News

Global warming creeps across the world at a speed of a quarter of a mile each year, according to a new study that highlights the problems that rising temperatures pose to plants and animals. Species that can tolerate only a narrow range of temperatures will need to move as quickly if they are to survive. Wildlife in lowland tropics, mangroves and desert areas are at greater risk than species in mountainous areas, the study suggests.
http://www.ciw.edu/news/climate_change_puts_ecosystems_run

Interesting article from the Economist magazine, spotted by Mike H.
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displayStory.cfm?sto...

In January 2009 the Government adopted a target to reduce UK aviation emissions back to 2005 levels in 2050 alongside its decision to support expansion of Heathrow airport. Together with deep cuts in other sectors, this would achieve the UK’s legislated economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) target to reduce emissions by 80% in 2050 relative to 1990 without the need to rely on purchase of credits in the global carbon market.

In this short guide, ippr’s expert climate change team set out in a clear and accessible way what might happen at Copenhagen, what might come after and the background to the negotiations. ippr climate change experts will be available for comment, briefing and interviews throughout the summit, both in Copenhagen and London.
http://www.ippr.org/members/download.asp?f=%2Fecomm%2Ffiles%2Fcopenhagen...

The report describes how the costs and benefits of global economic growth have been very unfairly distributed, with those on lowest incomes getting the fewest benefits and paying the highest costs. A wide range of examples of more positive approaches are given from the wide, practical experience of the agencies in the coalition. Altogether they paint a picture of more qualitative development that is not dependent on further global over-consumption by the already rich, in the hope that crumbs of poverty alleviation are perhaps passed to those at the bottom of the income pile.

Sea levels are likely to rise by about 1.4m (4ft 6in) globally by 2100 as polar ice melts, according to a major review of climate change in Antarctica.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8387137.stm
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/met/SCAR_ssg_ps/ACCE_25_Nov_2009.pdf

It is more than three years since the drafting of text was completed for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). In the meantime, many hundreds of papers have been published on a suite of topics related to human-induced climate change.
The purpose of this report is to synthesize the most policy-relevant climate science published since the close-off of material for the last IPCC report. The rationale is two-fold.

The world’s biggest corporations have highjacked the UN climate talks. That’s bad news for our future, argues Oscar Reyes. from the New Internationalist.
http://www.newint.org/features/2009/12/01/corporate-influence/

Average global temperatures are on course to rise by up to 6C without urgent action to curb CO2 emissions, the lead author of a new analysis says.
Emissions rose by 29% between 2000 and 2008, says the Global Carbon Project.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8364926.stm
http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbonbudget/index.htm

This study, by the Stockholm Environment Institute, provides a detailed assessment of the reduction in Greenhouse Gases that could be achieved by implementing a range of resource efficiency strategies in the UK. It demonstrates that resource efficiency has an important role to play and offers a number of "Quick Win" opportunities to achieve emissions reductions. The authors calculated the Greenhouse Gas savings from a range of strategies that could be implemented by households, government and industry, all relating to the more efficient use of material.