Climate change - +1.6 °C - We are on the brink of disaster.
The graphic shows what is often forgotten in discussions:
Climate change is not an abstract future - it is already here.
We have reached a global temperature rise of +1.6 °C in 2024 - that is more than ever before in human history. And every tenth of a degree counts. Because:
- At +2 °C there is a risk of massive crop failures, deadly heatwaves and famine.
- From +3 °C, researchers speak of "irreversible chain reactions" - droughts, wars, collapses of entire ecosystems.
- At +4 °C or more, human life simply becomes impossible in many regions.
And yet we act as if we can afford climate protection - when it suits us politically. Yet doing nothing is the most expensive and most dangerous decision of all.
This graphic is not scaremongering - it is based on scientific scenarios and shows:
We have an extremely small window of time in which we can act.
The question is no longer: "Will we act?"
But rather: "When will we stop repressing - and finally start with real change?"
Information on the graphic:
The graphic is based on a visualization inspired by The Guardian and uses scientific data from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and modeling according to Raftery et al., 2017.
The curve shows the 5-year average of the global temperature deviation since 1880. The dashed lines are projections from various climate models that calculate the probabilities for different warming scenarios - from the optimistic case (+2.1°C) to the worst case (+4.9°C).
The substantive statements on the impact on humans, the environment and society are taken from numerous scientific reports,including
- IPCC reports (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)
- Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change
- NASA & NOAA climate data
- as well as meta-analyses on climate risks (e.g. Xu et al., 2020; Future of the Human Climate Niche)
The aim of the graphic is not just to show figures, but to make the real significance for our lives tangible.
