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The "Copenhagen Diagnosis" (2009) summarizes the current state of science succinctly. |
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The IPCC ("Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change") is the leading body for the assessment of climate change, established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and theWorld Meteorological Organization(WMO) to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences. A summary of the 4th IPCC report (2007), which has been prepared by over 600 professional scientists from 30 countries, provides more details (18 pages, ca. 2.5 MB). |
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To read the full 4th IPCC report (2007) you have to take your time - but it contains the state-of-the art from 2007. (If you read it, keep in mind that three years ago scientist were much mor optimistic about the climate trends than they are now!) |
"What can I do?"
A realistic, very reasonable first step would be "10by10": Try to reduce your own CO2-emissions during 2010 by 10%.
Many people and companies have already choined this initiative. How can you do it? It's quite simple:
- Avoid unnecessary trips by car or by plane.
- In winter, reduce the temperature in your home by a few degree.
- Eat less meat.
Our Future
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 Possible future scenarios: Global CO2 emissions (top) and global warming according to a climate scenario without political intervention (red), and with ambitious CO2-reduction, limiting the total accumulated CO2 emission to 1 trillion tons of CO2 in the first half of this century, and essentially zero emitions after that (blue). In the scenario with massive CO2-reduction, the 2050 emissions are 70% below the emissions of 1990. Without political countermeasures, global warming will surpass 2 deg by 2050. With massive CO2-reduction, this risk is reduced to 25%.
.M. Meinshausen et al. (2009) (Press announcement to this picture, in German) |
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