CSIRO: Benefits of Early Action on Greenhouse Emissions
Urban Ecology News. 2006.2.28
CSIRO report suggests limiting atmospheric CO2 to avoid rapid global warming and attendant risks.
The CSIRO report, Climate Change Impacts on Australia and Benefits of Early Action to Reduce Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, released this month, suggests limiting atmospheric CO2 concentrations to avoid rapid global warming, and so reduce risk of adverse events, and give people and nature more time to adapt.
Limiting future increases in atmospheric CO2 to 550 ppmv would reduce 21st century global warming to an estimated 1.5–2.9 °C, effectively avoiding the more extreme climate changes. Lower stabilisation levels, such as 450 ppmv CO2 would reduce future warming even further, to approximately 1.2–2.3 °C.
This would give natural ecosystems and their associated species greater time to adapt to changing environmental conditions, reduce the likelihood of major adverse consequences for agriculture and forestry, allow Australia’s public health infrastructure to keep pace with emerging health challenges, and reduce the chance of large-scale singularities (eg abrupt changes in the climate system).
Nevertheless, even with a 350 ppmv stabilisation level, global warming would continue. requiring adaptive responses to address risks in addition to greenhouse gas mitigation.
Links
Climate Change Impacts on Australia and Benefits of Early Action to Reduce Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions. CSIRO. 2006.2