Expert Panel Reports On Possible Acceleration Of Efforts To Limit
Global Warming To 1.5ºC Rather Than 2.0ºC Above Pre-industrial Levels
Epidemiologists
Call For A Greater Role In Climate Change Research
“The next few years
are probably the most important in our history”. That’s the simple and
straightforward yet extremely powerful statement coming from Debra
Roberts, co-chair of the working group on impacts, adaptation, and
vulnerability on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The Panel is the leading world body for assessing the science related
to climate change, its impacts and potential future risks, and
possible response options.
Consequences
Roberts’ remarks were
made in a press release describing the latest IPCC report
investigating the possibility and impact of limiting global warming to
1.5 ºC rather than 2 ºC
above pre-
industrial era levels. Temperatures have already risen by 1ºC, and
this amount of global warming is already producing more extreme
weather, rising sea levels, and diminishing Arctic sea ice, according
to the Panel.
Benefits
Keeping the increase
to 1.5 ºC would mean a 10cm lower global sea level rise, an Arctic
Ocean free of sea ice less often, and only a 70-90 percent instead of
a 99 percent decline in coral reefs. A lower increase would also give
people and ecosystems more room to adapt and remain below relevant
risk thresholds and make it easier to achieve the UN’s sustainable
development goals.
Tough Changes
The requirements for
limiting warming by 1.5 ºC are daunting because there would need to be
“rapid and far-reaching” changes to achieve global net human-caused
emissions of carbon dioxide 45% lower from 2010 levels by 2030 and
reach net zero by 2050. That 2030 target is only 12 years away.
“Limiting global warming to 1.5 ºC is possible within the laws of
chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented
changes,” according to Jim Skea, co-chair of the working group
on mitigation.
Epidemiologists
Speak Out
In a related
development, a policy brief prepared by members of the International
Network for Epidemiology in Policy and the Policy Committee of the
International
Society for
Environmental Epidemiology has been published in Epidemiology
calling for a better understanding of the population health risks
caused by climate change. Among the recommendations made by the group
of epidemiologists are:
Recommendations
1. More
interdisciplinary research to better appreciate the health aspects
of climate change.
2. Greater
collaboration between epidemiologists and policymakers to identify
areas where epidemiology can be most helpful.
3. Increased
funding for collaborative research on the impacts of climate
change on health.
The report also recommends activities for epidemiologists and
collaborators from other disciplines, namely
Using health impact
assessment methods in the pre-implementation phase of programs to
evaluate the health consequences of any policies and programs.
Promoting training
and capacity building for epidemiologists in the climate change
arena.
Developing new
epidemiologic approaches addressing climate change.
Developing integrated
surveillance and monitoring systems.
Incorporating
uncertainties into any projections of health risks from climate
change.
Sharing data
globally on health impacts.
The policy brief was co-authored in Epidemiology by Wael Al-Delaimy
from the University of California San Diego and Michal Krzyzanowski
from King’s College London.
To read the policy brief in full, visit:
https://bit.ly/2yFR6iF
■
|