2023 stood as the warmest year on record, marking a near breaching of the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. The escalating temperatures are fueling the rapid melting of Arctic glaciers, raising concerns about the potential leakage of potent greenhouse gas, methane, from the underground.

The repercussions of climate change, including a projected five-fold surge in coastal flooding by the century’s end, pose imminent threats to property and infrastructure. The rise in global temperature is also a catalyst for extreme weather events, like the devastating Cyclone Michaung in South India.

Understanding the Complexities of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The intricate issues of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change impacts stress the importance of understanding uncertainty in emission estimates.

This understanding is vital for informing policy decisions. The role of CO2 and other factors such as natural water vapor are central to driving climate change, necessitating both mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Data visualizations have proven effective in communicating these complexities of climate change, thereby stimulating engagement and action.

Deforestation: A Major Contributor to Climate Change

Deforestation, responsible for about 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions, is a significant contributor to climate change. With carbon emissions from tropical deforestation accelerating, the loss of primary tropical forests surged by 12% from 2019 to 2020.

This deforestation triggers a positive feedback loop with climate change, and irreversible deforestation would result in a permanent rise in global surface temperature. The Amazon rainforest, which absorbs a quarter of Earth’s carbon dioxide emissions, has suffered a decrease in its CO2 absorption capacity due to deforestation.

The role of intact forests in sequestering carbon is crucial in balancing potential temperature increases and in mitigating the impacts of global warming. Read More