Pour le prix d’une guerre stupide, cruelle et sans but

Selon The Independent, le quotidien britannique le plus attentif aux questions d’environnement, nous avons dépassé “the tipping point” dans la crise climatique. Il s’agit du passage d’un point de concentration de gazs CO2 et autres dans l’atmosphère au-delà duquel l’augmentation sensible et dévastatrice de la température est devenue inévitable.

The Independent interroge des scientifiques. L’un d’eux explique que des mesures doivent être prises immédiatement, qu’elles peuvent être prises immédiatement, qu’il en coûterait moins que ce que nous coûte la guerre en Irak. La comparaison laisse rêveur lorsqu’on compare les enjeux.

» “The passing of this threshold is of the most enormous significance,” said Tom Burke, a former government adviser on the green issues, now visiting professor at Imperial College London. “It means we have actually entered a new era — the era of dangerous climate change. We have passed the point where we can be confident of staying below the 2 degree rise set as the threshold for danger. What this tells us is that we have already reached the point where our children can no longer count on a safe climate.”

» The scientist who chaired the Exeter conference, Dennis Tirpak, head of the climate change unit of the OECD in Paris, was even more direct. He said: “This means we will hit 2 degrees [as a global mean temperature rise].”

» Professor Burke added: “We have very little time to act now. Governments must stop talking and start spending. We already have the technology to allow us to meet our growing need for energy while keeping a stable climate. We must deploy it now. Doing so will cost less than the Iraq war so we know we can afford it.” »

Mis en ligne le 13 février 2006 à 13H31