Reduce emissions, prepare for impacts

Polar bear adapting to global warming by taking to a rowing boat

This polar bear climbing into a rowing boat is doing both: reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and preparing for the impacts of climate change!

It’s the third paragraph that is worth highlighting in this press release from The Royal Society on the IPCC report—so I have 😉

A time for action on climate change

2 Feb 2007

Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society, said in reaction to the publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) report today:”This report represents a leap forward in our scientific understanding. It makes it clear, more convincingly than ever before, that human actions are writ large on the changes we are seeing, and will see, to our climate.

“The IPCC strongly emphasises that substantial climate change is inevitable because of the levels of carbon dioxide we have already put in the atmosphere and we will have to adapt to this. It also highlights the enormous cost of not doing anything. This should compel all of us world leaders, businesses and individuals towards action rather than the paralysis of fear.

“We need both to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases and to prepare for the impacts of climate change. Those who would claim otherwise can no longer use science as a basis for their argument.“

The Royal Society, the national academy of science of the UK and the Commonwealth, is at the cutting edge of scientific progress.

It supports many top young scientists, engineers and technologists. It influences science policy, it debates scientific issues with the public and much more. It is an independent, charitable body which derives its authoritative status from its 1400 Fellows and Foreign Members.

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