climate change facts

Introduction

Global warming is the biggest challenge that mankind has ever faced. It's caused by the build up of greenhouse gasses (primarily CO2) in the atmosphere, which predominantly stems from the human activity of burning of fossil fuels.

While there are some 'green' methods of producing energy, the majority of our electricity requirements are generated by burning coal and gas.

The current global annual carbon emissions total stands at 26.5bn tonnes.

Almost everyone now knows that this excessive emission of CO2 is having catastrophic effects on the world's ecological systems and that this will definitely worsen unless drastic measures are taken.

Unless checked, within 50 years, sea levels in some areas, may have risen by as much as 6 meters (IPCC).

Al Gore, in his documentary "An inconvenient Truth" looks at this on a global scale (see www.climatecrisis.net).

We have finally woken up to the climate crisis. Regulations are now being applied to reduce carbon emissions on a corporate level by applying a market led 'stock market' trading approach. The Chicago Climate Exchange and the European Climate Exchange have taken a lead in this.

However this is not enough, and for the UK to reduce its emissions by 90% in the next 13 years a great level of personal responsibility and action is needed.

What are the effects of global warming?

When presented in this way they do look quite extreme. But we can slow these effects down.

• The 1990s was the warmest decade on record.
• The Earth is warming faster than at any time in the past 10,000 years.
• The burning of coal, oil and gas has increased the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by 30% over natural levels.
• By 2100 the world could be 6° - 10°C warmer on average if we don't act now.
• The summer of 2003 was Europe's hottest for 500 years and caused 28,000 premature deaths across the continent.
• Some of Europe's capitals have warmed 2°C in the last 30 years.
• London's average maximum summer temperature increased the most.

(Sources: International Panel on Climate Change, Oxford University, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Carbon Coach.)

What are the Impacts of Global Warming?

• 150,000 people die every year from climate change.
• Since January 2007, 13 of the last 14 flash appeals to mitigate humanitarian disasters in Africa are directly attributable to climate change.
• The area of the world stricken by drought has doubled between 1970 and 2000.
• The economic costs of global warming are doubling every decade.
• Up to a third of land-based species could face extinction by the middle of the century.
• 100 million more people will be flooded by end of century.
• Water availability could decline - Over 3 billion people in the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent could be facing acute shortages of water.
• 30 million more people may starve by 2050.
• There has been a 40% drop in the amount of arctic ice since the 1970s.
• The whole Siberian sub-Arctic region has started to thaw.

(Sources: World Health Organisation, Greepeace, Oxfam, UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Hadley Centre for Climate Research)

This has been widely and universally recognised

• "Climate change is a far greater threat to the world than international terrorism" - Sir David King, UK Government's chief scientific adviser.
• "Climate change is the single biggest long-term problem we face. The evidence is overwhelming" - Tony Blair.
• "The warming process might be unstable and run away. We could end up like Venus, surface temperature of 400 degrees. We need action now to reduce emission of carbon dioxide"- Professor. Stephen Hawking.

Pretty serious stuff, but we can make a difference, if we act. Now.