CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Alongside Earth, our planetary neighbourhood is changing, but it’s not for the better…

- Colin Stuart

It’s no secret that Earth is in trouble, and it’s largely our fault. Since the Industrial Revolution we have been pumping so much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that our planet is rapidly warming. The race is on to keep the rise under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), but it’s a target we’re predicted to miss. The consequences could be dire: rising sea levels, water shortages, increased migration and the possibility of more frequent wars as we battle each other for resources. Yet there is still time to turn things around. Public awareness of the issue has never been higher, and governments and individuals alike are slowly starting to wake up to their responsibilities – but will it all be too late?

Part of the trouble is that the climate of a planet is an incredibly complex system with a lot of moving parts. Throughout its history, Earth has warmed and cooled all on its own, alternating between ice ages and more temperate phases. How do we tease out our contribution from these ups and downs? According to Dr Nicholas Attree of the University of Stirling, we could do a lot worse than to look at our neighbours. “What we see on Earth is natural climate cycles, plus human influence,” he says. “Looking at the cycles of other planets means we can better understand our cycles and better understand our influence.”