Climate change is already affecting the global economy and is likely to become irreversible without rapid action to limit fossil fuel emissions, a draft of a major new U.N. study reportedly has warned. A 127-page final draft of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report sent to governments Monday warned the effects of global warming already are felt across all the continents and oceans and further emissions will increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems. According to the report, which follows a series of comprehensive reports from the IPCC in the past year on climate science and impacts, temperatures already have increased by 0.85 degrees Celsius since 1880, a more rapid shift in the climate than that which heralded the end of the last ice age about 10,000 years ago. The draft paper holds out little hope that countries will be able to limit global warming to the agreed goal of 2 degrees Celsius, with temperatures likely to rise by almost 4 degrees by the end of the century if the world continues to pump out emissions at the current rate.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 14:48:10 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015