Climate Change
c.UNEP/Topham Picturepoint
'The burning of oil coal and gas for the world's energy including electricity and transport is causing global warming and climate change'.
Global average temperatures have risen approx 0.6C since 1900 but are already causing world wide damage - floods and droughts are increasing, sea level's rising and natural disasters have increased almost three fold since the 1960's. By 2050 there are estimated to be 150 million environmental refugees (3m a year) due to sea level rise or lack of food and water. By 2100 global average temperatures are projected to rise by between 1.4C and 5.8C and 40% more than this over many northern land surface areas. Over Greenland temperatures may rise by one to three times the global average.
"We are now engaged in an epic battle to right the balance of the Earth - and the tide of this battle will turn only when the majority of people in the world become sufficiently aroused by a shared sense of urgent danger to join an all out effort." Al Gore, "Earth In The Balance"