UK chief scientist warns climate change is world's "biggest threat"

In an article for the journal Science, Prof. David King the UK government's chief scientific adviser has warned that climate change is the biggest threat to international security.

Threats associated with climate change include increased flooding, drought, hunger + the spread of debilitating diseases.

Prof. King also says that we cannot explain climate change over the last 100 years without invoking human-induced effects and that in less than 200 years we have seen a 50% increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases relative to pre-industrial levels.

This has resulted in carbon dioxide levels that are higher than they have been at any time in the past 420,000 years, and a measurable increase in the risk to our way of life in the UK, and worldwide.

Prof. King concludes that in order to cut greenhouse emissions by as much as will be necessary to stabilise the world's climate (approx. 60% by 2050) it is essential that US (which produces approx. 20% of the world's emissions) stands shoulder to shoulder with other countries and begins to engage in finding solutions to this international problem that are not voluntary or dependent on market mechanisms... as "if we do not begin now, more substantial, more disruptive, and more expensive change will be needed later on."