The End of the Wild/Terrifying New Math of Climate Change/Are we Collapsing<< 1 summary - Essay Example

Bill then highlights three simple data about global warming that should act as a wakeup call for the fight. According to Bill, the Copenhagen summit of 2009 ended with no commitment at all to address global warming. However, the summit did point out that global warming should not go beyond 2 oC. Nevertheless, two degrees Celsius increase in temperature is far too lenient, when we consider that the effect being experienced now are the result of only under 0.8 0C. For instance, a third of the summer ice over the arctic has melted; this translates to five percent wetter atmosphere over the oceans- a devastating flood is looming.

Gleaning from Scientists and countries against the two degrees accord, Bill maintains that the two-degree figure is very misguided and unattainable. The second number is “565 gigatons.” This is the estimated amount of carbon dioxide that a human being can release into the atmosphere by midcentury and still remain within the 2 OC of global warming. While this figure may not be very exact, Bill is quick to note that recent simulations of global warming confirm the validity of the figure. If this is the case, it then implies that we are more than half way to the limit.

This can be explained by the fact that the while we are currently at 0.8 0C mark of warming the carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere will continue to heat up the atmosphere even further. In addition, computer simulations points out that we are about three quarters to hit the 2 0C limit of warming. Bill warns that even after the 2009 summit the trends for carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere only saw a one year lull and has ever since been on the rise. There have been increases in countries such as 3.

2% in America, 9.3% in China, 2.4% in Japan. Bill warns that, at the current mean degree carbon emission rise of 3%, the 2 oC warming is only 16 years away. Despite all these scientists are shying off from providing evidence in details, we may be headed for a six degrees warming (Faith, IEA's chief economist). Bill then give reasons why campaigns against global warming have failed and continue failing both at individual level and through environment groups lobbying with the political systems. For instance, many Americans have not reduced their use of paper; prefer taking flights and driving energy consuming cars rather than hybrid cars.

Bill commends president Obama for the energy efficiency mandate he achieved shortly after he got into power, but then goes on to criticize his current ambitions regarding oil and coal exploration. President Obama administration, for instance, has already indicated willingness to grant Shell permission to start drilling in the Arctic and support oil exploration in Oklahoma. What worries most as Bill points out is this is a trend all over the world for instance Canada and Venezuela have turned to want to go against the Kyoto protocol as they seek to dig out more coal from their soil.

Bill warns that a very daring movement (acknowledging that the movement will have enemies) is needed to transform the trends of global warming to save our world. He points out to effects that we are experiencing already such as Colorado fires and failure of korn kernels in Kentucky at the expense of summer heat waves. Bill argues that we are losing the battle since the