Acting On Climate Change

2009 has seen the first real progress in the fight against climate change since well… ever. But are we doing enough? Are we realistically going to prevent dangerous global warming without making and major sacrifices or changes to our everyday lives?

At the recent G8 summit in Italy, the Leaders of the worlds 8 biggest powers formally agreed that the world should not allow global temperatures to increase more than 2°C above Pre-industrial levels; aiming to cut global emissions of greenhouse gasses by 50% by 2050. This level has been deemed a relatively safe increase of temperature and its effect on climate change, with a 2-4°C rise predicted dangerous, and 4+ deemed irreversible climate change.

The G8 also backed plans to help fund poorer developing countries develop cleaner technologies. The shipping industry is also meeting to see if it can agree on a way of cutting emissions. We recently reported that the worlds 15 biggest ships are responsible for emitting the same amount of greenhouse gasses as the worlds 760 Million Cars.

Will that be enough? Few Climate Scientists believe it is even possible to keep global temperature rise under 2°C. “An overshoot is inevitable. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations are already at levels predicted to lead to global warming of between 2.0 °C and 2.4 °C.” Concluded a recent climate science summit in Copenhagen Denmark.

Here is a snippet from a recent article in New-Scientist:

“Global average temperatures so far have risen by only about 0.8 °C but there are two reasons why warming three times as great seems inevitable. First, there is a time lag of several decades between when greenhouse gas levels rise and when temperatures follow. The lag means there is another 0.6 °C of inevitable warming in the pipeline.”

“Second, the planet is currently being cooled by about 0.5 °C by aerosols of other man-made air pollutants, such as fine soot and sulphates, which shield the planet from solar energy. This effect should decline in coming decades as countries, particularly in Asia, clean up their air to improve health. Add it all up and we’re close to 2 °C above Pre-industrial times.”

The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Climate Change told the WEF that to only an 80% cut in global emissions by 2050 would leave an 80% chance of the temperature increase below 2°C.

“If we want to limit temperature increase to no more than 2 °C to 2.4 °C, we have to peak global emissions no later than 2015. We have six years to bring about a major change in the way we have been doing business all over the world,” says Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The G8 did not explain how they would achieve the 50% cut in global emissions, nor did they give any level to measure the cut from. They did not offer a date after which global emissions will begin declining, and no targets for industrialised nations to reach by 2020. The latter failure to set near future targets resulted in China and India refusing to endorse the 2050 target. “The policies that [the G8] have stated so far are not enough. We must work according to the science. This is a political and moral imperative and a historic responsibility.” Claims a frustrated UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon.

There are a few seeds sprouting for a greener future, as the smarter businesses are beginning to adopt greener strategies and technologies predicting a forced shift of the coming decades. When will the world leaders get smart on the threat of climate change? Unpopular decisions are inevitable, but climate change is not. Well not yet anyway…