Baltic and European news
Scientists issue bleak forecast on climate change
Wednesday 25 November 2009Arctic sea-ice is melting 40% faster and recent global average sea-level rise is 80% above previous predictions by the Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), according to a grim scientific update issued on Wednesday.
The 64-page "Copenhagen Diagnosis", released ahead of December's UN summit on climate change, summarises hundreds of peer-reviewed research papers that have been published since the IPPC's latest assessment http://www.endseurope.com/14279?referrer=bulletin&DCMP=EMC-ENDS-EUROPE-DAILY.
The report reiterates there is a very high probability that global warming will exceed 2 degrees unless emissions peak by 2020 and start declining shortly after. Temperatures have continued to increase over the past ten years despite a decrease in solar forcing.
The findings came days after a blow to the climate science community when a series of leaked emails and documents from the UK's University of East Anglia revealed malpractice among climatologists, and a deep divide between scientists and sceptics.
The university rejected claims the leaked emails showed data was being manipulated to support the theory climate change was man-made. "[This is] the latest example of a sustained and, in some instances, a vexatious campaign to distract from reasoned debate about the nature of the urgent action," it said.
*On Wednesday, MEPs called for the Copenhagen climate summit http://www.endseurope.com/22566?referrer=bulletin&DCMP=EMC-ENDS-EUROPE-DAILY to deliver "at the very least" agreement on mitigation targets for industrialised countries and climate financing, plus "a formal process" to turn pledges into legally binding commitments next year.
MEPs also backed E5-7bn of "fast-track" funding for developing countries, an overall EU climate financing contribution of E30bn per year by 2020 and emission reduction targets for bunker fuels in line with those for other sectors, including at least 50% auctioning.
Follow-up: Copenhagen Diagnosis report http://www.copenhagendiagnosis.org/press.html and University of East Anglia press release
http://www.uea.ac.uk/mac/comm/media/press/2009/nov/homepagenews/CRUupdate.
See also European Parliament press release on climate resolution
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