UN Report: It’s Not Too Late to Stop Disastrous Climate Change

Apr 6, 2022

Time is running out to stop extra-juiceclimate change . A new United Nations (UN) report, though, says we can still cut a lot of the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports detailed steps that could sharply reduce emissions. Among them: protect forests, change farming methods, and eat less meat. Forests suck carbon-dioxide from the air. Farming can be changed to cut emissions. Raising animals also makes a lot of methane. That is a type of greenhouse gas.

The report also noted that costs of solar and wind power, and electric car batteries, dropped 85% between 2010 and 2019. That's helped industrialized nations, including the US, cut emissions. They haven’t fallen nearly enough, though, according to the report. 

“We are at a crossroads; the decisions we make now can secure a livable future,” said the IPCC chairman. 

But the report warned global greenhouse emissions would have to be reduced 43% by 2030 and 84% by 2050 to reach climate targets. That would prevent the worst effects of climate change. Emissions, though, have fallen just a few percentage points over the past 10 years.

Barring major reductions in emissions, the report said, the world won’t come close to meeting those targets.

“We are on a fast track to climate disaster,” the head of the UN warned. “Major cities under water. Unprecedented heat waves. Terrifying storms. Widespread water shortages. The extinction of a million species of plants and animals.”

The report warned against doomsaying though. That's the feeling that we can’t stop climate change, so why bother trying? 

Photo from Reuters.

Question
According to the story, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by _______ % by 2050 to prevent the worst effects of climate change. (Common Core RI.5.1; RI.6.1)
a. 41
b. 43
c. 84
d. 85
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