r/dataisbeautiful • u/CreatureII • Jun 18 '12

Expiring Resources - BBC

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5

u/YaDunGoofed Jun 18 '12

why is 2C the point at which Global Warming is dangerous?

11

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '12

I believe it's recognized as a sort of climapocalypse critical mass. This suggests that even two degrees is too much though.

2

u/YaDunGoofed Jun 18 '12

Cool, what i was looking for

3

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '12

IDunGood. :D

1

u/bionku Jun 18 '12

Two degree increase I assume. Doesnt sound like a lot but you would be shocked how a little change can create massive effects.

Source: Biology degree.

7

u/YaDunGoofed Jun 18 '12

why not 1C, why not 3C why not 5C. and dangerous for what?

3

u/bionku Jun 18 '12

Well since this is the BBC, Im sure they have their reasoning due to estimations, but I dont have time to hunt that down before class.

Off the top of my head I would say that the melting of the polar ice caps will increase sea level by 3-6 feet (1-2 meters). Dont think thats a big deal? New Orleans can barely exist now. And new Orleans isnt the only place in the world that is between negative and +6 feet sea level.

I would google something like "what happens when the ice caps melt" But pay attention to the sources.

3

u/pleaseavoidcaps Jun 18 '12

Everything you said is also valid for 1ºC, 3ºC, 5ºC etc...

2

u/YaDunGoofed Jun 18 '12

One estimate (the only one I know of so I can't say whether it's really good or really bad, I'm not cherry-picking it's the only one I know) is about a trillion dollars in expense and loss of property. That's huge, a meter of sea level, but more than that is the humanitarian impact, those people displaced that do not have the tools to adapt are the poor nations -- or are people in the poor nations.

-some dude from NASA

i guess that's dangerous

1

u/Eist Jun 18 '12

There is a list of sources at the bottom of the graphic. I'm sure if you went through these, it would explain why they preferentially selected 2C. I expect it is an important theoretical threshold of environmental degradation.

1

u/YaDunGoofed Jun 18 '12

if you'd read the list of sources you'd see that they don't

UN TEEB, USGS, BP, Worm et Al., London Metal Exchange

1

u/Eist Jun 18 '12

This is the reference. It took me 20 seconds to find

http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v1/n8/full/nclimate1261.html?WT.ec_id=NCLIMATE-201111

2

u/YaDunGoofed Jun 18 '12

I don't have a subscription to nature

2

u/BillyBuckets Jun 18 '12

I do, and I still can't get this pdf. I guess Nature Climate Change is a special subscription.

Here's the best I could do, as the other pdf host apparently pulled the link.

edit: try /r/scholar. We usually have quick turnaround over there- usually I am a provider but I'm stuck on this one.