ABSTRACT
Climate change is a natural phenomenon, but humankind has drastically altered
the process. When we use computers to model only the natural influences on
the climate, we cannot explain the rapid rise in global temperatures we have
seen during the 20th century. It is only when we include the influence of our
emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere over the last 150 years
that we can replicate the temperature rises seen in recent decades. To help to
avoid unacceptably dangerous climate change in the future, many countries
and regions have set targets for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. The
UK Government has set a target of an 80 per cent cut in emissions on 1990
levels by 2050 as part of the Climate Change Act of 2008. Various national
and international organizations have also set themselves targets to reduce the
impact they have on the climate, with the National Health Service in England
aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050.
This chapter concludes with some responses to frequently asked questions
