The 2009 IMEX exhibition, showcasing incentive travel, meetings, and event suppliers from around the globe, wrapped up at the end of May in Frankfurt, Germany. Green meeting issues were front and center at the show, with an awards program and IMEX’s own environmental initiatives worthy of note.
The IMEX Green Awards, given in partnership with the Green Meeting Industry Council, recognize outstanding achievement for Green Meetings, Green Suppliers, and Green Exhibitors, as well as Commitment to the Community.
The Gold Award in the Green Meetings category went to the U.S. Green Building Council (also the winner in 2006) for its 2008 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo held in Boston. Judges noted that the conference stood out for its success motivating suppliers to support its green initiatives and for its understanding of how to track and measure environmental targets. USGBC is the first North American group to have its entire meeting management department certified through BS 8901 (a British sustainable event certification).
The 2008 Oracle OpenWorld Conference, a San Francisco citywide that attracted 40,000 attendees and used 85 hotels, earned the Green Meetings Silver Award, with standout energy- and paper-saving efforts. Underscoring the idea that some of the smartest green ideas are free, the judges commended OpenWorld for, among other things, making sure all desktop computer monitors at the conference were shut down each night.
Two Australian convention centers took home the Green Supplier Awards. Gold went to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Silver to the Adelaide Convention Centre. Melbourne’s center, the only facility to earn a six-star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, stood out for its use of energy-saving technologies, including a solar hot-water system and an efficient lighting system with built-in motion detection.
Estoril Congress Center, located a short drive from Lisbon, Spain, was honored with the Green Exhibitor Award, given to an organization exhibiting at IMEX. The center was acknowledged for a new booth design and for purchasing carbon offsets for its freight and corporate travel, among other things.
IMEX itself has continued to make environmental progress, this year introducing badge lanyards made from plant silk, hiring biodiesel courtesy buses, and reusing surplus food. Last year, IMEX began using compostable badges and hydroelectric power, and, according to its first-ever independent environmental audit, reduced its per-delegate carbon emissions by 6.3 percent.
A related IMEX award, Commitment to the Community, recognizes the influence event planners can have on corporate social responsibility initiatives, both in terms of steering client behavior and being role models. U.K.–based events company World Events won IMEX’s Commitment to the Community award for the second year in a row, this time in recognition of its work on a conference in Malta for pharmaceutical company Allergan.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Nisar demands withdrawal of ‘black’ carbon tax
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday described the imposition of Carbon Tax as “Jagga tax’, saying it had been imposed to counter the Supreme Court’s order to reduce the petroleum prices. “It is a black tax that should be withdrawn immediately,” he said.
Opening the budget debate in the National Assembly, Ch Nisar also reminded the government of its promise of undoing the 17th Constitutional Amendment and making parliament the epicentre of power rather than the Presidency.
In his 80-minute speech, he criticised the government for ‘confused’ economic policies, delaying the formation of the parliamentary committee for repealing the controversial 17th Amendment and increasing the budgetary allocations for the Prime Minister’s House and Presidency.
Describing the budget as a replica of the Musharraf government, Chaudhry Nisar said the government had placed a heavy burden of Rs 200 billion hidden taxes on the people. He also criticised the government for assigning the exercise of preparing the budget to advisers and then asking an elected person to read out the budget speech. “In parliament, the budget was presented by the minister of state for finance while in the media other persons explained the budget,” he added.
Chaudhry Nisar also came down heavily on President Asif Ali Zardari for addressing the nation past midnight to announce the raise in the salaries of armed forces personnel just a few hours before the presentation of the budget in the National Assembly. “Those who so advised the president and the government were not sincere with them. It is the prerogative of the prime minister rather than the president,” he added.
He also questioned the government’s non-serious attitude towards probing the assassination of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also censured the government for not taking action against the military dictator who defamed the politicians. He said General Musharraf purchased a flat in London worth millions of pounds. “If a politician purchases such a flat, it becomes a big scandal, but retired generals get away with it,” he added.
He said that the 17th Amendment could be repealed within a few hours but the government had not been able to do so in 15 months. It has even failed to form a parliamentary committee to move in this direction.
Stressing the need to turn parliament into the real power centre, he said: “We want to strengthen parliament rather than the Presidency.”He said the government had given the National Assembly 10 days to pass the budget. “Please don’t take parliament for granted,” he added.
He questioned the wisdom of relying on the promises of the Friends of Pakistan for $5 billion inflows failing which the government would have to go back to the IMF for standby arrangements. He said the withdrawal of subsidies would burden the common man.
He said there was a deficit of Rs 722 billion in the budget, which was to be met by borrowing from the Friends of Pakistan forum or the IMF on hard conditions. He stressed the need for concrete steps to stabilise the economy, strengthen the industrial sector and to boost exports.
He demanded effective steps to eradicate poverty and unemployment and to control the price hike. He suggested that non-development expenditure should be curtailed and maximum funds should be made available for health and education.
He also came down hard on those retired generals who fully supported General Musharraf but were now criticising his policies. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan clarified that during the Long March, he did not receive any phone call from any general. He said that it was the prime minister’s call in which he told him that the government had in principle decided to restore the judges.
The opposition leader also asked the government to bring the Iran-Pakistan pipeline project before parliament for debate. Presenting his proposals for the budget, Chaudhry Nisar demanded reduction in interest rate, industrial revival package, strengthening of the regulatory institutions such as Nepra, OGRA etc, raise spending on education and health and restoration of PLD on the petroleum products rather than carbon tax.After his speech, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza clarified that the process of formation of the committee was in final stages and would be completed in a few days.
The speaker said the National Assembly adopted a resolution and assigned her the responsibility to form the committee. “Being the custodian of the House, I am only facilitating the House and holding consultation with 15 parliamentary leaders of both the houses of parliament. There were some issues that have been settled and now the committee would be announced within the next few days,” she said.
Defending the budget, Minister for Privatisation Syed Naveed Qamar said a number of incentives had been proposed in the new budget for the alleviation of poverty and promotion of education and health sectors. He said as a result of wide-ranging steps taken by the government in the outgoing year, the economy was stabilised and trade deficit, budget deficit and current account deficit had narrowed down. He said the government had been able to reduce the inflation rate from 25 per cent to about 12 per cent and hopefully it would come down to single digit by December this year. Referring to the demand for the agriculture tax, the minister said under the Constitution the federal government could not impose this tax as it was the domain of provincial assemblies.
Opening the budget debate in the National Assembly, Ch Nisar also reminded the government of its promise of undoing the 17th Constitutional Amendment and making parliament the epicentre of power rather than the Presidency.
In his 80-minute speech, he criticised the government for ‘confused’ economic policies, delaying the formation of the parliamentary committee for repealing the controversial 17th Amendment and increasing the budgetary allocations for the Prime Minister’s House and Presidency.
Describing the budget as a replica of the Musharraf government, Chaudhry Nisar said the government had placed a heavy burden of Rs 200 billion hidden taxes on the people. He also criticised the government for assigning the exercise of preparing the budget to advisers and then asking an elected person to read out the budget speech. “In parliament, the budget was presented by the minister of state for finance while in the media other persons explained the budget,” he added.
Chaudhry Nisar also came down heavily on President Asif Ali Zardari for addressing the nation past midnight to announce the raise in the salaries of armed forces personnel just a few hours before the presentation of the budget in the National Assembly. “Those who so advised the president and the government were not sincere with them. It is the prerogative of the prime minister rather than the president,” he added.
He also questioned the government’s non-serious attitude towards probing the assassination of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also censured the government for not taking action against the military dictator who defamed the politicians. He said General Musharraf purchased a flat in London worth millions of pounds. “If a politician purchases such a flat, it becomes a big scandal, but retired generals get away with it,” he added.
He said that the 17th Amendment could be repealed within a few hours but the government had not been able to do so in 15 months. It has even failed to form a parliamentary committee to move in this direction.
Stressing the need to turn parliament into the real power centre, he said: “We want to strengthen parliament rather than the Presidency.”He said the government had given the National Assembly 10 days to pass the budget. “Please don’t take parliament for granted,” he added.
He questioned the wisdom of relying on the promises of the Friends of Pakistan for $5 billion inflows failing which the government would have to go back to the IMF for standby arrangements. He said the withdrawal of subsidies would burden the common man.
He said there was a deficit of Rs 722 billion in the budget, which was to be met by borrowing from the Friends of Pakistan forum or the IMF on hard conditions. He stressed the need for concrete steps to stabilise the economy, strengthen the industrial sector and to boost exports.
He demanded effective steps to eradicate poverty and unemployment and to control the price hike. He suggested that non-development expenditure should be curtailed and maximum funds should be made available for health and education.
He also came down hard on those retired generals who fully supported General Musharraf but were now criticising his policies. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan clarified that during the Long March, he did not receive any phone call from any general. He said that it was the prime minister’s call in which he told him that the government had in principle decided to restore the judges.
The opposition leader also asked the government to bring the Iran-Pakistan pipeline project before parliament for debate. Presenting his proposals for the budget, Chaudhry Nisar demanded reduction in interest rate, industrial revival package, strengthening of the regulatory institutions such as Nepra, OGRA etc, raise spending on education and health and restoration of PLD on the petroleum products rather than carbon tax.After his speech, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza clarified that the process of formation of the committee was in final stages and would be completed in a few days.
The speaker said the National Assembly adopted a resolution and assigned her the responsibility to form the committee. “Being the custodian of the House, I am only facilitating the House and holding consultation with 15 parliamentary leaders of both the houses of parliament. There were some issues that have been settled and now the committee would be announced within the next few days,” she said.
Defending the budget, Minister for Privatisation Syed Naveed Qamar said a number of incentives had been proposed in the new budget for the alleviation of poverty and promotion of education and health sectors. He said as a result of wide-ranging steps taken by the government in the outgoing year, the economy was stabilised and trade deficit, budget deficit and current account deficit had narrowed down. He said the government had been able to reduce the inflation rate from 25 per cent to about 12 per cent and hopefully it would come down to single digit by December this year. Referring to the demand for the agriculture tax, the minister said under the Constitution the federal government could not impose this tax as it was the domain of provincial assemblies.
Global warming study: US has already started changing
A new government study of global warming confirms that climate change caused by carbon dioxide is already having a "visible impact" on the United States, and severe problems are on the way -- including longer droughts, more floods and an increase in pests like mosquitoes -- if global warming continues unchecked.
The report by the Global Change Research Project, a consortium of government agencies like the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, also directly links climate change to carbon dioxide generated by humans, and warns that severe environmental problems, from coastal flooding to a rise in diseases threatening the human food chain, will only get worse.
"This new report integrates the most up-to-date scientific findings into a comprehensive picture of the ongoing as well as expected future impacts of heat-trapping pollution on the climate experienced by Americans," said John P. Holdren, Assisstant to the President for Science and Technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
"It tells us why remedial action is needed sooner rather than later, as well as showing why that action must include both global emissions reductions to reduce the extent of climate change and local adaptation measures to reduce the damage from the changes that are no longer avoidable."
In light of the report, Representative Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat and chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, announced he would hold a series of “impact hearings” on the conclusions the study has reached. The first hearing will be held this Thursday on the impacts of a warming world on America’s agriculture and forests
"This report reinforces the science, renews our dedication to forging a national solution, and relegates the last bastions of climate denial to the dustbin of history,” Markey said in a statement issued yesterday. “We waited for eight years to take any action on global warming, even as the evidence mounted. Our economy, our environment, and our planet can wait no longer."
According to the study, temperatures in the United States have already risen 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900, and the farming season now starts two weeks earlier. In addition, heavy downpours in the last 50 years have increased 67 percent in the Northeast and 31 percent in the Midwest, triggering record floods.
If climate change is not seriously addressed, according to the report, temperatures worldwide could increase 11 degrees Fahrenheit, with even greater overall increases in the United States, and heat waves will be more prolonged and intense. The higher temperatures will increase the number of pests like mosquitoes, weeds will grow faster, and diseases will threaten livestock and agriculture as well as human health.
At the same time, according to the report, droughts will last longer, competition for resources will increase and the nation's coastal area will be threatened due to rising sea levels and more powerful storm surges during hurricanes and other extremely violent weather. By the year 2100, the report predicts, Cape Canaveral and the Everglades, two Florida landmarks, could be completely submerged.
The answer, according to the report, is twofold: take immediate action to curb production of carbon dioxide and come up with ways to cope with -- or take advantage of -- the changes that will likely occur.
"Both of these are necessary elements of an effective response strategy," said Jerry Melillo of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., who co-chaired the report.
The report by the Global Change Research Project, a consortium of government agencies like the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, also directly links climate change to carbon dioxide generated by humans, and warns that severe environmental problems, from coastal flooding to a rise in diseases threatening the human food chain, will only get worse.
"This new report integrates the most up-to-date scientific findings into a comprehensive picture of the ongoing as well as expected future impacts of heat-trapping pollution on the climate experienced by Americans," said John P. Holdren, Assisstant to the President for Science and Technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
"It tells us why remedial action is needed sooner rather than later, as well as showing why that action must include both global emissions reductions to reduce the extent of climate change and local adaptation measures to reduce the damage from the changes that are no longer avoidable."
In light of the report, Representative Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat and chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, announced he would hold a series of “impact hearings” on the conclusions the study has reached. The first hearing will be held this Thursday on the impacts of a warming world on America’s agriculture and forests
"This report reinforces the science, renews our dedication to forging a national solution, and relegates the last bastions of climate denial to the dustbin of history,” Markey said in a statement issued yesterday. “We waited for eight years to take any action on global warming, even as the evidence mounted. Our economy, our environment, and our planet can wait no longer."
According to the study, temperatures in the United States have already risen 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900, and the farming season now starts two weeks earlier. In addition, heavy downpours in the last 50 years have increased 67 percent in the Northeast and 31 percent in the Midwest, triggering record floods.
If climate change is not seriously addressed, according to the report, temperatures worldwide could increase 11 degrees Fahrenheit, with even greater overall increases in the United States, and heat waves will be more prolonged and intense. The higher temperatures will increase the number of pests like mosquitoes, weeds will grow faster, and diseases will threaten livestock and agriculture as well as human health.
At the same time, according to the report, droughts will last longer, competition for resources will increase and the nation's coastal area will be threatened due to rising sea levels and more powerful storm surges during hurricanes and other extremely violent weather. By the year 2100, the report predicts, Cape Canaveral and the Everglades, two Florida landmarks, could be completely submerged.
The answer, according to the report, is twofold: take immediate action to curb production of carbon dioxide and come up with ways to cope with -- or take advantage of -- the changes that will likely occur.
"Both of these are necessary elements of an effective response strategy," said Jerry Melillo of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., who co-chaired the report.
How Will Climate Change Affect Where You Live?
One of the interesting aspects of the administration’s climate change report released today is its emphasis on how global warming is affecting or is projected to touch every corner of the United States. A few location-specific details were mentioned in the press conference – how trout in the Northwest can’t thrive when air temperatures rise above 70 degrees F., for instance. But an online section offers more localized information: It divides the country into eight areas and lets you click on your region to see possible impacts.
After all, as long-time Monitor science reporter Bob Cowen pointed out in a column yesterday, adapting to climate change depends on site-specific knowledge.
Here’s some of what the “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States” report sees as already happening in various parts of the country and predicts will occur unless changes are made:
Alaska
– Longer summers and higher temperatures are causing drier conditions, even in the absence of strong trends in precipitation.
– Insect outbreaks and wildfires are increasing with warming.
– Lakes are declining in area.
– Thawing permafrost damages roads, runways, water and sewer systems, and other infrastructure.
– Coastal storms increase risks to villages and fishing fleets.
– Displacement of marine species will affect key fisheries.
Northwest
– Declining springtime snowpack leads to reduced summer streamflows, straining water supplies.
– Increased insect outbreaks, wildfires, and changing species composition in forests will pose challenges for ecosystems and the forest products industry.
– Salmon and other coldwater species will experience additional stresses as a result of rising water temperatures and declining summer streamflows.
– The projected reduction in snow cover will adversely affect winter recreation and the industries that rely upon it.
– Sea-level rise along vulnerable coastlines will result in increased erosion and the loss of land.
Southwest
– Water supplies will become increasingly scarce, calling for trade-offs among competing uses, and potentially leading to conflict.
– Increasing temperature, drought, wildfire, and invasive species will accelerate transformation of the landscape.
– Increased frequency and altered timing of flooding will increase risks to people, ecosystems, and infrastructure.
– Unique tourism and recreation opportunities are likely to suffer.
– Cities and agriculture face increasing risks from a changing climate
Great Plains
– Projected increases in temperature, evaporation, and drought frequency add to concerns about the region’s declining water resources.
– Agriculture, ranching, and natural lands, already under pressure due to an increasingly limited water supply, are very likely to also be stressed by rising temperatures.
– Climate change is likely to affect native plant and animal species by altering key habitats such as the wetland ecosystems known as prairie potholes or playa lakes.
– Ongoing shifts in the region’s population from rural areas to urban centers will interact with a changing climate, resulting in a variety of consequences
Midwest
– Projected increases in temperature, evaporation, and drought frequency add to concerns about the region’s declining water resources.
– Agriculture, ranching, and natural lands, already under pressure due to an increasingly limited water supply, are very likely to also be stressed by rising temperatures.
– Climate change is likely to affect native plant and animal species by altering key habitats such as the wetland ecosystems known as prairie potholes or playa lakes.
– Ongoing shifts in the region’s population from rural areas to urban centers will interact with a changing climate, resulting in a variety of consequences.
Northeast
– Extreme heat and declining air quality are likely to pose increasing problems for human health, especially in urban areas.
– Agricultural production, including dairy, fruit, and maple syrup, are likely to be adversely affected as favorable climates shift.
– Severe flooding due to sea-level rise and heavy downpours is likely to occur more frequently.
– The projected reduction in snow cover will adversely affect winter recreation and the industries that rely upon it.
– The center of lobster fisheries is projected to continue its northward shift and the cod fishery on Georges Bank is likely to be diminished.
Southeast
– Projected increases in air and water temperatures will cause heat-related stresses for people, plants, and animals.
– Decreased water availability is very likely to affect the region’s economy as well as its natural systems.
– Sea-level rise and the likely increase in hurricane intensity and associated storm surge will be among the most serious consequences of climate change.
– Ecological thresholds are likely to be crossed throughout the region, causing major disruptions to ecosystems and to the benefits they provide to people.
– Quality of life will be affected by increasing heat stress, water scarcity, severe weather events, and reduced availability of insurance for at-risk properties.
Islands (in the Pacific and the Caribbean)
– The availability of freshwater is likely to be reduced, with significant implications for island communities, economies, and resources.
– Island communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems are vulnerable to coastal inundation due to sea-level rise and coastal storms.
– Climate changes affecting coastal and marine ecosystems will have major implications for tourism and fisheries.
After all, as long-time Monitor science reporter Bob Cowen pointed out in a column yesterday, adapting to climate change depends on site-specific knowledge.
Here’s some of what the “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States” report sees as already happening in various parts of the country and predicts will occur unless changes are made:
Alaska
– Longer summers and higher temperatures are causing drier conditions, even in the absence of strong trends in precipitation.
– Insect outbreaks and wildfires are increasing with warming.
– Lakes are declining in area.
– Thawing permafrost damages roads, runways, water and sewer systems, and other infrastructure.
– Coastal storms increase risks to villages and fishing fleets.
– Displacement of marine species will affect key fisheries.
Northwest
– Declining springtime snowpack leads to reduced summer streamflows, straining water supplies.
– Increased insect outbreaks, wildfires, and changing species composition in forests will pose challenges for ecosystems and the forest products industry.
– Salmon and other coldwater species will experience additional stresses as a result of rising water temperatures and declining summer streamflows.
– The projected reduction in snow cover will adversely affect winter recreation and the industries that rely upon it.
– Sea-level rise along vulnerable coastlines will result in increased erosion and the loss of land.
Southwest
– Water supplies will become increasingly scarce, calling for trade-offs among competing uses, and potentially leading to conflict.
– Increasing temperature, drought, wildfire, and invasive species will accelerate transformation of the landscape.
– Increased frequency and altered timing of flooding will increase risks to people, ecosystems, and infrastructure.
– Unique tourism and recreation opportunities are likely to suffer.
– Cities and agriculture face increasing risks from a changing climate
Great Plains
– Projected increases in temperature, evaporation, and drought frequency add to concerns about the region’s declining water resources.
– Agriculture, ranching, and natural lands, already under pressure due to an increasingly limited water supply, are very likely to also be stressed by rising temperatures.
– Climate change is likely to affect native plant and animal species by altering key habitats such as the wetland ecosystems known as prairie potholes or playa lakes.
– Ongoing shifts in the region’s population from rural areas to urban centers will interact with a changing climate, resulting in a variety of consequences
Midwest
– Projected increases in temperature, evaporation, and drought frequency add to concerns about the region’s declining water resources.
– Agriculture, ranching, and natural lands, already under pressure due to an increasingly limited water supply, are very likely to also be stressed by rising temperatures.
– Climate change is likely to affect native plant and animal species by altering key habitats such as the wetland ecosystems known as prairie potholes or playa lakes.
– Ongoing shifts in the region’s population from rural areas to urban centers will interact with a changing climate, resulting in a variety of consequences.
Northeast
– Extreme heat and declining air quality are likely to pose increasing problems for human health, especially in urban areas.
– Agricultural production, including dairy, fruit, and maple syrup, are likely to be adversely affected as favorable climates shift.
– Severe flooding due to sea-level rise and heavy downpours is likely to occur more frequently.
– The projected reduction in snow cover will adversely affect winter recreation and the industries that rely upon it.
– The center of lobster fisheries is projected to continue its northward shift and the cod fishery on Georges Bank is likely to be diminished.
Southeast
– Projected increases in air and water temperatures will cause heat-related stresses for people, plants, and animals.
– Decreased water availability is very likely to affect the region’s economy as well as its natural systems.
– Sea-level rise and the likely increase in hurricane intensity and associated storm surge will be among the most serious consequences of climate change.
– Ecological thresholds are likely to be crossed throughout the region, causing major disruptions to ecosystems and to the benefits they provide to people.
– Quality of life will be affected by increasing heat stress, water scarcity, severe weather events, and reduced availability of insurance for at-risk properties.
Islands (in the Pacific and the Caribbean)
– The availability of freshwater is likely to be reduced, with significant implications for island communities, economies, and resources.
– Island communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems are vulnerable to coastal inundation due to sea-level rise and coastal storms.
– Climate changes affecting coastal and marine ecosystems will have major implications for tourism and fisheries.
Rise in climate disasters
A GLOBAL trend towards increasing weather-related disasters was confirmed in 2008, the second deadliest year in the past decade for natural catastrophes, an annual Red Cross report said on Tuesday.
The number of people reported killed by natural disasters last year - a total of 235,736 - was surpassed only in 2004, the year of the Indian Ocean tsunami, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The 2008 toll was accounted for mainly by two events in Asia - Cyclone Nargis, which left over 138,000 people dead or missing in Myanmar, and the Sichuan earthquake, which killed more than 87,000 people in China.
Damage from natural disasters cost more than US$181 billion (S$265 billion) last year, according to the report. More than three quarters of the disasters struck developing countries, which suffered 99 per cent of the deaths, Maarten van Aalst, an author of the report, told a news conference.
'We also see a confirmation of the trend that we've seen in the past decade of a rise in weather-related disasters, which is concerning us and putting an additional strain on our operations,' Mr van Aalst said.
'In the 1990s, we saw an average of about 200 natural weather-related disasters per year. In the past decade that's been on average about 350. Last year we had 297, which is... still well above what we've been used to in the past.'
Some experts have blamed the perceived rise in freak weather events on climate change caused by pollution. It is a controversial subject ahead of a conference in Copenhagen in December that is meant to impose tougher targets for greenhouse gas emissions.
'It is now highly likely that that extreme-weather events - floods, droughts and storms - will become more frequent and more severe. And we cannot say we have not been warned,' IFRC Secretary General Bekele Geleta said in a commentary.
'The disasters which climate change will trigger potentially threaten more lives and livelihoods than any before,' Mr Geleta said, adding that the world's response to the warning had so far been 'piecemeal.'
Trygve Nordby, a deputy to Mr Geleta, told the news conference he believed the Red Cross was succeeding in getting references to the humanitarian effects of climate change and the need for early action into the Copenhagen document.
The number of people reported killed by natural disasters last year - a total of 235,736 - was surpassed only in 2004, the year of the Indian Ocean tsunami, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The 2008 toll was accounted for mainly by two events in Asia - Cyclone Nargis, which left over 138,000 people dead or missing in Myanmar, and the Sichuan earthquake, which killed more than 87,000 people in China.
Damage from natural disasters cost more than US$181 billion (S$265 billion) last year, according to the report. More than three quarters of the disasters struck developing countries, which suffered 99 per cent of the deaths, Maarten van Aalst, an author of the report, told a news conference.
'We also see a confirmation of the trend that we've seen in the past decade of a rise in weather-related disasters, which is concerning us and putting an additional strain on our operations,' Mr van Aalst said.
'In the 1990s, we saw an average of about 200 natural weather-related disasters per year. In the past decade that's been on average about 350. Last year we had 297, which is... still well above what we've been used to in the past.'
Some experts have blamed the perceived rise in freak weather events on climate change caused by pollution. It is a controversial subject ahead of a conference in Copenhagen in December that is meant to impose tougher targets for greenhouse gas emissions.
'It is now highly likely that that extreme-weather events - floods, droughts and storms - will become more frequent and more severe. And we cannot say we have not been warned,' IFRC Secretary General Bekele Geleta said in a commentary.
'The disasters which climate change will trigger potentially threaten more lives and livelihoods than any before,' Mr Geleta said, adding that the world's response to the warning had so far been 'piecemeal.'
Trygve Nordby, a deputy to Mr Geleta, told the news conference he believed the Red Cross was succeeding in getting references to the humanitarian effects of climate change and the need for early action into the Copenhagen document.
Climate change is already having an impact across the US
Researchers representing 13 U.S. government science agencies, major universities and research institutes produced the study, "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States." Commissioned in 2007, it is the most comprehensive report to date on national climate change, offering the latest information on rising temperatures, heavy downpours, extreme weather, sea level changes and other results of climate change in the U.S.
The 190-page report is a product of the interagency U.S. Global Change Research Program, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is written in accessible language, intended to better inform members of the public and policymakers about the social, environmental and economic costs of climate change. It focuses on effects by region and details how the nation's transportation, agriculture, health, water and energy sectors will be affected in the future.
In a press conference today, University of Illinois Harry E. Preble Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Don Wuebbles, a contributor to the assessment, outlined the current and predicted effects of climate change in the Midwest U.S.
"We well recognize that the earth's climate varies naturally and has been warmer and cooler in the past," Wuebbles said. "But we also know that the climate changes we are experiencing today are largely the result of human activities."
Average temperatures have risen in the Midwest in recent decades, Wuebbles said, especially in winter. The growing season has been extended by one week. Heavy downpours are now twice as frequent as they were a century ago, he said, and the Midwest has experienced two, record-breaking floods in the past 15 years.
These trends are expected to continue into the future, Wuebbles said. Average annual temperatures are expected to increase by about two degrees Fahrenheit over the next few decades, and by as much as seven to 10 degrees by the end of the century, he said, with more warming projected for summer than winter.
Precipitation is expected to increase in the winter and spring, while summer precipitation will likely decline.
"More of the precipitation is likely to occur during heavier events," Wuebbles said.
As temperatures and humidity increases, heat waves, reduced air quality and insect-borne diseases are more likely to occur. Pollen production and the growth of fungi will also be stimulated, he said.
Heavy downpours can overload drainage systems and water treatment facilities, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, he said.
The Great Lakes, which contain 20 percent of the planet's fresh surface water, will also be affected by the changing climate, Wuebbles said. Depending on the extent of climate change, average water levels in the Great Lakes could drop by as much as two feet in this century, he said. This would affect beaches, coastal ecosystems, fish populations, dredging requirements and shipping.
Some of the effects of the changing climate are inevitable and will require human and animal populations to adapt, Wuebbles said. Other effects can be mitigated by limiting future emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, he said.
The 190-page report is a product of the interagency U.S. Global Change Research Program, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is written in accessible language, intended to better inform members of the public and policymakers about the social, environmental and economic costs of climate change. It focuses on effects by region and details how the nation's transportation, agriculture, health, water and energy sectors will be affected in the future.
In a press conference today, University of Illinois Harry E. Preble Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Don Wuebbles, a contributor to the assessment, outlined the current and predicted effects of climate change in the Midwest U.S.
"We well recognize that the earth's climate varies naturally and has been warmer and cooler in the past," Wuebbles said. "But we also know that the climate changes we are experiencing today are largely the result of human activities."
Average temperatures have risen in the Midwest in recent decades, Wuebbles said, especially in winter. The growing season has been extended by one week. Heavy downpours are now twice as frequent as they were a century ago, he said, and the Midwest has experienced two, record-breaking floods in the past 15 years.
These trends are expected to continue into the future, Wuebbles said. Average annual temperatures are expected to increase by about two degrees Fahrenheit over the next few decades, and by as much as seven to 10 degrees by the end of the century, he said, with more warming projected for summer than winter.
Precipitation is expected to increase in the winter and spring, while summer precipitation will likely decline.
"More of the precipitation is likely to occur during heavier events," Wuebbles said.
As temperatures and humidity increases, heat waves, reduced air quality and insect-borne diseases are more likely to occur. Pollen production and the growth of fungi will also be stimulated, he said.
Heavy downpours can overload drainage systems and water treatment facilities, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, he said.
The Great Lakes, which contain 20 percent of the planet's fresh surface water, will also be affected by the changing climate, Wuebbles said. Depending on the extent of climate change, average water levels in the Great Lakes could drop by as much as two feet in this century, he said. This would affect beaches, coastal ecosystems, fish populations, dredging requirements and shipping.
Some of the effects of the changing climate are inevitable and will require human and animal populations to adapt, Wuebbles said. Other effects can be mitigated by limiting future emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, he said.
Govt to introduce climate change bills
The Rudd government will introduce another key climate change bill to parliament on Wednesday ahead of a Senate showdown on emissions trading.
The draft laws underpin the mandatory renewable energy target scheme and include a legislated target of 45,000 gigawatt-hours by 2020.
The government is insisting its legislation on renewable energy targets are tied to a package of 11 bills that aim to set up an emissions trading scheme by July 2011.
Labor has no support for its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in the upper house where it lacks the numbers to pass legislation on its own, but it has more backing from non-government senators for its renewable energy targets.
The Senate is expected to debate all the climate change bills next week.
The draft laws underpin the mandatory renewable energy target scheme and include a legislated target of 45,000 gigawatt-hours by 2020.
The government is insisting its legislation on renewable energy targets are tied to a package of 11 bills that aim to set up an emissions trading scheme by July 2011.
Labor has no support for its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in the upper house where it lacks the numbers to pass legislation on its own, but it has more backing from non-government senators for its renewable energy targets.
The Senate is expected to debate all the climate change bills next week.
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