Global warming; the recent developments

Introduction The year 2010 is probably one of the hottest years ever recorded, according to information published earlier this week by The World Meteorological Organization (WMO).1 Also, until the 10th of December, politicians all over the world are meeting in Cancn at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in order to discuss the Kyoto protocol and climate change. Rex Murphy asks himself in his article in the National Post if this is The last global warming conference ever? The author comments on global warming and shows a strong opinion regarding achievements of the conferences so far. In this essay, firstly, recent developments in global warming will be treated. Then, critique on the climate conference will be presented and some alternatives to it will be introduced. Global warming Murphy starts his article with the current weather conditions in Britain. As the article continues he seems to be rather sceptical about the necessity of a climate change conference and the importance given to the Kyoto protocol by its participating members. However, the recent developments of global warming have considerable enough effects to be taken in account. According to the WMO the temperature in the past decennium has augmented by 0.45C above the average that was recorded for the time range 1961-1999; the highest value yet recorded for a ten year period.

The data of November and December were not yet included.

At the same time, Western Europe is facing difficult weather conditions and temperatures of nearly -10 degrees. The beginning of 2010 was perceived as very cold in West Europe and Russia and it seems that end of the year will continue that pattern. However, the first quarter of 2010 was notably warm in Canada and Greenland. Actually, the average global temperature from January till March was the fourth highest one recorded. Also, the paradoxical fact that the northern regions are having more severe winters, due to global warming, is being sustained by a recent study conducted by the Potsdam Institute of Climate Research.2 An UN panel of climate scientists have determined that the increase in the global temperatures will lead to more unstable weather conditions an therefore we can expect more floods, droughts, heat waves and rising sea level worldwide. Therefore, there is a need for a globally conference upon environmental matters and the usefulness or its existence should not be doubted as the next conference is scheduled in 2011 in Durban, South Africa. Critique on Climate Conference Murphys article also comments on The United Nations Climate Conference, which is being held in Cancn until the 10th of December. During the climate conference the Kyoto protocol is being discussed and the current developments of climate change. Murphy criticizes the fact that the conference is being held in a warm place, such as
2

A link between reduced Barents-Kara sea ice and cold winter extremes over northern continents by Petoukhov & Semenov (2010). According to Petoukhov shrinking sea ice in the eastern Arctic has caused some regional warming of lower air levels and could possibly lead to anomalies in atmospheric airstreams, which may trigger an overall cooling of the northern continents. These anomalies could triple the probability of cold winter extremes in Europe and northern Asia.

Cancn. However, this does not seem a reasonable argument against the climate conference as last year it was organized in Copenhagen and in 2008 in Poznan. Indeed, eventually the event was going to be organized in a warm place. The author also seems to be very sceptical about the global warming due to Climategate 3 and to the failure of last years Climate Conference in order to meet a binding agreement. The main idea of the Kyoto protocol was to impose a cap-and-trade system that would impose international and national limits on greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement did not turn into a binding commitment, even though almost every country in the world approved it, mainly because the participating countries could not agree upon who would pay a higher cost for power. Also, the targets of the protocol have proven to be too ambitious to be reached within the set time limit. Some alternatives New methods for trying to reach an agreement upon measures against global warming should be researched upon. W. Nordhaus (2009) seems to agree with the article in the National Post upon the matter that Kyoto model is unlikely to achieve its objectives efficiently and effectively. He pleads for a harmonized international carbon tax, rather than the capand-trade system in order to give a response to the threat of climate change. According to him a carbon-tax model provides a friendly way for countries to join a
climate treaty (9; 2009).

T. Nordhaus and Shellenberger (2010) also acknowledge that past negotiations have not been very successful, but they plead for a rethinking on climate change. Some of their proposals are to make investing in new clean-energy technologies cheaper, rather than raising the price of fossil fuels. Also, they think that the best way to address climate problems is by focussing on an agreement between the worlds largest 20 economies, rather than using UN for reaching a pact.
3

Climategate is the leak out of the e-mails of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU), stating inter alia that information of global warming sceptici should be withheld. However, to the Scientific Assesment Panel of the University of East Anglia has concluded that no erroneus information was made public regarding global warming by the CRU.

Conclusion Global warming is an ongoing process that affects world widely the climate. The Kyoto protocol was adopted by the UN in order to fight global warming. However, no binding agreements were made due to disagreements upon who was responsible for paying for the greenhouse gas emissions. The current form of the protocol has proven neither to be efficient nor effective. Therefore, an (revised) environmental treaty is needed in order to control to some extent effectively global warming.

References Misstear, R. (2010, December 4). Expert says global warming could bring colder weather to Wales. Walesonline.co.uk http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/12/04/expert-says-globalwarming-could-bring-colder-weather-to-wales-91466-27765623/ Murphy, R. (2010, December 4). The last global warming conference ever?. National Post http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/last+global+warming+conference+e ver/3927517/story.html N/A (2010, April 12). 'No malpractice' by climate unit. BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8618024.stm N/A (2010, December 2). A cold warming - How Britains cold winters fit into climate change. Weather and climate. The Economist. http://www.economist.com/node/17627251?story_id=17627251 N/A (2010, November 17). Climate change could mean cold winters. RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1952080/climate_change_could_mean_colder _winters Nordhaus, W.D. (2009, March 10-12), Economic Issues in a Designing a Global Agreement on Global Warming - Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges, and Decision. Nordhaus, T. & Shellenberger M. (2010, November 29), How to Change the Global Energy Conersation?. The Wall Street Journal. Petoukhov, V.& Semenov, V. (2010), A link between reduced Barents-Kara sea ice and cold winter extremes over northern continents. Journal of geophysical research, Vol. 115, D21111. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change http://unfccc.int/2860.php World Meteorological Organization (2010, December 3), 2010 in the top three warmest years, 2001-2010 warmest 10-year period. http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/news/index_en.html Wyatt, C. (2010, November 15). Durban to host COP17. Conference & Incentive Travel http://www.citmagazine.com/News/MostEmailed/1040957/Durban-host-COP17