

getting so close to tipping points that we’re gonna have to stabilize

we’re gonna have to stabilize

we’re gonna have to stabilize atmospheric co2 studying climates in the

atmospheric co2 studying climates in the

atmospheric co2 studying climates in the past is given Hansen a window onto the

past is given Hansen a window onto the

past is given Hansen a window onto the dangers posed by global warming in the

dangers posed by global warming in the

dangers posed by global warming in the last million years has never been more

last million years has never been more

last million years has never been more than 1 degree Celsius warmer than it is

than 1 degree Celsius warmer than it is

than 1 degree Celsius warmer than it is now what we are doing now with the

now what we are doing now with the

now what we are doing now with the human-made greenhouse gases is an order

human-made greenhouse gases is an order

human-made greenhouse gases is an order of magnitude larger and it’s being

of magnitude larger and it’s being

of magnitude larger and it’s being introduced very rapidly