In addition to being Minister of the Environment From Chile, Maisa Rojas is one of the most recognized climate specialists in the world, and participated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that writes global reports summarizing all current knowledge about the climate crisis.
That’s why it was part of a survey made by The Guardian at 380 of the and climatologists most prestigious on the planet, asking them if they believe that humanity will manage to reduce the global warming at safe levels or not.
Rojas responded that, in his opinion, it will be possible to keep global warming below the 2nd about the average of pre industrial temperaturewhich exceeds the threshold established by the Paris Agreement by 0.5°.
With this opinion, the minister is among the minority (25%) of surveyed more optimistic: 70% of participating scientists believe that the planet will exceed 2.5° of warming in this century, and 42% believe that it will even exceed 3°, with catastrophic consequences for human life on the planet in the coming decades.
Only 6% of respondents believe humanity will manage to keep warming below 1.5° threshold established in the Paris Agreement.
What does it mean for humanity?
Most scientists, who predict warming above 2.5°, describe a semi dystopian future with famines, mass migrationconflicts and environmental catastrophes such as fires, heat waves and floods that are much more extreme and frequent than those we know today.
And they do not foresee that these events will begin to occur in the distant future, but in the coming decades. Some interviewees even expect radical changes within the next five years. This in addition to highlighting the serious damage that is already being suffered at present as a result of the climate crisis.
Despite being people who work in the world of data and science, they are far from perceiving this reality with a cold mind: many expressed feeling hopelessness, Rage and frustration with the lack of urgency of politicians, and even fear for the future.
Is it better to give up?
Despite the lack of hope, the majority of respondents call for Do not give up in the fight against climate changesince any minimal reduction in global warming will mean less human suffering.
They also express the urgent need to get prepared around the world to confront increasingly extreme events, and reduce the risk of damage and human deaths.
