By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Top climate scientists warn that Earth could breach the 1.5C global warming limit within the next three years due to continued high emissions from fossil fuels and deforestation. The report highlights a shrinking “carbon budget,” the amount of CO2 that can be emitted while still limiting warming, which now gives only approximately three years before being exhausted. The current warming rate of 0.27C per decade is faster than any point in Earth’s history, and is seeing the Earth’s energy imbalance increase, with most of the extra heat absorbed by the oceans. Though the situation is dire, the report’s authors note a possible slowing in the rate of emissions increases due to the implementation of new clean technologies.
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Just three years to limit global warming to 1.5C, top scientists warn, and the reality is, it’s a tough pill to swallow. Honestly, the general sentiment seems to be a mix of resignation and outright despair. It’s like we’re watching a slow-motion train wreck, and while some are frantically waving their hands, most feel powerless to stop it. The warning has a sense of urgency, but the overwhelming feeling is, “We’ve missed the boat.”
The core of the issue, according to the general consensus, is that the critical point for preventing significant damage may have passed quite some time ago. Many feel that we’re already experiencing the repercussions of a runaway climate change scenario. There’s a widespread feeling that the 1.5C target is unrealistic. We’re not going to hit it. The prevailing expectation is a gradual, but ultimately certain, escalation of global warming effects.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom, or at least, not entirely. Some suggest that the fight isn’t entirely lost. Even if we can’t hit the 1.5C goal, aggressively working towards it might help us keep the warming below 2C. That’s still a considerable amount of damage, but it’s better than letting things spiral out of control even further. The idea is that every effort counts, and there are always gradients of bad. Giving up completely isn’t an option, because every degree of mitigation makes a difference.
The blame game is inevitable, and it points towards the usual suspects: corporations, the wealthy elite, and world leaders. The lack of decisive action, the pursuit of profits over the planet, and the indifference of those in power are all seen as major obstacles. There’s a palpable frustration about the perceived inaction of those who could actually make a difference. Some people are already preparing for the worst, from sunscreen and heat stroke to underground bunkers for the ultra-rich.
There’s a recognition that we’ve known about the dangers of burning fossil fuels for over a century. We’ve had the technology to mitigate climate change for a long time. It feels like we had opportunities to avoid this, and yet we didn’t take them. Some even suggest shifting focus towards carbon sequestration and other “Plan B” options because there is less hope for the 1.5C goal.
The situation feels like it is accelerating. The expectation is that emissions will continue to rise, driven by population growth, increased energy consumption, and the continued use of fossil fuels. Population growth is also a factor here. While its growth is expected to peak soon, it’s still likely to continue to impact resource consumption. We are working on it actively, right?
The question of what to do becomes increasingly difficult, given the perception of an already-baked-in climate crisis. The advice is, on a personal level, is to continue to do what you can, but there’s a sense that individual actions will not be enough against the tide of corporate and governmental inertia. While the wealthy retreat to their bunkers, the rest of us are left to face the consequences.
There’s a dark humor and cynicism that permeates the discussion. The idea of world leaders addressing the climate crisis through increased energy budgets for AI or the private jets of weddings in Venice are not helping. The truth is that the earth will survive; humans are the ones who will suffer. And it is time we accept the fact that the 1.5C target will not be met. But it’s not all over, with some hope that fighting for the 1.5C goal will lead to stabilizing the warming at 2C, even though it’s not going to be a cakewalk.