Senior government advisors are warning of four degree temperature change

Sam Gardiner MLA, the Ulster Unionist Environment Spokesman, has said that two top government scientific advisers are advising the Government to plan for a four degree increase in temperature.

"This would impact on Britain heavily with coastal erosion, inland flooding with more heavy rainfall events and higher temperatures. It would impact on many communities and householders and on what farmers could grow."

"There is a 50% probability that temperatures will exceed 2 degrees Centigrade and a 20% probability they would exceed 3.5 degrees centigrade."

"When heavyweight advisers like Professor Bob Watson, who is a former science adviser to President Clinton and ex-chief scientist at the World Bank, and Sir David King, the government's former chief scientific adviser, begin to talk in this range of figures, then we have to pay attention."

"One of the big unknowns is the stage at which dangerous tipping points would be reached which accelerate the warming process still further. The release of methane hydrate deposits in the Arctic could be triggered by temperature increases and these could lead to a further cycle of even higher temperatures."

"This latest pronouncement indicated that senior government scientific advisers think that the EU target of limiting temperature increases to 2 degrees centigrade by reducing greenhouse gases is not going to be met. If we really do see a 4 degree centigrade temperature increase this will require more than minor adjustments to life. It will be a new climate regime."