By Will Sturgeon, 13 March 2007 15:55
NEWS
The need for immediate action on climate change has been stressed by some of the world's leading experts at a London summit today which coincided with the unveiling of a draft climate change bill by the government.
Businesses have been told they must lead the way with the enticing promise that energy savings and reducing carbon emissions can be economically as well as environmentally beneficial.
Addressing the urgent need for change, Dr Jim Hansen, professor of earth and environmental sciences at Nasa, told attendees at the 'Date with the Planet' event in London: "There is reason to be concerned. There is an urgency to this problem. We are very close to passing some tipping points where there will be changes beyond our control with disastrous consequences.
"But on the other hand there are solutions. We need to get on a different energy path within a decade to avoid some of those tipping points."
More than half of the world's carbon emissions are generated in Europe (31 per cent) and the US (21 per cent), according to Dr Steve Howard, CEO of lobbying organisation the Climate Group.
And the need for big business in the West to dramatically reduce their carbon footprint is critical, the experts urged. Howard praised businesses such as Barclays and Sky who have made a commitment to running 'carbon neutral' businesses. He urged others to follow their lead ahead of government proposals announced today which could see tougher legislation brought in to make carbon emissions targets legally binding.
Many businesses in the IT industry, where energy consumption and the replacement cycles of hardware are key issues, are already embracing more environmentally friendly ways of working.
Likewise many users of IT equipment are making operational changes to reduce the negative impact their businesses are having on the environment, such as turning off PCs and peripherals overnight.
Smarter use of certain technologies can also make a difference. Brett Caine, president of Citrix Online, told silicon.com many customers looking to use remote access technologies and remote webinar and conference facilities are doing so to reduce the amount of travel their employees need to undertake.
And making a business more environmentally friendly need not be a costly process.
Lord Adair Turner, former director general of the CBI, now a lecturer at the LSE, said the simple economics of using less power and other cost-savings - such as better building techniques which limit heating and air conditioning inefficiencies - mean companies will offset some of the outlay required in other areas.
Turner said 10 per cent of measures that could limit carbon emissions would actually make money for businesses.
He said: "We can cut emissions significantly at nil or minimal cost."
Comments
There are 16 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
Climate change caused by humans is nonsense.
2. Stuart
Why do we allow ourselves to be hoodwinked by the Government and their so called 'experts'?
Climate change is related to the current cycle of change in weather patterns, caused by the sun and other cosmic factors. Our 'carbon footprint' is apparently less than 1/10th of 1% in the whole carbon generating process.
We emitted more carbon in the early 1900's than we do now.
In the early 1970's they thought we were heading for a mini-ice age. That was all wrong too.
It has been proved that the world is currently in a small cycle of 'warming up' and it is not related to our carbon emissions at all! …and overall the planet iscooler than it was hundreds of years ago.
Its another 'bandwagon' for the government to promote, so they can get what’s left of any spare money we have.
Spend as much money as you like on reducing your carbon footprint - it won't make any difference to the climate AT ALL!
...eventually, it will start to cool again.
Its another big con to make some money change hands and keep people in jobs, and line the government’s already overflowing pockets.
I saw a statement in a local newspaper stating: “Last month was the second mildest January on record - only in 1921 was the month warmer..."
My argument is: If its still not as warm as it was in 1921, how can that be proof that things are getting warmer. It would make more sense to state that its actually getting cooler over that 85 year period.
3. Jeremy Wickins
I have to agree with anonymous above. Climate change MAY be happening, but it is nothing to do with human activity. I also question the belief that climate change is necessarily bad - some will win, some will lose, but life on Earth will go on. The idea that the status quo (whatever that is in planetary terms) is just nonsense.
However, this is a technical website, so it needs saying that there are reasons to consider whether IT can make differences overall. Fuel is in ever shorter supply, so less reliance on vehicles for work purposes should be encouraged. Video conferencing and working from home should be evaluated to see if they produce a net saving in oil products. If yes, they should be encouraged.
4. MusicFan
Well that’s a knowledgeable comment Mr. Anonymous, id like to see your research that proves your viewpoint and disproves all the scientists’ years of research all over the world.
Perhaps people in Greenland are just dreaming when the ground shakes from the ice braking apart!
I used to think like you, until I actually looked into it instead of just dismissing it. It’s exactly this mentality that is the biggest risk to the ground beneath our feet.
I just hope you live on high ground so one day you will have to explain to your children your viewpoint as the waves crash around you.
5. anonymous
The whole climate change debate could be the biggest self generated misleading belief of the 20th Century.
Why do we keep have 'disaster scenarios' in the 20/21st century? Do we really believe that natural climatic change is not a greater effect on the planet than the man made variety? I refer you to the recent TV program - the Great Global Warning Swindle!
6. James Prentis
Not more climate change reasoning, please.
This is just a natural cycle in the earths temperature that the green lobby has managed to brainwash normal thinking people.
The carbon/temperature cycle they all spout has been proven to be wrong. It was temperature that caused the rise in CO2 not CO2 causing temperature rise.
The amount of CO2 given off by humans compared to volcanos, rotting vegetation, from the sea, is like a thimble of water being poured into the sea
7. anonymous
If you missed "The Great Global Warming Swindle" on UK Channel 4 last week, do yourself a favor and watch it online before you waste any time or money reducing your carbon footprint.
8. Stuart
I totally agree, its nothing to do with us, is just a cyclic blip in the earth's climate and a big con!
9. anonymous
To Musicfan: Proof - watch 'The Great Global Warming Swindle'!
10. MusicFan
I haven’t watched it to be fair, so i will. But i have watched countless other documentaries, read articles looked at graphs statistics etc.
I know its easy to sit back and say, yeh they just trying to get us to spend more…..
But look at the REAL scientific evidence, not TV programs.
All the information correlates.
All statistics for the below are off the scale:-
The rise in CO2
The rise in population
The rise in sea temperature
The decline in plankton
The rise in arctic summer melt
The record temperatures all around the world in 2006
The records strengths of hurricanes and tornados in America and Australia.
The graphs of the above statistics are not just high blips, they are massive.
Think about it, the worlds foremost experts in all climate/weather conditions not just CO2, they are all reporting higher than "blip" rises. These guys have spent their entire lives studying these things, and your all going to ignore the data because of a channel 4 program?
What if your wrong? What then???
Do some more research and get yourself clued up.
11. Roger Huffadine
Hey - Truth Seeker - ever done any Physics - remember latent heat - Ice melts at around +4c whilst it forms at about 0c. All that we are seeing in Greenland and on Mount Kilimanjaro is the effect of centuries of warming up reaching the +4c ish temperature. Ice melt is another Huge con that the religious supporters of Global Warming use as a prop for their fallacious religion. Governments support the fallacy because they can inhibit the modernisation of Africa and also raise taxes from the hoodwinked masses.
12. Lionel A Smith
Anonymous (I wonder why!)
The Great Global Warming Swindle' has been demonstrated as being biased and presents its arguments by virtue of careful editing and misleading of some of those taking part.
See the debate at:
http://richarddawkins.net/article,722,Top-Scientists-Warn-of-Water-Shortages-and-Disease-Linked-to-Global-Warming,The-Associated-Press
for one.
Please consider the huge amounts of CO2 (and other climate forcing agents) that have been realeased during a short period, short as when compared to the millions of years which required its sequestering (in oil and coal deposits).
Consider the links to fossil fuel dependant industries of many of those who try to claim that there is no anthropogenic signature in climate forcing.
Enough. I have had too many of these debates over the last 6-8 years, enough to have formed a very acurate idea as to where the truth lies, and it aint in your arguments bud.
13. anonymous
Hey Silicon.com, please stick to IT issues, don't get dragged into areas like this.
The "proof" that Carbon emissions cause Global Warming simply doesn't stand up. The earth's climate changes naturally and has done so for millions of years.
14. anonymous
Perhaps our own goverment could train their staff, especially those at the hme office, to switch lights off when they leave the room. I saw the Home OFfice EMPTY ut will ALL LIGHTS BLAZING, on television and it disgusted m. WE pay the bill AND the environmental cost of that! I think if government and businesses cut down on needless travel by air, to meetins - when video confrencing could be used - then our nations footprint would be reduced greatly. I already do my bit - I travel by bus and by foot and have low energy lights.
15. richard barrington
Only the very, very stupid would look at climate change in isolation. The planet is running out of stuff and even if climate change wan't caused by man ( > 80% of the worlds scientists think it is ) we need to learn to do more with less, be more efficient with what we do use and recover as much at disposal as we can.
Its not green just good business in a world of finite resources.
16. Lionel A Smith
Spot on Richard about not looking at climate change in isolation.
The way in which electronic goods manufacturers, of all types including computers, market their wares has to change from the current model which encourages end users to upgrade to the latest models. Proper provision for repair (this particularly important for white goods) and simple upgrade should be the model.
This has wide ranging ramifications for the computer industry, older computers should not be consigned to landfill because the latest OS demands more recent components and bigger resources. Support MUST continue from vendors of what they like to think of as legacy systems.
Also 'Anonymous of UK' to ignore the climate forcing result of millions of computer systems running 24/7 all over the world is to be either simple in mind or to be burrying ones head in the sand. Is this question not valid to a site such as this?