The Physical Science Basis
The Working Group 1 component of the IPCC 5th Assessment Report (AR5; IPCC 2013a) was released in late 2013. It is a vast assessment of the published, peer-reviewed literature on observed and projected climate change, written by a team of over 200 volunteer scientists. The main findings of the 1500-page full report were boiled down to a 29-page “Summary for Policy Makers” (IPCC 2013b) and then super-summarised in a series of nineteen “headlines.” These headlines are highlighted and fleshed out with discussion from the full report and personal reflections and opinions.
Read MoreGlobal Climate Change from a Pacific Islands’ Perspective
Pacific island countries and people have many mutually reinforcing perspectives on global climate change. Pacific island countries and territories (PICTs) are minor emitters of greenhouse gases. Still, they are on the frontline to experience the many serious, adverse consequences of the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Read MoreClimate Change and Global Warming Risks and Responses
Engineers for Social Responsibility and the Sustainable Energy Forum are concerned about the consequences of human-induced climate change and global warming and the need for widespread understanding of the facts and underlying science.
Read MoreClimate Change and Human Health
Human-caused climate change is a serious and urgent threat to human health. Climate change and its environmental manifestations (e.g. warmer temperatures, more heat waves, altered rainfall patterns, more extreme weather such as heavy rainfall events and/or drought, tropical storms, sea-level rise) result in many risks to human health, both direct and indirect, that are recognised by world health authorities and leading medical journals alike.
Read MoreClimate Change and Health
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its latest report on March 31, 2014. This report was the second instalment of the Fifth Assessment Report, prepared by Working Group 2, on impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change. In this Comment, we, as contributors to the chapter on human health, explain how the IPCC report was prepared and highlight important findings.
Read MoreNew Zealand and the Possible Use of Cluster Munitions in Syria
Engineers for Social Responsibility Inc is a supporter of the ANZ Joint Working Group on Landmines and Cluster Munitions, and took an active part in the campaigns to ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions. It remains a matter of deep concern that the USA and a few other governments have not seen fit to sign up to the two treaties.
Read MoreEnergy VS Climate – Defining The Problem
Steve Goldthorpe, Convener of The Sustainable Energy Forum Inc, spoke to the Auckland Branch of Engineers for Sustainability on 15 August. He pays particular attention to methane emissions, particularly those arising from fracking.
Read MoreFronting Up To Our Deteriorating World
A little group of us down in Otago were worried that we always seem to be fighting rear guard actions. We wanted to propose something a bit more proactive and searching. The result is this attached political appeal for people to use at candidates’ meetings etc pre-election. It is being developed further with the intention of using it as the basis for a petition to parliament.
Read MoreTaming The Debt Monster
Financial markets around the world are trying to adjust to the momentous stresses evident in the US and Europe. In NZ, economic forecasts don’t look particularly good. Debt and interest payments will increase as a result of more borrowing, but the borrowing will allow economic growth and that is what we all want, isn’t it?
Read MoreFukushima Nuclear Power Station
The committee and members of Engineers for Social Responsibility Inc extend their commiserations to the Japanese people and government in regard to the ongoing nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. We wish to record our concern in regard to two matters.
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