Module 1
This is where we are now...
Module transcript for discussion >>>
Left to its own devices, our planet could do a pretty good job of managing all the different gases in the air and moderating the climate, especially in the last 12,000 years in which civilization grew and prospered...
But all that began to change when we started growing more and more - expecting more and more - and burning more and more fossil fuels. And it's created a massive imbalance of gases within the atmosphere. This is where we are now. An overloaded planet that can't process our various wastes fast enough on land, at sea and in our atmosphere.
The two gases having the biggest effect on our climate are methane and carbon dioxide. They're referred to as greenhouse gases, because that's what they do - they act like a greenhouse, hanging around in the atmosphere and trapping the heat which would normally be lost to space.
Up to now, there have been two basic approaches to addressing climate change: reducing our activities that produce greenhouse gases, and helping people and the planet adapt to what's coming. These approaches, although essential, aren't nearly enough to keep the ever-growing weather catastrophes at bay
The Paris Agreement is a good example. Adopted in Paris in 2015 and signed by 196 countries, it aimed to limit global warming to around 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
And to achieve this, the agreement aimed to get to where the amount of carbon we put into the atmosphere is no more than the amount that is naturally taken out by the atmosphere.
This is what's known as Net Zero. Some countries are aiming for Net Zero by 2050.
But given the dramatic weather events we're regularly experiencing, this obviously isn't enough.
NET ZERO
How we got to this point in the climate
The costs and benefits of industrialization
The Paris Accord and ability of nations to keep agreements
Why NET ZERO is not enough
Read the Paris Climate Agreement here