"Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change"
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| Climate Change Effects Map from IPCC "Summary for Policy Makers" |
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| Spanish cargo ship hitting sea dyke in France during winter storm - Euronews |
The report assesses various options for adaptation to climate change and shows that "adaptation is an option only if efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions are strengthened substantially. Without mitigation, the impacts of climate change will be devastating." RealClimate.org has a summary of the key findings in the IPCC report. Highlights from the post by climate scientist Wolfgang Cramer follow.
Impacts
of anthropogenic climatic change are observed worldwide and have been
linked to observed climate using rigorous methods. Such impacts have
occurred in many ecosystems on land and in the ocean, in glaciers and
rivers, and they concern food production and the livelihoods of people
in developing countries - See more at:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2014/04/impacts-of-climate-change-part-2-of-the-new-ipcc-report-has-been-approved/#sthash.JFUgl8SE.dpuf
Impacts
of anthropogenic climatic change are observed worldwide and have been
linked to observed climate using rigorous methods. Such impacts have
occurred in many ecosystems on land and in the ocean, in glaciers and
rivers, and they concern food production and the livelihoods of people
in developing countries - See more at:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2014/04/impacts-of-climate-change-part-2-of-the-new-ipcc-report-has-been-approved/#sthash.JFUgl8SE.dpuf
Impacts
of anthropogenic climatic change are observed worldwide and have been
linked to observed climate using rigorous methods. Such impacts have
occurred in many ecosystems on land and in the ocean, in glaciers and
rivers, and they concern food production and the livelihoods of people
in developing countries - See more at:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2014/04/impacts-of-climate-change-part-2-of-the-new-ipcc-report-has-been-approved/#sthash.JFUgl8SE.dpuf
- Impacts of anthropogenic climatic change are observed worldwide and have been linked to observed climate using rigorous methods. Such impacts have occurred in many ecosystems on land and in the ocean, in glaciers and rivers, and they concern food production and the livelihoods of people in developing countries.
- "High” scenarios of climate change...will likely result in catastrophic impacts on most aspects of human life on the planet.
- Significant reductions [in agricultural yields] are highly likely to dominate in later decades of the present century [from 2030 onwards]...The situation for global fisheries is comparably bleak...[with] a loss of marine productivity to be expected in nearly all tropical waters....
- Urban areas in developing countries will be particularly affected. Improved urban planning, focusing on the resilience of residential areas and transport systems of the poor, can deliver important contributions to adaptation. This would also have to include better preparation for the regionally rising risks from typhoons, heat waves and floods.
- Enhanced global warming may significantly increase risks of future violent conflict.
- Economic losses will be most tangible for countries, regions and social groups already disadvantaged compared to others....[the] economic impacts of climate change will push large additional numbers of people into poverty and the risk of malnutrition, due to various factors including increase in food prices.
- There is no globally acceptable “one-fits-all” concept for adaptation....[Context-specific solutions] can provide opportunities to enhance the quality of life and local economic development in many regions – this would then also reduce vulnerabilities to climate change.
I was intrigued by the "context-specific solutions" for adaptation to climate change in the "Summary for Policy Makers".. The tool kit for the adaptation solutions is contained in Assessment Box SPM.2 Table 1 and Table SPM.1 in the IPCC "Summary for Policy Makers." The Assessment Box provides a summary of the major risks for each region and potential adaptation strategies. Table SPM.1 covers everything from human development factors to ecosystem and disaster risk management to engineering, technological, and ecosystem-based options. Will nations have the political will to prioritize the necessary actions? Will they make the necessary effort to significantly mitigate greenhouse gas emissions? Without this latter, the adaptation strategies will be for naught.
In Brief
“high”
scenarios of climate change (those where global mean temperature
reaches four degrees C or more above preindustrial conditions – a
situation that is not at all unlikely according to part one of the
report) will likely result in catastrophic impacts on most aspects of
human life on the planet. - See more at:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2014/04/impacts-of-climate-change-part-2-of-the-new-ipcc-report-has-been-approved/#sthash.JFUgl8SE.dpuf
Syria
The transport of containers packed with 40% of Syria's chemical weapons to the port of Latakia for shipment outside the country is being has been delayed because of violence in the area. Islamist insurgents launched an offensive in the region around March 20. Syrian authorities have assigned forces to provide security for the convoys to deal with the increased violence in the area. Meanwhile, the Syrian government and insurgents traded charges on chemical weapons last week. The number of Syrian refugees who have fled to Lebanon officially topped 1 million on Thursday, highlighting the growing humanitarian catastrophe caused by Syria's civil war and the huge burden placed on its poorly prepared neighbors. [Reuters, April 2 and 3]
Ukraine
In a March 24 op-ed blog at The Guardian, Richard Norton-Taylor writes that instead of indulging in bluster and provocative rhetoric on Russia's annexation of the Ukraine, the UK and NATO commanders should make clear that NATO has no designs on the country. NATO has extended enough. In a Le Monde Diplomatique post of April 3, Jean-Arnault Dérens and Laurent Geslin write that Ukraine’s president has fled and there is an interim government, but the power brokers who will make or break the country’s future include many of the same oligarchs who backed the last regime.
European Economy
The International Business Times reported on April 1 that "In the EU, the unemployment rate was recorded at 10.6 percent in February, down from 10.7 percent in January and 10.9 percent in February 2013." The lowest unemployment rates were in Austria (4.8%) and Germany (5.1%) while the highest were in Greece (27.5% in December) and Spain (25.6%). The European recovery from the worldwide recession has been slower in Europe than in the US - primarily because of the European emphasis on austerity/deficit reduction. In a January 2014 analysis of the different rates of recovery that appeared in The Guardian, Mark Weisbrot wrote: "After some stimulus..., the eurozone governments...engaged in more and earlier budget tightening than the United States did; and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has shown a clear relationship between this fiscal tightening and reduced GDP growth." France is trying to do something about this overemphasis on deficit reduction. In an April 2 post, Euronews reports that: "Reversing France’s economic decline is high on the list of President Hollande’s priorities and his cabinet reshuffle means a more powerful role as economy minister for outspoken leftist politician Arnaud Montebourg...The fiery Montebourg has accused the European Union of hurting growth with austerity measures he says are misguided and called the policies of German Chancellor Angela Merkel 'dangerous and suicidal'. As industry minister, he has been openly protectionist to secure French jobs, repeatedly sided with trade unions against bosses."
Other Links
Left Bank Cafe posts on the first part of the IPCC report published in 2013 can be found at this October 3 post and this October 6 post.
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