Transition Sheffield - Discussion Forum

I wish to commend the authors of the Climate Safety report for their carefully researched
assessment of the climate future, the severity of its likely impacts as currently understood
and the urgent demands that are made on both global and national action. They point out the
2°C target as currently pursued will almost certainly turn out to be inadequate and will soon
need to be substantially strengthened. But they also stress that the required changes are both
achievable and affordable.

Reality Report: Bill McKibben

The Reality Report talks to Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy: TheWealth of Communities and the Durable Future and co-founder of the climate change group 350.org.

Over the past year or so, much of the thinking about the severity and timeline of climate change has undergone a major shift. In the fall of 2007, a report titled The Big Melt came out that reviewed the rapid loss of polar ice and its likely implications. In December 2007 James Hansen presented a paper at the American Geophysical Union in which it was argued that safe levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide were at least below 350 parts per million, and in fact may be less than 300 ppm. For anyone familiar with climate science and policy this was a stunning conclusion because current levels of CO2 are over 385 ppm. During the winter of 2008 a new report titled Climate Code Red was released that greatly expanded upon The Big Melt and delved into the socio-political implications of the new scientific information, essentially framing the issue in terms of survival requirements on a damaged spaceship Earth. Soon afterwards, a climate activist group called 350.org was formed by Bill McKibben and friends to spread the message that policy targets need to reflect the scientific imperative.

http://globalpublicmedia.com/reality_re ... l_mckibben