Global warming - Global warming caused by humans

Severe weather conditions with floods, earthquakes, droughts and devastating fires – these natural catastrophes are the results of global warming, caused by the release of greenhouse gases due to human activities.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – also known as the Climate Council – estimated that the negative impact of greenhouse gases was very high in its 2007 progress report. This report is produced once every five to six years and acts as a basis for discussion for politicians and industry.

According to the report, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by 50 to 80 percent by 2050 in comparison with 2005, in order to limit the increase in temperature to 2.4 °C. This is also the aim of the European Union and the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU).

Below are a few interesting links which we have put together on the topic of global warming:

• IPCC Progress Report 2007 – original English version
• German version of IPCC Progress Report 2007
• Climate council’s internet website
• Agenda21 with dictionary etc.
• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung
• Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre with current values
• Institute for Atmosphere and Environment at the University of Frankfurt