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New Revelations About Climate Change

by Krystie Lee Yandoli

The world is in for a rude awakening when it comes to the future of global warming and our environmental footprint on planet Earth. Last year, a record number of greenhouse gasses were emitted into the atmosphere and are causing justified concern when it comes to issues of climate change. According to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) annual report, the volume of carbon dioxide grew faster in 2012 than in the decade prior. CO2 happens to be the primary gas released as a result of human activity. So basically, human beings appear to be caring less and less about their environmental surroundings — even though research about global warming is only increasing.

Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation told EuroNews:

CO2 is a very stable gas, so it means that there is no sort of chemical reaction which would destroy naturally the CO2 from the atmosphere, so it stays for very long periods, hundreds of years and even more, and that’s why as a consequence the actions we take now, or the actions we don’t take now will have consequences for a very, very long period.

While people are working hard to destroy the environment in present day, the effects of this damage won’t be felt until years later.

Next week, the United Nations is hosting a summit on climate change in Poland. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations’ Environment Program, says he hopes that world will come together and take this year’s Conference of the Parties seriously in order to address global warming.

"Delayed action means a higher rate of climate change in the near term and likely more near-term climate impacts, as well as the continued use of carbon-intensive and energy-intensive infrastructure," Steiner told the Guardian.

“The stepping stone of the 2020 target can still be achieved by strengthening current pledges and by further action, including scaling up international cooperation initiatives in areas such as energy efficiency, fossil fuel subsidy reform and renewable energy."