A new book describes
in a clear and pertinent manner the effects
that climate changes will have, and what
we can do to mitigate these and adapt to
them. Professor Jørgen E. Olesen,
Aarhus University, is one of the book’s
two authors.
2012.10.10 | Janne Hansen
- Climate change does not belong purely
to a distant future; it is already here.
Even if we stop emitting greenhouse gases
with immediate effect, it will take many
years before they disappear from the atmosphere.
In the meantime, the greenhouse gases will
continue to affect global climate for many
decades if not centuries into the future.
If we do nothing, the effects of the greenhouse
gases will continue to escalate.
And then what? What
does climate change mean for you and me
and for everyday life in Europe? Can we
learn to live with it? Do we still have
time to act to prevent the planet from boiling
over? There is a sea of knowledge in this
field, but much of it is scientific and
difficult to understand. Now help is at
hand with this new book.
The book ”Life in Europe
under climate change” explains in a clear
and concise way how life in Europe is and
will be developing under climate change.
The book is written by Jørgen E.
Olesen, professor at Aarhus University,
and Joseph Alcamo, chief scientist at the
United Nations Environment Programme.
A different Europe
A first look at the explicit charts, graphs
and texts reveals very quickly that changes
are on the way in Europe. Ski resorts in
the Alps will be short of snow, crops in
Portugal will fry, roads in Poland will
be under water and large swathes of the
Netherlands will be flooded. Denmark does
not escape; we are already experiencing
torrential rain and erratic weather.
Climate changes affect
rural and urban areas in Europe. The plants
and animals that do not have time to adapt
or to move to areas more suitable for their
species will die. For the human race, it
will be either too warm, too wet or too
dry. We will be competing for scarce resources
and in some cases will have to move to new
areas. Irrespective of whether we try to
prevent the problems or to learn to live
with them, it will be a costly affair for
society.
The book uses the latest
knowledge from the IPCC – the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change – and describes
the effects of climate changes in Europe,
the initiatives that are being taken in
Europe to slow down the progress of climate
change and how society can adapt to these
changes.
The book is written
in a non-technical language. You therefore
do not need a degree to understand the ins
and outs of climate changes and their effects.
The book can therefore be used by schools,
decision-makers, NGOs and by anyone with
an interest in the subject.
