*The Fifth Assessment Report ( AR5 ) of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will be the fifth in a series of such reports . The IPCC was established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess scientific , technical and socio-economic information concerning climate change , its potential effects and options for adaptation and mitigation.
At 11:00am (AUS EST) on the 31st of March, 2014, the second part of the latest IPCC report was released. This instalment comes six months after the first volume in the The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5)*, both instalments state that scientists are more certain than ever of human caused global warming.We are calling for our Government to take immediate action in the fight against dangerous climate change!
Around the world
The largest impacts of climate change, as we are already well aware, will occur in poorer and vulnerable populations and communities. Those who contribute least to global warming will be the ones suffering the most, the women and children in developing nations.
Mitigation (reduceing the risks) and Adaptation (managing risk)
The report explains that the time and potential for mitigation is being misused and wasted. If mitigation and adaptation techniques are used to their full benefits, they will potentially avoid two million of the predicted deaths per year. Some of these techniques include: -encouraging communities to be more active in practical, everyday action -reducing exposures to temperature extremes with well-insulated energy-efficient housing -promoting healthier diets through the transformation of food production and processing systems -enhanced surveillance of and early warning systems for extreme and potential deadly weather (eg.heat waves and fires in Australia in 2009-2014 and in Russia in 2010) -climate-proofed building design -educationIn Australia
The effects of climate change will be felt keenly close to home as well, with the report revealing acidification, rising sea temperatures, increased frequency and severity of coral bleaching, disease incidence and mortality have resulted in permanent damage to the Great Barrier Reef.Both warm water coral reef and Arctic ecosystems are already experiencing irreversible regime shifts.
-rising greenhouse gas emissions will "significantly" boost the risk of floods -droughts will suck away sustainable water supplies -"large fraction" of land and freshwater species may risk extinction -reduce in crop yields, for as much as 2% a decade The last big report from the IPCC (2007) helped to spark the push for the 2009 UN climate summit in Copenhagen. Hopefully, we will see even bigger strides taken at a global, political level as a reaction to this report.To the hundreds of scientists and experts who volunteered their time to produce this report, thank you!
