The Threat Of Global Warming - 1023 Words

â€Å"It’s a well-kept secret, but 95 percent of the climate models we are told prove the link between human CO2 emissions and catastrophic global warming have been found, after nearly two decades of temperature stasis, to be in error,† writes Maurice Newman, chief business advisor to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (Dunn). With this bold declaration, Australia thrust itself onto the international stage where it was widely criticized and condemned by the United Nations and environmental supporters worldwide. Already behind the world in climate change legislation, Australia quickly became the face of global warming denial. Maintenance of positive international relations is not so simple to achieve as the reaction to this statement†¦show more content†¦Science is beginning to support global warming, much to the dismay of non-believers like Maurice Newman. According to NASA, global temperatures have risen .8 ° since 1880 with more than two-thirds of that increase occurring after 1975. To put this in proper perspective, a one to two degree decrease in temperature was enough to plunge the world into the last ice age (Carlowicz). While many governments have implemented programs to slow CO2 emissions, they either fail to adequately decrease emissions or do not go far enough in reducing them. The 2014 World Energy Outlook estimates that at the current rate of increase, greenhouse gases are set to cause a global warming of closer to 3.6 ° Celsius, well above the 2050 2 ° Celsius target (2). If Australia has the highest per capita carbon emissions of all developed nations (Medhora and Milman) , they cannot wait to change their policy on greenhouse gas emissions. Yet in a never-ending quest for power and economic control, current leadership and career politicians continue to dismiss the need to implement necessary legislation to help reduce global emissions. Global greenhouse gas reductions were the primary focus of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and so far, one of the most important international treaties for climate change legislation. Signed by 154 industrialized countries, including Australia, all