Measures urged to ease climate change
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-03-04 23:58

Chinese meteorologists have urged authorities to "get ready soon for the worst possible catastrophes" from abrupt climate changes that could cost the nation millions of lives, economic sustainability and its security.

"To secure China's voice in world environmental diplomacy regarding adverse climate changes, China must be well prepared with related strategies, programmes and projects if a climate war is to occur as some foreign experts have predicted," the meteorologists concluded Thursday.

The Beijing seminar centred on strategic countermeasures against climate changes.

Over the past century, climate change, including widespread flooding, persistent droughts and rises in sea levels, have been caused by global warming resulting from greenhouse gases. The situation has had far-reaching impacts on many countries, including China.

"In the future, such impacts will become an increasing threat to China's sustainable development of its economy with many adverse influences that might worsen its society," Qin Dahe, a scientist and top official for China Meteorological Administration, warned.

To meet an emergency situation caused by catastrophic climate changes, China should intensify its research and work out an overall strategy to mitigate their adverse impacts, Qin told the seminar.

Qin made it clear that how to fight climate change and make it an impetus to China's sustainability and national security has become a urgent issue facing the country today."

One of the most important countermeasures for this purpose, said Qin, who also works for a State office studying strategic developments to cope with climate changes,is to work out united policies and tactics for diplomatic, economic, energy and military actions against possible havoc triggered by climate war.

To raise China's ability for climate prediction, scientists said, the country should accelerate development of a supercomputer-based forecasting model as a way to foresee adverse impacts on the economy and society that might be brought by ecosystem changes.

"Only by building a capability against climate changes can China know how deal with the worst threat of catastrophic climate change like global warming that may occur in the next 20 to 30 years and become a menace to food, water, energy and environmental security," said Ye Duzheng, a senior academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Echoing Ye's idea, Sun Honglie, and Sun Shu, also academicians at CAS, said they hope authorities can increase funds earmarked for research and technological development in the field of climate change as soon as possible.

They and other experts attended the seminar to urge the government to launch China's Climate Observation System to obtain first-hand data for climate change research.

They also said it is imperative to observe and monitor black carbon aerosols, a greenhouse gas caused by fossil fuels and blamed for increasing greenhouse effect.

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