What is the worst case scenario for climate change over 5 to 10 years?

[Unbalance]

Obviously it is all gathering speed fast. But densely, I just can't really picture what will happen, in terms of well everything? There are so many factors at play.

Fresh water scarcity concerns me most. Is this the biggest threat to the most people over the next few years, as in will kill the most people in a short space of time?

Or if not water - what is the biggest threat if shtf completely?

What can governments do to prepare for worst case scenarios?

Over the next 5 - 10 years?

I would guess more frequent and increasingly severe extreme weather events, in other words more flooding, worse heatwaves and more destructive winds, all of which will impact our country's agricultural output amongst other things.

I bet it’s your child that solves it!

@HairMb ill keep you updated! They’re currently 6 and 4 so I’m in it for the long game….!

Same :( currently holding my 6 month old baby girl and I also have a 2year old boy, I have so much anxiety and fear about this kind of thing and constantly feel guilty for bringing them into the world :(

To the PP who recommended following ClimateBen on Twitter - he’s a literature teacher with an interest in (and heavily doomist perspective on) climate.

You’d be better off following actual climate scientists and policy experts. Zeke Hausfather and Jesse Jenkins are interesting - not it’s-all-sunshine-and-rainbows, obviously, but factual. Jenkins did a couple of great episodes of Volt podcast when the US passed the Inflation Reduction Act last year.

So many major cities are at or near sea-level, even a small rise in the level will see millions displaced, with a knock-on effect for the surrounding areas.

The basics of life, such as food and fuel, will be subject to shortages, and in some cases will see huge price rises.

The UK may struggle for food. We couldn't feed ourselves in the Second World War, when there were less than 50m people - now there are over 67m. Doubtless farming technology has improved, but that won't be enough.

Competition for resources will provoke war.

on the side of those who do not believe in climate change which is man engineered. Climate always changes

This.

I’d also recommend Kimberly Nicholas, she’s a climate scientist but also writes a lot on coping with the emotions of climate change, which it sounds like a lot of people on the thread could benefit from

and the earth's flat in your world I suppose?

You do realise there is no disputing the evidence of climate change any more? It is fact, not an opinion

I wonder what the average person from the US, India, China or an Arab country would make of threads like this if they happened to stumble upon it. They would probably laugh at the pathetic hysteria from a few little islanders in Western Europe who produce less than 1% of the carbon emissions. Sure you can wave you bamboo to the rushes about while the carbon producers get on with their lives.

Fuck all I can do about it. So I'm not going to stress myself out.

@Plicovic that's absolutely not what @Soapyspuds are saying.

There is a very real very well evidenced idea that this is just something the earth does. Every so often. Sometimes it's an ice age, sometimes it's the world getting too hot.

Whatever. Even if it is caused by us humans, I can't fix it. I can only hope to survive.

Essentially the world is fecked.

I've a 2.5 year old and expecting my 2nd child, so in it for the long haul and honestly, terrified about it all. I oscillate between "let's live it up before we all go to hell" and " we have to do everything"

We will be growing our own food next year, deciding to eat locally (and cutting luxuroes to do that as it costs more) and hoping that our home being in a surface flood risk area escapes the brunt of it (the road is clever supposedly but yikes). We've brought flood defences anyway to do something but it's terrifying and I kinda wish we hadn't brought the house because of it, but we're stuck now.

I hope life will be better but I expect my kids lives will be very tough by the time they are our age and I hope they don't blame me too much for having them

It really, really sucks.

But I think the biggest question is what can we do now, immediately to try to stop it even if it means inconveniencing ourselves and radically changing our lives, it's less than the world burning and flooding around us.

Imho and what I try to do...

Private planes need to be outlawed.
Flights should be once or twice a day to a place and expensive
Public transport should be way better and regular in our town
People should shop local, and yes, spend more.
People shouldn't buy fast fashion (shop second hand or quality)

But unless the corporates do more, individuals are like pissing on a house fire.

Its Very depressing essentially.

I don’t think they would tbh. They’ve probably got their own things going on. Either extreme temps looming or stopping people with extreme temps.

I get the whole everyone is pathetic vibe but I doubt it’ll be pleasant.

Government will be forced to decide between allowing increasing numbers of migrants into the country as they flee from their uninhabitable lands or ordering the Royal Navy to sink their boats as they try to cross the channel.

This is a man made climate crisis, far more intense than 'normal' climatic changes . There is no disputing the evidence, there are more charts and tables than you can shake a stick at showing how this is rapidly accelerating due to our activity. We may not be able to stop it but we can't just stand by and watch it happen without trying to at least slow it down a bit

I shouldn't worry about it, the worlds climate has constantly changed without our input, sure our efforts have not helped, but over a long period, it's not as if turning off the heating can correct what has been done.

So expect change, but no point in giving it too much thought.

And as for the science modelling brigade, take what they say with a pinch of salt, they don't have a good track record when it comes to producing results. Also interesting to note how many previous experts on the microscopic world of the virus are now suddenly experts on climate.

Ignor and move on, nothing to see here!

Why not? Thats my plan.

So is it not true that we suffered a mini ice age in the Victorian era, where everyone was ice skating in the Thames?

If this current heatwave is due to us humans you really need to try harder to prove it. And stopping a mum and baby from getting to hospital isn't that.

I'm with Troyton. I really am. I do not believe that I have any control over this climate crisis nor can I turn it back. But taking care of the Earth is always a good thing.

Water scarcity? Are you having a laugh, it's July and non stop raining! Not sure where the climate change is here

Here Here.

To try and stop it is hubris, to adapt to change as it happens is sensible, but to think that the forces of nature can be reversed is crazy and will end in worse problems.

This is the same gang who attempted to stop a pandemic by shutting down the world and messing up all the economies, any sensible person could see that wasn't going to work. It's the same false promises.

Hook, A million people will die...
Line, buy a mask, stay at home, it will go away after a bit.
Sinker, it didn't

Hook, Were all going to be cooked in our homes like grill steaks
Line, Buy an electric car and recycled bog roll, it will then be OK
Sinker, It will get hotter anyway, you should have spent on air con.

Try thinking beyond the UK

hilarious, as though it won't happen just because you don't have any 'proof'