Why does just 1.5C° of heating make such a significant difference on Earth’s climate and environment?
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That’s the *average* across the *whole* planet, which means in some places it will be higher than that, and in some places it might be lower than that. But if we’re talking about things like massive formations of ice, you don’t need to raise the temperature too high to accelerate the process of melting.
And life on earth has adapted to a certain range of temperatures. As the temperature changes, the environment changes, things (animals and plants alike) start to move to what is familiar and comfortable and eventually that might not be an option.
Also there are many other processes going on behind the scenes, not just temperature raising. For example, as more carbon dioxide is released and absorbed into the ocean, the water in the ocean becomes more acidic, and that can wreak havoc on the wildlife there, which can cause a ton of problems for the things on land.
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