BOOKS, NATURE / CLIMATE
Feb 2, 2025
Global Warming – Mark Maslin
"Climate is an angry beast and we are poking at it with sticks." W. Smith Broecker
Once vibrant with colors and home to fish, sea turtles, and countless marine creatures, coral reefs are now turning white, transforming into graveyards. Rising ocean temperatures are causing corals to die, and with these deaths, entire marine ecosystems are suffering.
Global warming is not just a statistic in scientific reports; it is a crisis that touches our lives and shapes our future. If no action is taken, sea levels will continue to rise, coastal cities will be at risk, and agricultural lands will succumb to drought. This could drive the growing global population—expected to increase over the next 60 years—toward famine.
Mark Maslin’s book Global Warming sheds light on this complex yet urgent issue that everyone needs to understand. Now, let’s dive into the key points of the book and my personal notes.
Global Effects of the Climate Crisis
As always, the most devastating effects of global warming will unfortunately hit the world’s poorest communities the hardest. Rising temperatures will destroy living spaces in coastal regions, negatively impact agriculture and water resources, and increase health problems. For example, a one-meter rise in sea levels could submerge 75% of the land area in island nations like the Maldives.
An increase in diseases is also a likely consequence of this situation. Higher temperatures and humidity could accelerate the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria. Moreover, the slowdown in economic development will make these impacts even more severe.
Glaciers, Sea Levels: A Threatened Future
The analysis of gases trapped in ice cores - a kind of time capsules - reveal that carbon dioxide and methane levels in the atmosphere have changed with temperature over the past 400,000 years.
Scientific models predict that global temperatures will continue to rise throughout the next century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts that sea levels could rise from 20 cm to 88 cm by 2100. This poses a severe threat, particularly to coastal regions and island nations. Countries like the Maldives could completely disappear from the map in the future.
And there's more. As glaciers melt, dark vegetation or open water replaces their reflective white surfaces. While white surfaces reflect sunlight, darker surfaces absorb heat, accelerating global warming. This phenomenon is called "positive feedback", but there is nothing truly "positive" about it.
NASA's satellite data confirms that the ice sheets of Greenland and West Antarctica are shrinking. Although the Greenland Ice Sheet is unlikely to vanish entirely in the near future, an irreversible process may already be underway. If this trend continues, there may be no ice left in this region within a thousand years. Nature is sounding the alarm—we must start listening.
Planet's CO₂ Reservoirs
The oceans and the Amazon rainforest play a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide. The oceans act like a giant sponge, absorbing tons of carbon dioxide that we release into the atmosphere every day. But can this absorption continue indefinitely?
The Amazon rainforest, on the other hand, serves as the "lungs" of our planet with its ability to store carbon. For years, it has been capturing carbon and purifying the air. However, increasing drought and rising temperatures could turn these forests into savannas. This wouldn’t just mean the loss of forests - it would also lead to the release of stored carbon into the atmosphere, accelerating global warming even further.
Right now, the Amazon rainforest plays a crucial role in reducing pollution. However, if this ecosystem deteriorates, it could intensify global warming to an unprecedented degree. Protecting the oceans and rainforests is the key to this fight.
Scientific Research and Climate Cycles
Ice cores and deep-sea sediments reveal that, over the past two and a half million years, there have been more than 32 glacial-interglacial cycles, rather than just four. These findings also highlight how human activities are rapidly disrupting this natural balance.
This data points to two key strategies in the fight against the climate crisis: reducing emissions and adapting to climate change. Transitioning to clean energy is a critical step. However, unfortunately, it is not enough on its own. Particularly in poorer countries, accelerating economic development is another way to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.
The Effect of Carbon Dioxide on Agricultural Production
The rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide can increase the rate of photosynthesis in plants and even support agricultural production in some regions. At first glance, this might seem like good news. However, it does not always lead to positive outcomes.
In places like Uganda, rising temperatures could severely impact coffee production. Even a 2°C increase in temperature could significantly reduce the areas suitable for growing Robusta coffee. For farmers, this isn’t just a loss of crops—it’s a threat to their entire way of life. This underscores the need to diversify agricultural production and strengthen economic resilience.
The Monster is About to Wake Up
Professor W. Smith Broecker's words summarize the urgency of the climate crisis:
“Climate is an angry beast, and we are poking at it with sticks.”
Calming this beast requires both individual awareness and global cooperation. We must completely rethink societal rules, consumption habits, and production methods, transitioning to a more sustainable way of life. Because this is not just our fight—it is the fight of future generations as well.
