Even with a complete cessation of greenhouse gas emissions by humanity, the atmosphere will maintain abnormally high temperatures for at least the next thousand years. This conclusion was reached by a group of researchers from the Australian government scientific institution CSIRO. The specialists conducted computer modeling of climate dynamics for the next millennium. The calculations demonstrated how delays in reaching net-zero emissions levels will affect global temperature indicators. The obtained data indicate that periods of abnormal heat will show an increase in intensity, duration, and frequency. In particular, if net zero is not achieved by 2050, unprecedented temperature highs will be recorded annually in tropical regions. The authors of this scientific study emphasize that even with a complete abandonment of emissions, temperatures will not return to the levels observed before the beginning of the industrial era throughout the entire next thousand years. Fixing global warming at a level 1.5–2 degrees above 19th-century values will still entail serious negative consequences. The longer society postpones the transition to a net-zero balance of emissions, the more destructive and prolonged the nature of climate change will become. It has already been recorded that rising global temperatures harm human health and disrupt ecosystem functions, as well as lead to significant economic losses. Instances of extreme weather events, such as prolonged droughts, floods, and large-scale forest fires, have become more frequent. According to The Guardian, critically high temperatures pose a particular threat to the most vulnerable groups of the population: minors, the elderly, and people suffering from chronic diseases. Earlier, it became known that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has broken its record. This figure reached 423.9 parts per million (ppm), which is 52% higher than pre-industrial levels. Scientists warn about the acceleration of the rate of CO2 accumulation in the planet’s atmosphere.
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