Elizabeth McGowan
May 4 -- Leading scientists from around the world are touting natural
gas, carbon geosequestration, greener buildings, less reliance on
petroleum-powered vehicles and perhaps the cautious adoption of
nuclear energy as ways to dramatically drop the amount of
heat-trapping gases planetwide.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change presented the third section of its four-volume report Friday during a gathering in Bangkok, Thailand. It´s titled "Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change." The IPCC released the first two partsùfocusing on the science and impacts of global climate change ù earlier this year. The report is a six-year effort involving thousands of climate specialists from more than 130 countries.
"Government support through financial contributions, tax credits, standard setting and market creation is important for effective technology development, innovation and deployment," the scientists wrote in emphasizing the need for government participation. "Transfer of technology to developing countries depends on enabling conditions and financing."
Greenhouse gas emissions increased 70 percent between 1970 and 2004, according to the report. Gases rose at varying levels with chief "villain" carbon dioxide ringing in at 80 percent during that timeframe.
Keeping global warming to about 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels ù the "A1" best-case scenario laid out in the report ù means stabilizing carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere at 445 to 490 parts per million. That concentration now stands near 400 parts per million; pre-industrial levels stood at 280 parts per million.
To maintain that ideal scenario, the world´s emissions would have to peak within the next eight years. Then, it would be crucial to reduce emissions between 50 percent and 85 percent of current levels by 2050.
Reducing reliance on fossil fuels need not be cost prohibitive, the report said, noting that stabilizing greenhouse gases between 445 and 535 parts per million could cost less than 3 percent of the global gross domestic product.
Putting a cost on carbon, the report said, would encourage producers and consumers to invest in "greener" products and technologies. Mandating fuel economy, reducing fossil fuel subsidies and investing in renewables and public transportation also were suggested.
Environmental groups worldwide weighed in immediately with mostly cheers for the latest IPCC report.
"After all the bad news from scientists on global warming, today we got some good news," Angela Anderson, vice president for climate programs, for the Washington-based National Environmental Trust, wrote in an e-mail. "The IPCC said that we can avert the worst impacts at a remarkably low price. This newest report confirms that a small investment now is far better than bankrupting the treasury later by trying to build sea walls from Miami to Maine."
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