Climate Change Report: Human Generated Warming Already Having Impacts
A report, by the UN Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change, titled, "Climate Change 2007: Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability ," warns that human-generated warming is already making oceans more acidic and parched regions even drier and the risk of massive floods will increase significantly along the coasts because of rising seas and more intense storms.
An international global warming conference approved the report on Friday. The final report is reported to be the clearest and most comprehensive scientific statement to date on the impact of global warming mainly caused by man-induced carbon dioxide pollution. All continents and most oceans show that many natural systems are being affected by regional climate changes, particularly temperature increases.
Some Key findings of the report include:
- 75-250 million people across Africa could face water shortages by 2020
- Globally, the potential for food production is projected to increase with increases in local average temperature over a range of 1-3°C, but above this it is projected to decrease.
- Crop yields increase could increase by 20% in East and Southeast Asia, but decrease by up to 30% in Central and South Asia
- Agriculture fed by rainfall could drop by 50% in some African countries by 2020
- 20-30% of all plant and animal species at increased risk of extinction if temperatures rise between 1.5-2.5C
- Glaciers and snow cover expected to decline, reducing water availability in countries supplied by melt water
- The world will face heightened threats of flooding, severe storms and the erosion of coastlines.
- Coasts are projected to be exposed to increasing risks, due to climate change causing sea-level rise; the effect will be exacerbated by increasing human-induced pressures on coastal areas.
Posts
