Top scientist attacks US over global warming

[Guest guest]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1119070,00.html

 

Top scientist attacks US over global warming

 

Paul Brown and Mark Oliver

Friday January 9, 2004

The Guardian

 

Climate change is a more serious threat to the world than terrorism, David King,

the government's chief scientist, writes in an article in today's Science

magazine, attacking governments for doing too little to combat global warming.

He singles out the United States for " refusing to countenance any remedial

action now or in the future " to curb its own greenhouse gases, which are 20% of

the world's total, even though it has only 4% of the population.

Disclosing that he had commissioned a team of scientists and engineers to find

ways of reducing the severe damage the UK faces from climate change, he says the

potential damage to property runs into " tens of billions of pounds per annum " .

Britain is doing its bit to reduce emissions, but acting alone is not enough, he

says. " We and the rest of the world are now looking to the USA to play its

leading part. "

As an example of what his team is discussing, he says Britain's coastal defences

will be subject to attack from both increased sea-level rises and greater storm

surges.

" These combined efforts have the potential to increase risk of floods in 2080 by

up to 30 times present levels. In the highest emission scenario, by 2080 flood

levels that are now expected once in 100 years could be recurring every three

years. People at high risk of flooding in Britain will double to nearly 3.5

million. "

If no work is done coastal erosion in Britain will increase nine-fold, he adds.

Urging action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at once Sir David comments:

" Delaying action for decades, or even just years, is not a serious option. I am

firmly convinced that if we do not stop now, more substantial, more disruptive,

and more expensive change will be needed later on. "

He says the estimated cost of tackling climate change is around 1% of gross

domestic product (GDP) for developed countries like the UK. This figure could be

offset by the risks associated with doing nothing.

For example, if just one flood broke through the Thames Barrier it would cost

around £30bn in damage to London, roughly 2% of GDP.

Taking action to combat climate change can create economic opportunities and

improve living standards. A new round of negotiations is about to begin on how

to tackle climate change beyond 2008-12, when the existing Kyoto agreement on

reducing emissions is due to end.

He urges the US and developing countries to get involved " in what is a truly

global problem " .

In a swipe at the administration of President George Bush, Mr King says that the

US was wrong to pull out of the Kyoto protocol. The Bush administration was also

wrong to claim Kyoto could harm the US economy, he says: " In my view, climate

change is the most severe problem we are facing today, more serious even than

the threat of terrorism. "

As the only remaining superpower, the US is used to being in the vanguard of

international coordination but he says its government is failing to face up to

global warming.

Mr King says the US strategy " relies largely on market-based incentives and

voluntary action " but the " market cannot decide that mitigation is necessary,

nor can it establish the international framework in which all the actors can

take their place " .

There was only so much that countries like Britain could do in isolation, he

says. " The United Kingdom is responsible for only 2% of the world's emissions, "

the Cambridge academic says.

Yesterday a major study published in Nature magazine showed that climate change

over the next 50 years is expected to drive a quarter of land animals and plants

into extinction.

Chris Thomas, professor of conservation biology at Leeds University, who was

lead author of the research from four continents into the effect of higher

temperatures, called the results " terrifying " , estimating that more than 1

million species will be lost by 2050.

Much of that loss - more than one in 10 of all plants and animals - is

irreversible because of the extra global warming gases already discharged into

the atmosphere. However the scientists who conducted the research believe action

to curb greenhouse gases now could save others from the same fate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hotjobs: Enter the " Signing Bonus " Sweepstakes