Greenhouse gases hit record level and threaten tourism

World may be on course for dangerous level of warming within 50 years

The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere rose to record levels last year, the UN has reported, reinforcing scientists’ warnings that the world may be on course for dangerous global warming.

In which case there will be more pressure to minimize tourism-related carbon emissions – principally from air travel and accommodation. Global warming will also threaten tourism destinations – principally small islands, delta destinations and winter sports destinations.

Concentrations of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas emitted by human activities such as burning fossil fuels in power plants, increased to 390.9 parts per million molecules in 2011, a sharp rise from the pre-industrial era level of 280 ppm.

Rising concentrations of the three gases in the Earth’s atmosphere threaten to render impossible the UN’s goal of containing the temperature increase to below 2 degrees Celsius of warming since industrialization, the International Energy Agency said earlier this month.

About 375bn tonnes of carbon have been released into the atmosphere since the start of the industrial era in 1750, the WMO said, mainly from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.

About half of this carbon dioxide is still there, with the rest being absorbed by the oceans, forests and other life forms that absorb C02.

"These billions of tonnes of additional carbon dioxide in our atmosphere will remain there for centuries, causing our planet to warm further and impacting on all aspects of life on earth," said WMO secretary-general Michel Jarraud. "Future emissions will only compound the situation."

UN climate treaty envoys gather in Doha next week for two weeks of talks to extend targets under the current emissions- limiting deal, the Kyoto Protocol, and to lay the groundwork for a new pact in 2015 that will take effect from 2020. Greenhouse gases get their name from the way they absorb radiation within the Earth’s atmosphere and cause it to warm. Because they last so long, scientists say they could cause runaway climate change unless curbed.

Envoys are expected to finalise a second phase of the Kyoto protocol, the treaty adopted in 1997 that obliges industrialised countries to reduce their emissions.

They are also due to do more groundwork on a new climate pact agreed at last year’s talks in Durban, South Africa, which is due to be finalised by 2015 and enter force from 2020.

But many countries at the talks will be urging more rapid action to tackle the rise in greenhouse gas emissions before it is no longer possible to meet the UN target of holding the increase in global average temperature to less than 2 °C above pre-industrial levels.

Temperatures have already risen 0.8 degrees and scientists fear there could be 4°C warming by the end of the century unless there is action to reduce emissions.

Valere Tjolle

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