A recent report on global warming trends by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that the course of action over the next couple of years will determine the impact global warming will have on the future of mankind.
The words of the panel need to be taken seriously, considering its members are 2,500 scientists involved in studying climate change patterns across the world. Rajendra Pachauri, the head of the panel, is himself a scientist and economist. According to him, “What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future.”
The work of the panel is significant, and should be sufficient to erase whatever doubts and disagreements scientists and governments may have about what actually causes global warming and how much damage has been done so far.
Each report the group has published has provided significant inputs about global warming. Publishing its fourth and final report on global warming recently, the group says trends in climate change have changed significantly and become much stronger in recent times.
The latest report says one of the top priorities of the world must be to change these trends relating to climate change, as the results could otherwise be disastrous in specific geographies. The disastrous results include possible famine in Africa, island states losing more land to the seas, rise in ocean water levels, flooding, and extinction of several species.
The report said the urgency levels pertaining to reducing pollution levels caused by fossil fuels were much higher than what scientists were previously thinking. It said while it controlling this kind of pollution was not impossible, it would require significant action from two of the biggest greenhouse gas producers – China and the United States.
One of the recommendations by the panel has been to introduce a price tag on carbon dioxide emission. However, the panel said this would not be enough to ensure faster results. There are other issues that need to be handled; for instance, a lot of people are still not convinced global warming is a serious threat.
It does not help when George Bush is at the top of that list. While he has finally now accepted that global warming is a threat, he still maintains the cap on greenhouse emissions should be voluntary, and not made mandatory.
The latest report by the panel states directly that such half-hearted measures just won’t do. Whatever has to be done has to be done quickly, and wholeheartedly, by the entire world. The United States cannot afford to bring up the rear on this one.
Global Warming prescription
The US has to let all know that we will switch to ethanol in 2010. The US has to ration residential water usage while global warming affects the environment. Farmers have to be allowed to use ample water to grow crops. Farmers must be disallowed to sell water rights. The US has to limit everyone outside of NAFTA from importing into the US goods which use fossil fuel in production or transportation of goods. The US has to forgo all antitrust claims and allow the market to work as quickly as possible.