Time to Act on Climate Change

[Guest guest]

By Graham Fry, British Ambassador to Japan.

Special to The Yomiuri Shim bun (a major daily Japanese newspaper)

Dec. 27, 2006

 

Thanks to Cool Biz and the like, awareness of global warming is high

among Japanese people. According to a recent opinion poll, 66

percent are greatly concerned about it. But there is little sense of

crisis.

 

It is true that the biggest effects of climate change are long-term.

The greenhouse gases that are emitted now will stay in the

atmosphere for hundreds of years, and their effects will be long-

lasting. However, the average temperature of the earth has already

risen by 0.7 C, and we can already see the effects. If we continue

as we are, by 2050, the probability of dangerous climate change (a

temperature change of 2 C to 5 C) is over 90 percent. This would

have implications for human health, agriculture and economies, as

well as for politics and security. For example, we can expect more

floods and desertification, an increase in tropical diseases such as

malaria, and the need to construct new coastal defenses to protect

cities such as London and Tokyo against rising sea levels.

 

We can prevent this. But only if we take determined action in the

next 10 to 15 years. According to a recent report to the British

government, if we invest 1 percent of our gross domestic product

now, we can avoid damage of between 5 and 20 percent to world GDP in

the future. This will require the development of new technologies.

Governments and the private sector should work together to promote

research and development in promising areas, such as carbon capture

and storage and fuel cells.

 

As well as developing new technologies, it is necessary to ensure

that existing technology is more widely used. That means creating an

economic system whereby reducing emissions is rewarded and raising

them carries a penalty--in other words, a price for carbon. This can

be achieved through taxation, emissions trading or regulation. It

makes an international trade in carbon possible, thus generating

finance for the transfer of clean technology to the developing

world. Between today and 2030, over 20 trillion dollars will be

spent on new energy infrastructure, much of it in emerging

economies. The nature of this investment will determine the world's

emissions for decades to come.

 

We should also recall that 18 percent of the world's emissions arise

from deforestation. Policies are therefore urgently required to

protect existing forests and regenerate those that have been lost.

 

At present, both global warming and the emission of greenhouse gases

are proceeding faster than predicted. In Australia, Europe, the

United States and many other countries, climate change has become

one of the main issues of political debate. In Europe, a carbon

market is already functioning, following the introduction of

emissions trading in 2005. In California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

recently announced a plan to cap emissions and introduce an

emissions trading system. In November, Australian Prime Minister

John Howard proposed the establishment of a task force to consider a

national emissions trading system.

 

Japan, needless to say, is at the forefront of both international

negotiations and technological development. It leads the world in

energy efficient technologies and hybrid vehicles. At the 2005 G-8

summit (under Britain's presidency), Japan agreed to receive a

report on climate change under its own presidency of the Group of

Eight major nations in 2008.

 

In addition to the efforts of government, there is a great deal that

we as individuals can achieve--by acting on initiatives such as Cool

Biz, choosing energy efficient appliances and being conscious of the

way in which we use energy.

 

We cannot wait any longer. The time for action is now.

 

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Take action now with PURPOSE - People United Rightly Protecting Our

Sacred Earth… You can start by signing our petition to Congress

making " Climate Change, Global Warming and Saving the Planet " this

country's top priority:

 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/890510358

 

To find out more about PURPOSE and to learn how you can help save

the planet, visit any or all of these websites:

 

http://FreedomExpress.net/PURPOSE

 

CommittedPURPOSE/

 

http://www.myspace.com/committedpurpose

 

http://360./committedpurpose

 

http://astore.amazon.com/freedomexpres-20

 

http://www.cafepress.com/freedomexpress/2008299