Aussie scientist: Greenhouse gases worse

October 9, 2007

Top Australian conservation scientist Tim Flannery says the global level of greenhouse gases is now far worse than predicted.

Speaking on an Australian Broadcasting Corp. TV program, Flannery warned that huge industrial and economic changes had to be made quickly to slow the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Flannery, the "Australian of the Year," revealed some details of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, due for release next month.

He said the report will show that by mid-2005 greenhouse gas levels had already reached levels deemed to be dangerous,.

"We've really seen an unexpected acceleration in the rate of accumulation of CO2 (carbon dioxide) itself," he said.

"I mean it's beyond the worst-case scenario as we thought of it in 2001 and some other gases also have been produced on a larger scale than had been imagined."

Flannery said the IPCC report " establishes that the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is already above the threshold that could potentially cause dangerous climate change."

"What it says is that we already stand an unacceptable risk of dangerous climate change and that the need for action is ever more urgent," he said.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International


print this article email this article download pdf blog this article bookmark this article     Stumble it Digg this share on Facebook retweet share on Reddit add to delicious
Rate this story - 3.6 /5 (15 votes)

Rank Filter

Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.


Display comments: newest first


October 9, 2007 all stories

Comments: 2

3.6 /5 (15 votes)
  • Stumble this up

  • Digg this

  • share this

  • hide
  • Related Stories

  • How much is nature worth?
    created Nov 13, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Denmark urges agreement on climate change funds
    created Oct 23, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Poll: US belief in global warming is cooling
    created Oct 23, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • New study predicts future consequences of a global biofuels program
    created Oct 22, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Professor calculates a cooler planet
    created Oct 20, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0



  • hide
  • Relevant PhysicsForums posts

Other News

Optical properties of the Antarctic system and new radiation information

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created 44 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

The Antarctic system comprises of the continent itself, Antarctica, and the ocean surrounding it, the Southern Ocean. In a study for a doctoral degree by geophysicist Kai Rasmus, University of Helsinki, Finland, measurements ...


MIT scientists pinpoint origin of dissolved arsenic in Bangladesh drinking water

Scientists pinpoint origin of dissolved arsenic in Bangladesh drinking water

Space & Earth / Environment

created 23 hours ago | popularity 4.7 / 5 (16) | comments 0

Researchers in MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering believe they have pinpointed a pathway by which arsenic may be contaminating the drinking water in Bangladesh, a phenomenon that has puzzled ...


NASA fuels space shuttle Atlantis for liftoff (AP)

NASA fuels space shuttle Atlantis for liftoff

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created 7 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(AP) -- NASA is fueling space shuttle Atlantis for its afternoon liftoff.


Warmer means windier on world's biggest lake

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created 23 hours ago | popularity 3.8 / 5 (5) | comments 0

Rising water temperatures are kicking up more powerful winds on Lake Superior, with consequences for currents, biological cycles, pollution and more on the world's largest lake and its smaller brethren.


Geeky 'tweeters' to report on space shuttle launch (AP)

Geeky 'tweeters' to report on space shuttle launch

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created 22 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(AP) -- Fingers will be flying when space shuttle Atlantis blasts off Monday: About 100 of NASA's geekiest fans will be on hand, pecking away at iPhones, BlackBerrys, laptops and other Twittering gadgets.