2008 a cooler year in a hot climate
Updated
If your Christmas conversations turn to the weather - as they do this time of year - then the World Meteorological organisation's annual report may be worth a look.
In its climate statement it says official figures reveal the world has again had one of its hottest years on record. The National Climate Centre says it's a trend that's consistent with climate change. And the atmosphere contains more than the expected amount of another greenhouse gas, methane.
Presenter: Simon Lauder reports.
Speaker: Dr Michael Raupach from the CSIRO's Marine and Atmospheric Research division
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SIMON LAUDER: The World Meteorological Organisation's annual climate statement says 2008 is set to go down as the 10th warmest year on record, with global temperatures a third of a degree above the long-term average.
Climatologist at Australia's National Climate Centre, Blair Trewin, says 2008 has also been the coolest year since 2001.
BLAIR TREWIN: At this stage it looks like Australian temperatures are going to come in somewhere around 0.3, 0.4 of a degree above long-term average.
SIMON LAUDER: Blair Trewin says this year shows what it's like to have a cool year in a warmer climate.
BLAIR TREWIN: And it's worth noting that globally we're talking about the coolest year for seven years, but if this year had happened 15 years ago, I'd be talking about the warmest year on record, so take it as an indication of what sort of trend we've seen in the last couple of decades.
SIMON LAUDER: As the World Meteorological Organisation takes the planet's temperature, Dr Michael Raupach from the CSIRO has been monitoring the data on global greenhouse gas emissions.
Dr Raupach says CO2 emissions increase by about 3.5 per cent a year, and there are no signs 2008 is any different. And this year the atmosphere contains more than the expected amount of another greenhouse gas.
MICHAEL RAUPACH: Methane had plateaued in its concentration in the atmosphere, over the few years prior to this one, but quite recently it's started to show an increase again. Nobody's sure of the reasons.
SIMON LAUDER: Dr Raupach says the emissions reduction target set by the Australian Government this week, won't prevent dangerous climate change.
MICHAEL RAUPACH: Five per cent is a very tough target, it's also for developed countries, a target that we have to exceed if we are going to meet the challenge of avoiding dangerous climate change.
SIMON LAUDER: The Federal Government says Australia will aim to reduce emissions by up to 15 per cent if other countries come onboard.
Dr Raupach says if developing countries don't agree to cuts, Australia should still do more.
MICHAEL RAUPACH: You might ask, if you're in a life boat, and the life boat is sinking, do you bail at the average rate of the other passengers or do you bail as fast as you can, that's now the dilemma we're facing.
SIMON LAUDER: Should we be bailing faster?
MICHAEL RAUPACH: My hope is, and this is a personal hope, that we can meet and exceed this target. I think we need to exceed the target if we're going to be where we need to be.
