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The ten hottest years on record occurred between 1998 and 2010, with 2010 being the hottest.
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400 million people were affected by serious drought between January and July 2011
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2010 floods in Australia covered a size bigger than France and Germany combined.
Al Gore included these shocking facts in the global launch of his new Climate Reality Project, 24 Hours of Reality. 14 – 15 September saw his new presentation delivered live in a different city around the world, every hour for 24 hours, spanning every time zone and 13 languages.
“The only plausible explanation for the rise in weather-related catastrophes is climate change. The view that weather extremes are more frequent and intense due to global warming coincides with the current state of scientific knowledge as set out by the Fourth IPCC Assessment Report.” Munich RE (Reinsurance Company), 2010
Billed to offer skeptics irrefutable proof and highlight the urgency for tackling climate change, the presentation projected devastating photographs and graphs linking extreme weather and anthropogenic climate change, and undermined the ‘red herrings’ such as impact of solar flares and volcanic eruptions.
Although visually spectacular and factually shocking, there is concern about the ‘doom and gloom’ tone and whether the focus on extreme weather linking to climate will successfully convert skeptics.
“For the skeptics, the international ambition of the campaign opens it up to localised ridicule. I can already see the emails about the images he uses of a virtually empty UK reservoir that this year is probably brimming at the seams. The heavy focus on wind farms will also be an open door for criticisms around cost, a pylon-pillaged countryside and security of supply.” Trewin Restorick, CEO, Global Action Plan in Climate Reality blog (www.globalactionplan.org.uk/trewins-blog)
The live London UK event included clear calls to action from UK delivery partner, environmental charity, Global Action Plan - offering practical steps people can take to combat climate change and a more positive outlook.
“24 Hours of Reality will be a catalyst for action at work and at home. As the UK partner, Global Action Plan will make it easy for people to deliver tangible change within their community and help solve the climate crisis.” Trewin Restorick, CEO, Global Action Plan
Global Action Plan’s calls to action for business, government and people are available at http://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/24-hours-reality
“Extreme droughts, terrible storms, and larger floods are devastating many parts of the world. Today, climate change is no longer a prediction: It’s a reality.” Al Gore
Global Action Plan is the UK’s leading environmental behaviour change organisation and, since 1993, has helped businesses, schools, and communities reduce their carbon footprint to positively impact on the environment. Global Action Plan consistently achieves significant environmental and financial savings in the UK by empowering people to take action on energy, waste, water and transport. Global Action Plan is the only charity in the UK to be supported by the United Nations Environment Programme. http://www.globalactionplan.org.uk
http://www.twitter.com/globalactplan
Founded and chaired by Al Gore, Nobel Laureate and former Vice President of the United States, The Climate Reality Project has more than 5 million members and supporters worldwide. It is guided by one simple truth: The climate crisis is real and we know how to solve it. The Climate Reality Project is bringing the facts about the climate crisis into the mainstream and engaging the public in conversation about how to solve it. We help citizens around the world discover the truth and take meaningful steps to bring about change. www.climaterealityproject.org
Trewin is the CEO of independent environmental charity, which he founded in 1993. Trewin is the Chair of the Environmental IT Leadership Team (EILT), sits on the Defra Third Sector Advisory Board, is a trustee for Sustainability and Environmental Education, and co-chaired Defra’s Compact Group which won the National Compact Award for Excellence. Trewin has been trained as a Presenter for Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project and is a frequent media commentator on environmental issues appearing on Channel 4 News, Sky News, BBC Breakfast. Trewin is a regular contributor to the Guardian’s Sustainable Business network.
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