Climatic Criticism

New section of SGK-PLANET

Preamble

Why a climatic criticism?

This Climate Criticism by SGK-PLANET aims to provide information on the current state of our planet, in order to raise awareness about the climate situation on Earth.

The format in which we present our Climate Criticism, as you will see, has been adapted to the reading of this 21st century, so that it is dynamic, clear and quick to read, and can reach the greatest number of people. And why not? For those who are encouraged to take action in the fight against climate change.

In our analyses we try to avoid political or subjective assessments and we base ourselves on measurements and information from science and competent organizations. It is aimed at the general public and climate authorities in particular, as will be seen in the following pages.

The Climate Criticism is intended for secondary education institutions, universities and the general public, and especially those who follow these issues.

Learn more about why a climate criticism here.

Is this what the children of the Earth deserve?

“While it is impossible to offer your children the solution to climate change, you can provide them with information, reassure them that they are not alone, and help them find ways to take action.” UNICEF

As a contribution from SGK-PLANET we invite you to read the UNICEF article:
Climate change
As climate change impacts unfold UNICEF builds the resilience of the most vulnerable children and their families

Have climate summits managed to stabilize global temperatures?

Climate conferences have failed to stop global warming

The temperature curve talks for itself.

Climate conferences have raised public climate awareness. Fossil fuel emissions, deforestation and the destruction of biodiversity continue to advance, being the main causes of global warming.
We have enlarged a section of the following graph and marked the most relevant conferences in our opinion.

Fig. 1 Global average temperature 1850-2050 with study period
Source: Berkeley Earth. Berekeleyearth.org.
Credit: Creative Commons. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International.
CC BY-NC 4.0 Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0

Fig. 2 Infographic Evolution of temperature between 1972 and 2025
Analysis and Production: Sandor A. Gerendas-Kiss/Aíxa Chacín
Original graphic source: Berkeley Earth. Berekeleyearth.org. Details fig. 1

On the graph we have highlighted the four climatic milestones, the backbone of the fight against global warming and its consequence, climate change:
Stockholm 1972 (Stockholm Declaration). Rio 1992 (Six fundamental climate documents). COP3, Kyoto 1997 (Kyoto Protocol) and COP21, Paris 2015 (Paris Agreement).

This answers the question. Follow these conferences in detail in the Brief history of the COPs

The 4 main summits on Earth have not been able to stop global warming

Where are we going?
Should we reform the COPs or look for other mechanisms?…

There is not much time left to make decisions, so it is urgent to find new methods and new solutions. The UN is the only organization capable of bringing together almost 200 nations of the world, so it remains the one called upon to initiate reforms and find new mechanisms to stabilize the temperature of the planet. None of this can wait.

Al Gore calls for reform of COP climate process

The four climatic milestones

The 1972 Stockholm Conference failed because world leaders did not heed or did not believe the messages.

Stockholm 1972, also known as the Conference on the Human Environment.
Between 5 and 16 June 1972, the “First Earth Summit” was held jointly with the UN at the initiative of Sweden.
The current situation of the planet bears little resemblance to what was projected in the Swedish capital half a century ago.

The idealistic proclamations of the First Earth Summit have not come close to being fulfilled
The Conference produced the “Stockholm Declaration”, which consists of two sets of articles containing 7 proclamations and 26 principles, aimed at normalizing human relations with the environment. The document has been compared to the “Declaration of Human Rights”, and has been defined as a response to “the need for common criteria and principles that offer the peoples of the world inspiration and guidance in preserving and improving the human environment”.

At the 1992 Rio Summit,
development policies for the 21st century were established

The Rio Declaration was a fundamental meeting, which produced the 27 universal principles that laid the foundations for addressing the multiple threats to life in the 21st century.

The following fundamental documents were established in Rio, all of which are still in force today:

  1. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
  2. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Its objectives include the need to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
  3. The creation of the COP, the Conference of the Parties, as the supreme body of the UNFCCC.
  4. The Declaration of Principles on Forests.
  5. The Convention on the Fight against Desertification.
  6. The Convention on Biological Diversity.
  7. Agenda 21. Global Action Plan to Promote Sustainable Development.

Learn here in Summary and conclusions of the Rio Summit, Second Earth Summit, the bases of these fundamental principles of our relationship with the environment.

The failure of the Kyoto Protocol 1997

We have let the best climate agreement, the only one with binding character, go to waste.
The spirit in which the Kyoto Protocol was drafted represented a commitment to reverse the damage that humans had done to the Earth, beginning to make up for lost time on the threshold of the new millennium.

The Kyoto Protocol was seen as one of the most important and hopeful documents for humanity to regulate anthropogenic activities, capable of restoring the global environment. However, the momentous Protocol had to follow a tortuous path that culminated in its collapse within twelve years. Who overthrew it? What was its content?
Learn all about the Protocol in the Brief History of the COPs and in From Kyoto to Paris, a story of two climateagreements.

The Paris Agreement 2015
Will it have the same ending as Stockholm 1972 and Kyoto 1997?

It’s hard to say
If we stick to the fact that we are on track to reach the 1.5°C target, 75 years ahead of schedule, the Paris Agreement is of course on the wrong track. It could end up like its predecessors Stockholm and Kyoto, unless fossil fuels are replaced by renewable energy.

Find out what the three main obstacles to climate ambition are. In The Paris Agreement and the difficulty of the ambition concept we explain why climate ambition is the fundamental guideline of the Paris Agreement to achieve the goal of limiting global temperature to 2°C, based on the year 1750, then adjusted to 1.5°C in 2018. Find out what the three main obstacles to climate ambition are.

Is the Paris Agreement in danger?

Believe it or not, the goal of +1.5°C by 2100 was already achieved in 2024. At various times during the year, the average global temperature reached +1.5°C.

The backbone of the Paris Agreement is to maintain the planet’s temperature by the end of the century in >>>>

+1.5°C 

The UN Secretary General reported that during this year of 2024 the temperature had reached +1.5°C at several times, as expected for 2100. Antonio Guterres also said that thermometers could reach +2.8° C by the end of the century.

+2.8°C

The Paris agreement could evaporate if polluting emissions increase by 16% in 2030… Despite an international trend towards commitment to reduce greenhouse gases, this is far below what is necessary, to the point that the planet is still on track to warm above what was predicted in the Paris Agreement. The Paris agreement could evaporate if polluting emissions increase by 16% in 2030… Despite an international trend towards commitment to reduce greenhouse gases, this is far below what is necessary, to the point that the planet is still on track to warm above what was predicted in the Paris Agreement. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General.

What would it mean if the temperature rose +3°C by 2100?

If the temperature were to rise by +3°C by 2100, the planet would face a series of catastrophic consequences, including:
Mega forest fires. Major floods. Unprecedented droughts. Desertification of large areas of the planet. Decline of jungles and forests. Extinction of species. Food insecurity. Rising sea and ocean levels, mass migrations, increased frequency and intensity of rainfall and an economic collapse.

As a contribution from SGK-PLANET, we invite you to read the National Geographic article What is the big deal about Earth getting 2°C hotter?

Could COP29 be the last COP?

This is what is called a trick question, because we know in advance that the answer is negative, but we ask it to raise awareness among readers about the poor performance of the COP. It will probably take place, but it is also likely that the temperature will continue its unstoppable rise according to the already usual trend of the graph…

COP30 is scheduled for late 2025 in Belem, Brazil, and will probably take place, but temperatures are also likely to continue their unstoppable rise, according to the already familiar trend on the graph. One would expect the COP to undergo a thorough review appropriate to current circumstances, with a view to avoiding a major climate crisis in the near future.

The oil festival

The oil age began in the 1800s with the advancement of drilling techniques and internal combustion engines.

Stored for millions of years, oil was essential to building an economic model with the highest levels of development known until then, but which today is proving unsustainable due to its contribution to global warming.
BBVA. 06 Oct 2024

We invite our readers to continue with the article Petróleo: origen, historia e impacto en el medioambiente (Google translate)

Evolution of PPM, parts per million of CO2, in the atmosphere

PPM-CO2 the carbon letters that write our future

Most humans are unaware of this important and serious issue, such as the rapid growth of PPM and the repercussions it has on global warming, droughts and forest fires.

How much PPM of CO2 into space?

Vehicle traffic using fossil fuels is one of the main causes of air pollution, global warming and climate change.

When we talk about global warming, climate change or the greenhouse effect, we are referring to current phenomena, caused by anthropogenic factors, that is, changes related to human activities. Continue with more on global warming of the planet in the

Magazine all about Global Warming

Why, after 63 climate meetings, does the upward trend of global warming seem unstoppable for now?

We have had since 1972

  • 2 Earth Summits
  • 29 COP Climate Change Conferences
  • 16 COP Biodiversity Conferences
  • 16 COP Desertification Conferences

Why have we not been able to stop global warming?

Has a new fossil fuel age dawned?

If you look at the news, almost daily you will find references to discoveries of new deposits, increased reserves in known deposits, and even in areas that were not believed to be oil or gas producing.

Criticism of global climate management in the last half century

About Human Activity on Earth between 1972-2022

La situación del planeta, luego de la Conferencia de Estocolmo 1972, poco se parece a lo que en la capital Sueca se proyectó para el futuro de la Tierra hace 50 años.

For this reason, we thought it appropriate to contrast those idealistic principles, proclamations and thoughts that emanated from the First Earth Summit with the reality we have today.For this reason, we thought it appropriate to contrast those idealistic principles, proclamations and thoughts that emanated from the First Earth Summit with the reality we have today.

Learn more here about our constructive criticism, without leaving out the positive facts.