NOBEL Prize winner and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chairman Dr Rajendra Pachauri spoke to EVANGELINE MAJAWAT on devastating effects of climate change and the need to address this global problem.

Q: What are some of the changes observed?

A: Climate change is unequivocal. The Arctic has been warming at twice the global average rate in the past 100 years, heat waves are more frequent and there is intense tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic.

There is also an increased frequency of heavy precipitation and more intense and longer droughts.

These changes occur because the concentration of carbon dioxide has increased significantly — there was a 70 per cent increase between 1970 and 2004.
We do not need to wait for a disaster, such as the one in Myanmar, to happen before we act.

Q: Who would be most affected?

A: The poor communities, especially those in developing countries. These nations have a lower capacity to adapt to changes for various reasons, including lack of technologies.

The impact will be devastating as it will affect our daily lives from food and water supplies to agriculture and health.

Q: What is the IPCC’s view on the “tipping point”, where the effects of climate change will be unstoppable beyond this point?

A: We have highlighted the dangers of abrupt and irreversible changes in the Synthesis Report last November.

For example, we know that the Greenland and west Antarctic ice sheets are melting rapidly. If large quantities of that ice collapse into the sea, the sea level will rise by several metres. That would be an irreversible stage.

We have also concluded that 20 to 30 per cent of species will face extinction if the temperature increase goes beyond 1.5º to 2.5ºC.

Q: What is IPCC’s take on biofuels?

A: We have discussed both the positive and negative elements.

There is such a strong reaction to biofuels, which affect the availability of food, that countries will be pressured to change this policy.

I feel we should get biofuels which could grow on arid land and those based on second-generation conversion, such as cellulosa ethanol. Research is being carried out on this.

Q: There is a big government push to convert peat swamps into oil palm plantations throughout the region. A lot of this is driven by the push for biofuels, particularly in Europe. What can we do about it?

A: We push into biofuels without looking into the implications, both on local and global ter ms.

I question the environmental benefits of the way it is done as there is a huge amount of associated emission which needs to be accounted for.

We need to push for greater use of public transportation and more efficient systems.

We must strike at the root problem, which is the escalating demand for petroleum products worldwide.

Since 90 per cent of fuel consumption in the transport sector is essentially petroleum-derived products, this is where intervention is needed.