New evidence for climate change urgency

New research into climate change highlights the urgent need for international action to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Published by the UK's Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, the findings predict a global rise in temperatures of three degrees Celsius, loss of large parts of tropical rainforest in South America and Africa, lack of water for some three billion people while floods in other areas of the world will affect around 80 million and about 290 million will be at increased risk of malaria. The report came in mid October -- just one week before the fifth Conference of the Parties on Climate Change in Bonn. But the research neatly concludes that the worst of the impacts could be avoided or delayed by up to 100 years if carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was stabilised at 550 parts per million.