Global warming: Will developed states act?
Nov 30, 2012
According to the State of the Climate Global Analysis, October 2012 report, average combined global land and ocean surface temperature for January–October 2012 was the eighth warmest such period on record, at 0.58°C above the 20th century average.
Fact File:
According to the State of the Climate Global Analysis, October 2012 report, average combined global land and ocean surface temperature for January–October 2012 was the eighth warmest such period on record, at 0.58°C above the 20th century average.
The concentration of carbondioxide in the atmosphere increased to 391.03ppm from 388.92ppm in October 2011. From decade to decade, the carbondioxide concentration in the atmosphere has been increasing.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas causing global warming and climate change. It is produced from human activities. According to the Hawaii-based Mauna Loa Observatory, which measures carbondioxide in the atmosphere, the safety limit for carbondioxide in the atmosphere is 350 parts per million 9ppm. The centre, however, reports that atmospheric carbondioxide levels have remained higher than 350 ppm since1988.
According to the Global Carbon Project, 91% of the global carbondioxide came from fossil fuels and cement in 2010, while only 9% came from land use changes, including deforestation. Only 26% of the excess carbondioxide produced is absorbed from the atmosphere by forests, while 24% is absorbed by oceans. 50% of carbondioxide ends up in the atmosphere.
According to the State of the Climate Global Analysis, April 2011, drought conditions particularly hit Kenya and Somalia. More than 17,000 heads of livestock have died from 2011 to-date due to lack of water and malnutrition. According to the United Nations the drought left eight million people in need of food aid. The dry conditions spurred migrations. Over 10,000 Kenyans migrated eastward into Uganda, while 10,000 Somalis migrated into Kenya.