What will happen in the long term if we do nothing about climate change?
Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
Chief Science Advisor to the German government, Climate Change Expert
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About the video: ‘What will happen in the long term if we do nothing about climate change?’
Professor Schellnhuber expresses caution when discussing possible runaway climate change. He does, however, believe that we are at a tipping point where human activity could tip our climate system into a state of accelerated warming. Should the Amazon rainforest collapse, which some say could happen by 2080, a vast store of carbon would be released. Climate change would then feed on itself to create what’s referred to as positive feedback. We know too little about the combined effect of all potential feedback mechanisms in the climate system. This, he says, must be addressed immediately.
Total views: 1,849
Filmed: London, UK on 11 December 2006
Credits: Interviewer - Marcus Morrell, Camera and Editor - Marcus Morrell
Copyright © 2006 Big Picture TV
About Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
Hans Joachim “John” Schellnhuber is the German government’s Chief Advisor on climate change. He is also the founding Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research and a former Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in England. In 2004 he received an honorary CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in recognition of his accomplishments in advancing a cross-disciplinary understanding of climate change.
Other videos with Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
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What happens if global temperatures rise more than two degrees centigrade?
John Schellnhuber says we cannot allow the Earth’s climate to warm beyond 2˚C above pre-industrial levels. Beyond this our changed climatic system could make life intolerable…
Recorded: 11 December 2006
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What will happen in the next few years if we do nothing about climate change?
John Schellnhuber talks about the likely short to medium term effects of climate change. He refers to the heat wave that much of Western Europe experienced in 2003. Such events…
Recorded: 11 December 2006
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Does everyone have equal responsibility for dealing with climate change?
Global warming will harm developing countries who are not responsible for the causes and who are least able to protect themselves. The richer industrial nations have a moral responsibility…
Recorded: 11 December 2006
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When must greenhouse gas emissions stop rising?
John Schellnhuber believes that worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases must level off and start their decline by the year 2015. Beyond this year the climate could degrade beyond…
Recorded: 11 December 2006
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