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Basic Concepts 
Global warming is the increase in average global temperature. It is also the main mechanism through which climate change Climate ChangeThe most commonly used term to refer to the changes in the climate regionally and globally. It is recommended to…Read on اقرأ المزيد takes place. Though the planet goes through natural phases of warming and cooling over millennia, the pace of global warming has increased to unprecedented levels over the past century, mainly due to burning fossil fuels Fossil FuelRefers to energy materials extracted from the earth and used for burning. The three main fossil fuels are oil, fossil…Read on اقرأ المزيد for our society’s high-carbon lifestyle High-Carbon LifestyleRefers to consumers’ way of life in the fossil fuel age, based on pervasive fossil fuel use and causing large…Read on اقرأ المزيد . Due to the gravity of the current situation, scientists have started to refer to this phenomenon as global heating Global HeatingThe increase in average global temperatures, which has been primarily driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions since the start of…Read on اقرأ المزيد .
How Global Warming Happens
Global warming happens via the greenhouse gas effect, which occurs naturally when certain gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, called greenhouse gases (GHGs) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) EmissionsGases that trap infrared rays in the atmosphere, contributing to global heating. Examples include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous…Read on اقرأ المزيد , trap the sun’s heat. However, the combustion of fossil fuels has increased the concentrations of greenhouse gases such as CO2 Carbon Dioxide (CO2) EmissionsCarbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas found naturally in Earth’s atmosphere. It is also a byproduct of industrial processes…Read on اقرأ المزيد and methane Methane EmissionsMethane (CH4) is the main component of fossil gas, making up 96% of its composition. It is also emitted from…Read on اقرأ المزيد , which has led the world into a climate crisis Climate CrisisThe current moment where we are observing increasingly severe climate impacts and running the risk of catastrophic, irreversible changes in…Read on اقرأ المزيد .
Since the Industrial Revolution, the planet has warmed by more than 1.1°C , with 2023 possibly being the warmest on record. This increase is linked to an increase in GHG concentration from 280 ppm of CO2 equivalent in the mid-1700s to over 417 ppm in 2022. If the world stays above the 350 ppm threshold for longer periods, there will be a risk of triggering tipping points Tipping PointsA tipping point is a critical threshold beyond which a system does not return to its previous state. Such as…Read on اقرأ المزيد around the globe, which in turn could lead to run-away climate change Run-Away Climate ChangeRun-away climate change is already possible under current levels of global warming. However, beyond certain tipping points, namely the 1.5-2°C…Read on اقرأ المزيد . To avoid that outcome, we will have to achieve a rapid energy transformation Energy TransformationRefers to the transition from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy sources, while taking into consideration further changes such as addressing…Read on اقرأ المزيد during which fossil fuel use gets left behind in favor of renewable energy sources Renewable EnergySolar, wind, hydropower, tidal, geothermal, and biomass energy.Read on اقرأ المزيد .
Same Globe, Different Impacts
Though the scientific literature on global warming Global WarmingGlobal warming happens via the greenhouse gas effect, which occurs naturally when certain gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, called greenhouse…Read on اقرأ المزيد often focuses on the average warming, the reality is that some regions will witness more heating than others. This might be attributed to two main reasons:
- Geographical conditions: some regions are naturally more prone to climate hazards due to their geographical conditions, such as proximity to deserts, altitude, and levels of rainfall. For instance, the MENA region is warming at twice the rate of the global average, which threatens its population with disproportionate impacts Climate ImpactsThe results and consequences of the climate crisis.Read on اقرأ المزيد .
- Access to resources: the global response to climate impacts in terms of adaptation AdaptationPrecautionary and timely measures taken to address existing or potential impacts of the climate disasterRead on اقرأ المزيد has been insufficient in poorer countries because the necessary funds are hard to mobilize. Richer countries have pledged in 2009 to provide $100 billion annually by 2020, but that promise was broken. Other climate finance solutions like debt-for-climate swaps Debt-for-Climate SwapA proposal to exempt countries from their debts in exchange for commitments to implement climate policies on the domestic level.Read on اقرأ المزيد are yet to be implemented on a sufficiently large scale.
