We must be prepared for situations that previous generations were not confronted with, however, the negative effects of the climate crisis will be felt especially by the future generations of today's young people, climatologist Pavel Matejovič told the TASR press agency in response to the publication of the latest report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It states that if carbon dioxide production was theoretically reduced to zero, the first positive effects would be felt in 20 years. However, according to Matejovič, such a development is unrealistic. "In the last two million years, there has not been as much carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere as there is today," said the climatologist, explaining that the intensified greenhouse effect of the atmosphere increases the likelihood of various extreme weather events, such as heavy storms, torrential rains, droughts, heat waves and tornadoes. Matejovič noted that Slovakia is confronted with extreme weather too. For example, the country has experienced two tornadoes this year.
According to the IPCC report, the average global temperature may increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030, ten years earlier than previously predicted. According to experts, data shows that warming has accelerated even more in recent years. It concludes that global warming is already accelerating the rise of sea levels, melting glaciers and exacerbating extreme weather such as heat waves, droughts, floods and storms. Tropical cyclones are growing stronger, according to the IPCC report, while Arctic sea ice and permafrost are melting. All these trends will worsen in the coming years.
