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ENN Affiliate News - WRI Warns of Worsening Warming as Climate Treaty Celebrates Tenth Year
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From World Resources Institute
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Frequently Asked Questions
WASHINGTON, DC, March 11, 2004 - The World Resources Institute (WRI)
today expressed disappointment that despite a decade since the ratification of
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the
problem is becoming worse and there has been a collective failure to reduce
the greenhouse gas emissions leading to global warming.
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"We have not made significant progress in curbing global warming in the last
decade. In fact, the latest scientific reports indicate that global warming is
worsening," said Dr. Jonathan Pershing, director of WRI's Climate, Energy and
Pollution Program. "We are quickly moving to the point where the damage will
be irreversible. Unless we act now, the world will be locked in to temperatures
that would cause irreparable harm. To stabilize the atmospheric
concentrations of the greenhouse gases that lead to global warming, we must
ultimately bring net emissions of these gases to near zero."
Leaders from 154 countries signed the UNFCCC with great fanfare during the
1992 Earth Summit in Brazil. It was finally ratified March 21, 1994 and today,
188 countries are signatories. An implementing treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, is
in limbo as Russia remains undecided whether it will ratify it or not. The Bush
Administration has refused to sign it.
Data from WRI's Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) indicate greenhouse
gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, rose 11 percent over the last decade,
and are expected to grow another 50 percent by 2020. Studies indicate that
the hottest years this century occurred since 1990, the date from which the
UNFCCC measures countries' efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The United Kingdom's top scientist, Sir David King, has publicly warned that
the most severe problem facing the world today is climate change. A recent
report commissioned by the US Defense Department concluded that abrupt
climate change from global warming could trigger war among states for food,
water and energy, posing new threats to U.S. national security. A study
released in January in Nature Magazine suggested that up to 37% of all
species in several biologically diverse regions could be driven extinct from the
climate change that is likely to occur between now and 2050.
Dr. David Jhirad, WRI's vice president for research and an international energy
expert, believes that unprecedented technology innovation, policy leadership
and private capital investment will be needed to solve this problem.
"Accelerated development of a portfolio of technologies could stabilize
greenhouse gas concentrations, enhance global energy security, and eradicate
energy poverty. We urgently need the political will and international
cooperation to make this happen," he said.
http://www.enn.com/direct/display-release.asp?objid=D1D1366D000000FB3ADE00D7FC9E1305 (1 of 2)3/13/2004 2:39:38 PM
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ENN Affiliate News - WRI Warns of Worsening Warming as Climate Treaty Celebrates Tenth Year
Dr. Jhirad and Dr. Pershing agree that the world no longer has the luxury of
time in achieving stability and security for the global climate system.
-30The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org/wri) is an environmental
research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth
and improve people's lives.
For more information, contact:
Adlai J. Amor
Media Director
World Resources Institute
10 G. Street, NE
Washington, DC 22203
[email protected]
Web site:
http://newsroom.wri.org
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http://www.enn.com/direct/display-release.asp?objid=D1D1366D000000FB3ADE00D7FC9E1305 (2 of 2)3/13/2004 2:39:38 PM