Friday, May 23, 2014

Unprecedented climate extremes over last decade: UN report




On Tuesday, July 9, 2013 the U.N launched a report in which it was revealed that between 2001 and 2010 the world experienced unprecedented high-impact climate extremes and national temperature records were broken much more than in any other decade in the past.

Michael Jarraud , the Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said "rising concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are changing our climate, with far reaching implications for our environment and our oceans , which are absorbing both carbon dioxide and heat".

Extreme floods, droughts and tropical cyclones were experienced across the world throughout the decade and more than 370,000 people died as a result of these, representing a 20 per cent increase in casualties from the previous decade. Tropical cyclones alone killed nearly 170000 people , affecting over 250 million and caused estimated damages of $ 380 billion.

Intergovernmental Board on Climate Services which met in Geneva in the first week of July, 2013 was expected to help countries and communities cope with long term climate change and associated extreme weather events.

Man's mighty powers and achievements can hardly stand before the nature's fury and check the adverse consequences. Mankind should know its limitations and control its adverse actions. The play of tectonic plates and the magma underneath the surface of earth expected to erupt in the form of volcanoes from time to time holds the key for the survival and longevity of human beings on earth in the days to come. Let us pray for the delay and decrease in its intensity so that we can enjoy this blue-coloured paradise in the milky-way galaxy. A perusal of the "Amazing Planet" a three-episode documentary film produced by National Geographic Channel would strengthen this fear beyond any doubt because the way this planet was formed, disturbed, the continents were shaped and bifurcated and the havoc played by mega volcanoes and earthquakes during the last several millions of years is beyond anybody's imagination.

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