Environmentalist McKibben on the "terrifying math" of climate change

Bill McKibben is using math as a tool of persuasion in his fight against climate change.

The author, educator and environmentalist is in the Twin Cities for a stop on his Do the Math tour - an effort to raise awareness of climate change by presenting "terrifying math."

McKibben writes,

To grasp the seriousness of the climate crisis, you just need to do a little math. Fossil fuel corporations have 5 times more oil and coal and gas in known reserves than climate scientists think is safe to burn. We have to keep 80% of their fossil fuels underground to keep the earth in livable shape.Here are the three numbers you shouldn't forget:2 degrees-- Almost every government in the world has agreed that any warming above a 2°C (3.6°F) rise would be unsafe. We have already raised the temperature .8°C, and that has caused far more damage than most scientists expected. A third of summer sea ice in the Arctic is gone, the oceans are 30 percent more acidic, and since warm air holds more water vapor than cold, the climate dice are loaded for both devastating floods and drought.

McKibben's campaign includes an effort to get governments, schools and churches to drop their investments in big oil companies.

McKibben will also update us on the Doha Climate Change talks.

Leave a comment on our blog.

Gallery

Fullscreen SlideshowPrevious Slide

1 of 1

Next Slide