U.N. chief predicts dire future without climate deal

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - Failure to act quickly on climate change could eventually lead to violence and mass unrest as global weather patterns drastically change, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

"If we fail to act, climate change will intensify droughts, floods and other natural disasters," Ban said at a forum near Seoul that came weeks ahead of his own conference on climate change in September.

"Water shortages will affect hundreds of millions of people. Malnutrition will engulf large parts of the developing world. Tensions will worsen. Social unrest — even violence — could follow," Ban said according to a prepared text of his remarks to a global environment forum in Incheon, west of Seoul.

Greenhouse gas emissions are widely considered to be one of the main causes of global warming. Nations will gather in Copenhagen in December to work out a new agreement on reducing emissions to succeed the current Kyoto Protocol, whose first phase ends in 2012.

Ban, calling climate change a fundamental threat to mankind, called on world leaders to act quickly so that a deal can be reached at Copenhagen.

In Bonn, delegates from about 180 nations meet for U.N. climate talks amid warnings that time was running out for them to reach agreement on a hugely complex pact, due for completion at the end of the year.

About 2,400 delegates at the August 10-14 negotiations in Bonn will try to shorten a draft text, outlining options for combating global warming, that has swollen to about 200 pages from 50 just a few months ago.

The Bonn meeting, the third in Germany this year, was added because of scant progress with the deadline looming. After Bonn, talks before Copenhagen are in Bangkok from September 28-October 9 and in Barcelona, Spain, from November 2-6.

Related News

edmonton electric buses

Edmonton's 1st electric bus hits city streets

EDMONTON - Your next trip on Edmonton transit could be a historical one as the city’s first battery-electric bus is now on city streets, marking a milestone for Edmonton Transit Service.

“Transit has been around since 1908 in Edmonton. We had some really small buses, we had some trolley buses several years later. It’s a special day in history today,” Ryan Birch, acting director of transit operations, said. “It’s a fresh experience… quiet, smooth riding. It’s going to be absolutely wonderful.”

In a news release, Mayor Don Iveson called it the largest purchase of electric buses in Canadian history.

“Electric buses are a…

READ MORE

Salmon and electricity at center of Columbia River treaty negotiations

READ MORE

florida power crews at work

FPL stages massive response to Irma but power may not be back for days or weeks

READ MORE

elon musk

Tesla plans to reveal electric transport truck in October

READ MORE

map of power grid

Military Is Ramping Up Preparation For Major U.S. Power Grid Hack

READ MORE