Source:
The GuardianCarbon output rising faster than forecast, says study· Global warming 'will come sooner and be stronger'
· Chinese growth and loss of natural 'sinks' highlighted
David Adam, environment correspondentThe Guardian Tuesday October 23 2007
Scientists warned last night that global warming will
be "stronger than expected and sooner than expected",
after a new analysis showed carbon dioxide is
accumulating in the atmosphere much faster than
predicted.
Experts said that the rise was down to soaring economic
development in China, and a reduction in the amount of
carbon pollution soaked up by the world's land and
oceans. It also means human emissions will have to be
cut more sharply than predicted to avoid the likely
effects.
Corinne Le Quere, a climate expert at the University
of East Anglia and British Antarctic Survey, who helped
conduct the study, said: "It's bad news because the
increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide has accelerated
since 2000 in a way we did not expect. My biggest
worry is people are discouraged by this and do nothing.
I hope political leaders will act on this, because we
need to do something fast."
The study worsens even the gloomy predictions of this
year's report from the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change. The IPCC, which shared the Nobel
peace prize this month with Al Gore, said there were
only eight years left to prevent the worst effects of
global warming, by acting to curb emissions.
-snip-Read more:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/oct/23/climatechange.carbonemissions