Older People and Climate Change (OPACC) provides carefully researched and documented analyses to inform people about the threat to Humanity (and to older people in particular) from man-made global warming and what we must do about it.

 

Older people represent an increasing proportion of the population in developed countries (e.g. over 1/3 Australians are over 50) (for global demographic data from 1950 onwards see the UN Population Division: http://esa.un.org/unpp/ ). However older people are peculiarly threatened by man-made global warming, climate change and climate disruption.

 

Man-made global warming (anthropogenic global warming, AGW) is a reality which has already caused massive climate disruption and which threatens catastrophe for humanity and the Earth’s biosphere. Thus see the excellent power point-complemented lecture by Professor John Holdren (Professor of Environmental Policy and Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University; Director, Woods Hole Research Center; former president, American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS; President Barack Obama’s chief science adviser),  “The Science of Climate Disruption” (2008) – a summary of the basis of man-made global warming and the climatic disruption that has already occurred: http://www.usclimateaction.org/userfiles/JohnHoldren.pdf .

 

For other superb power point lectures by top climate scientists about the worsening climate emergency see: http://sites.google.com/site/yarravalleyclimateactiongroup/climate-change-power-point-lectures .

 

In short, since the commencement of the Industrial Revolution, man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution (carbon dioxide, CO2, methane , CH4, and nitrous oxide, N2O) has increased dramatically. Thus atmospheric CO2 concentration is now over 390 parts per million (ppm) and is increasing at about 2 ppm per year (this corresponding to an atmospheric GHG concentration of 450 ppm CO2–equivalent (CO2-e i.e. including other greenhouse gases). The absorption of solar-derived infrared radiation by these gases has meant that the earth is warming, with most of the extra heat being stored in the oceans.

 

The average surface temperature is now 0.8 degrees Centigrade higher than in 1900 but “thermal inertia” (notably in relation to GHGs already in the atmosphere and the huge amount of heat stored in the oceans) means that a 2 degrees Centigrade rise is inevitable. The 0.8 degrees Centigrade temperature rise has already been associated with massive climate disruption and damage to the biosphere (life on Earth): species extinction rates are 100-1,000 times those in the fossil record; melting of Arctic sea ice (now projected to disappear completely in summer within 4 years); melting of Greenland, West Antarctic, Himalaya and other glaciers (noting that the Himalaya ice is the source of the major rivers of South Asia,  South East Asia and East Asia;  sea level rise (predicted to be several metres this century) with huge damage from land inundation, salinization and storm surges; doubling of the intensity of tropical storms; massive increase in the area devastated annually by forest fires; weakening of the East Asian Monsoon and changes to other cliate patterns; increased floods and drought; increased dead zones in the oceans and massive damage to calcareous organisms (notably coral as in the global warming-threatened Great Barrier reef of Australia).

 

Massive climate disruption has already happened at plus 0.8 degrees Centigrade – worse is in store at the inevitable 2 degree Centigrade rise. Over 90% of respondents surveyed at the March 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference believed that a temperature in excess of 2 degrees Centigrade was inevitable with some predicting temperature increases of up to 6 degrees Centigrade this century (see “ “ World will not meet 2C warming targets, climate change experts agree. Guardian poll reveals almost nine out of 10 climate experts do not believe current political efforts will keep warming below 2C”. UK Guardian, 2009: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/14/global-warming-target-2c ).

Nevertheless, despite considerable expert scientific pessimism,  there is still hope that catastrophe can be averted if we act quickly in the time left before catastrophic “tipping points” are reached.

Many climate scientists believe that for a safe and sustainable planet for all peoples and all species requires returning atmospheric CO2 to 300 ppm (i.e. a return to atmospheric conditions for the last 800,000 years, the period in which Man evolved from primate precursors) (see “300.org – return atmosphere CO2 to 300 ppm”: http://sites.google.com/site/300orgsite/300-org---return-atmosphere-co2-to-300-ppm ).

In order to achieve 300 ppm CO2 many expert climate analysts argue for  “100% renewable energy by 2020” (see: http://sites.google.com/site/100renewableenergyby2020/ ) and  “Cut carbon emissions 80% by 2020”: (see: http://sites.google.com/site/cutcarbonemissions80by2020/ ). A key fiscal measure required is revenue-neutral Carbon Tax rather than ineffective, polluter-friendly, fraudulent Carbon Trading or Emissions Trading Schemes (ETSs) (see  “Experts: Carbon Tax needed and NOT cap-and-trade Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS): http://sites.google.com/site/yarravalleyclimateactiongroup/carbon-tax-needed-not-cap-and-trade-emission-trading-scheme-ets ).

Older people are peculiarly threatened by the worsening climate emergency in three key areas that can be summarized by the 3 Ds of (1) Devaluation - only renewable energy-based GDP growth is now possible to prevent devaluation of superannuation and pensions; (2) Death - from greater susceptibility to heat stress of older people; and (3) Descendants - they may well hate us for what we have done to the planet.

 

For detailed, up-to-date and documented reviews  about Older People and Climate Change see the Site Map and also see the following articles.

 

Dr Gideon Polya, “3 reasons why older people should care about climate change action”, Open Forum, 2009: http://www.openforum.com.au/content/3-reasons-why-older-people-should-care-about-climate-change-action .

 

“Global warming dangers and solutions for older people”, Yarra Valley Climate Action Group, 2009: http://sites.google.com/site/yarravalleyclimateactiongroup/global-warming-dangers--solutions-for-older-people .

 

Please (a) inform everyone you can and (b) take personal and collective action -  of which the key action is to withhold avoidable support from politicians, products, people,  corporations, communities and countries contributing to the worsening climate emergency and sustainability emergency.