A Perspective about the Issue of Global Warming

Abstract

　 Global warming is an issue centered around the changes of the global climate mainly caused by alteration of concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere due to burning of fossil fuel by humans. To reduce its detrimental impacts on the human society, policies are needed in two aspects: adaptation to climate change and reduction of emission of CO2.

　 Scientific understanding of global warming emerged as a theoretical outlook. Rigorously speaking, we cannot predict future climate. Nevertheless scientists have become broadly confident about global aspects of climate change. On the other hand, it is local climate change, which is affected not only by CO2 but also by natural variability, that causes actual impacts.

　 The issue of global warming is a part of the issue of sustainability of the global human society. Human impacts on the natural environment, including those due to land use change, threaten human sustainability. Twin needs of adaptation and emission reduction urge us to face the limit of growth in the consumption of resources. They also point to the need to improve resilience of the poor part of the world by re-distributing the limited global resources.