|
Earth Summit > Background
> Climate Change
Climate Change
 |
|
Effects of climate change
- bleached coral on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia ©
Greenpeace
|
For over a century, people have relied on fossil
fuels such as oil, coal and gas for their energy needs. Now, worldwide,
people and the environment are experiencing the consequences.
Global warming, caused by burning fossil fuels,
is the worst environmental problem we face today.
People are changing the climate that made life
on earth possible and the results are disastrous - extreme weather
events, such as droughts and floods, disruption of water supplies,
melting polar regions, rising sea levels, loss of coral reefs and
much more.
Scientists and governments worldwide agree on the
latest and starkest evidence of human-induced climate change, its
impacts and the predictions of what is to come.
| What causes climate
change?
The earth is surrounded by a delicately
balanced blanket of gases which trap the sun's heat
and sustain life. These gases help shape the earth's weather
conditions such as temperature
and rainfall. This natural phenomenon is called the greenhouse
effect.
Human activity is intensifying the greenhouse
effect as we pump billions of tonnes of extra
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
As a result, the global
temperature is increasing, destabilising the world's climate.
|
It is not too late to slow global warming and avoid
the climate catastrophe that scientists predict. The solutions already
exist. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar offer abundant
clean energy that is safe for the environment and good for the economy.
Other green technologies, such as the refrigeration
technology Greenfreeze, offer viable alternatives to climate destroying
chemicals.
Corporations, governments and individuals must
begin now to phase in clean, sustainable energy solutions and phase
out fossil fuels. Major investments must be made in renewable energy,
particularly in developing economies, replacing current large scale
fossil fuel developments.
At the same time, immediate international action
must be taken to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (the gases
that cause global warming), or the world may soon face irreversible
global climate damage.
Ratifying the Kyoto
Protocol, the climate treaty finally agreed at Bonn in July
2001, is a crucial first step in this process. However, the greenhouse
gas reduction targets agreed at Bonn are only a fraction of what
is needed to stop dangerous climate change and the Kyoto Protocol
is under fierce attack.
The US refuses to sign the climate treaty and take
action to reduce emissions. With less than 5 percent of the world's
population, the US is the world's largest producer of greenhouse
gases and is responsible for 25 percent of global emissions. Also,
governments continue to subsidise the fossil fuel industries, keeping
dirty energy cheap while clean energy solutions remain under-funded.
Greenpeace is campaigning globally on a variety
of fronts to stop climate change - from the campaign to pressure
the US Corporate 100 and George W Bush to work with the rest of
the world to halt climate change, to researching and promoting clean
energy solutions.
Greenpeace is also working with The Body Shop to
bring renewable energy to 2 billion people in developing countries
who have no access to electricity.
Take Action:
- Urge world leaders to kick-start
the renewable energy revolution. Sign
up to the petition.
More information:
- See how climate change effected the most recent
Winter Olympics in the US.
- Visit the Choose
Positive Energy website to learn more about the project between
Greenpeace and The Body Shop to provide clean energy to the world.
- Visit the Greenpeace
climate website to learn more about climate change and Greenpeace
related activities around the world.
- Download the Clean
Energy for Sustainable Development report.
|
