Climate change explained
Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today.
Rising global temperatures, rising sea levels and increased frequency and intensity
of extreme weather will bring changes in weather patterns. The effects will
also be felt in the UK, therefore we must be prepared to act now in order to
adapt to climate change and to reduce the risk by contributing less to the causes.
The UK Climate Projections have been created to help the UK to plan for a changing
climate. The Projections contain information on observed and future climate
change, based on the latest scientific understanding.
In the latest generation of UK climate projections (UKCP09), released on 18
June 2009, the extent of likely climate change is severely illustrated. It shows
how the climate in UK may change during this century and confirms that we should
expect warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers with extreme weather
events such as storms, floods, droughts and a rise in sea levels.
We cannot see this as a distant problem as climate change is already happening.
Eleven of the twelve hottest years globally on record were in the last twelve
years and average global temperatures are already approaching one degree Celsius
higher than in the pre-industrial age.
UKCP09 underlines two key messages for the UK:
As first step, we have to start cutting our emissions, using the ready-to-go
technologies, then there is a chance to avoid the most catastrophic impacts
of climate change. We should regulate nearly half of the UK's greenhouse gas
emissions, playing a key role in helping the country achieve vital emissions
savings.
Secondly, it is essential for the UK to adapt to the changes in climate that
are already inevitable, ie. dealing with the future impacts of climate changes
such as,
* flooding
* water scarcity
* sea level rise.
Adapting to climate change is a core part of what UKCP09 broadly confirms,
that the approach to adaptation has to be sound. However as with all new science,
we have to examine if anything, needs to be changed.
* What we are doing to adapt to climate change
Lastly, the government is also responsible to put in place meaningful policies
to urgently reduce emissions and to act on them immediately.
We are the last generation that can stop this global catastrophe, and we need
everyone’s help.
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