In its fourth and final report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), winner (with Mr. Al Gore) of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, concluded that global warming is "unequivocal" and already threatens hundreds of millions of lives and as much as two-thirds of the species on the planet. That warning should be foremost in the minds of world leaders when they gather in Bali, Indonesia, next month to develop a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change. There can be no more denial and stalling: Immediate action by all nations is required.
The IPCC is a United Nations-sponsored panel made up of thousands of scientists around the world; its findings are the result of meticulous research that is scrutinized, edited and negotiated by governments. This year the IPCC has produced four reports on climate change. They detail the reality of the threat, its potential consequences and the actions that must be taken to respond. The most recent report, issued earlier this month, synthesizes its three predecessors, reducing thousands of pages of data and conclusions into a 23-page summary. It is a scary document.
The IPCC concluded that there is already enough carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere to lift sea levels up to 1.5 meters. That would inundate coastlines, erase islands, and imperil one-fifth to two-thirds of the world's species. By 2020, river and coastal flooding could threaten Asia's largest cities, while 75 million to 250 million people in Africa could suffer water shortages. Melting glaciers, rising temperatures and rising sea levels are proof that the problem is already present. Over time, agricultural production will change, disease vectors will shift, competition for water will intensify and hunger is likely to spread as droughts intensify and once productive lands become barren.