We are now experiencing climate destabilization caused by excessive emission of greenhouse gases from human activities, carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels being the main culprit. If we are to avoid irreversible and potentially catastrophic destabilization it is widely accepted that at least an 80% reduction is essential by 2050. Thanks to the increased media coverage most people are aware of the problem but largely look to the Government to fix it. However, it is up to us as individuals to drive the governments around the world to honor their pledges. More importantly we each need to play our part with the choices we make in just about every aspect of our everyday lives. We have the power to push producers and manufacturers along more sustainable pathways. Alternative technology and new approaches are emerging which could help avert the crisis, but they need to be urgently adopted. We each need to take responsibility for our personal carbon footprint.

Climate change and Peak oil are closely related. The International protocols to reduce emissions and ration carbon-based fuels will help to slow down the depletion of oil. It can also be argued that diminishing supplies of gas and oil will reduce our carbon emissions enough to limit climate change. However if runaway oil prices trigger recession there will be pressure to keep business as usual going by any means necessary. This could mean using coal to make liquid fuel, burning biomass or cutting down rainforests to grow bio fuels which could produce a climate catastrophe. In order to create a sustainable future we need to tackle peak oil and climate change together rather than in isolation. The challenge is not 'how do we keep things going as normal?' but 'how do we learn to live within realistic energy restraints?'

Recommended reading

Nature's sting: The real cost of damaging Planet Earth

The Hot Topic by Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King

Heat: How We Can Stop the Planet Burning by George Monbiot

The Big Earth Book : Ideas and Solutions for a Planet in Crisis by James Bruges

'A Green New Deal' - 'Joined up policies to solve the triple-crunch of the credit crisis, climate change and high oil prices'. An important report from The New Economics Foundation, available as free downloaded pdf or £10 for printed copy.

James Hansen on why Britain's coal-fired power stations should be closed. Passionate argument by one of the world's foremost climate experts. (Source: The Observer 15/2/09)

UK's Met Office Hadley Centre has produced a Global Interactive Map showing the impact of a global temperature rise of 4ºC and representing the latest peer-reviewed science on the impacts. See also the UK Low Carbon Transition plan.