Global warming

Global warming map courtesy NASA

Burning coal, oil and other fossil fuels releases ‘greenhouse’ gases, particularly carbon dioxide. These are already present in the atmosphere and are needed to keep the planet warm enough to live on. But as the world’s population rises and our dependency on fossil fuels increases, the rapid build-up of these gases is destroying the natural balance that has protected the world’s climate for thousands of years.

Global warming is already happening. According to the UK Meteorological Office, 2003 was the third hottest year around the world in the 143 years records have been kept. Only 1998 and 2002 were warmer, whilst the ten hottest years have all been within in the past 13 years, including every year since 1997.

Among the impacts of runaway climate change are that:

Millions of people, particularly in poorer countries, could lose their homes and livelihoods as a result of floods and droughts, triggering massive migrations of desperate 'climate refugees'. In a recent report, aid organisations including Oxfam and WaterAid warned that “global warming threatens to reverse human progress”.
Many animal and plant species could disappear – from polar bears in the arctic to corals in the tropical oceans. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says that unchecked climate change could result in the extinction of more than a million species in the next fifty years.
Sea levels could rise dramatically as icecaps and glaciers melt, putting coastal and low-lying land – including areas of Cornwall – in much greater danger of flooding.
Health problems could multiply. In 2003, at least 27,000 people died as a result of the unprecedented heat-wave across Europe – many of them old and infirm people whose bodies could not cope with the extreme heat. Infectious diseases such as malaria and encephalitis may spread to previously unaffected areas along with the insects that carry them.

But the future isn’t completely bleak. There is still time to prevent global warming running out of control. One of the easiest and most effective ways to do so is to switch to electricity from renewable sources.

Global warming

Climate change