Frequently Asked Questions About Climate Change
Q. Is climate change real? A. Yes
The evidence is in a report entitled "Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis". This was produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a highly reputable scientific body reporting to the UN and representing most of the world's developed and developing nations.
The report is built on a global scientific consensus, and states that:
Warming of the climate system is unequivocal
The warmth of the last half century is unusual in at least the previous 1,300 years.
The last time the polar regions were significantly warmer than present for an extended period was about 125,000 years ago.
Q. Is it caused by human activity? A. Yes
The IPCC report also stated that: "Global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750 and now far exceed pre-industrial values".
Q. Is a warmer climate something to look forward to? A. No
The prolonged torrential rain and flooding in the UK this year is not just unlucky weather. It is a result of climate change - specifically the failure of the mid-latitude jet stream to make its usual seasonal shift northwards, bringing with it high pressure and warm air from Africa. The failure of this high level air current to stick to its normal predictable pattern has led to a reverse pattern of low pressure and cold air sweeping down from the Arctic. The subsequent weather- related damage may have cost in excess of £2.5 billion.
Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, killing over 1,800 people. It was part of a pattern of an increasing intensity in tropical storms. As the oceans warm up, turbulence and water vapour in the air above increase - just like a kettle on the stove. More frequent and more violent storms are likely if the trend continues.
The Stern Review of The Economics of Climate Change (HM Treasury February 2007) reported that "Our actions now and over the coming decades could create risks of major disruption to economic and social activity, on a scale similar to those associated with the great wars and the economic depression of the first half of the 20th century. And it will be difficult or impossible to reverse these changes".
Q. Isn't climate change a very gradual process? A. No
The Stern Review has stated that "climate change is a serious global threat, and it demands an urgent global response".
The difficulty is that climate change has been steadily accelerating over the last couple of hundred years, in line with industrialisation and increased greenhouse gas emissions. We are quickly approaching the point of no return, and probably have less than thirty years to avert a global catastrophe.
The Stern review says, "If no action is taken to reduce emissions, the concentration of greenhouse gases could reach double its pre-industrial level as early as 2035. In the longer term, there would be more than a 50% chance that the temperature rise would exceed 5°C. This rise would be very dangerous indeed; it is equivalent to the change in average temperatures from the last ice age to today".
A temperature rise of 5 degrees may seem insignificant in the UK, where temperatures can go from below zero in winter to around thirty degrees on a hot summer's day. But at the global level, it will disrupt ocean and air currents, melt the polar ice caps, and cause untold damage through storms, forest fires, drought, famine and flood.
Q. Is this relevant to BTCV? A. Yes
BTCV's vision is a better environment where people are valued, included and involved. We believe in environmentally responsible citizenship, and believe that everyone has a part to play.
Global warming offers the prospect of a very much worse environment, caused by our own environmentally irresponsible behaviour. Global warming offers the prospect of a very much worse environment, caused by our own environmentally irresponsible behaviour.
BTCV has:
- Signed the Third Sector Declaration on Climate Change
- Set out a detailed Sustainable Development Action Plan
- Established a baseline measure of BTCV's carbon footprint.
Q. What can we do? A. Act Now
Stern says, "There is still time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, if we take strong action now".
As individuals, we must each take our own responsibility for getting better informed, and reducing our CO2 impact.
Through BTCV, we can commit to the organisation's Sustainable Development Action Plan, and show a lead in environmentally responsible corporate practice.
