The Greatest Threat to Life On Earth…
Monday 08 January 07
Global Climate Change is the single biggest threat to the planet and will affect everyone on Earth.
Climate Change or Global warming is caused by increased levels of Carbon Dioxide and other Greenhouse Gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.
The gases trap heat by forming a blanket around the Earth - like the glass of a greenhouse. Once released the greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere for many years. As they build up, the planet's temperature rises.
The gases are created by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas for energy and cutting down forests that absorb some of these gases. Globally the biggest source of Greenhouse Gases is electricity generation which makes up one third of all emissions.
Each large coal fired electricity plant typically emits 5.6 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide a year.
A typical elephant weighs 3 tonnes.
Every household in the UK creates more than 6 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide a year – that is the equivalent of 2 million elephants!
At the end of October the UK Government published a report on Climate Change called The Economics of Change, otherwise known as The Stern Report as it was written by Sir Nicholas Stern, a former chief economist at the World Bank. This report was said to be “The most important report on the future,” by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
ONE OF NINE SOLAR POWER STATIONS REPLACING DIESEL GENERATORS ON SAGUR ISLAND, WEST BENGAL. LOW CARBON TECHNOLOGIES ALLOW THIS FAMILY AND A NEW GENERATION OF LOCAL PEOPLE TO MISS OUT ON THE POLLUTION OF 20TH CENTURY TECHNOLOGY AND ITS RELATED HEALTH IMPACTS. (www.northsoutheastwest.org)
The Stern Report claims that Climate Change could shrink global economies by 20% costing billions of pounds. That World temperatures are likely to rise by 2°C by 2050, or sooner, and could rise by 5?C, this could mean up to 200 million people will become refugees through flooding or drought – 4 million km² of land, home to one twentieth of the worlds population is threatened by floods from melting glaciers. It could also mean up to 40% of the World’s species would be threatened by extinction.
It is the rich countries in the Western World that have caused Global Warming but it is the poorer ‘third world’ countries that will suffer. 200 million more people could be exposed to hunger if world temperatures rise by just 2°C – 550 million could be faced with hunger if temperatures rise by 3°C and 4 billion people could suffer from water shortages if temperatures rise by 2°C.
So what can be done?
The Stern Report advises that Governments must use tax and strict regulation to reduce Carbon emissions and that they must at least double research into low Carbon technology. Environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth have been campaigning in their “Big Ask,” project for the Prime Minister to include a Climate Change Bill in the Queen's Speech.
This project was successful and on the 15th of November at the opening of parliament it was announced in the Queen’s Speech (which outlines the governments plans for the year) that there will be a Climate Change Bill introduced. This means that eventually there will be a law forcing everyone to reduce the amount of Carbon they emit and save energy. The only worry now is that the Bill will not go far enough, fast enough. To make any real impact it is thought by many environmentalists an annual Carbon budget is needed, not just a 5 year Carbon budget as suggested by the Government.
Everyone can do their own bit to help save Carbon. Just by turning things like the TV, stereo or DVD player off instead of leaving them on standby can save energy. The average house has approximately a dozen appliances on standby at any one time – if these are turned properly off up to half a million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide is saved, without even trying.
To find out more about Climate Change and to do your bit to save the World from complete disaster log on to:
www.foe.co.uk
www.northeastsouthwest.org
