Climate Change 2013 - The Physical Science Basis by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 3:29pm 2nd Oct, 2013   Findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change"s new assessment report 2013.    The IPCC report states, that "warming in the climate system is unequivocal and since 1950 many changes have been observed throughout the climate system that are unprecedented over decades to millennia."    "Our assessment of the science finds that the atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amount of snow and ice has diminished, the global mean sea level has risen and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased,” said Qin Dahe, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group I, responsible for this first stage of the IPCC"s reporting on climate.    "It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century. The evidence for this has grown, thanks to more and better observations, an improved understanding of the climate system response and improved climate models".    Thomas Stocker, Co-Chair of the working group behind the report indicated that in order to prevent the worst case scenarios presented in the report for the century ahead, governments will need to take aggressive action. "Continued emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in all components of the climate system," Stocker said. "Limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions."    The IPCC document—officially labeled as IPCC Working Group I assessment report (AR5) and titled Climate Change 2013: the Physical Science Basis—was approved by the world scientific body on Friday in Stockholm and is the panel"s official statement—made after hundreds of the world"s top scientists reviewed thousands of studies—on climate change, ocean and atmospheric temperatures, and global warming.    “As the ocean warms, and glaciers and ice sheets reduce, global mean sea level will continue to rise, but at a faster rate than we have experienced over the past 40 years,” said Dahe.    Key findings include:    Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased.    Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850. In the Northern Hemisphere, 1983–2012 was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last 1400 years.    Ocean warming dominates the increase in energy stored in the climate system, accounting for more than 90% of the energy accumulated between 1971 and 2010 (high confidence). It is virtually certain that the upper ocean warmed from 1971 to 2010, and it likely warmed between the 1870s and 1971.    Over the last two decades, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing mass, glaciers have continued to shrink almost worldwide, and Arctic sea ice and Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover have continued to decrease in extent (high confidence).    The rate of sea level rise since the mid-19th century has been larger than the mean rate during the previous two millennia (high confidence). Over the period 1901–2010, global mean sea level rose by 0.19 [0.17 to 0.21] m.    The atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide have increased to levels unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years. CO2 concentrations have increased by 40% since pre-industrial times, primarily from fossil fuel emissions and secondarily from net land use change emissions. The ocean has absorbed about 30% of the emitted anthropogenic carbon dioxide, causing ocean acidification.    Total radiative forcing is positive, and has led to an uptake of energy by the climate system. The largest contribution to total radiative forcing is caused by the increase in the atmospheric concentration of CO2 since 1750.    Human influence on the climate system is clear. This is evident from the increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, positive radiative forcing, observed warming, and understanding of the climate system.    Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are now at levels "unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years".    * Access the 2013 Report via the link below, to view headline statement summary see: http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/uploads/WG1AR5_Headlines.pdf    UN climate report bolsters case for helping poor adapt - aid experts.(Alertnet)    The latest report from the U.N. climate panel, in which scientists said they were more certain of human influence on global warming than ever before, reinforces the need to boost support for the world''s poorest communities who are already experiencing severe climate impacts, international aid experts said on Friday.    Thomas Stocker, co-chair of the working group that produced the report, told journalists that the rising sea-levels, higher temperatures and precipitation shifts outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly demonstrate that "climate change challenges the two primary resources of humans and ecosystems - land and water."    "In short, it threatens our planet, our only home," added the Swiss climate scientist.    Many humanitarian and development groups said the report confirmed what they are witnessing on the ground in their work to help impoverished people cope with worsening climate-related disasters and longer-term stresses.    "This report gives further scientific backing to what our partner organisations around the world have been telling us: the climate is changing, and not in a good way. Droughts, floods and erratic weather are ruining crops and damaging communities," said Paul Cook, advocacy director at Tearfund.    Maarten van Aalst, director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, said the report underlined how the world has no choice but to adapt to climate change. "For the next few decades, whatever we do to cut greenhouse gas emissions will not stop the climate changing, uncertainties about rainfall and weather extremes heightening, or risks rising,” said van Aalst, who is also a lead author for another forthcoming IPCC report on climate impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.    The summary of the physical science report, released on Friday with the full version to follow, said scientists are virtually certain there will be more frequent hot - and fewer cold - temperature extremes over most land areas as global temperatures increase. It is also very likely heat waves will be more frequent and last longer, they said.    The contrast in precipitation between wet and dry regions, and between wet and dry seasons, will increase, although there may be regional exceptions, according to the document for policy makers, which was approved by 110 governments.    Monsoon precipitation is likely to intensify, and the monsoon season to lengthen in many regions, it said. Droughts are likely to be worse and happen more often by the late 21st century, it added.    It also said global sea levels could rise between 26 and 82 cm (10 to 32 inches) by late this century, driven by melting ice and an expansion of water as it warms, in a threat to coastal settlements. That range is higher than the 18-59 cm estimated in 2007.    Sven Harmeling, climate change advocacy coordinator for the aid group CARE, said the global climate is already reversing efforts to tackle poverty, and the lack of concerted action "is fast becoming the greatest social injustice of our time". He urged more support to protect vulnerable people from disasters and to help them adapt to climate shifts - from farmers in Niger who can no longer rear livestock to poor families in Pakistan who have been battered by monsoon floods several years in a row.    In the future, “there might be some regions where you have a more horrific situation: maybe more droughts and more flooding," he told Thomson Reuters Foundation. "In the longer-term there might be some regions that become uninhabitable."    Aid agencies also emphasised that their worst fears could be avoided if governments, businesses and individuals act on the messages in the IPCC report by cutting greenhouse gas emissions far more deeply and urgently.    “Governments should learn from the mistakes of the global financial crisis where warning signs were ignored and listen to the experts before it is too late," said Tim Gore, head of policy for Oxfam’s Grow Campaign. “They must take actions immediately to slash emissions as well as investing in building the resilience of people in poverty so we can move from the current path facing disaster to higher safer ground."    Oxfam warned in a report earlier this week that climate change will leave families caught in a vicious spiral of falling incomes, rising food prices and declining quality of food, leading to a devastating impact on the health of millions.    The World Resources Institute pointed to the mounting losses from climate-induced crises. “The costs multiply every day. Droughts disrupt food supplies. Rising seas displace populations. Hurricanes and typhoons wreak havoc on communities worldwide,” said WRI president Andrew Steer.    “Climate change is not only profoundly unjust – hurting especially the poor, who have done least to cause it – it is also undermining prospects for future economic growth," he said. He noted that the costs of action on climate change "are modest, and are dwarfed by the costs of inaction".    Other development experts flagged up the rising price paid by people in richer countries across Europe, North America and elsewhere, who are also experiencing more extreme weather events.    "Because of political inertia and powerful vested interests that have dominated media narratives for decades, they are less aware of the links between these impacts and their carbon emissions," said Saleemul Huq, senior fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), who is also a coordinating lead author for the IPCC report on climate adaptation. "Climate change affects us all and we must tackle it together. The time has come for global solidarity."    IIED director Camilla Toulmin stressed that while climate models are still unable to predict impacts at the local level, "everybody is vulnerable in some way".    "This uncertainty about local impacts, coupled with the certainty that impacts will come, is a stark warning that everyone needs to get ready. Citizens and business leaders worldwide need to press governments to act, both at home and on the international stage," she said in a statement.    http://www.trust.org/item/20130927141413-is0d1/?source=dpagehead Visit the related web page
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