The report from the IPCC (the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) came out yesterday morning and already is being picked up by all and sundry. Thousands of scientists the world over peer reviewed this 4th issue and the top level findings are: * 11 of the past 12 years (1995-2006) rank among the 12 warmest years in instrumental records of global surface temperatures (since 1850) * Global average sea level has risen since 1961 at an average rate of 1.8mm per year – but since 1993 at an average rate of 3.1mm * Temperature changes will depend on how much CO2 is emitted, but different scenarios see the increase by 2100 ranging from 0.3C to 6.4C * Up to 30 per cent of the world's species are at increased risk of extinction after a 2C temperature rise * Between 75 million and 250 million people in Africa could suffer water shortages by 2020; in Asia, heavily-populated "mega-deltas" are at greatly increased risk of flooding; tropical forest in eastern Amazonia will turn to savannah by mid-century The full report can be found at: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf and the Independent article can be found at:- http://environment.independent.co.uk/climate_change/article3174386.ece Irrespective of how you feel regarding the subject matter it proves that the Internet "enables" this type of collaboration and conversation in a better way than any other communication mechanism ever available. regards Dean
