New research in the United Kingdom has suggested the risk of climate change may be more serious than previously thought
The Britsh government-sponsored research into global warming raises fears that an Antarctic ice sheet is melting, which could lead to sea levels rising by 16 feet.
It also warns of large-scale irreversible disruption if temperatures rise above three degrees, well within the range of climate change projections for the century.
The report, released today in a book, Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change, collates evidence presented by scientists at a conference hosted by the UK Meteorological Office at Exeter last February.
In the book, the head of the British Antarctic Survey, Prof Chris Rapley, says that the huge West Antarctic Ice Sheet may be starting to disintegrate. He argues that a previous report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) dismissing worries about the ice sheet's stability had to be revised.
He writes: "The last IPCC report characterised Antarctica as a slumbering giant in terms of climate change. I would say it is now an awakened giant. There is real concern."
The Exeter report said there was now "greater clarity and reduced uncertainty" about the impacts of climate change. It said: "In many cases the risks are more serious than previously thought."
PA