Benefit of the Doubt

Since 9/11 the United States has spent half a trillion dollars combating terrorism to safeguard our nation. Now a greater crisis presents itself: the destruction of our planet. The recent United Nation's International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Report released on November 17th urges immediate action. "The Synthesis Report" is the final IPCC report after five years of study concluding that global warming is "unequivocal," temperatures have risen 1.3 F in the last 100 years, and that human activity is largely responsible for warming.

More alarming is that we must act immediately. "If there's no action before 2012, that's too late," said Rajendra Pachauri, head IPCC scientist and economist. "What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment."

Why should we quickly respond? This report documents the following: about 20 percent to 30 percent of all plant and animal species face the risk of extinction if temperatures increase 2.7 °F; by 2020. Seventy-five (75) million to 250 million people in Africa will suffer water shortages. Residents of Asia's large cities will be at great risk of river and coastal flooding. Europeans can expect extensive species loss. And North Americans will experience longer and hotter heat waves and greater competition for water. More GHG emissions could bring "abrupt and irreversible" changes, such as the loss of ice sheets in the poles, and a corresponding rise in sea levels by several yards.

Most Americans do not understand what is happening. A tipping point is occurring regarding climate change. This means conditions are getting worse then first reported. Some scientists have stated that even this IPCC report could be out of date as new data continues to come in. There is an alarming amount of new evidence coming from science. For example, there has been a faster than expected increase in industrial development in China and India. Economic growth has stimulated more coal burning than was assumed when this study was first done. Global emissions, largely human based, have grown 70 percent from 1970 to 2004. Eleven of the last 12 years have been the warmest since 1850.

The IPCC chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, said that since the IPCC began work on its current report five years ago, scientists have recorded "much stronger trends in climate change," like a recent melting of polar ice that had not been predicted. "That means you better start with intervention much earlier."

Given this information can we give the benefit of the doubt to this issue of climate change? Is this crisis the most pressing one facing us? It is safe to assume that we determine the fate of our very future. Let's not err!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111700566.html

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gmt_msqRmih_gwehG7Ri8KGvMe3wD8SVLOQ8

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