Welcome to another Lefteris Asks science newsletter! Every Wednesday I share news that I find interesting from the world of science and academia. I do my best to write small explanations about them and start a discussion. If you found this newsletter online and want to get them right in your inbox you can subscribe using the cute button below! It’s free!
Last week, I was trained to become a Climate Fresk facilitator. Climate Fresk is a fun, informative, and collaborative game that will teach you the fundamental science behind climate change and empower you to take action. Naturally, I was quite influenced and the articles I was mostly reading this week were around climate change. During our discussions, we mentioned that one of the goals laid out by the IPPC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. And during this discussion, we were trying to figure out what is the main problem for communicating the dangers of climate change. So one way I thought I could add to the discussion is with this letter and answering the question… so what? What if we manage to limit global warming to 1.5°C?
Wait, I thought we were aiming for 2°C?
I think it’s safe to assume that when it comes to numbers for global warming, the lower the better. The 2°C was set out as a target some time ago, probably as a goal that seemed achievable (maybe?). But the Paris Agreement stated that we should aim for “well below” 2 degrees and chase that 1.5°C increase.
Sadly, last year the COP26 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) happened, and according to some analyses, the pledges for policies made by some countries would result in average warming of 2.7°C. So you understand why some people are hoping we are able to manage 2°C.
We have seen the effects of climate change very often in the last few years. More frequent and more severe storms, wildfires, and the melting of the ice caps. In case you want to see what the increase in the amount of rain looks like, you could see the news coming from Sydney this week.
As we have mentioned in a previous version of the newsletter, the main body that we look to in order to understand the physical science basis of climate change, the risks, and the methods of mitigating climate change is the IPCC. The role of the IPCC is to give policymakers the latest scientific assessments on climate change, the implications, and future risks, and of course to provide adaptation and mitigation options.
What are the benefits of 1.5°C then?
While the IPCC is putting forth all of the mitigation options, new research coming out of the University of East Anglia used those options as a guide and reported different effects of climate change of 1.5°C, 2°C, and 3.66°C. That last number was set since most of the policies implemented right now would not be sufficient for the lower goals. Their results were fascinating and it is a great response to anyone who would ask “so what” in the question of limiting climate change to 1.5°C.
Overall, the risks to humans would be reduced by up to 85%. The risk of the global population being exposed to malaria and dengue fever is lower by 10% with a constraint of 1.5 °C rather than 2°C. Hundreds of millions of people would be spared the water scarcity. Even with that 1.5°C increase, the risk of coastal flooding will affect 41-88 million people by 2100 while this number reaches up to 95 million with a 2°C increase. Lastly, the economic impact will be 20% lower with 1.5°C going from 61 trillion US dollars to 39 million US dollars.
It is always hard to talk about climate change. Things can initially seem depressing or aggravating. While I was writing this newsletter, windows popped a warning telling me there is a “Heatwave” outside where I live. It kinda made everything seem way more real. And there is much blame to be discussed and passed around but action is what matters right now. Governments should start implementing stricter measures, corporations should start taking their impact more seriously and we could start doing our part. Maybe one thing you want to do is check if there is a Climate Fresk workshop near you.
Positive news of the week
I would arguably consider the news above very positive at least in the sense of potential. But why not give more positivity? We are going all the way to the University of Manchester and research that might give new hope in developing a drug that will stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and stop memory loss. One of the causes of memory loss for people with Alzheimer’s has been the narrowing of some arteries in the brain. These arteries are called pial arteries, and they offer blood and oxygen to the brain.
Some mice that had produced a lot of a specific protein (Aβ1-40) also had narrower arteries compared to healthier mice. The protein was shown to be present in the lining of the vessels and switches off another protein that causes the arteries to widen. The special news about this approach is that it’s relatively new since most of the other drugs that have been tested are focusing on the nerves of the brain. The researchers are hoping that by focusing on the blood vessels they will provide a different approach for further research and help millions of people.
Any more news?
People in academia are constantly coming up with new and exciting things so if you need more to quench your curiosity here are some more headlines.
How psilocybin, the psychedelic in mushrooms, may rewire the brain to ease depression, anxiety and more, by CNN
Tonga volcano eruption triggered atmospheric gravity waves that reached the edge of space, by the University of Oxford
That’s all for this week! I hope that the rest of the week will be calm and rewarding. Did you like this newsletter? If you did you can subscribe to it at the top of the page and why not share it around using this sexy little button here
If you have any questions, suggestions, or something you want to talk about why not write a comment right below here! That’s the easiest way for us to communicate!
Until next week… take care and be kind [=
Love to think of "gravity waves" :)