| Climate Change | | Print | |
 As ecological systems are strongly affected by temperature, global
warming is causing a change in Climate: every year seems to be the
warmest on record and weather is becoming more unstable and extreme,
rainfall patterns uneven and damaging to crops & infrastructure,
water scarce while animals and vegetation struggle, and are often
unable, to adapt.
According to a study by the Global Carbon Project (GCP), published in the November 10 New Scientist, greenhouse gas emissions grew by 0.8% between 1990 and 1999 and by 3.2% between 2000 and 2005. Sir David King, the British government's chief scientific adviser, said that carbon concentrations of 450-550 ppm would result in average global temperature increases of between 2.2-3.5°C. " Further global warming of 1 °C defines a critical threshold, beyond that we will likely see changes that make Earth a different planet than the one we know" Jim Hansen NASA's Goddart Institute for Space Studies In other words, continuing with business as usual will make it extremely difficult to stabilise carbon emissions to the atmospheric CO2 concentration at 450 parts per million, the recommended target to prevent catastrophic climate change. The EU Council,in 2004, already acknowledged that to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system overall global temperature increase should not exceed 2 °C above pre-industrial levels: in other words, a global warming greater than 2 °C will probably trigger irreversible damage to the Earth's life supporting systems. UK White Paper & The Australian Climate Group both recommend a 60% emissions reductions by 2050 to avert dangerous climate change while California is already aiming at 80% emissions reductions by 2050. |