Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
19.9
USA
Australia
Canada
Germany
United Kingdom
Japan
Former USSR
Switzerland
China
Latin America
Asia
India
Africa
Bangladesh
World (mean)
19.0
16.7
10.3
9.2
8.9
7.8
6.5
3.6
2.4
1.1
0.6
0.5
0.2
3.8
0
5
10
15
20
25
Annual per capita CO
2
emissions from fuel combustion (t CO
2
)
Source:
IEA, 2003a
Figure 1.7
Annual per capita Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Fuel
Combustion for Different Countries in 2001
•
Heavy precipitation events increased at mid latitudes and far northern
latitudes
•
The frequency and intensity of droughts in Asia and Africa increased in
recent decades.
A detailed prediction of the consequences of the anthropogenic greenhouse
effect is not possible. Climatic models can only give an estimate of what will
happen should the emission of greenhouse gases continue unchecked.
If we do not reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the carbon
dioxide concentration in the atmosphere will more than double by the end of
this century with respect to pre-industrial values. As a result, the mean global
temperature will rise more than 2°C. The currently predicted range is from
+1.4°C to +5.8°C. Such a temperature rise is similar to that between the ice
age of 18,000 years ago and today's warm period. However, the transition
from the last ice age to the current warm period took over 5000 years, but we
are discussing a temperature change that will happen over 100 years.
A temperature rise of +2°C or more than +0.1°C per decade is already a
very critical value, which will cause catastrophic consequences for food
production and ecosystems. Global warming will have a drastic influence on
global forest viability and agriculture. Globally, the lack of food in some
regions will get significantly worse due to a predicted widespread decrease in
