Climate Change

Scientists are warning us that an increase in the use of coal, oil and gas is starting to negatively affect our planet. Over the last 300 years fossil fuels have been the main source for powering life on Earth. One direct consequence of this is the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases. These, so called, greenhouse gases settle in our atmosphere creating a blanket which traps a portion of the incoming solar radiation from the sun. Over a period of time, this destabilises the global climate, (Climate Change) and in particular creates a significant increase in the temperature of earth, known as Global Warming, In 1988, the U.N. established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as the leading authority on cause and effect related to a warming of our planet. The latest figures show that the amount of CO2 has reached its highest in the last 400,000 years – with major increases occurring over the last 300 years. This has led to an Earth surface temperature increase of 1.50C over the last this period. The IPCC, and the vast majority climate scientists, are unequivocally confirming that human impacts are the cause of the current rise in temperature and action for mitigation needs to occur immediately. In December 2015, in Paris, the 21st annual convention of the parties (COP21) of the IPCC, under pressure from scientists, vulnerable countries, NGO’s and the global business community, agreed to aim for a limit on global temperature rise of 20C by 2100, with a further preferred aim to limit it to 1.50C. These are both extremely daunting targets.