Use of Science by an Environmental Advocacy Body - Essay Example

REPORT By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Report Investigation into the Use of Science by an Environmental Advocacy Body Introduction Climate change has long ago stopped being a scientific curiosity, and is no more only one of scores of regulatory and environmental concerns, rather it is the key overruling environmental concern of 21st century, and the only biggest setback confronting regulators of the environment. Climate change without a doubt is a mounting crisis with security, food production, health as well as safety, economic and other dimensions (UNEP, 2010). For instance, changing weather patterns endanger production of food through augmented precipitation unpredictability, contamination of freshwater reserves at the coast due to rising sea levels and increased threat of disastrous flooding, as well as the warming air helps the pole-ward increase of diseases and pests that once affected only the tropics. Climate change news thus far is appalling and is becoming even worse as evidenced by continued ice-loss from ice sheets and glaciers (United Nations Environment Programme, 2010, p.33). When the ice loss is combined with the thermal expansion, more volume is occupied by warm water than the cold, and this will ultimately result in the rise of sea-level that may perhaps far outdo those projected in the latest international scientific assessment. The possibility for runaway greenhouse effect is genuine and has by no means been more present. As scientific evidence recommends, the most treacherous climate changes could still be shunned if the world change its systems for hydrocarbon energy and also if the world start coherent and sufficiently funded adaptation programmes to prevent migrations as well as disasters at extraordinary scales. According to UNEP (2010), the paraphernalia for this is obtainable, but they ought to be used aggressively and immediately. The report seeks to provide a critical insight on the connection between Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) values and interests, its advocacy positions and its use of science. IPCC Values and Interests The role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is to evaluate the technical and scientific information concerning climate change in a manner that is objective, transparent and comprehensive (Skodvin, 2000, p.106). The Panel reports are produced through the collaboration of the world’s scientific community. Scores of technical and scientific experts are involved in report preparation for IPCC, and precisely thousands more take part in offering objective peer review. The partakers are always drawn from national and private research laboratories, academia, as well as from not-for-profit organisation and industries. IPCC makes a combined effort to possibly take account of the most all-encompassing range of compelling scientific viewpoint. Certainly, the reliability of IPCC as perceived by scientific community and governments rests squarely on its dedication to offering scientifically balanced and more advanced information that accurately mirrors the state of people climate change science comprehension (Skodvin, 2000, p.107). However, the IPCC has time and again been blamed of being a hardhearted monolith as well as of having inflicted a doctrine of false consensus for reasons that are politically motivated. A number of scientists, including those in climate community, have shown reluctances concerning the IPCC-produced consensus science (Bast, 2014). Even if the IPCC lacks machinery to counter such claims, one could address such concerns by taking into account the process through which the assessment reports are generated. Furthermore, the IPCC lacks lasting bureaucracy apart from undersized Secretariat, which is in charge for logistical coordination. For that reason, the Panel depends completely on the support of the technical and scientific communities to come up with its reports. Evidently, peer review is a crucial element of the assessment process, and so to make certain integrity of the reports, contribution must be expanded significantly. For instance, IPCC Third Assessment was contributed by more than 2,500 scientists all representing over 100 nations; this was up from the 1990 First Assessment that involved only 200 scientists representing forty nations (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014). Amongst those reviewing and contributing to IPCC assessment reports include scientists who usually disagree with the facts of international climate change. The assessment report conclusions always derive from the analysis of more than twenty thousand articles from the appropriate literature. In this case, the scientists aspire to merge opposing views through peer review and workshops if probable. When consensus is not attained, the scientists differentiate the variances and make out the issues that require clearing up through extra research. Therefore, the IPCC Assessment Report is supposed to be viewed for what it is: that is a substantial, policy-pertinent but not policy-dogmatic review of the present status of climate change science understanding. The reports are considered scientific benchmark, and so acts as the base for global climate negotiations. Assessment Reports and Advocacy Position With regard to producing the assessment reports, the IPCC is systematised in three Working Groups as well as a Task Force that concentrate on certain facets of climate analyses peer-reviewed and published literature in order to produce an all-inclusive assessment of scientific knowledge that is published in the panel’s Assessment Reports. The IPCC Assessment Reports are published after six to seven years, and the latest (Fifth Assessment Report) was published this year. The IPCC Working Group I report is based on the physical science basis. Some of the key findings from Working Group I report include the finding that the climate system of the earth is changing, and that human-related activities are the key cause. Other fundamental findings include: the robust proof that numerous elements of the Earth’s climate system are changing as evidenced by the rising of ocean and global atmosphere temperatures, prevalent melting of ice as well as snow, rising sea level across the globe, in addition to changes in scores of extreme happenings (Australian Government, 2014). In its Fourth Assessment Report, the IPCC offered estimates of the overall permissible carbon emissions in the world so as to limit the rise of temperature to 2°C beyond pre-industrial levels. Basically, if emissions surpass the IPCC scenarios, Working Group I suggest that global temperature may increase by between 3.2°C and 5.4°C late in the 21st century. The IPCC has already noticed the impact of a changing climate across the globe. Sea level rise from scientific understanding point of view has improved and worldwide average rise of sea level are higher as compared in earlier IPCC reports. The IPCC Working Group II is based on impacts, adaptation as well as vulnerability, and its report underlines the growing proof of numerous risks of climate change facing the world. A number of climate change risks have already surfaced, and are experiencing momentous impacts. Other Working Group II findings include, Australia will continue facing heightening risk attributed by climate change. A number of effects are inevitable but some may be handled by a permutation of adaptation as well as effective international mitigation (Australian Government, 2014). Furthermore, ability to control risks brought about by climate change so as to build assets like roads, bridges and houses, in addition to world’s human activities is evidently high, but environmental systems have restricted ability to adapt to the climate change rate. Risks from ocean acidification as well as warming have heightened in the last century and scientific literature project that it will continue to rise. This as per reference will have noteworthy impacts on coastal communities as well as marine ecosystems. Devoid of adaptation, additional climate changes are anticipated to have extensive effects on world’s health as well as agriculture, infrastructure, oceans, coastal ecosystems, and water resources. The IPCC Working Group III is rooted in climate change mitigation, and its report underlines the global climate change nature as well as the necessity for international cooperation. Some of the key findings of Working Group III include: the continued rise of greenhouse gas emissions and that population and economic growth are the main drivers of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the goal of emissions reductions targets by 2020 as stipulated under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is doubtful to accomplish the agreed international objective of setting global rise in temperature to 2°C. Furthermore, the Working Group (I, II, and III) represent the global agreement on climate change in literature which has extensively been published and peer-reviewed in scientific journals. IPCC in 2012 released the Special Report on Extreme Events (SREX report) which integrated the most recent scientific research on climate change together with extreme events. The SREX report key findings included: that it is practically evident that there will be a globe increase in the magnitude as well as frequency of warm extremes and decrease in cold extremes towards the end of the 21st century. Besides that, it is extremely probable that there will be a rise in the mean sea level and this will result in extreme sea levels rise at some point. Furthermore, as per SREX report it is possible that the rate of heavy rainfall will heighten in most countries. SREX report key findings with regard to for Australia included: a continued increase in worm days and decrease in cold days as well as increase in duration of heat-wave (Australian Government, 2014). Furthermore, extreme precipitation events are expected to increase, and tropical typhoons are projected to become more and stronger and move southwards; but the frequency will remain the same. When all is said and done, the most useful adaptation as well as reduction actions for catastrophe risk of extreme events as mentioned by IPCC includes those that present enlargement benefits in the near future, in addition to reductions in susceptibility over the coming decades. Scientific Contribution Undoubtedly, IPCC scientific contribution on climate change is consequential; for instance IPCC reported that the climate system of the Earth is indisputably warming, and also it is exceedingly possible (almost 95 percent likelihood) that humans activities like burning of fossil fuels and deforestation and are the main cause of increased level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Additionally, it is probable that a number of probable further warming of greenhouse gas has been counterbalanced by heightened aerosols. IPCC expresses this scientific consensus in assessment reports, through international and national scientific bodies, as well as through opinion surveys amongst climate scientists. IPCC scientific data reliability is attributed by contributions from laboratories, universities, and scientists who contribute to the general scientific opinion through their peer-reviewed publications. The IPCC presented scientific opinion on climate change is evidence from international and national scientific societies’ assessment on climate change. Some of this scientific assessments highlighted in the previous IPCC Assessment Report include the verity that climate system warming are unequivocal, as proved by continuous increase ocean temperatures, ice melting, and rise in sea level (United Nations Environment Programme, 2010). The IPCC report that climate change is attributed by human activities, and so climate change costs and benefits for the world will differ broadly by scale and location. The IPCC assessment reports further project that a number of the effects of Polar Regions and temperate will in some place be positive and others negative. Generally, the net effects of climate change will incline strongly negative in the negative side. The existing scientific literature points out that the climate change net damage costs will probably be momentous and will increase with time. There is a chance that the pliability of numerous ecosystems will probably (UNEP, 2010) be surpassed in the current century by an extraordinary permutation of climate change, related disturbances such as acidification of the ocean, wildfire, drought, flooding. Conclusion In conclusion, as discussed in the report, IPCC aims have been to assess scientific information pertinent to: climate change, its impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. The IPCC main activities includes preparing a comprehensive Assessment Reports concerning the state of socio-economic, technical and scientific knowledge on climate change, what causes it, possible effects in addition to response strategies. Besides that, IPCC produces Special Reports like SREX reports whose assessment are based on certain issue as well as Methodology Reports, that offer guidelines that are practical for preparing inventories for greenhouse gas. Scientific contribution of the IPCC is evident considering that since its inauguration in 1988 it has succeeded to prepare five multivolume assessment reports. References Australian Government, 2014. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC. [Online] Available at: http://www.climatechange.gov.au/climate-change/climate-science/intergovernmental-panel-climate-change [Accessed 17 October 2014]. Bast, J., 2014. The IPCC's Latest Report Deliberately Excludes And Misrepresents Important Climate Science. [Online] Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/03/31/the-ipccs-latest-report-deliberately-excludes-and-misrepresents-important-climate-science/ [Accessed 31 March 2014]. Skodvin, T., 2000. Structure and Agent in the Scientific Diplomacy of Climate Change: An Empirical Case Study of Science-Policy Interaction in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. New York: Springer Science & Business Media. UNEP, 2010. Climate Change: Introduction. [Online] Available at: http://www.unep.org/climatechange/Introduction.aspx [Accessed 17 September 2014]. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014. The Role of the IPCC on Climate Change. [Online] Available at: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/science/the-role-of-the-ipcc-on.html [Accessed 17 October 2014]. United Nations Environment Programme, 2010. UNEP Year Book 2010: New Science and Developments in Our Changing Environment. Stevenage, Hertfordshire: UNEP/Earthprint. Read More