World Expedition - Index

World Expedition - booklet - Index

� In higher latitudes, cold-related deaths will decrease.
But climate change will increase worldwide deaths
from malnutrition and heat stress. Vector-borne
diseases such as malaria and dengue fever could
become more widespread if effective control
measures are not in place.
� Rising sea levels will result in tens to hundreds of
millions more people flooded each year with
warming of 3 or 4°C. There will be serious risks and
increasing pressures for coastal protection in South
East Asia (Bangladesh and Vietnam), small islands in
the Caribbean and the Pacific, and large coastal
cities, such as Tokyo, New York, Cairo and London.
According to one estimate, by the middle of the
century, 200 million people may become
permanently displaced due to rising sea levels,
heavier floods, and more intense droughts.
� Ecosystems will be particularly vulnerable to climate
change, with around 15 to 40% of species
potentially facing extinction after only 2°C of
warming. And ocean acidification, a direct result of
rising carbon dioxide levels, will have major effects
on marine ecosystems, with possible adverse
consequences on fish stocks.
NOTE: ALL CHANGES IN GLOBAL MEAN TEMPERATURE
ARE EXPRESSED RELATIVE TO PRE-INDUSTRIAL LEVELS
(1750- 1850).
Read the full Stern Review at:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/
stern_review_economics_climate_change/stern_review_report.cfm
is it too late?
The BBC Weather Centre states that “even if we
stopped C0 2 emissions immediately, the effects of what
we've already done would still influence our weather for
years to come.”
However, many commentators suggest that it is not
too late to reduce the extent of the climate change as
well as the rate at which we experience the impact of
climate change. We must act now, on a local and
global scale, to reduce emissions and in turn reduce
the damage we are having on the environment. If we
can slow down the rate of change we will be much
better able to adapt to the changes.
The common message is that there is no rewind button
on climate change; that we must take action now and
we don’t have a lot of room for error and so we must
get it right the first time.
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