Sir Brian Hoskins exclusively on : The climate will get warmer, we will see more extremes

Interview with Korina Georgiou

The past eight years have been the hottest ever recorded on the planet, and scientists are predicting an even warmer 2023. According to the European Copernicus Agency, Europe recorded its hottest summer in 2022 and the second hottest year on record.

So what future awaits us? The answer is provided by the long-time president of the British Meteorological Society and distinguished climatologist Sir Brian Hoskins.

Speaking exclusively to SKAI and Korina Georgiou, he emphasizes that entire islands in the tropical zone are at risk of disappearing due to the rise of the sea level and warns of even more extreme weather events and winters with temperatures up to 12 degrees higher.

Read the interview in detail:

SIR BRIAN HOSKINS – Dir. Grantham Institute for Climate Change – Imperial College
The future ahead of us depends on what we do. The climate will become warmer, we will see more extreme weather events, but how extreme and how hot the conditions will be depends on what we do. It is in our hand.

Things will get a little worse than they are now, but they could get much worse or even extremely unfavorable depending on what we do. If we move to a future where we don’t have this problem, then winter in Northern Europe could be 12 degrees Celsius warmer by the end of the century.

Question: You have expressed surprise and concern at the record temperatures and floods we have seen in many parts of the world with only 1.2 degrees of global warming. What will happen if our planet exceeds 2 degrees Celsius which is what we are heading for now if we don’t take action?

SIR BRIAN HOSKINS
Warmer air can hold more water and this is indeed usually the case. So, if the temperature increases by six degrees, then the corresponding storm will have 50% more intensity. So we will see more floods and droughts. There will be large parts of the planet, Bangladesh, other parts in the tropical zone, where life is going to become almost impossible. If you are on an island in the Indian Ocean, where you live about half a meter above sea level, you have a problem. Because the sea level is going to rise and with any storm you will be flooded.

Question: The data shows that the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere has not been this high for about two million years according to Copernicus. What measures should be taken and what is the limit that should not be crossed, in order to have a sustainable future and a sustainable planet?

SIR BRIAN HOSKINS
First, we need to be more “economical” with the fuel we use. Therefore for every amount of energy we consume we should ask ourselves if we can consume less energy. If we get serious and cut (carbon) emissions immediately, as fast as we can, to near-zero levels by mid-century, we will be able to manage the crisis.

Photo source: Imperial College London

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