| |
 |
Tuesday, January 31, 2006 |
DEFRA: "The Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change book gives an account of the most recent developments on critical thresholds and key vulnerabilities of the climate system, impacts on human and natural systems, emission pathways and technological options of meeting different stabilisation levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere."
"A number of critical temperature levels and rates of change relative to pre-industrial times were noted. These vary for the globe, specific regions and sensitive ecosystems. For example, a regional increase above present levels of 2.7°C may be a threshold that triggers melting of the Greenland ice-cap, while an increase in global temperatures of about 1°C is likely to lead to extensive coral bleaching. In general, surveys of the literature suggest increasing damage if the
globe warms about 1 to 3°C above current levels. Serious risk of large scale, irreversible system disruption, such as reversal of the land carbon sink and possible destabilisation of the Antarctic ice sheets is more likely above 3°C. Such levels are well within the range of climate change projections for the century.
The IEA World Energy Outlook 2004 predicts that CO2 emissions will increase by 63% over 2002 levels by 2030.
Globalisation and market forces will drive the developing countries to follow the same pattern practiced by the developed countries."
12:26:48 PM 
|
|
© Copyright 2006 Hetty Litjens.
|
|
|
|
|
