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The earth works like a greenhouse. Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and other naturally occurring greenhouse gases (GHGs), as well as human-made industrial gases trap heat from escaping into space. This keeps the earth’s temperature within a life-sustaining range. Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would be much colder—an average temperature of –19° Celsius (C). Human reliance on fossil fuels for energy has increased the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Biogenic emissions of GHG from land use have magnified the greenhouse effect. Deforestation and poor land use, which have reduced the absorptive capacity of plants, forests, and soils for CO2, have made things worse.

Coastal communities in the Pacific are without doubt some of the most vulnerable to climate change effects in the world. The limited land area in some countries and low profile of atolls (many only 3m above sea level at high tide) exacerbate the vulnerability of these locations, and the governments and people of these countries have limited capacities and resources to cope at all levels.

Is a new Ice Age inevitable or will life on earth disappear in a colossal flood? "The climate puzzle" examines milestones in climate science that reveal a half million year history of Earth's weather. Join scientist as they comb the continents in search of the forces generating our climate. Gaze into a computerized crystal ball that shows the weather of the distant past ... and the far-off future. Learn about the ominous role of termites in the global warming trend. Combining amazing new facts with riveting views of climatic phenomena, the answers to the climate puzzle present a facinating look at the workings of our world, PLANET EARTH|Witness the power of the savage forces that created ouor world. Voyage from the ocean's depths to the distant boundaries of the solar system. PLANET EARTH reveals the secret history of our four billion year old home.this vivid 7-part Emmy Award winning chronicle of discovery documents astonishing developments in the new geoscience as it guides us to a better understanding of our planet's past, present and future. Come along on a journey of breathtaking imagery and compelling ideas. Confront the furies and probe the mysteries that our PLANET EARTH

This report is targeted at policy-makers, particularly those responsible for developing climate mitigation and adaption strategies that address issues like conservation, ecosystem services, agriculture and sustainable livelihoods. It focuses on the primary linkages between invasive species and climate change, as well as the secondary and tertiary interactions of their corresponding impacts. Finally, the enclosed recommendations are intended to provide guidance on the best ways to integrate invasive species prevention and management into the consideration of climate change responses across a range of sectors. Building on a review of existing scientific and conservation literature (which is frequently centered on well-studied invasive species in developed countries), our research has reaffirmed that there are significant gaps and questions about the intersection of these two major drivers of change. The case studies included below highlight key relationships and questions related to invasive species, climate change and the role of ecosystem-based adaptation. The three key messages that can be distilled from this report are: 1. Climate change will have direct and second order impacts that facilitate the introduction, establishment and/or spread of invasive species. 2.Invasive species can increase the vulnerability of ecosystems to other climate-related stressors and also reduce their potential to sequester greenhouse gasses. 3.Using an ecosystem-based adaptation approach, these pressures on ecosystems and their ability to provide important services can be offset by preventing the introduction of new invasive species and by eradicating or controlling those damaging species already present.

Providing access to safe drinking-water and basic sanitation is a proven engine driving development and promoting health. The water and sanitation targets of Millennium Development Goal 7 have galvanized the international community into a collective effort towards achieving sustainable access to drinking-water and sanitation for millions of people. To safeguard these achievements, we must remain vigilant to emerging trends and risks that could derail our efforts and undermine our impact on poor communities.

Development efforts are increasingly at risk. A faltering global economy, food and energy insecurity, conflict, global climate change, declining ecosystems, extreme poverty, and the threat of epidemics seriously challenge progress towards improving social welfare and economic growth in many developing countries. In 2008, the deaths of approximately 140,000 people in the Myanmar cyclone and the collapse of more than five million buildings and damage to 21 million more in the China earthquake, were stark reminders that disaster risks associated with tropical cyclones, floods, earthquakes, droughts and other natural hazards are a key part of this interlocked set of threats. The Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction focuses attention on that challenge. It identifies disaster risk, analyses its causes, shows that these causes can be addressed and recommends the means to do so. The over-riding message of the Report is that reducing disaster risk can also help in reducing poverty, safeguarding development and adapting to climate change, with beneficial effects on broader global security, stability and sustainability. Given the urgency posed by climate change, the Report forcefully argues the case for taking action now.

This study brought together the experience, viewpoints and analysis of over 20 experts from the climate, biological, economic, policy and social sciences. The major focus of the study was to examine how the future might unfold for one of the most ecologically rich yet most populated regions of the planet. In doing so, this report has developed a series of policy recommendations which must be taken on board if we are to avoid a major environmental and human catastrophe. If we don’t do this, hundreds of thousands of unique species, entire communities and societies will be in jeopardy.

Each year, on average, almost 250 million people are affected by ‘natural’ disasters. In a typical year between 1998 and 2007, 98 per cent of them suffered from climate-related disasters such as droughts and floods rather than, for example, devastating but relatively rare events such as earthquakes. According to new research for this report, by 2015 this could grow by more than 50 per cent to an average of over 375 million affected by climate-related disasters each year. Any such projection is not an exact science, but it is clear that substantially more people may be affected by disasters in the very near, not just distant, future, as climate change and environmental mismanagement create a proliferation of droughts, landslides, floods and other local disasters. And more people will be vulnerable to them because of their poverty and location. Some of these environmental changes will also increase the threat of new conflicts, which will mean more people displaced, and more need for humanitarian aid. One recent report estimated that 46 countries will face a ‘high risk of violent conflict’ when climate change exacerbates traditional security threats. Already, there is evidence that the number of conflicts is again on the rise,5 while the threat of long-running conflicts creating vast new humanitarian demands was painfully shown by the upsurge of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2008. In short, by 2015, an unprecedented level of need for humanitarian assistance could overwhelm the world’s current humanitarian capacity. Already, many governments fail to cope with threats like storms, floods and earthquakes. They fail to act quickly or effectively enough in response to these events, or to take preventative action to reduce unnecessary deaths and suffering. Indeed, the very actions of some governments and their national elites place marginalised people at risk from disasters by discriminating against them, like those forced to live in flimsy slum housing so easily destroyed by floods and landslips. At the same time, international humanitarian assistance is often too slow or inappropriate, and the UN-led reforms since 2005 to improve it have only begun to make a difference.

The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 1/ revealed that climate change is threatening the very basis of life. In fact, 20-30 per cent of species assessed so far will face increased risks of extinction if global temperatures increase by 1.5-2.5°C, and critical ecosystems are already being degraded. For example, over the past 100 years, the thickness of sea ice in the Arctic has decreased by 40 per cent, while total available water in the Niger, Lake Chad and Senegal basins has decreased by 40-60 per cent, In the face of such changes to the basic structure and functions of ecosystems, climate change is already forcing species to adapt either through shifting habitat, changing life-cycles, or the development of new physical traits.