ABSTRACT
All major scientific bodies acknowledge the likelihood that climate change due to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is indeed under way. The 15 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1979. The related shifts in rainfall and temperature may jeopardize food production, the Earths biological diversity, and entire ecosystems, as well as human health by expanding the ranges of tropical diseases. While the world's forests have stored vast amounts of carbon throughout much of human history, forest burns and clearing in the tropics release increasing amounts of carbon. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that an eventual two-thirds reduction in global emissions is needed to avoid a precarious doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Based on IPCC and US Department of Energy projections, annual emissions from developing countries will surge some 280 percent by 2050, while those from industrial nations despite a decrease in population will increase by 30 percent.
