Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Conclusions
Climate change is one of the few areas of science that makes us examine the whole basis of
modern society. It is a subject that has politicians arguing, sets nations against each other,
queries individual choices of lifestyle, and ultimately asks questions about humanity's rela-
tionship with the rest of the planet. There is very little doubt that climate change will accel-
erate in this century; our best estimates suggest a global mean surface temperature rise of
between 2.8°C and 5.4°C by the end of the 21st century. Sea level is projected to rise by
between 52 cm and 98 cm by 2100 with significant changes in weather patterns, and more
extreme climate events. This is not the end of the world as was envisaged by many envir-
onmentalists in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but it does mean a huge rise in misery for
billions of people.
42. USA Today cartoon of the Copenhagen climate conference
Climate change is the major challenge for our global society. We should not underestimate
the work that ahead of us in this regard. Despite 30 years of climate change negotiations
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