Immediate Action Needed | Green Energy News

October 10, 2004 – Vol.9 No.29

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED.

Explosive population growth on the planet, unprecedented economic growth in China and India; it’s no wonder global CO2 levels are rising dramatically.

Sir David King, the U.K. government’s chief science advisor, said in a recent lecture that immediate action needs to be taken to prevent irreversible climate change on the planet. If action isn’t taken a complete meltdown of Greenland’s glacier, among other disasters, is probable in the future. Melting of that glacier alone would cause a sea level rise of 19-22 feet (6-7 meters) worldwide. Melt water from other glaciers around the world, would add the to the rise in ocean levels.

He predicts that the tipping point to runaway global warming is 500 parts per million (ppm) of CO2. From the current level of about 380 ppm, and a 2 ppm rise on average every year, the point-of-no-return on global warming will be realized later in this century, 60 years from now. Children 5 years old today won’t be retiring to ocean front property.

He is also concerned that the rate of increase, itself, will increase and the 500 ppm level could be sooner than 60 years.

King considers climate change the most serious issue facing the planet in this century, and beyond, and it needs global solutions. For the full text of the lecture visit Greenpeace UK at http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/ .