Global climate change is an inevitable part of the earth’s long term cycle. However, there is increasing concern that the actions of man may be accentuating the problem. Recent freak weather conditions in the UK and the rest of the world have intensified the debate, both in the media and amongst the academic community, as to how real the threat of climate change really is and how much influence we can have upon its future direction. The discussion has also become political, with all of the UK parties looking to integrate policies into their own manifestos, which have formally been championed by fringe parties such as the Green Party.

Environmentalists have targeted areas, such as air travel, as key contributors to total carbon output and are putting governments and legislators under pressure to impose taxes or limits upon airplane fuel.

Increased social awareness has also raised concern about individual carbon footprints, a phenomenon which is creating a new generation of eco-conscious consumers who will often pay a higher price in order to reduce the environmental impact of their consumption. As a result of this public pressure, companies have become keen to stress their ‘green’ credentials and reassure potential customers that their organisation is the environmentally friendly choice.

Heavy industry has been targeted for reform; pressure is mounting for countries to adopt the carbon trading protocol, outlined in the Kyoto treaty, in an attempt to reduce global pollution. Whilst Kyoto does represent an attempt at an international standard, it remains a voluntary, rather than mandatory, initiative. It has also been undermined by the main polluters, such as the USA and China, who have so far failed to endorse the scheme.

Fact File

• 1 gallon of jet fuel produces 21 lbs of CO2. A Trans-Atlantic flight (London-New York) would burn 363,195 gallons of fuel, one way, and produce 181,598 tonnes of CO2. Whilst aviation currently accounts for approximately 4% of greenhouse gases, scientists project that this figure could rise to over 60% by the year 2050 based on current trends.
• Since 1990, emissions of ozone precursors in the EU declined by around 30%. This has been mainly due to the widespread introduction of catalytic converters.
• The global climate has warmed over the last century by about 0.60C.
• The warming experienced since the 1950s is unprecedented for at least the past 1000-2000 years. It is estimated that the world is currently the warmest it has been for 10,000 years.
• Recent reports have suggested that China has become the largest polluters in the world, overtaking the US. China’s CO2 emissions rose by 9% in 2006.
• Forecasting trends in climate change is far from an exact science due to the number of variables. However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimate an global increase of between 1.50C and 5.80C