World Faces Decades of Climate Change Chaos
 

World Faces Decades of Climate chaos, outgoing Chief Scientific Adviser Warns

The world faces decades of turbulent weather even if it takes drastic action to tackle climate change, the Government's chief scientific adviser said today in a final stark warning as he prepares to step down.

The Telegraph, UK, 29 March 2013


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Professor Sir John Beddington, the Government's chief scientific adviser

Professor Sir John Beddington said that time lags in the climate system meant that accumulations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere now will determine the weather we experience for the next 25 years.

Climate change is already manifesting itself in huge variations in the weather, clearly illustrated by the way Britain experienced both drought and extreme rainfall last year, he said.

The scientist said that the international community’s failure to agree binding targets for cutting carbon emissions meant problems were being stored up for the future.

“They may reach agreement, and they may start to reduce greenhouse gases in the next five years, or it may be a little longer,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“But they are still climbing, and when that increase is reversed, we will be left with the weather and the climate for the next 25 years from whenever that happens.”

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