As discussed in an earlier thread, a good quick pitch is important and hard to write.
Here's my best effort, distilled from the feedback in the earlier thread.
The Earth has an invisible secret: we are covered with a very effective, very warming blanket. This blanket is our atmosphere, and it contains a crucial ingredient; thin heat-trapping gases. These so-called “greenhouse” gases are dilute; just 1 part per thousand. Without this insulation warming us the Earth would average a chilly -18 °C. The blanket warms our planet up by an amazing 33 °C.
Here’s the problem: we are steadily making the blanket much thicker. Compared to a century ago, our air now contains over twice (~110% more) the insulating gases. With steadily increasing insulation over us, the Earth is inevitably heating up, and at an increasing pace.
Luckily, the added blanket or two won't double-up the heating by another 33 °C: we'd all be pretty sunk if the Earth were heading for average temperatures above +40 °C. With blankets one naturally gets diminishing returns; the first one gives the most warming, the second one, not so much. Climate scientists have carefully measured, calculated and checked, but blankets, even earth-sized ones, are basically simple. With the gasses added to date they can’t see how Earth can avoid warming by at least 2 - 3 °C. Worse, when we hit blanket number 3 (or 4) Earth's average warming will inevitably pass 6 °C.
So warming is going to and is happening. The only real questions are: how long will it take, and what will the peak be?
So far so simple. Now, how do I get this out to people that can make use of it? E.g. Peter Sinclair
