"Sir John Houghton, Co-Chairman of the IPCC Working Group I, warned that an increase of global mean temperature of between 1.5x and 4xC expected by the year 2100 would have serious impacts on human habitats and society." [9]
- Press Release on the occasion of the publication of the Second Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Working Group I, Cambridge 1996
The IPCC findings leave no doubt that climate change is a major environmental threat to mankind and global eco-systems. For example, the IPCC highlights serious threat such as the expansion of epidemics and diseases like malaria and yellow fever, the extinction of species, an increase in pests, the destruction of forests areas (e.g. boreal forests), the disappearance of island cultures (e.g. Marshall Islands, island states in the Pacific) and the increase of famines. [see 9]
1995 was the hottest year since records began more than a century ago; [10]
The eight hottest years have all been in the last decade;
In the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Oceans coral reefs are beginning to bleach and die. Scientists indicate the increased temperature of the sea water as possible cause.
Hurricanes of record strength are hitting the Caribbean and Pacific;
Intense droughts have struck southern Africa, northern Brazil, the United States, eastern Australia, central and southern Spain and other places;
During the last 30 years the average air and water temperature of the Antarctic Peninsula has risen by about 2.5xC, implying the rapid retreat and disintegration of ice shelves, such as the Larsen A ice shelf of about 2,600km2. The dramatic decline of some penguin populations has been related to this temperature change. [11]
Record storms have hit Europe in the past few years. We can expect more disruption of the climate. In the Alps climate change will have serious ecological, economic and social impacts. A decrease in soil moisture is predicted to happen in the inner and eastern alpine regions as a result of higher evaporation and hot summers (like 1995). This weakens the trees' resistance against diseases. When forests break down, alpine valleys are threatened by avalanches and earth slides. Hydropower production will suffer from decreased water run-off. Less snow for skiing in the winter and impoverished water quality in warmed lakes will harm the tourism industry. [12,13,14,15]
And now, one of the largest industry sectors in the world - the insurance industry - has started to wake up to the threat of global warming and the serious impact it could have on their profitability. [16] Since 1987, insurance companies have suffered losses amounting to $45,9 billion due to big windstorms and hurricanes. [17]
Worldwide, transport is playing an ever increasing role in global climate change and air pollution. As the largest single consumers of oil, motor vehicles are major emitters of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOC's) and nitrogen oxides. [18] All of these gases contribute to global warming either directly or indirectly. Carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas emitted from motor vehicles. For every litre of oil consumed by a motor vehicle, about 2.37 kilos of carbon dioxide (with diesel fuel this is 2,7 kg of CO2) go directly into the atmosphere. In US terms, for every 15 gallon fill-up at the service station, about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide are eventually pumped into the atmosphere. Each year the average car puts more than four times its body weight of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. [19]
