Climate Change Is Here, And No One Is Immune, UN's IPCC Report On Global Warning Warns | HuffPost

Climate Change Is Here, And No One Is Immune, Report Warns

The Huffington Post UK

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No one is immune to the impact of climate change, which is fuelling war, hastening natural disasters, causing the extinction of species and threatens to drag societies back into poverty, the most comprehensive study into the phenomenon has warned.

"Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change,'' IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri told a press conference at the launch of the report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in Yokohama, Japan.

Michel Jarraud, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organisation, said the report, the most comprehensive to date, said it showed that "now, ignorance is no longer a good excuse" for inaction to tackle the threat.

A Turkana woman scoops water from a dry river bed in Lodwar

The wide-ranging report says climate change is now affecting

Affecting global poverty

Changing coastlines

Destroying, and rarely benefiting, food systems

Causing animal extinctions

Fuelling riots over food prices

Damaging worldwide security

Destroying homes, even in England and Wales

Causing wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tornados and droughts

In seven years after the first report from the UN, climate change is no longer a looming threat to future generations, the panel of experts said. It is a reality for human beings in 2014.

"All aspects of food security are potentially affected by climate change," the report said.

Crop yields are slowing because of temperature changes and patterns of rainfall. Fish supplies have fallen by around 50%, coral reefs are being damaged and wildfires are becoming more frequent.

Animals are threatened, with the report saying “A large fraction of both terrestrial and freshwater species face increased extinction risk under projected climate change during and beyond the 21st century, especially as climate change interacts with other stressors such as habitat modification, over-exploitation, pollution and invasive species."

In 2008, worldwide riots, including the incident in Tunisia said to have sparked the Arab Spring, were originally based on soaring food prices.

The report also connected climate change to rising food prices and political instability, for instance the riots in Asia and Africa after food price shocks in 2008.

"Climate change can indirectly increase risks of violent conflicts," the report said, and warned more could be to come, adding that hundreds of millions of people could be dispersed by flooding along south Asia's coastline by 2100.

And experts warned that in many cases, people are ill prepared to cope with the risks of a changing climate.

Recent extremes such as heat waves, droughts, floods and wildfires show how vulnerable humans are to variations in climate, it said.

Story continues under slideshow

15 Ways You're Contributing to Climate Change

Not Driving A Big Car All Over The Place By Yourself(01 of15)

Picture this: It’s the morning commute, and you’re belting out your favorite tune. Though therapeutic, you’re belting out more than just a sweet song: greenhouse gases.

In 2011, the transportation sector ranked as the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the U.S. (behind electricity) -- responsible for 28% of emissions. Cars and small trucks contributed to roughly two-thirds of that total, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Driving 600 miles individually, for example, will emit about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide, while carpooling or a taking a train could reduce individual emissions to about 110 pounds of CO2, according to a study in Environmental Science and Technology.

(For the record, driving has a longer lasting environmental impact than flying, according to the International Institute for Applied System Analysis.)

What you can do: Try carpooling, biking or riding public transportation as an alternate option.

(Photo by Paul Moseley/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Not Having Lots Of Kids(02 of15)

A child is born every eight seconds, adding to Earth’s population of 7.1 billion people -- and to the Earth’s carbon footprint. American children, for example, add 9,441 metric tons of CO2 to their parent’s environmental footprint.

An Oregon State University study suggests that one of the most impactful ways of reducing your footprint is to have fewer children. According to the study’s press release, even after taking green initiatives like driving a fuel-efficient car, recycling and using energy-saving appliances, having one less kid would have 20 times of a greater environmental impact. And, the study points out, the magnitude of one's carbon footprint is related to the lifestyle of one's nation. For example, American children have 160 times the impact of Bangladeshi children.

Not surprisingly, a population of such magnitude puts enormous strains on the planet’s natural resources. “Those are important issues and it’s essential that they should be considered. But an added challenge facing us is continuing population growth and increasing global consumption of resources,” said Paul Murtaugh, an OSU professor of statistics, in the press release.

What you can do: Consider the environmental impact of having children, but we understand this isn't going to be on the top of most people's family planning criteria. Instead, you can practice green initiatives and educate your children on sustainable living.

(Photo by Mark Hillary/Flickr Creative Commons) (credit:Flickr)

Don't Idle Your Car(03 of15)

Contrary to popular belief, idling your car is much worse for the environment than turning it on and off when it doesn’t need to be in use, according to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).

For every hour spent idling your car, you’re not only wasting a quarter to half a gallon of gas, but also emitting six pounds of carbon dioxide, by EDF estimates. Slate reports that if every American driver reduced their idling time by ten minutes a day, we’d eliminate 15.48 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

The EDF recommends reducing idling to under ten seconds when possible, and warming up your car and engine by driving it rather than letting it run. Taking these tips into consideration would save you $70 to $650 a year on gas.

What you can do: Avoid frequent braking, use cruise control when possible and keep your car off as much as possible. Investing in a gadget like Automatic, for example, gives feedback on your personal driving skills and provides tips on greater fuel efficiency.

(Photo by tillsonburg via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Don't Eat Lots Of Meat(04 of15)

Though American meat consumption has been declining since 2007, we still rank as the second-largest nation of meat consumers per capita, just behind Luxembourg. It turns out that our carnivorous appetites carry quite the environmental footprint.

Agriculture is responsible for eight percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and livestock production -- including feeding, processing and transport -- is the biggest greenhouse gas contributor in that sector. In fact, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that U.S. livestock production alone contributes [up] to 18 percent of global greenhouse gases. Additionally, Food and Water Watch says that livestock production is the highest emitter of methane, a greenhouse gas 25 percent more potent than CO2. The Environmental Working Group also points out that if you cut out just one sizzling burger out of your diet per week for a year, for example, it would be like taking your car off the road for 320 miles.

What you can do: NRDC notes that some meat types carry less of a production footprint cost than others and that it’s advantageous to switch to grass fed, CAFO-free meat. Meat-eaters can also partake in Meatless Monday.

(Photo by Junko Kimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Don't Vote for Climate Change-Denying And Pro-Oil Representatives (05 of15)

One of the surest ways to induce climate change action is by voting for politicians who support initiatives like clean energy and environmental conservation. Voting for those that don’t -- and who receive money from the oil and gas industry -- won’t get the green movement very far.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a politician infamous for his climate change denial, told "Fox and Friends" earlier this year that the government couldn’t do anything to reverse climate change. Unfortunately, Florida will be one of the most susceptible to sea level rise, and his political views could prevent adequate preventative measures from being taken. And in North Carolina, for example, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources declined two grants from the EPA that they once petitioned for, now that NCDENR was under new leadership appointed by Governor Pat McCrory. These grants would have been crucial for wetlands and water quality monitoring near potential fracking sites.

And for those politicians and other folks that still deny climate change, only 24 out of 13,950 peer-reviewed climate articles published between 1991 and 2012 have rejected the basic idea of human-caused global warming. The other 13,926 papers affirm that global warming is a real and imminent threat.

What you can do: Vote for politicians who believe climate change is a real threat and pledge to take action, support environmental groups making a difference and practice being green in your daily life. (Additionally, you can check out this mock video by ClimateNameChange to get climate change-denying politicians to take the issue seriously).

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Don't Take A Really Long Shower(06 of15)

Yes, we all love that hot shower after a draining day, but your showering habits likely lead to energy and water waste. According to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, showers are the third-largest water consumer in homes, ranked after toilets and washing machines, respectively. Slate reports that showers use 37 percent of hot water in the average home, and water heating accounts for about 25 percent of home energy use.

Quantifying water use by showering is hard to do, notes the Alliance, because it depends on the flow rate of showerheads and shower duration -- and that’s different for each person. The Guardian points out a few statistics from the Shower Power Campaign: People take shorter showers with age, and men and women have more similar showering habits than one would expect. Seventy-one percent of women take ten minute and under showers, just a bit less than the 75 percent of men who do so.

What about the bath versus shower debate? The average bath uses 21 gallons of water, while the average showerhead sprays one-and-a-half gallons a minute. So, if you take long showers, they’re neck and neck. By the way, washing your hands at really hot temperatures not only has an over-hyped benefit of killing germs, according to research from Vanderbilt University, but it's also really bad for the environment. According to the study's press release, "If Americans could be persuaded en masse to use a comfortable water temperature when washing their hands, it could prevent the annual greenhouse gas emissions totaling the equivalent of the United States’ lead industry or the entire output of a small nation such as Barbados."

What you can do: Besides reducing shower time (try avoiding waiting for the water to heat up), American Standard recommends turning the water off when brushing your teeth, flushing the toilet less often and taking fewer baths and showers. The Department of Energy also has tips on ensuring water heaters and appliances are as efficient as possible, and the U.S. Geological Survey has a tool where you can calculate your personal water use and learn where to cut back.

(Photo by Nicholas via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Avoid Buying Things From China(07 of15)

According to NPR, China is currently the number one greenhouse-gas-emitting-country and the second-largest energy consumer in the world. Undoubtedly, factories are one of the largest contributor’s to China’s dire pollution issues and infamous smog. In fact, a new emergency procedure plan will require factories to shut down or curb their emissions when pollution peaks.

Once goods are produced, they’re often distributed through shipping. Though the environmental impact of shipping has been downplayed for years, emissions from the shipping industry are responsible for about 4.5 percent of global CO2 emissions according to a UN report leaked to the Guardian.

Additionally, conditions at Chinese factories are notoriously poor and violate labor laws. In 2010, Chinese companies that supply to Microsoft were cited for violations, and Apple has also been accused of taking advantage of labor.

What you can do: Buy local, purchase hand-made items and support Small Business Saturday. (USA Today reports that research from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco reveals that only 2.7 percent of U.S. consumer spending goes to Chinese goods, so we recognize that buying goods from China is not going to make or break your environmental footprint).

(Photo by DAMIEN MEYER/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Stop Wasting Paper(08 of15)

Paper can be recycled about five or six times, yet the EPA reports that the U.S. only has a paper and paperboard recycling rate of 66 percent. As of 2003, only 48.3 percent of office paper was hitting the blue bins, and paper alone was filling a fourth of landfill space, according to The Daily Green. Why is that so bad?

Thirty-five percent of trees cut globally are for the paper industry, says Ecology, and 46-58 million square miles of forests are lost each year. This deforestation accounts for about fifteen percent of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Wildlife Fund, and displaces animals and humans that rely on forest ecosystems. The pulp and paper industry ranks as the tenth-highest greenhouse gas emitter in 2012, as reported by the EPA.

What you can do: Plant trees (more than 2.3 billion are already planted in the U.S. each year), avoid using paper towels (they’re often not recyclable) and reduce, reuse and recycle paper.

(Photo by Matti Mattila/Flickr Creative Commons) (credit:Flickr )

Avoid Flying Across The Country Multiple Times A Year(09 of15)

Carbon emissions from air travel are excusable because there are so many people on a plane, right? Not really, though it depends on a lot of factors like plane size, distance traveled and the number of passengers says Smithsonian Magazine.

If you flew from New York to San Francisco, you and fellow passengers would account for about two or three tons of carbon dioxide each, the New York Times calculates. Because the average American creates about 19 tons of CO2 per year, one round trip flight is about 15 percent of your yearly footprint. Air travel is only expected to grow over the next 20 years.

Because aircraft carbon dioxide emissions are deposited into the upper atmosphere, they’re especially potent. They linger much longer and CO2 combined with other emissions from aircraft could affect the atmosphere 2 to 4 times more than CO2 does alone, notes a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. That study also states that about 3.5 percent of global emissions are from aviation.

What you can do: Choose a nonstop flight (take offs and landings burn the most fuel), avoid unnecessary air travel and take trains and buses when possible. Many internet resources like Google Hangouts, WebEx and Join.Me are great resources to hold meetings virtually, thereby reducing the need to fly cross-country for a day for a quick meeting.

(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Don't Waste Food(10 of15)

Globally, about a third of all food, or 1.3 billion metric tonnes, is wasted annually, according to a 2013 U.N. report. And if food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter in the world behind China and the U.S. Clearly, the implications of wasting food include environmental, economical and social justice issues.

Half of American land use and 80 percent of the nation’s water use go to agriculture, but only 60 percent of produced food gets eaten, according to “Wasted,” a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The decomposition of our uneaten food is responsible for 23 percent of the United States’ methane emissions.

Chucking that much food is the equivalent of throwing out 165 billion dollars a year. That’s a hefty sum, since one in six Americans lack an adequate food supply and reducing our food waste by just 15 percent could feed 25 million Americans annually, writes Dana Gunders, a staff scientist at NRDC and author of the report.

When food is such a precious commodity, why do we waste that much? A recent report by Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic and NRDC reveals that nine out of ten Americans pitch food because of date labels. Many of the sell by, use by and best by dates are actually labels meant for communication among grocery stores for stock rotation or for peak quality -- and don’t indicate food spoilage. The lack of a cohesive federal labeling system has fueled much of this variability and confusion.

What you can do: Only buy what you can eat, freeze food to promote food longevity, donate excess food and learn the labels. NRDC also offers a neat infographic on optimizing food storage in your refrigerator.

(Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Quit Eating Out Of Season(11 of15)

Eating a fresh, vibrant bowl of blueberries in January seems like quite the treat in the dead of winter. Out of season food, however, travels great lengths by plane or ship to reach your plate, and leaves quite the environmental footprint.

Oranges grown in California and transported to Australia, for example, travel 7,456 miles by ship or plane, states Environment Victoria, a leading environmental group in Australia. And a report by NRDC reveals that in California, for example, importing fruits, nuts and vegetables by plane released 70,000 tons of CO2 in 2005, equal to the emissions of 12,000 cars. NRDC estimates that a typical American meal contains at least five ingredients that stem from other countries.

(NRDC states that cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, tomatoes, bell peppers and asparagus travel most frequently by air.)

What you can do: Stock up on produce at farmers markets (visit localharvest.org to find your nearest one), freeze and can produce between seasons and learn which fruits and veggies are in season in your state. Bon Appetit also offers a “Food Scores” quiz to determine the carbon footprint of your meal.

(Photo by Stephen Chernin/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Stop Using As Much Electricity And Unplug When Possible(12 of15)

The average American consumes over 4,000 kilowatt hours of energy a year, according to University of Michigan estimates. Our combined iPhone charging, television-running, and electricity-consuming lives use about 19 percent of the world’s energy. China, on the other hand, consumes 20 percent of global energy -- just one percent higher than the U.S. -- but their population is three times higher.

Slate gathers that charging your phone or iPad overnight isn’t going to be the energy-consuming devil that we may think it is -- charging it overnight for a year would only use 6.5 kWh of electricity. Instead, refrigerators, humidifiers, water heaters and heating and cooling systems are the top-five big guzzlers. The average American house has 40 products on “standby” electric use at a time -- products that can’t be turned fully off without unplugging them, like microwaves and landline phones. These objects account for about ten percent of residential electricity use.

Electricity (including its generation, transmission and distribution) is responsible for one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA. Seventy percent of electricity generation is from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas.

What you can do: Invest in energy efficient appliances, keep lights off and electronics unplugged when possible and invest in power strips, allowing you to turn off a group of electronics when not in use.

(Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Cut Back On Air Conditioner Use(13 of15)

Summers in many U.S. regions can reach unearthly temperatures, and many people rely on that air conditioning system to keep them cool. You may want to reconsider: air conditioning has environmental and health impacts.

Air conditioner use, says National Geographic, results in 100 million tons of CO2 emissions per year… ouch. “Air-conditioners draw copious electricity, and deliver a double whammy in terms of climate change, since both the electricity they use and the coolants they contain result in planet-warming emissions,” writes Elisabeth Rosenthal of the New York Times. Though CFCs and HCFCs, two ozone-depleting agents, are now banned in many developed countries, developing nations can use HCFCs in air conditioners until 2040.

Dirty filters on air conditioners allow pesticides, allergens and other particulate matter to enter the home, which can trigger asthma and eye, nose and throat irritation.

What you can do: Wear lighter clothes during the summer, turn the temperature up by a few degrees and invest in updated and alternate technologies other than typical AC systems. Lifehacker also provides extensive tools and tricks for keeping your home cool.

(Photo by Yvan Cohen/LightRocket via Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Don't Worsen America's Dog Obsession (14 of15)

Sorry, puppy lovers, but according to the book "Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living” by Robert and Brenda Vale, dogs may have a bigger environmental impact than SUVs, CNN reports. This is mainly because of their carnivorous canine appetites, and their food travels great distances to reach the dog bowl.

Dogs can carry other environmental implications, too: chemicals in flea and tick treatments can pose great risks to humans, and dog poop can get carried as runoff and contaminate waterways, suggests CNN. America’s 73 million dogs produce about 10 million tons of poop per year, writes SF Gate.

What you can do: Don't give up your pooch! Dogs are obviously beloved members of the family and there are sustainable ways to raise them. Try creating your own dog food or buying it locally, use eco-friendly products on your dog and consider pet population control options, like spaying or neutering.

(Photo by Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Seal Up Your House(15 of15)

Drafts in a home not only make cold weather that much more unbearable, but they also create a lot of energy waste. Most electricity comes from coal, gas and oil, but only 30 percent gets converted into energy, according to the Department of Energy. Additionally, heating and cooling costs account for 54 percent of utility bills. With the average family spending $1900 on utilities annually, a lot of money and energy is lost through drafts, inefficient doors and windows and holes in the home.

In fact, sealing your home could save you 20 percent on heating and cooling costs, says the EPA, and you could save five-to-thirty percent of energy produced just by caulking, weather stripping and insulating your home.

What You Can Do: Check out the Department of Energy’s instructions for detecting leaks and drafts and tips for sealing your home and properly cooling and heating it.

(Photo by Mark Levisay/Flickr Creative Commons) (credit:Flickr )

And there has been a decrease in the number of people dying from the cold but an increase in heat-related deaths in some areas, such as England and Wales, the report suggested. Up to 2050, climate change will mostly exacerbate existing health problems, and across the 21st century will lead to increases in ill-health, particularly in poorer countries.

Friends of the Earth's executive director, Andy Atkins, said: "We can't continue to ignore the stark warnings of the catastrophic consequences of climate change on the lives and livelihoods of people across the planet.

"Giant strides are urgently needed to tackle the challenges we face, but all we get is tiny steps, excuses and delays from most of the politicians that are supposed to represent our interests.

"Governments across the world must stand up to the oil, gas and coal industries, and take their foot of the fossil fuel accelerator that's speeding us towards a climate disaster."

Vicente Barros, co-chair of the IPCC study on climate change impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation, from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina said: "We live in an era of man-made climate change.

"In many cases, we are not prepared for the climate-related risks that we already face. Investments in better preparation can pay dividends both for the present and for the future."

In Europe, there will be increased economic losses and more people affected by flooding in river basins and coasts, in the face of rising sea levels and heavy rainstorms.

The UK will need to spend on better flood defences, as climate change fuels extreme weather

Most of the flood damage can be avoided by measures such as flood defences, but the costs of increasing protection will be high.

There will also be a reduction in water availability from rivers and groundwater, while increased heatwaves will damage human health and well-being, crop production and increase air pollution and the risk of wildfires in southern Europe and parts of Russia.

The UK's Energy Secretary Ed Davey welcomed the publication of the report and said the onus was on the world to act.

“The science has spoken," he said. "Left unchecked, climate change will have far reaching consequences for our society.

“The UK is leading from the front and working with our European partners. We’ve adopted some of the most ambitious climate change targets and are investing in low carbon and energy efficiency technologies.

“This evidence builds the case for early action in the UK and around the world to lessen the risks posed by climate change. We cannot afford to wait.”

Professor Corinne Le Quere, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at University of East Anglia said: "The human influence on climate change is clear.

"The atmosphere and oceans are warming, the snow cover is shrinking, the Arctic sea ice is melting, sea levels are rising, the oceans are acidifying, some extreme weather events are on the rise, ecosystems and natural habitats will be upset.

"Climate change threatens food security and world economies.

"We need rapid and substantial cuts in carbon emissions and a move away from burning fossil fuels if we are to limit global climate change below two degrees and mitigate these impacts."

Professor Sam Fankhauser, of the London School of Economics and a contributing author to the report said: "In the UK and the rest of northern Europe, we will need to cope with increasing risks from coastal and inland flooding, heat waves and droughts.

"The UK and all rich countries must also provide significant support to help poor countries, which are particularly vulnerable, to cope with the impacts of climate change."

The report from the IPCC forms the second part of a wide-ranging review of the evidence surrounding climate change. The first part of the "fifth assessment report" which looked at the science of climate change, concluding there was a 95% chance that humans were responsible for the majority of global warming, was published last year.

The second part of the study drew on contributions from hundreds of experts from 70 countries, and more than 1,700 expert and government reviewers.

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