In an article in the Guardian today, Professor Bob Watson, one of the UK government's chief scientific advisers, warns that we should prepare for the effects of a 4C global average temperature rise. This is twice the current EU target of 2C.
"No other single factor focussed the minds of the cabinet more than the analysis that I produced through that ... We begin to have to talk about ordered retreat from some areas of Britain because it becomes impossible to defend," he said. "There's no choice here between adaptation and mitigation, we have to do both."
Meanwhile, number crunchers at onehundredmonths.org have come up with figures that predict what will happen after temperature rises 2C. If emissions continue to grow at the current speed, global warming may continue beyond 2016 even if we stop releasing greenhouse gases. The research data predicts that when global warming hits 2C, it may start to accelerate, due to positive feedback loops.
However, Professor Watson says the situation is far from futile. He suggests that a joint agreement between all countries to find a way of making carbon capture work, and to fund it, would be a significant first step.
Further Reading:
