Human Activities Impact on Global Warming

The report of the new United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), released in Paris earlier this month, gives us a new guide to support our global and national action in dealing with the common problem of global warming. It confirms that human activities are responsible in the increase emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases. International scientists have been monitoring this alarming global phenomenon since mid- 20th Century. But we can see evidence of global warming ourselves by observing the temperature increased, in many parts of the world, the widespread melting of snow and ice, and the continuing rise of sea level. There is an urgent need to find ways to stop the polar ice from melting, which lead to 4 to 6 meters of sea level rise. For the next two decades, scientists project that a warming of about 0.2 degree centigrade per decade, and that many changes in the global climate system during the next century are likely to be larger than those observed in the past century. Although action have been taken by the European Union for emission reduction, but many islands developing countries are concerned that the sea level will continue to rise for centuries to come even if greenhouse gas concentration were to be stabilized. It is important for us to follow the important work done by the Task Forces on the National Green House Gas Inventories and on New Emission Scenarios. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have done a good job to alert the World of the environmental impact of global warming. We can follow worldwide efforts by the governments and non-governmental organizations through the work of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Filed under Environment, United Nations, World Affairs |