The Year 2100 and Its Reality
As of 2025, the world's climate change situations seem dire with America pulling out of the Paris agreement and oil companies showing no sign of stopping. I'm sure all of us are wondering what the future will look like in 2050? Or even 2100?
Well, after looking over a few articles, the future I'm about to describe is going to sound bleak, but remember it is not too late to change what our future will look like!
Imagine it is 2050 and we have blown past the 1.5 target that world leaders promised they would stick to and the earth has warmed 2 degrees. This would lead to regular heat waves and wildfires. Heat waves specifically would be estimated to be 8 or 9 times more common. These high temperatures would cause power outages as power grids struggle to keep up with energy demands to properly cool homes. Many people would be forced into hospitals due to heat stroke, dehydration, and exhaustion. It's estimated that by 2100 over half of our remaining glaciers will have melted.
As the sea heats up, its volume increases due to thermal expansion together with increased water from glacial melt which elevates the sea level by well over a meter. Entire nations like the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu are uninhabitable as large parts of their islands will be submerged.
Due to rising tides and extreme storms, flooded buildings and crumpled infrastructure, in places like Jakarta, Mumbai, and Lagos, people will have to abandon their homes and turn to migration if they wish to live. Overall, its estimated 250 million people will be displaced.
In places like New York, 10-meter-tall seawalls will have to be built on the city's coasts. Another downside would be that by 2100 a lot of ocean life will be extinct due to the ocean reefs being destroyed and rising surface water temperatures.
Grocery prices would skyrocket as food and water become scarce in all communities. As intense heat waves, droughts and floods make it increasingly difficult to support plant life, hundreds of millions of people are put into famine.
I know that climate predictions can feel overwhelming and terrifying at times but something that is worth noting is that many experts responsible for these assessments keep an optimistic view. Since some countries have first begun taking steps to lower their emissions warming projections have shifted downwards. In less than a decade we have reduced our projected emission rates so that we are no longer on track to hit 4-degrees of warming. Policies that invest in renewable energy sources support electric transportation protect our forests can help mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
However,
this does not mean it is OK to take a sigh of relief. These same climate
experts have also stressed that current politics and pledges don’t do enough in
speed or scale. Enacting real change will require bold solutions as well as
collective action. There is still time to change our future as every action taken
to combat climate change helps.
Here is a short video I wanted to share that shows us our current path to the future of climate change if action is not taken to properly address climate change called Dear Future Generations: Sorry
This is incredibly frightening to read. I’m not gonna lie. When you talked about the regular heat waves and wildfires and the loss of power, it brought me back to Frank’s experience in India during the heat wave. To me that is incredibly worrisome.
ReplyDeleteIt’s shocking to think about entire nations like the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu becoming uninhabitable by 2100. I knew sea levels were rising, but I didn’t realize just how many people—250 million—could be displaced because of it. That makes me wonder, where would these climate refugees go? Are there any countries already making plans to help relocate people from sinking islands? It feels like this part of the crisis doesn’t get talked about enough, but it’s just as urgent.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem like the future is looking bad. I do think if we take the right step that a lot of this avoidable, but with our new president it does not seem like we will.
ReplyDeleteSea walls will certainly be needed and more common in the future, I just never thought they'd be in places such as New York even.
ReplyDeleteWhat a scary post, but a necessary idea to instigate action. The idea of sea walls in New York is apocalyptic, as is heatwaves, wildfires and mass power outages. I can't imagine being able to cope or survive in this reality. There is so much change we would have to accept, and it begs the question if America with its current leadership would ever be able to make the necessary changes to save lives. I can only hope someone in power will open their eyes soon.
ReplyDeleteThis post really paints a stark but necessary picture of what our future could look like if we don’t take action. It’s crucial that we don’t just accept this bleak future as inevitable but instead push for stronger climate policies and sustainable solutions.
ReplyDeleteI really like how this post did not sugarcoat the dangers we face in the future while also emphasizing the importance of reducing our emissions and how we can turn this path toward destruction around.
ReplyDeleteWith all the scary news in this post, there was still some positives you focused on and that was very nice. I was surprised to hear about New York having to build a barrier around its city. That's so alarming. I think you had a lot of really interesting facts that will sit heavy on people who don't focus on this issue. Great job!
ReplyDeleteYour reflection on the potential future impacts of climate change effectively highlights the urgency of taking action while also emphasizing that there is still hope for positive change through collective efforts and bold solutions.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you are taking a future look at the state of the world and what we should be able to expect. Even though it might not be the best thing to think about, but it is 100% a reality that we have to be open to think about. I am glad that you still talk about there is hope of change if the world works together to solve this problem.
ReplyDeleteIt is terrifying to know where we are headed as a whole and have so many people not care or feign ignorance. They do not want anything to come between them and what they want. It is our responsibility to take care of the earth and you showed how we will suffer for our actions.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking that the year 2100 might be the end of human civilization but 2050 is not looking that much different. It is vital that we realize climate change is our reality and that the opportunities to act are decreasing.
ReplyDeleteThis ties in so perfectly with the conversations we have been having in class. We know very realistically what our future will look like without proper change and addressing the concerns we have currently in the world. Another post spoke on the dangers of climate change for the future of wildlife and animals, not just the impacts on humans and land developments.
ReplyDeleteThis is incredibly scary, as 2100 is not as distant as most people think. These extreme weather events are already effecting our generation, but to imagine the world that will be created for our children and grandchildren based on the predictions in this post is inconceivable.
ReplyDeleteIt's a frightening reality we live in. More needs to be done soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting what the predictions are. I wonder what will happen between now and then that will change the expectations.
ReplyDeleteJake, the future is frightening. I found only one source article, a good one, focused on 2100. I'd love to see links to more sources.
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