Prepared by – Suzanne Abou Said Daou | A joint communiqué agreed by twenty-four of Britain’s most learned scientific societies’ organizations have joined forces to urge the British government to act now to curb greenhouse gas emissions. These scientific societies represent the most advanced research in the humanities, the social sciences, the arts, science, medicine and engineering urges action by governments, individuals, business, local communities and public institutions, to make the transition to a zero carbon world. While these concerns on the environment were voiced by many of these societies and many times earlier, the signing of this communiqué came with no surprise. But what was significant about this latest statement is that all sorts of scholarly authorities with quite different origins have been united in one unequivocal statement. The communiqué states that if we are to have a reasonable chance of limiting global warming in this century to 2°C relative to the pre-industrial period, we must transition to a zero-carbon world by as early as in the second half of the century. The communiqué highlights also the risks associated with climate change, as well as the potential responses and opportunities of low-carbon and climate-resilient growth. Also many hydrocarbon pioneers were among these centers, for instance, the Geological Society of London, for much of its 200-year history which is the oldest in the world has backed the fossil fuel industry and has sponsored petroleum, gas and coal prospecting and exploitation for most of its history; while the Royal Society of Chemistry scientists have pioneered the use of hydrocarbons derived from crude oil coal. While the Royal Society on the other hand supported the Industrial Revolution and its scientists made it possible while lately endorsed the conclusions of a new generation who first identified the dangers related to atmospheric pollution, and then began systematically calculating costs to the impacts of such advances on the environment of earth. Also the Institutions of Civil Engineers and Chemical Engineers, Zoological Society of London, the Royal Meteorological Society, are other signatories included. All the societies stressed that the British government shows a leading role in climate action, so when the world’s nations meet in Paris in December 2015 try once more to reach an enforceable agreement on cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. “The UK led the world with both the modern scientific revolution and the industrial revolution, and must again lead now on the creation of a safer, cleaner and more prosperous world”, said Lord Stern, the President of the British Academy. And he added: “Tackling climate change is a responsibility for the whole world, but the UK has a special position at the forefront of international efforts”. From “greenarea” while we’re facing many environmental challenges, and especially confronted with the waste accumulation in an alarming manner in our cities and villages in our beautiful Lebanon; backing this communiqué is crucial since it affects the whole world, with hopes that international efforts in COP21 will lead to tackling climate change in the most comprehensive way.
