Climate change unavoidable?
This morning’s BBC article Curbing climate change ‘unlikely’ has a rather disturbing message.
A major scientific report, published by the government, states that current levels of pollution is causing irreversable damage, and it is too late to prevent major climate change.
The report’s foreword was written by PM Tony Blair:
It is clear from the work presented that the risks of climate change may well be greater than we thought.
It is now plain that the emission of greenhouse gases, associated with industrialisation and economic growth from a world population that has increased six-fold in 200 years, is causing global warming at a rate that is unsustainable.
The EU’s target of preventing global temperature increase of any more than 2 degrees has been brought under fire as simply not enough. Just 2°C is enough to cause
- Decreasing crop yields in the developing and developed world
- Tripling of poor harvests in Europe and Russia
- Large-scale displacement of people in north Africa from desertification
- Up to 2.8bn people at risk of water shortage
- 97% loss of coral reefs
- Total loss of summer Arctic sea ice causing extinction of the polar bear and the walrus
- Spread of malaria in Africa and north America.
It is hoped that emissions reduction schemes, such as carbon trading and sustainable energy, can help encourage more eco-friendly attitudes amongst both big business and the general public.