The Trend of Global Ecological and Environmental Changes

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) established by World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program launched the Fourth Assessment Report in 2007, clearly pointing out that human activities had a huge impact on global climate, particularly since the middle of last century. In addition, on the basis of the risen global surface temperature, that is, 0.74 ± 0.18°C from 1906 to 2005, the report forecasted at the end of the 21^st century, the global climate would have another rise of 1.1°C to 6.4°C. Current policies and the trend of greenhouse gas emission will lead to a rapid rise in global temperature. It was estimated that in 2050, the greenhouse gas emission would be 37% higher than that in 2005 and would produce a series of far-reaching impacts. Therefore, the emission trend should be reversed to protect the climate and make the greenhouse gas emission in 2050 significantly lower than the current level. The primary driving force to emission growth consists in using fossil fuels as well as implementing non-sustainable land utilization policies, such as deforestation. By 2050, agricultural emission and waste emission will greatly contribute to the growth of greenhouse gas emission.