LAST week after citing the important differences of "Global warming" and "Climate change" effects on the local economy, national food supply and real estate market, leading climate change scientist and government officials from around the world have projected "potentially devastating" global warming over the coming century.

Official reports say globally average surface temperatures will increase by 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius for the period 2000 to 2100. This forecast is higher than the global warming projection of 1 to 3.5 degrees Celsius made ten years ago.

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Analyses of data from tree rings, corals, ice cores and historical records for the Northern Hemisphere show an increase in temperature in the 20th century that is the largest of any during the past 1,000 years. Scientist likewise found that snow cover has decreased by about 10 percent since the late 1970's in the Northern Hemisphere, and that there has been a 40 percent decline in the Arctic sea-ice thickness during the late summer and early autumn in recent decades.

There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities. As a proof of this, reconstruction of climate data for the past 1,000 years, suggest that the observed warming over the last 100 years was unusual and is unlikely to be entirely natural in origin. This shows that human intervention had a lot to do about it.

Recent climate disasters around the world - from droughts in Africa to floods in Asia and the rest of the regions around us - are potent reminders of some of the expected consequences of global warming. Environmental experts warm rising temperatures will increase the frequency and severity of heat waves and tropical cyclones, while possible shifts in climate patterns could lead to changes in rainfall patterns, leading to more intense floods and droughts resulting to devastations and calamities.

Increased global temperatures are bringing changes in weather patterns, water resources and extreme climate events that will affect Africa, Asia, Europe and North America and other nations over coming decades specially third world countries like the Philippines. Climate change is a stress that will be superimposed over expected population and other environmental stresses.

Other effects of global warming and climate change include the following phenomena: "The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by 31 percent from 280 parts per million (ppm) to about 367 ppm today. The present CO2 concentration has not been exceeded during the past 20 million years.

"Global average water vapor concentration and precipitation are projected to increase due to these life changing situations. More intense precipitation events are likely over many northern Northern Hemisphere's mid - to high-latitude land areas.

"Sea levels are projected to rise by 0.09 to 0.88 meters from 2000 to 2100. While there had been sharp and wide differences between "Global warming" and "Climate change," the two however, are closely intertwined in determining the climate futures for regions where we live. Predictions of regional effects and impacts are starting to emerge from climate models. There are locations that will get some benefits, but most of the predicted effects around the world are bad - bad enough that we need to quickly start fixing our greenhouse gas emissions.

The most emphatic warming about the danger of global warming was issued recently by world-renowned scientist from 99 nations issuing official reports that sharply increased projected climate changed was blamed largely on air pollution and warned of drought and other disasters as its after effect. New evidence shows more clearly that temperature increases are caused mostly by pollution, not by changes in the sun or other natural factors.

Many leaders of developed countries offer excuses about why no action is possible, citing "the economy" as a reason to continue ignoring the problem. But report from the United Nations about the economic damage that will be caused by inaction global warming and climate change, makes it clear that continued delay is unwise and inadvisable, even form an economic standpoint.

Increases awareness of the pressing issue is the order of the day. This is the first step to confront the problem, and the solution will come from each one of us. Have we done our part?

-oOo-

(The writer is a Certified Public Accountant and the president of the Baguio Realtors Board Inc. Apart from being a Real Estate Practitioner as a Real Estate Broker and Educator, Lecturer and Resource Person; he is likewise a Business Management/NGO/Cooperative Consultant, Project Development Consultant and Financial Advisor/Loan Broker. For comments and more information on Real Estate Updates and Studies, you may get in touch with him at Unit 303, 3/F, Otek Square, Otek Street, Baguio City, Tel. Nos. 304-3371 or 442-1176, cellular 0909-404-8863 or email: bert_capili@yahoo.com or bertcapili65@hotmail.com).