Warned about climate

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, composed of hundreds of eminent scientists and climatologists, has just adopted its Fifth Assessment Report on climate change (November 1) based on findings and conclusions of three working groups. 

In it, the panel issued a stern warning to policy makers in the world to reverse the tide of global warming as soon as possible or face irreversible and irreparable damage to our planet.

The report presented an integrated view on climate change by monitoring the climate, especially since the 1950s.

It established that the human influence on the climate system is clear and unquestionable.

The findings of the panel also confirmed that anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases have reached their highest level in history — no surprise here either, what with the technological “developments” that are clearly not “nature friendly”.

The report concluded that climate warming is “unequivocal”, seeing that the warming of the atmosphere and oceans is for certain, that the amount of snow and ice has diminished and the sea level has risen.

The panel warned that unless the cycle of climate warming is reversed, the “likelihood of severe, pervasive and irresponsible impacts on peoples and the ecosystem” could reach the point of no return.

This is not the first time that a panel on climate change has issued warnings. It will not be the last, alas, seeing that there are still many sceptics among us and that most “discoveries” that make life easier are also a bane for nature.

The message is clear: The world has to substantially reduce gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide, fast enough or else face the likelihood that planet Earth would become uninhabitable.

The remedy lies in the rapid shift from fossil fuel to greater reliance on renewable forms of energy, like the solar and wind.

This challenge must be met by all nations, big and small, developed or developing.

The effort to save the planet from the projected dangers must be exerted by all peoples and governments.

Action has to be taken swiftly and globally.

Jordan is heeding the warnings about climate change and has embarked on a plan to introduce solar and wind forms of energy.

Other countries need to address the issue, dealing with it as a matter of the highest urgency.

No nation will be spared the wrath of nature. We are all in it, together.