Economist Podcasts Three-degree burn: the warmer world that awaits
Jul 22, 2021
Katrine Bragg, the Environment editor at The Economist, and Tom Gardner, the Addis Ababa correspondent, discuss the stark realities of a world warming by 3°C, highlighting escalating climate crises and urgent needs for policy changes. They also navigate Sudan's tumultuous political landscape as three powerful leaders vie for control amid a struggle for democracy. Additionally, they delve into the controversy surrounding Liverpool’s removal from UNESCO’s World Heritage list, reflecting on the balancing act between urban development and heritage preservation.
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Climate Change Risks
- The Paris Agreement's goal of limiting warming to 2 degrees looks unlikely.
- Every tenth of a degree beyond that increases extreme weather risks.
Three Degrees of Warming
- Three degrees of warming could eliminate coral reefs, impacting fisheries and coastal protection.
- It would also lead to ice-free Arctic summers and irreversible sea-level rise.
Tropical Heat
- Wet bulb temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius are lethal to humans.
- Three degrees of warming could make these temperatures common in the tropics.