The Changing Climate

There are at least three important differences between past climate changes and what we are observing today. One difference is the accelerated rate at which the planet is getting warmer. In the past, warming (or cooling) trends have occurred at glacial speeds (pun intended) that have taken centuries. Life on Earth had time to adjust to the changing temperatures. 

The third difference is the most important one. We, the human race, are reputedly responsible for the global warming that is occurring. During all of the previous episodes 

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Adaptation of Some Traditional Practices to the changed climates and Abandonment of Others (such as slashing and burning). 

On the average, of the nearly 120,000 km3 of rain that fall on land each year, about one-third becomes river runoff. Because of the changing climatic conditions during the last few decades, there has been an increase in river runoff in South America and a decreasing runoff in Africa. 

It is now generally agreed that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased and continues to rise. The major concern of increased CO2 is the climatic change that may arise. In the excellent report [ 1 ] on The Global 2000 the study group has proposed three environmental consequences of the changed climate. I intend to analyse each climate scenario and point out my views on the Africa region. 

Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. Energy—The Changing Climate Stationary Office London, 2000. 

The route to achieving a low-carbon economy without nuclear power is discussed in Energy — the changing climate the 22nd Report of the (UK) Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP, 2000), The Stationery Office, London. 

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