Methane emissions from livestock
What contribution does methane emissions from domestic animals and agriculture ie cows, rice paddy farming make to global warming ? How can these be negated without causing serious food shortages "
Methane emissions from domestic animals and agriculture, such as cows and rice paddy farming, are significant contributors to global warming. Livestock, particularly cows, are responsible for a large portion of methane emissions due to their digestive processes. Rice paddy farming also contributes to methane emissions through the decomposition of organic matter in flooded fields. To reduce these emissions, steps can be taken to improve the efficiency of livestock production and to change farming practices, such as using alternative wetland management techniques in rice paddy farming. Additionally, promoting plant-based diets can also help reduce emissions from the livestock sector. However, care must be taken to ensure that any measures taken do not cause serious food shortages.
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If humanity can't reduce its GG emissions what will be the effects of global warming in the next 50 years ? Please consider melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice caps, loss of glaciers across the world, impact of heat stress on farming and ecosystems including people
If humanity is unable to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of global warming in the next 50 years are likely to be severe and widespread. Some of the most significant impacts include:
- Melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice caps: The melting of ice caps and glaciers will cause sea levels to rise, which will lead to increased coastal flooding and erosion. This will threaten low-lying areas and small islands, and displace millions of people.
- Loss of glaciers across the world: Loss of glaciers will have a number of impacts including reduction of water availability for agriculture, hydropower, and domestic use, and also impact on tourism.
- Heat stress on farming and ecosystems: Higher temperatures will lead to increased evaporation and water stress, which will make it more difficult to grow crops. This will have a particularly severe impact on small farmers and in developing countries. In addition, the increased heat will also lead to changes in the distribution and behavior of many species, which could cause ecosystems to collapse.
- Impact on people: The impacts of global warming will be felt most acutely by people in poor and vulnerable communities. Heat waves, floods, and droughts will lead to increased deaths from heat stress and disease, and will also exacerbate poverty and inequality.
Overall the effects of global warming are expected to be devastating for human society and the natural world, and will have far-reaching and long-lasting consequences if we don't take action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
Some scientists believe the general scientific views around the cause and consequent effects of global warming are alarmist. What probability is there that these scientists are correct and that the feared effects of global warming do not eventuate ?
While there is a consensus among scientists that global warming is happening and is primarily caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, there is still some uncertainty about the specific effects that global warming will have on the earth's climate and ecosystems. Some scientists have raised questions about the accuracy of certain climate models and the potential for natural variability to influence the climate.
It is important to note that the overwhelming majority of scientists in the field of climate research believe that global warming is a serious problem and that human activities are the primary cause. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is made up of scientists from around the world, states that it is extremely likely (95-100% probability) that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are the main cause of global warming since the mid-20th century.
It's hard to quantify the probability of the feared effects of global warming not eventuating, as it depends on the actions that society takes to reduce emissions and also on the potential for negative feedbacks in the climate system. Even if some of the specific predictions of future warming do not come to pass, it is likely that we will still see significant changes in the earth's climate and ecosystems, and that these changes will have serious consequences for human society and the natural world. Therefore, it is essential that we continue to work to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in order to minimize the risks associated with global warming.
What new evidence would have to be discovered to change the current scientific thinking around the causes and effects of global warming
It is unlikely that any single new discovery would completely change the current scientific understanding of the causes and effects of global warming. The evidence for human-caused global warming, including the observed warming of the earth's surface, the increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, and the observed changes in the earth's climate and ecosystems, is already overwhelming.
However, new evidence and research could potentially refine or add to our understanding of the specific mechanisms by which greenhouse gases are causing the earth to warm, the rate at which the earth will warm in the future, and the specific impacts that global warming will have on different regions of the world.
For example, new research could reveal that feedback mechanisms in the climate system, such as changes in cloud cover, are more complex than previously thought, which could affect the rate of warming. New data on the amount of carbon stored in soils, permafrost, and other parts of the earth's system could give us a more accurate understanding of the carbon cycle, which could help us better predict the rate of warming.
It is also possible that new discoveries in other fields, such as solar physics, could reveal previously unknown natural processes that could be affecting the earth's climate. However, it is important to note that even if new evidence does emerge, it is unlikely to change the overall scientific understanding that human activities are the primary cause of global warming, and that immediate action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the impacts of climate change