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Global warming demands massive effort to prevent global disasters

The events of this summer show how vulnerable our societies are to weather-related extremes. But what we see now is happening after only 0.8C of global warming. With swift and decisive action, we can still limit global warming to a total of 2C or a bit less. Even that much warming would require a massive effort to adapt to weather extremes and rising sea levels, which needs to start now.

Will this summer of extremes be a wake-up call? This decade has been marked by a number of weather extremes – which show how vulnerable our societies are• 2010 could be among warmest years recorded by man Stefan Rahmstorf * guardian.co.uk,   16 August 2010  “…………For weeks, central Russia has been in the grips of its worst-ever heatwave, which has caused probably thousands of fatalities. As a result of drought and heat, more than 500 wildfires have raged out of control, smothering Moscow in smoke and threatening several nuclear facilities. Russia’s government has banned wheat exports, sending world grain prices soaring. Meanwhile, Pakistan is struggling with unprecedented flooding that has killed more than a thousand people and affected millions more. In China, flash floods have so far killed more than a thousand people and destroyed more than a million homes………….
The events of this summer show how vulnerable our societies are to weather-related extremes. But what we see now is happening after only 0.8C of global warming. With swift and decisive action, we can still limit global warming to a total of 2C or a bit less. Even that much warming would require a massive effort to adapt to weather extremes and rising sea levels, which needs to start now.

Will this summer of extremes be a wake-up call? | Stefan Rahmstorf | Environment | guardian.co.uk

August 17, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, climate change, global warming