CU's Bedřich Moldan on fight against global warming ****************************************************************************************** * CU's Bedřich Moldan on global warming: ****************************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************************** * The involvement of so many different groups in the fight is a good sign ****************************************************************************************** Earlier this month, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its Specia Climate Change and Land, mapping the state of the environment. The report focussed specifically on terrestrial ecosystems and how they are acted upon by time contribute to - global warming. I discussed the findings, including the role of agriculture and land use adding to greenho emissions, with former environment minister Bedřich Moldan, one of the founders and deputy University’s Environment Centre in Prague. “The interactions of terrestrial systems are important. The report estimates how much CO2 greenhouse gasses are produced in different terrestrial areas, with two sectors, agricultu deforestation, dominating. These emissions form something like 23 percent of all CO2 emiss roughly the same amount as in the energy sector, so it is significant. It is not as massiv emissions and other sources where we are burning fossil fuels but it still has to be taken There are different effects and threats because of global warming: in the Czech Republic, a big topic in recent months and it was the focus of a CU panel debate… “Drought is certainly one of the effects and is luckily a phenomenon that is well understo models. What is trickier or less clear are local effects: finer ‘grains’ that are not easy picture of’ or fully ascertain. “Generally-speaking, we can say that periods of drought will become more and more common d warming and they will be found in areas where they were not present before. They are a thr there is already substantial dryness due to a lack of rain and other sources, meanwhile, w off.” What is the prognosis for the Czech Republic in this respect? “If you draw a line across a map of Europe from west to east, it is possible to say that a 50th parallel is the divide. North of the divide will be mostly wetter conditions and sout have mostly drier ones. That means things are a little unclear for the Czech Republic beca divide; but for the Mediterranean region the forecast or projection is quite substantial. are needed for conditions which will almost certainly worsen.” “One way of looking at it is this: some people say that the human impact on climate change percent but 110 percent because the effects become more and more amplified. But if our sci politicians and the general public understand this and how the impact is added to, things curb it. Measures can still be taken to counter the effects.” On the positive side, there seems to a great deal more discussion now, all these small fac part of a greater mosaic. One example: the curbing of meat production and reliance on meat opening up for vegetarian burgers and other food products which taste like the real thing to methane emissions. More and more people and CEOs seem to be looking into possibilities friendly or proactive. “The growth in engagement is certainly good news: that said, the issue is very complex and have to be comprehensive. For us to fight global warming successfully, action has to be ta different sides but above all it has to be coordinated. “The report cautions at many points against uncoordinated steps or actions as they can run other. One example is bioenergy. Biofuels in the form of rapidly growing plants or trees c when it comes to food production because land is limited so these things have to be balanc should prevail. We need to consider all of the ramifications when taking different steps.” At times, it seems like there are almost too may cogs in the machine – is it possible to c all? Governments, NGOs, researchers, universities, local initiatives, the public? “On the one hand, we have a lot of alarming factual information but on the other, all of t you mentioned, starting with scientists and ending with politicians and everything in betw for us to be optimistic. We are rapidly realising that it is a complex issue which has to and the fact that so many different groups are getting involved is a good sign I think. A could finally work. Piecemeal action can help but coordination is key. Of course, the unde the economy: we have to decide where best to put finances – we can’t spend everywhere and “The UN report is quite instructive in this respect: at around 1,000 pages it has seven ma recommendations on how to tackle different problems from the perspective of policymakers. hard to comprehend in its entirety. I already spoke about greenhouse gas emissions but som more difficult to gauge and on the other hand, the terrestrial biosphere is a net sink for like 29 percent of total CO2 emissions are captured by the terrestrial biosphere so the ba fine and complicated. In some places, forests are a sink, elsewhere they are sources and t careful in this respect.” Is industry getting on board when it comes to emissions in food production and so on? I ca of points of contention especially if some of the evidence is not conclusive… “That is certainly true. I would say that lot of the change which takes place still has to public, which is why a greater understanding of the issues and different aspects is needed changing. It is a matter of debate now more than ever before. “If original proposals by the EC were followed, I think it would be very good but of cours the decision-making body and it is up to member states. Many national governments are in o they are simply under pressure from agricultural lobbies that don’t like a number of green I am optimistic in the long-run if not in the short-term. “I think a more long-term perspective is taking hold and public perception of the problem rapidly. That - and the development and employment of new technologies - is crucial. At th quite critical: I think this country – which has been very inventive in the past – can do effort is needed. The current government is spending a lot on science and innovation but I needs to be done to create market opportunities and to tackle problems at hand.”