Stark warning over climate change

[RHfactor]

The Earth is likely to experience a temperature rise of at least 3C, the UK government's chief scientist says.
Professor Sir David King warned this would happen because world governments were failing to agree on cutting emissions of greenhouse gases.

He told the BBC that nations had to act now to tackle the warming expected to happen over the next 100 years.

And he said even if a global agreement could be reached on limiting emissions, climate change was inevitable.

The UK government and the EU want to try to stabilise the climate at an increase of no more than 2C, but the US refuses to cut emissions and those of India and China are rising quickly.

A recent report called Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change, produced by the Hadley Centre, one of the top world centres for projecting future climate, modelled the likely effects of a 3C rise.

It warned the situation could wreck half the world's wildlife reserves, destroy major forest systems, and put 400 million more people at risk of hunger.

Professor King told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "We don't have to succumb to a state of despondency where we say that there is nothing we can do so let's just carry on living as per usual.
"It is very important to understand that we can manage the risks to our population.

"What we are talking about here is something that will play through over decades - we are talking 100 years or so.

"We need to begin that process of investment."

He said it would be a major challenge for developing countries, in particular.

The Hadley forecasts hinge on stabilising the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) at a level of 550 parts per million in the atmosphere. Professor King said this was the figure Prime Minister Tony Blair wanted world leaders to agree on.

He admitted politicians were taking a big risk to push CO2 levels as high as 550ppm. This figure is almost double the pre-industrial level of two centuries ago.

But he said the UK government believed 550ppm was the lowest figure achievable worldwide as developing countries continued to increase their emissions, and the US refused to cut its CO2.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has criticised Professor King for accepting global temperatures could rise above 2C.

And Friends of the Earth director, Tony Juniper, said: "It is technologically possible to significantly reduce our emissions and deliver 2C - Professor King should be pressing for government polices to deliver on this rather than accepting the current lack of political will and talking of three degrees as an inevitability."

So far, the US, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has been unwilling to debate a CO2 threshold.

President Bush's chief climate adviser, James Connaughton, said he did not believe anyone could forecast a safe level and cutting greenhouse gas emissions could harm the world economy.

Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2006/04/14 15:03:54 GMT

[Country]

I feel the climate change has to do with the polar shift that is now occurring on this planet. It is going from South to original North. This could cause the climate to change, as well as the earth's core.

With all the building of cities and the use of concrete, this could make it alot warmer, without trees and shrubs and the like around them. People are building homes in the country and deciding to get rid of the trees around them. Modern day society is afraid of the country, so fewer trees and the wildlife in the country are being affected. If they can't live in the country, why do so, learn to live in Nature, which God provided us to find comfort in, when the world becomes insane. Fewer green spots can cause a climate shift in the United States.

That I learned in school, ages ago, and if this continues, the buildings and concrete will be affecting the earth in ways you can not even dream of. There was a area in Florida that was hit by lightning more then once, so the developers decided to redevelop the area and add green spaces and the people living around there, said that the area was not affected by the lightning as often.

Just think of what it is like on a hot day on the sidewalks and roads. You can't even walk on them with bare feet, for the temperature is hotter in those areas, like store parking lots, etc. They have to be setting in motion some kind of change to the earth around it. And when you walk on grass it is cool.

If we are not careful we will be the losers. Don't try to do something to Mother Nature, my science teacher told us many moons ago, that if we fool with Mother Nature, we will all perish, in a big way.

Don't let us all live in a bubble over the cities, because of your stupidity.

[Steve]

People are building homes in the country and deciding to get rid of the trees around them. Modern day society is afraid of the country, so fewer trees and the wildlife in the country are being affected.

If the first sentence is correct, how can the second sentence be. Otherwise I believe you are talking about the heat island effect that has been well documented.

[Country]

Steve, I just formed the sentence wrong, was tired after working a long day.

I meant that people who go into the country to build, they cut down trees and whatever, so that they can have well groomed yards, that take away the beauty of the country around them. They also want to rid themselves of Nature around them. A mistake, for they want the country like the city, with more concrete then Nature. They want to rid the country of animals for they don't want to learn to live with them. I was raised half my life on a farm, and it just irks me that they are so wimpy as to rid themselves of the beauty around them.

What I found out recently here in Wisconsin, that farms are having tours around Wisconsin, because people think they get their food from the supermarket. How unbelieveable stupid of them!

I'm glad I was able to see the country and I'm humbled by it, for it is part of my Norwegian roots.