News & Politics - Britain calls for urgent climate change action

Lexis · 10-30-2006, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Britain issued a call for urgent action on climate change on Monday after a hard-hitting report painted an apocalyptic picture of the economic and environmental fallout from further global warming.

The report said failing to tackle climate change could push world temperatures up by 5 degrees Celsius (9 Fahrenheit) over the next century, causing severe floods and harsh droughts and potentially uprooting as many as 200 million people.

But the author, former
World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern, said if action is taken now the benefits of determined worldwide steps to tackle global warming will massively outweigh the economic and human costs.

"The Stern review has done a crucial job. It has demolished the last remaining argument for inaction in the face of climate change," British Prime Minister
Tony Blair said at the launch of the report.

"We know now urgent action will prevent catastrophe and investment in preventing it now will pay us back many times."

Britain is pushing for a post-Kyoto framework that would include the United States -- the world's biggest producer of greenhouse gases that cause climate change -- as well as major developing countries such as China and India.

President George W. Bush pulled the United States out of the Kyoto Protocol -- which obliges 35 rich nations to cut carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels in power plants, factories and cars -- in part because he said it hit jobs.

Stern's report estimates that stabilising greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will cost about 1 percent of annual global output by 2050. Inaction, however, could cut global consumption per person by between 5 and 20 percent.

...

Sharing a platform with Blair and Stern, Brown proposed a new
European Union target for emissions reductions of 30 percent by 2020 and 60 percent by 2050 and expansion of an existing carbon trading scheme to cover more than half of emissions.

Brown wants the EU scheme, which sets overall limits for carbon emissions but then allows businesses to trade their quotas, to be linked with Australia, California, Japan, Norway and Switzerland so as to set a global carbon price that fixes a clear cost for pollution.

Brown said the government would underline its commitment to tackling climate change by launching a new bill to enshrine its goal of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent by 2050.

He also said former U.S. Vice President
Al Gore, who created a stir this year with his climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth, would become one of his environmental advisers.

Stern said that, on current trends, average global temperatures will rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius within the next 50 years or so, compared with temperatures in 1750-1850.

If emissions continued to grow, the earth could warm by several more degrees, with severe consequences. Poor countries would be worst hit as melting glaciers initially increase flood risk and then hurt water supplies, eventually threatening one sixth of the world's population.

http://www.fanforum.com/newthread.ph...ewthread&f=117

I watched An Inconvenient Truth (ironically) on a plane and it really made me think. I think its interesting that one of the arguments for doing something about this is the economic one.

Jacob1983 · 10-30-2006, 12:24 PM

I think the whole global warming idea is blown out of proportion. In my opinion, the only reason why Al Gore is making such a big deal about global warming is because he wants attention and personal gain. He doesn't really care about the climate. He just wants some notoriety and fame right now since he lost the presidential election in 2000.

Lexis · 10-30-2006, 01:10 PM

Except he has been environmentally aware for far longer than six years. He wrote a book on the topic 16 years ago.

Also:

Quote:

While a Representative, Gore co-sponsored hearings on toxic waste in 1978-79, and hearings on global warming in the 1980s.[20] While a senator working on his book Earth in the Balance, Gore had traveled around the world on numerous fact-finding missions. During Gore's tenure as Vice President, he was a proponent for environmental protection. On Earth Day 1994, Gore launched the worldwide GLOBE program, an innovative hands-on, school-based education and science activity that made extensive use of the Internet to increase student awareness of their environment and contribute research data for scientists.

Al Gore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

He's demonstrated consistent interest in this topic so I don't think your theory quite holds up.

**sum1** · 10-30-2006, 04:34 PM

I certainly have no trouble believing cynical self-interest on the part of Gore, that's always been my impression of him. But the environmental problems the world is facing are a serious business and shouldn't be dismissed.

ceilirose · 10-30-2006, 06:18 PM

Like Lexis said - Gore has been interested in the environment while he was still in office - even as a Senator. The problems with the environment are so huge and serious I can't see anyone making light of it.

Jacob1983 · 10-30-2006, 08:40 PM

But who really cares though? I mean we as human beings cannot control the weather and climate. It is out of our control. There are more important things in life than worrying about the climate and weather. I know I probably won't have to worry about it in my life time. Earth probably won't become a Waterworld type setting or a Day After Tomorrow setting in my life time, so I don't really care. I will probably be dead if it ever happens.

ceilirose · 10-30-2006, 10:24 PM

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Originally Posted by Jacob1983 (View Post)

But who really cares though? I mean we as human beings cannot control the weather and climate.

We may be able to control things that could ultimately affect the climate.

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There are more important things in life than worrying about the climate and weather.

Like what? Lower taxes and making sure gays don't get married? Protecting natural resources is an important objective. EVeryone needs water, everyone needs fresh air.

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I know I probably won't have to worry about it in my life time. Earth probably won't become a Waterworld type setting or a Day After Tomorrow setting in my life time, so I don't really care. I will probably be dead if it ever happens.

If you ever have children and they have children they may have to pay for what we've done to the earth. Do you think you should worry about that?

**sum1** · 10-31-2006, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceilirose (View Post)

Like Lexis said - Gore has been interested in the environment while he was still in office - even as a Senator.

Doesn't mean there isn't self-interest involved.

Lexis · 10-31-2006, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob1983 (View Post)

But who really cares though? I mean we as human beings cannot control the weather and climate. It is out of our control. There are more important things in life than worrying about the climate and weather. I know I probably won't have to worry about it in my life time. Earth probably won't become a Waterworld type setting or a Day After Tomorrow setting in my life time, so I don't really care. I will probably be dead if it ever happens.

I care about it as do millions of people. I am of the opinion that you don't do things purely for your own self interest all the time.

So maybe I might be dead when things go to hell in a handbasket - but I don't want those who come after to me to suffer for my mistakes.

Furthermore, the Stern report does seem to be saying we can do stuff to ease the damage we are doing. I think our planet is beautiful and I don't want us to be responsible for destroying it.

goodnightboy · 10-31-2006, 04:51 AM

The first thought that went through my mind on reading the title was Aah, Thom [Yorke, of Radiohead] should be happy!

Seriously though. It's definitely a step we have to take and it is disappointing that the US still refuses to do more in the area of climate change. It's a global problem that needs the responsible action of the entire international community, not just Britian. Still, it's a commendable first step.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob1983 (View Post)

But who really cares though? I mean we as human beings cannot control the weather and climate. It is out of our control. There are more important things in life than worrying about the climate and weather. I know I probably won't have to worry about it in my life time. Earth probably won't become a Waterworld type setting or a Day After Tomorrow setting in my life time, so I don't really care. I will probably be dead if it ever happens.

Lexis and ceilirose have covered pretty much what I'd say so I'll just say this: Humans have always been destroying things, and I don't want Earth to be one of them. It's our home. I want my children to be able to live in it.

chicah · 10-31-2006, 07:57 AM

I actually get scared when I'm reading that some of you just blow off the climate changes as nothing to worry about. With the direction the world is heading, it'll be too late to stop it in ten years. You say Al Gore was selfish and just made it up, but the truth is that the western world is so selfish that as long as they can make money of it, they don't really care who's dying or not or if the world will overheat after they're gone (or maybe even when they're still here). We only have one Earth and we have to take care of it. I don't doubt that the real truth as to the world "going under" will be caused by us human beings. We have to realize how important this is or it could be the end of all life. I'm dead serious.

Jacob1983 · 10-31-2006, 04:51 PM

I'm just saying that people have more important things to worry about than trying to fix and save the environment. People have jobs, lives, families, school, and children to worry about. I'm not saying that global warming is made up. I just believe that it is exaggerated and blown out of proportion. If it was really such a big problem then why aren't living in a Day After Tomorrow environment or even a Waterwold environment? My main question is if global warming is such a big problem then why aren't we living in boats and on rafts?
The ice caps are probably melting but my guess is that it will take hundreds of years for them to melt completely.

I just find it funny that people are just now starting to worry about running out of oil and water. Did people really think that those natural resources would last forever?

People especially Americans love oil. Oil is something that we heavily depend on.

rose parade · 10-31-2006, 06:39 PM

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Originally Posted by Jacob1983 (View Post)

I'm just saying that people have more important things to worry about than trying to fix and save the environment.

That's your opinion Jacob, surely you're not basing your opinion as fact? I care very much about the environment and trying to fix and save it.

Alyssac · 10-31-2006, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacob1983 (View Post)

I'm just saying that people have more important things to worry about than trying to fix and save the environment. People have jobs, lives, families, school, and children to worry about. I'm not saying that global warming is made up. I just believe that it is exaggerated and blown out of proportion. If it was really such a big problem then why aren't living in a Day After Tomorrow environment or even a Waterwold environment? My main question is if global warming is such a big problem then why aren't we living in boats and on rafts?
The ice caps are probably melting but my guess is that it will take hundreds of years for them to melt completely.

I just find it funny that people are just now starting to worry about running out of oil and water. Did people really think that those natural resources would last forever?

People especially Americans love oil. Oil is something that we heavily depend on.

What, so now you're going to let your children and your grandchildren face the catastrophic events of global warming after you're dead?

How nice of you.

chicah · 11-01-2006, 07:29 AM

Jacob1983: No, it won't take hundred of years. It will happen within a short amount of time. And the scary thing about global warming, is that you don't realize when it's too late because everything doesn't happen at once. The atmosphere is overheating but we don't notice it that much (except a warmer and more unpredictable climate all over). But in ten years we can't stop it. It has been stated over and over again. If we don't do anything within the next ten years, we can try as much as we want after that but then there's a very tiny chance that the world won't overheat. Bush is saying it's not a big deal so he can keep on ruining the earth and profiting from it. But it IS a big deal...! And if you think having children is more important than giving them an earth to live on, think again.


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