Six degrees of global warming wiped out most of life on earth 250 million years ago. Six degrees of global warming could happen this century, says new research.

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Researchers at Bristol University have discovered that a mere six degrees of global warming was enough to wipe out up to 95% of the species alive on earth at the end of the Permian period, 250 million years ago. And up to six degrees of warming are now predicted for the next 100 years by United Nations scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - if radical action isn’t taken to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide, the chief cause of global warming.

Cllr Prof John Whitelegg, a senior Green Party policy adviser, said today “Unfortunately, the recent research on global warming isn’t really news - we’ve known for some time that climate change could cause a global crisis of biblical proportions. Nor are the solutions new - they’re just not being acted upon.”

“The world needs to reduce CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050. That means high-polluting countries like UK reducing by about 90%, to allow for global equity and reasonable development in the poorer countries.”

Radical CO2 reductions areachievable - with big spin-off benefits

Professor Whitelegg, who holds professorships of sustainable development at Liverpool John Moores University and sustainable development at York University, continued:

“These reductions are achievable, and in fact there would be major spin-off benefits from the policies needed to tackle climate change. For instance, a Green transport revolution would give us huge benefits in terms of public transport, including in rural areas,as well as improvements in disabled people’s transport and Safe Routes to School and Home Zone programmes. (1)

“Similarly going all-out for non-nuclear renewable energy would create a lot of jobs, because renewables sustain more jobs per unit of power than either nuclear or fossil fuels. (2) Thousands more jobs could also be created in the recycling and re-use industries, which help cut CO2 emissions. (3)

“Cutting air pollution would also improve health. Currently some 12,000-20,000 people die in the UK every year because of air pollution, according to government figures. (4)

“We’d achieve all these social benefits by implementing a full-blown strategy for stopping climate change.

“But we’d also avert an economic crisis. The UK economy already suffers billions of pounds’ worth of damage every year, from things like storms and floods. Other countries will be even harder hit by rising sea-levels and the resulting loss of inhabitable land, and by droughts, desertification and loss of drinking water as mountain ice-caps melt. This is already causing problems in countries that depend on water flowing down from the Himalayas, amongst other places.” (5)

We need a Green industrial revolution

Prof Whitelegg, who will lead the Green Party’s Euro-election campaign in the North West next year and is tipped to become one of a new batch of Green MEPs, concluded:

“We need systematic, radical action now. Basically, a Green industrial revolution to put our economy on a sustainable footing.”

The recent finding is revealed in a book by Bristol University’s head of earth sciences, Professor Michael Benton, which chronicles the geological efforts leading up to the discovery and its potential implications.

Notes:

1. See The Green transport revolution and how to pay for it, http://www.greenparty.org.uk/reports/2001/transport/transportrevolution.html .

2. See Best of Both Worlds: Policies for sustainability AND job-creation, http://www.greenparty.org.uk/reports/2001/jobs/bestofbothworlds.html .

3. See Laying Waste to Britain? Why the UK needs a zero waste strategy, http://www.greenparty.org.uk/reports/2002/1zerowaste.htm .

4. See Stolen Life: Death and illness caused by air pollution, http://www.greenparty.org.uk/reports/2002/air%20pollution.doc .

5. See Global Warming and Weather Disruption, http://www.greenparty.org.uk/reports/2000/climate/climatechange.htm .