New Government report says climate change will transform lives within 70 years
Sat 20 June 2009
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The Government has published a new report which provides details of how climate change will raise UK temperatures and radically change rainfall patterns and increase the frequency of storms over the next century. The report says that average temperature is likely to rise by 3-5 degrees by the 2080s unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut significantly.
The Government's UK Climate Projections 2009 report (see associated link) looks into the affects of climate change on the UK and assesses the risks and damage to the UK if there is failure to reach a global agreement at the UN Copenhagen conference on climate change in December.
The report also suggests adaptation strategies to deal with problems caused by a warmer climate, which include the risk of rising sea levels and increased flooding. The information is provided by the Met Office and is based on three projections which illustrate possible climate change scenarios based on low, medium and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
The 'medium' emissions projection suggests that by 2080, temperatures in the UK could be between two and six degrees warmer on average with volatility in regional rainfall - more in winter and less in summer - and rising sea levels by 36cm.
Environment secretary Hilary Benn MP warned that health authorities, councils, developers and farmers will all have to change the way they work to deal with the problems of climate change. Buildings will have to be made more able to cope with hotter summers and flooding while water meters will need to be installed to help cut use.
He said: "Those in society who still think this isn't happening and we don't need to worry, who think we can pull up the bedcovers and it'll all go away are profoundly mistaken."
He added: "These results are sobering, and we know that they will affect every aspect of our daily lives."
For the first time, the projections consider climate change effects on every region in the UK using the most advanced climate change modelling in the world developed by the Hadley Centre of Climate Prediction and Research over 12 years.
Ed Miliband, the Climate Change Secretary said: "These projections add to the overwhelming body of scientific evidence that says mankind must cut carbon emissions now to prevent a future of extreme weather patterns which could threaten the livelihoods of people across the world as well as put plants, animals and sea life in peril."
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