According to a statement from the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar, 2012 will likely rank somewhere in the top 10 hottest years on record globally. Furthermore, this past year polar ice sheets have been melting at record rates due to rising sea surface temperatures. The WMO’s statement followed on the heels of a warning from the UN’s Environment Programme that melting permafrost could release gigatonnes of additional CO2 into the atmosphere. It is hoped that these reports will help provide the necessary motivation for action, but many are still skeptical due to the inability of policymakers to accomplish the goals they set out at previous climate conferences.
Gary Monitz
