Stern warning!

OK, someone sooner or later would 'play' on the name. But the points raised by the recent economic report on global climate change commissioned in the UK is not a joke.

Ignoring global warming may & some say will result in an economic nightmare. The report scientists, politicians and economists have been giving their reactions to the report by Sir Nicholas Stern. For example, the former World Bank chief economist has warned that global warming could shrink the global economy by 20%.

An important statement and one that sends some spinal shudders has been made by Professor Bill McGuir from the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre, he says, 'The scariest thing about the Stern report is that it may not be scary enough. If we lose the Greenland ice sheet in the next few centuries, leading to a 7 metre rise in sea level - as well we might - then Stern's £3.68 trillion will be a drop in the ocean compared to the ultimate cost of climate change'.

Of deep concern is the lack of co-ordinated global effort. As many of us know the major contributors to pollution (especially industrial/commercial and domestic) have refused to sign-up to the Kyoto agreement.

Worrying still is the continue denial that they are contributors, stating that statistics may be wrong.

Although there are some that continue to state that regardless of the effects of pollution, the Earth is changing anyway, I would have thought that it would be better not to make things worse.

Renewalable energy sources and harnessing natural systems requires commitment and investment. It is awful to see wastage too, for example, office lights left on in empty lifeless buildings for hours on end.

Satellite evidence – What more do we need to change our ways?

Satellite Pictures show that Greenland is currently losing about 100 billion tonnes of ice a year and that much of the ice is being lost from southeast Greenland.

US space agency (NASA) scientists have undertaken a new assessment of the rate of melting occurring on the great ice sheet that covers the region.

Their data comes from satellites that detect changes in mass by monitoring tiny fluctuations in the pull of gravity as they fly over the Earth. The results indicate that Greenland lost about 100 billion metric tonnes (or gigatonnes, Gt) of ice per year from 2003 to 2005. Other estimates for the same period have been close to 240 Gt of ice.

Although some figures show stabilization over certain years and also centralized snow fall, the common denominator is that change is happening.

Interestingly, NASA – An institution is clearly showing evidence of change, yet the politicians of the day, refuse to keep their own house in order. I really hope that it is not to late for the world. Collectively we should be proactive in wanting to save lives and anything we can do as a world community to assure our current and future survival has to be worth investing in - rather than taxing us on past oversights!

Ironically, the world continues to import massive shipments from China, comprising of our love for consumer goods, yet it finds difficultly in understanding that associated industrial processes WILL add to a possible nightmare for all.