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Globally, there have been major energy and decarbonization targets. But what if they were not?
As we work to slow climate change, and the warming of the planet caused by human activities (2050 Earth), this has become a key objective for countries around world.
Particularly in global energy production and consumption, decarbonization is a key effort.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA Global Energy Transformation report: “Renewable energy needs to be scaled up at least six times faster for the world to start to meet the goals set out in the Paris Agreement.” This has led countries, corporations, organizations and individuals worldwide to attempt to transition away from a dependence on fossil fuels in favor of alternatives such as Hydrogen fuel and battery electricThere are many options.
All the efforts towards decarbonization to slow the planet’s warming have led to us asking what 2050 Earth would be like if the world remained the same. How will rising temperatures and other factors related to our use of fossil fuels and pollution impact us in the near future?
The impact of doing nothing in 2050 Earth would affect many areas, not just one.
According to recent Times report a report by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, authors of “The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis”, the first thing we would notice if we were to step into 2050 earth would be the air. Many places would be exposed to hotter, heavier air daily. Many places would experience higher levels of particulate pollution, which could cause watery eyes, chronic coughing, and shortness of breath while active.
Higher levels of surface ozone, which, according to AirNow – a partnership among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Park Service, NASA, Centers for Disease Control, and tribal, state, and local air quality agencies – can make it dangerous for billions of people to go outside into unfiltered air without a special face mask.
Aside from the dangers of breathing in the air, water could also be a problem due droughts or flooding.
As we have already passed the tipping point for melting Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, water – both in its absence and overabundance – will become an increasing issue. The ice is an effective reflector of the sun’s heat, the planet’s warming will only accelerate as there is less of it. Large areas of the world that are currently habitable will become increasingly uninhabitable in the next five to ten year, or even after 2050 Earth.
Although water levels will have risen slightly by the midpoint, the most immediate concern will be the huge increase in extreme tropical hurricanes and hurricanes. This will be due to higher sea surface temperatures and increased air moisture levels. Extreme storms are already affecting parts of the east coast of the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean islands and Bangladesh. These will only get worse, along with the associated death toll, displacement rates and extreme flooding. As disasters happen simultaneously, relief efforts will become more difficult.
Malnutrition, respiratory diseases, and diseases such cholera, malaria, and dengue, will all be commonplace. As ticks and mosquitoes move to new areas of the planet, they will impact parts of the world that were not previously affected.
If no changes are made now, extreme temperatures will become a serious problem in 2050 Earth.
Extreme temperatures on land and in the water will be devastating to much of the planet’s life. This will also increase the acidity of oceans, which can be harmful to marine life. Most countries will likely implement fishing bans in every water to protect the remaining species.
The Heat waves of todayIt would be laughable when compared to the 2050 Earth where climate change efforts have been made. In fact, the heatwaves on today’s scale wouldn’t make it into the headlines. The desertification of growing regions is imminent. These areas will see a huge wildlife die-off. Large-scale agriculture will pose a significant challenge in many areas where it is a primary industry. Wildfires are a huge problem that is resource-intensive and can be devastating. Although crops like grapes, soy, and olives are still available, they will be considered luxury items.
About 2 billion people who live in the hottest regions on the planet will face temperatures as high as 60ºC (140ºF) for about 45 days of the year, according to the Time report. People will find it less habitable to live in areas like central India, home to millions. This will lead to mass migrations into areas that are more hot, leading to refugee challenges as well as civil unrest which will only worsen because of limited potable waters availability.
2050 Earth: Potable water availability challenges
The United States is a country that has a lot of potable water, but it will still face these challenges. OECD Environmental Outlook to 2020. Already, we can see the beginnings of this struggle.
Both the Rio Grande River as well as Colorado River will continue to shrink. There will be a wide range of food production. The country will see climate zones shift across the board. California and Mexico will see their areas dry up while Alaska will become more agriculturally-oriented. States that were once used for agriculture will see an increase in heat, wildfires, and tornadoes.
Fortunately, we are taking action to combat climate change. This description of 2050 Earth is the worst-case scenario. The USA Energy Information AdministrationEIA predicts that renewable energy like solar, wind, tide, and green hydrogen will make significant progress by year end. However, this will require an ambitious, global effort. Many climate experts feel that current strategies do not meet our goals. How the world will look in the next century will depend on how the planet changes.
