Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
President Aoun: We urge the activation of the monitoring committee, the cessation of hostilities, ongoing Israeli violations, attacks
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to US Envoy Morgan Ortagus: Southerners must be enabled to return to their homes and rebuild
Syrian sources: The Israeli occupation has begun withdrawing from the areas it infiltrated last night in the Quneitra countryside.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Massive bombings in eastern Gaza, the second within half an hour, and its sound was heard from central area.
Russian air defense units destroyed a drone that was heading toward Moscow.
Maduro: Tomorrow, a business meeting will be held bringing together hundreds of entrepreneurs from advanced Russian industries with hundreds of Venezuelan businesspeople.
Maduro: In the face of threats, Trinidad and Tobago agreed to suspend all effects of the energy agreement and everything that had been agreed upon in that regard.
Maduro: It’s time to make a choice, either stand with the warmongers who want death and violence, or stand with life.
Maduro: They want our wealth. This is not about drug trafficking, and they know it.
Maduro: Everyone in the world knows that what the economic elite ruling the United States seeks today is Venezuela’s oil, gas, and gold.

What Is The Difference Between 1.5°C and 2°C Global Warming?

  • By Al Mayadeen net
  • Source: Reuters
  • 8 Nov 2021 15:01
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

At the United Nations climate meeting in Glasgow, international leaders repeatedly emphasized the need to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, but what would mean such an increase?

  • x
  • What Is the Difference between 1.5°C and 2°C Global Warming?
    What Is the Difference between 1.5°C and 2°C Global Warming?

World leaders have constantly stressed the need to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In the 2015 Paris Accords, countries also committed to limit global average temperature rise to less than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, a report by Reuters said.

What does this mean? Why does crossing the 1.5-degree mark put us at more severe risk of severe climate change effects on a global level?

So far, the world has heated to 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, with each of the last four decades recording hotter temperatures than any decade since the mid-19th century.

Extreme weather

Related News

UN chief: Humanity has failed to contain global warming below 1.5°C

Heavy rains kill at least 28 in Mexico, thousands displaced

Climate scientist Daniela Jacob, from Germany's Climate Service Center, told Reuters "We never had such a global warming in only a few decades," explaining that "Half a degree means much more extreme weather, and it can be more often, more intense, or extended in duration."

An extreme heat event that occurred once per decade in a climate without human influence, would happen 4.1 times a decade at 1.5°C of warming, and 5.6 times at 2°C, according to the U.N. climate science panel (IPCC) cited by Reuters. If warming continued to 4°C, such events would occur 9.4 times per decade.

This means that changes in extremes will become larger, heatwaves, floods, extreme rainfall, and more intense droughts would happen more often.

Not just the weather

After the 2°C mark, the ice sheets would collapse. Instead of the few feet of sea-level rise expected by the end of the century at 1.5°C, we would witness sea levels rising up to 10 meters. 

1.5°C of warming would destroy 70% of coral reefs, whereas 2°C of warming would mean 99% of them would be destroyed.

Crops will fail, food prices would spike, hunger and famine would grow more widespread, disease-carrying mosquitoes would be able to expand across a wider range. 

"If we can keep warming below 3°C we likely remain within our adaptive capacity as a civilization, but at 2.7°C warming we would experience great hardship," says climate scientist Michael Mann, at Pennsylvania State University.

  • global warming
  • Climate change
  • COP26
  • health

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, during a speech televised on October 22, 2025 (Al-Quds Brigades Military Media)

Al-Quds Brigades' Abu Hamza mourns leaders, vows continued resistance

  • Politics
  • 22 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Delta Air Lines flight lands at Harry Reid International Airport, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Las Vegas (AP)
Politics

Nearly 3,800 US flights disrupted amid ongoing government shutdown

FILE - The Amazon logo is pictured at the Amazon Robotic Sorting Fulfillment Center in Madison County, Miss., Aug. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Economy

Amazon to cut 30,000 jobs in largest layoff in company history

Eurofighter Typhoon Spain's Air Force fighter jets fly above the military parade marking 'Día de la Hispanidad', or Hispanic Day, in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP)
Politics

UK sells 20 Eurofighter jets to Türkiye in £8bln defense agreement

Smoke billows after drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the northern port in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

RSF tighten El Fasher siege as Sudan risks fragmentation: Reuters

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS