Problem and Solution

Problem and Solution Writing Problem-and-Solution essays is an important part of Year 1 writing. You should be able to discuss a problem and suggest some solutions. Getting started Click here for a short introduction Read the model essay about water shortages and complete the exercise Topics Here are some possible topics. Water Shortages: Gapfill exercise from TJ Everest. Try it online (Hot Potatoes exercise), or open in Acrobat, or in Word. Check your answers here (Acrobat, or in Word) Domestic waste: problem and solution. new TV Addiction: how much is too much? Gapfill exercise from TJ Everest, a bar chart, and links. Global Warming is threatening our climate and possibly our lives. How can this problem be solved? Read this short article on Global Warming from Gulf News, with discussion questions. The UAE has a shortage of water. How can we solve this problem? Many people are obese, or very overweight. Why is this? What can be done? World population growth is a major concern. What difficulties can the rise in the number of people have? Why do construction accidents occur in the UAE? How can they be prevented? Why do some young people take drugs? How can this problem be solved? Try this hot potatoes gap-fill exercise, and see some other links. Why do some young people drop out of school? How can this problem be solved? Many people die each year on UAE roads. How can this problem be reduced? Many marriages end in divorce. What can we do about this problem? Vehicles and factories produce harmful gases. How can we minimize this problem? There are very few Emirati nurses working in the UAE. How can we encourage more Emiratis to become nurses? Many families employ maids. What problems can this cause? Suggest some possible solutions. Exercises Drag-and-drop Hot Potatoes exercise: What are the steps involved in writing a Problem & Solution essay. Match headings to paragraphs - exercise based on Recyling, Rudiments of Wisdom, p78, Focus on First Certificate. (PDF or Word) New! For Teachers Activity - running dictation exercise on Global Warming from TJ Everest. New! Key vocabulary and partner gap-fill exercise for Problem/Solution vocabulary. Microsoft Word - right-click and save to your desktop. Problem Solution Presentations: Class activity and notes for students, by Frankie Sutton. Microsoft Word - right-click and save to your desktop. Problem-Solution PowerPoint Presentations. By T.J. Everest. Click here for a note-taking grid (pdf, 42 kb), and PowerPoint model on Students Not Doing Homework (227 kb). Flash examples from CHL: Divorce, Drug Addiction, Jet-skiing, Noise Pollution new We are recomanded publishes some of the highest quality games available online, all completely free to play. Our massive selection of games include some of the most played genres online, the most popular being racing games, puzzle games, action games, MMO games and many more, all guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours to come. y8 | agame | friv | y3 | kizi | barbie | friv | y8 | huz | y8 | ben 10 | online games | miniclip | y8 | y8 | addicting games | y3 | y8 | funbrain | agame | y8 | friv | y3 | y8 | miniclip | friv | barbie | yepi | y8 | free games |y8 | addicting games | friv | all sites guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours to come.

Global Warming: Model Essay

Global Warming: Model Essay One of the biggest problems facing the world today is global warming. Many scientists believe that our production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is having a heating effect on the atmosphere, and this could be very dangerous for human life. This essay will examine the problem of global warming and suggest some ways of solving the problem. Many problems could result from global warming. One of the biggest problems is rising sea level. This could result in the flooding of low lying coastal areas and cities, such as Egypt, the Netherlands, and Bangladesh. Some countries might even disappear completely! Another problem caused by global warming is changes in weather patterns. Many areas of the world are experiencing increased hurricanes, floods, and other unusual weather. A third problem associated with global warming is the effect on animals. Fish populations could be affected, while some insects which spread disease might become more common. There are several things we can do to solve the problem of global warming. One solution is to stop producing C02. We can do this by switching from oil, coal and gas to renewable energy. Another solution is to plant more trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, which is not a greenhouse gas. A third solution is to use less energy and to recycle more products. Generating electricity is one of the main sources of carbon dioxide. If we use less electricity, we will produce less C02. In conclusion, if we make small changes now in the way we live, we can avoid huge changes in the future. Scientists, governments and individuals must work together to overcome this threat. We are recomanded publishes some of the highest quality games available online, all completely free to play. Our massive selection of games include some of the most played genres online, the most popular being racing games, puzzle games, action games, MMO games and many more, all guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours to come. y8 | agame | friv | y3 | kizi | barbie | friv | y8 | huz | y8 | ben 10 | online games | miniclip | y8 | y8 | addicting games | y3 | y8 | funbrain | agame | y8 | friv | y3 | y8 | miniclip | friv | barbie | yepi | y8 | free games |y8 | addicting games | friv | all sites guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours to come.

Greenpeace, Top Users Ask Pinterest to Go Green on Oversized Pinboards at Company HQ

SAN FRANCISCO, May 6, 2014 — Greenpeace activists and influential users of Pinterest, the social network and visual search tool, asked Pinterest employees to create a greener internet by becoming the next tech company to power its platform with renewable energy at a demonstration outside of the company’s headquarters this morning. The activists set up two 13’ tall, 15’ wide “pinboards” outside of the Pinterest office in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco, each featuring real-life “pins” with the message “Make Our Pins Green”. Designers, photographers and other influential Pinterest users who are partnering with Greenpeace’s #clickclean campaign for a green internet designed many of the pins on the boards. Photos available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/greenpeaceusa09/sets/72157643361163803/ “As a mom of three boys who are very technology savvy, paired with my role in social media with Pinterest an integral part of what I use every day, it would great to be positively part of helping Pinterest’s platform go green,” said Paula Coop McCrory, a visual artist with over 4 million followers on Pinterest. “Being environmentally friendly is important to me and my family. I'd love to be able to say that Pinterest is now going green, too.'” The activity featured pins designed by eight Pinterest users who have close to five million followers combined. Activists also set up a solar-powered café outside the headquarters in a small trailer, painted with a green Pinterest logo and topped with functioning solar panels. They offered Pinterest employees cupcakes, also iced with a green pinterest logo, and coffee, kept warm by burners drawing electricity from the solar panels. Pinterest is growing fast, with an estimated 70 million users who have created 750 million boards and 30 billion pins. [1] That data growth requires increasing amount of electricity to power it, and Pinterest has yet to make a commitment to power its growing energy footprint with renewable energy, or to share details about the size of its energy footprint. Apple, Facebook and Google have each committed to powering their internet operations with 100 % renewable energy, according to a report Greenpeace released last month, “Clicking Clean: How Companies are Creating the Green Internet.” [2] Other fast-growing internet companies like Box and Salesforce have also committed to 100 % renewable energy. “Pinterest is growing fast, and so is its energy use” said Greenpeace Senior IT Analyst Gary Cook. “Now is the right time for Pinterest to become the next leader of a green internet, by committing to power all of our pins and pinboards with 100 % renewable energy.” The Clicking Clean report detailed how the internet’s energy footprint is growing rapidly, and how modern, fast-growing companies like Pinterest risk tying the new digital economy to old, polluting forms of energy that cause global warming if they do not shift toward renewable energy. Pinterest uses Amazon Web Services to power the data behind its platform. Amazon Web Services’ data centers are powered by only 15 % renewable energy – the rest of its electricity comes from coal, gas and nuclear power, according to the report. Other companies using Amazon Web Services include Netflix, Spotify, Vine, Yelp, AirBnB and Reddit. Greenpeace is pushing all major internet companies to go green, with a focus on social media in its #clickclean campaign. Last month, Greenpeace activists unveiled a new green bird logo for Twitter outside the company’s San Francisco headquarters, and urged the company to commit to 100 % renewable energy.

Energy [R]evolution report details how US can transition to nearly 100% renewable energy Scenario dramatically cuts carbon pollution while creating more energy sector jobs

Washington DC - The United States can quickly transition to nearly 100% renewable energy and phase out coal and nuclear power, according to a major new report from Greenpeace and the Global Wind Energy Council. Energy [R]evolution - A Sustainable USA Energy Outlook provides a blueprint for transforming our electricity, transportation, and heating systems to dramatically reduce carbon pollution, and demonstrates to policymakers and investors that rapid changes in the way we produce, distribute, and consume energy are possible and cost effective. “Growing concerns about climate change and air pollution, along with quickly falling costs of renewable energy, are already upending the utility industry’s business model and threatening to turn fossil fuel reserves into stranded assets. The Energy [R]evolution report demonstrates that the rapid changes in the energy sector could expand dramatically, with major implications for many industries,” said Sven Teske, a renewable energy expert with Greenpeace International. The Energy [R]evolution details how by 2050, renewable energy sources could provide around 97% of electricity produced in the USA and 94% of our total heating and cooling demand, accounting for around 92% of our final energy demand. The blueprint would lead to about 1.5 million energy-related jobs in 2030 - 35% more than projected under the “business as usual” scenario outlined by the Energy Information Agency 2013 Annual Outlook. By phasing out coal and oil, fuel cost savings in the scenario described would be $6.1 trillion, or $153 billion per year, and overall costs would be about 50% lower than the government outlook. The United States would reduce carbon pollution 39% by 2025 and 60% by 2030 (below 2005 levels). “The most recent National Climate Assessment makes it very clear that we need national policies to expedite a clean energy economy. Fortunately, the energy market is phasing out coal and phasing in renewable energy at a rapid pace, but this must be quickened to avoid climate consequences much worse than the wildfires, droughts, and superstorms the country is already experiencing," said Kyle Ash, Senior Legislative Representative for Greenpeace USA, “We need policymakers to stop enabling fossil fuel companies, and to make these climate polluters responsible for the damage they are doing.” This report is the latest in a series of global, regional, and national Energy [R]evolution scenarios which are available at www.energyblueprint.info.

Greenpeace: Obama climate rules send signal to utilities to clean up now Response to the announcement of new EPA limits to global warming pollution produced by power plants

Greenpeace USA Climate and Energy Campaign Director Gabe Wisniewski released the following statement: "President Obama's proposed rule to limit power plants’ global warming pollution sends a clear signal to electric utilities: the time has come to stop clinging to century-old business models that cause global warming and poison our communities by burning coal and gas, and heed the growing demands from customers to switch to the efficient, renewable energy of today. The new rule shows that the Obama administration is serious about taking action on climate change, but the Administration could and should strengthen it considerably. Greenpeace’s Energy Revolution analysis, released in May, demonstrates that from a technical perspective, the US power sector could achieve almost twice the reductions proposed in the rule. “While coal companies, utilities, and their front groups like ALEC and Americans for Prosperity are playing to script and offering the same old chicken little warnings about how clean energy will kill the economy in response to the new EPA rules, the most successful and innovative businesses in the country are sprinting to adopt efficient, renewable energy. Leading technology companies like Apple, Facebook and Google have all committed to power with 100 % renewable energy, and dozens of other Fortune 500 companies are joining them. “The devastating storms and droughts of the past few years underscore America’s obligation to move toward a 100 % renewable energy economy as quickly as possible, and limiting the global warming pollution from power plants is a key step to help us get there. Utilities like Duke Energy, the nation’s largest, should not waste another day burning coal, gas and blocking renewable energy, and join the modern economy that is racing ahead toward renewable energy.” ### Greenpeace released a report in May, “Energy [R]evolution - A Sustainable USA Energy Outlook,” which details how the US economy can quickly transition to nearly 100% renewable energy.

How Much More Will Earth Warm?

How Much More Will Earth Warm? To further explore the causes and effects of global warming and to predict future warming, scientists build climate models—computer simulations of the climate system. Climate models are designed to simulate the responses and interactions of the oceans and atmosphere, and to account for changes to the land surface, both natural and human-induced. They comply with fundamental laws of physics—conservation of energy, mass, and momentum—and account for dozens of factors that influence Earth’s climate. Though the models are complicated, rigorous tests with real-world data hone them into powerful tools that allow scientists to explore our understanding of climate in ways not otherwise possible. By experimenting with the models—removing greenhouse gases emitted by the burning of fossil fuels or changing the intensity of the Sun to see how each influences the climate—scientists use the models to better understand Earth’s current climate and to predict future climate. The models predict that as the world consumes ever more fossil fuel, greenhouse gas concentrations will continue to rise, and Earth’s average surface temperature will rise with them. Based on a range of plausible emission scenarios, average surface temperatures could rise between 2°C and 6°C by the end of the 21st century. Graph of predicted temperature change based on 4 scenarios of carbon dioxide emissions. Model simulations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimate that Earth will warm between two and six degrees Celsius over the next century, depending on how fast carbon dioxide emissions grow. Scenarios that assume that people will burn more and more fossil fuel provide the estimates in the top end of the temperature range, while scenarios that assume that greenhouse gas emissions will grow slowly give lower temperature predictions. The orange line provides an estimate of global temperatures if greenhouse gases stayed at year 2000 levels. (©2007 IPCC WG1 AR-4.) Climate Feedbacks Greenhouse gases are only part of the story when it comes to global warming. Changes to one part of the climate system can cause additional changes to the way the planet absorbs or reflects energy. These secondary changes are called climate feedbacks, and they could more than double the amount of warming caused by carbon dioxide alone. The primary feedbacks are due to snow and ice, water vapor, clouds, and the carbon cycle. Snow and ice Perhaps the most well known feedback comes from melting snow and ice in the Northern Hemisphere. Warming temperatures are already melting a growing percentage of Arctic sea ice, exposing dark ocean water during the perpetual sunlight of summer. Snow cover on land is also dwindling in many areas. In the absence of snow and ice, these areas go from having bright, sunlight-reflecting surfaces that cool the planet to having dark, sunlight-absorbing surfaces that bring more energy into the Earth system and cause more warming. Photograph of the retreating Athabasca Glacier, Jasper National Park, Canada. Canada’s Athabasca Glacier has been shrinking by about 15 meters per year. In the past 125 years, the glacier has lost half its volume and has retreated more than 1.5 kilometers. As glaciers retreat, sea ice disappears, and snow melts earlier in the spring, the Earth absorbs more sunlight than it would if the reflective snow and ice remained. (Photograph ©2005 Hugh Saxby.) Water Vapor The largest feedback is water vapor. Water vapor is a strong greenhouse gas. In fact, because of its abundance in the atmosphere, water vapor causes about two-thirds of greenhouse warming, a key factor in keeping temperatures in the habitable range on Earth. But as temperatures warm, more water vapor evaporates from the surface into the atmosphere, where it can cause temperatures to climb further. The question that scientists ask is, how much water vapor will be in the atmosphere in a warming world? The atmosphere currently has an average equilibrium or balance between water vapor concentration and temperature. As temperatures warm, the atmosphere becomes capable of containing more water vapor, and so water vapor concentrations go up to regain equilibrium. Will that trend hold as temperatures continue to warm? The amount of water vapor that enters the atmosphere ultimately determines how much additional warming will occur due to the water vapor feedback. The atmosphere responds quickly to the water vapor feedback. So far, most of the atmosphere has maintained a near constant balance between temperature and water vapor concentration as temperatures have gone up in recent decades. If this trend continues, and many models say that it will, water vapor has the capacity to double the warming caused by carbon dioxide alone. Clouds Closely related to the water vapor feedback is the cloud feedback. Clouds cause cooling by reflecting solar energy, but they also cause warming by absorbing infrared energy (like greenhouse gases) from the surface when they are over areas that are warmer than they are. In our current climate, clouds have a cooling effect overall, but that could change in a warmer environment. Astronaut photograph of clouds over Florida. Clouds can both cool the planet (by reflecting visible light from the sun) and warm the planet (by absorbing heat radiation emitted by the surface). On balance, clouds slightly cool the Earth. (NASA Astronaut Photograph STS31-E-9552 courtesy Johnson space Center Earth Observations Lab.) If clouds become brighter, or the geographical extent of bright clouds expands, they will tend to cool Earth’s surface. Clouds can become brighter if more moisture converges in a particular region or if more fine particles (aerosols) enter the air. If fewer bright clouds form, it will contribute to warming from the cloud feedback. See Ship Tracks South of Alaska to learn how aerosols can make clouds brighter. Clouds, like greenhouse gases, also absorb and re-emit infrared energy. Low, warm clouds emit more energy than high, cold clouds. However, in many parts of the world, energy emitted by low clouds can be absorbed by the abundant water vapor above them. Further, low clouds often have nearly the same temperatures as the Earth’s surface, and so emit similar amounts of infrared energy. In a world without low clouds, the amount of emitted infrared energy escaping to space would not be too different from a world with low clouds. Thermal infrared image of the Western Hemisphere from GOES. Clouds emit thermal infrared (heat) radiation in proportion to their temperature, which is related to altitude. This image shows the Western Hemisphere in the thermal infrared. Warm ocean and land surface areas are white and light gray; cool, low-level clouds are medium gray; and cold, high-altitude clouds are dark gray and black. (NASA image courtesy GOES Project Science.) High cold clouds, however, form in a part of the atmosphere where energy-absorbing water vapor is scarce. These clouds trap (absorb) energy coming from the lower atmosphere, and emit little energy to space because of their frigid temperatures. In a world with high clouds, a significant amount of energy that would otherwise escape to space is captured in the atmosphere. As a result, global temperatures are higher than in a world without high clouds. If warmer temperatures result in a greater amount of high clouds, then less infrared energy will be emitted to space. In other words, more high clouds would enhance the greenhouse effect, reducing the Earth’s capability to cool and causing temperatures to warm. See Clouds and Radiation for a more complete description. Scientists aren’t entirely sure where and to what degree clouds will end up amplifying or moderating warming, but most climate models predict a slight overall positive feedback or amplification of warming due to a reduction in low cloud cover. A recent observational study found that fewer low, dense clouds formed over a region in the Pacific Ocean when temperatures warmed, suggesting a positive cloud feedback in this region as the models predicted. Such direct observational evidence is limited, however, and clouds remain the biggest source of uncertainty--apart from human choices to control greenhouse gases—in predicting how much the climate will change. The Carbon Cycle Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and warming temperatures are causing changes in the Earth’s natural carbon cycle that also can feedback on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. For now, primarily ocean water, and to some extent ecosystems on land, are taking up about half of our fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions. This behavior slows global warming by decreasing the rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase, but that trend may not continue. Warmer ocean waters will hold less dissolved carbon, leaving more in the atmosphere. Map of anthropogenic carbon dissolved in the oceans. About half the carbon dioxide emitted into the air from burning fossil fuels dissolves in the ocean. This map shows the total amount of human-made carbon dioxide in ocean water from the surface to the sea floor. Blue areas have low amounts, while yellow regions are rich in anthropogenic carbon dioxide. High amounts occur where currents carry the carbon-dioxide-rich surface water into the ocean depths. (Map adapted from Sabine et al., 2004.) See The Ocean’s Carbon Balance on the Earth Observatory. On land, changes in the carbon cycle are more complicated. Under a warmer climate, soils, especially thawing Arctic tundra, could release trapped carbon dioxide or methane to the atmosphere. Increased fire frequency and insect infestations also release more carbon as trees burn or die and decay. On the other hand, extra carbon dioxide can stimulate plant growth in some ecosystems, allowing these plants to take additional carbon out of the atmosphere. However, this effect may be reduced when plant growth is limited by water, nitrogen, and temperature. This effect may also diminish as carbon dioxide increases to levels that become saturating for photosynthesis. Because of these complications, it is not clear how much additional carbon dioxide plants can take out of the atmosphere and how long they could continue to do so. The impact of climate change on the land carbon cycle is extremely complex, but on balance, land carbon sinks will become less efficient as plants reach saturation, where they can no longer take up additional carbon dioxide, and other limitations on growth occur, and as land starts to add more carbon to the atmosphere from warming soil, fires, and insect infestations. This will result in a faster increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide and more rapid global warming. In some climate models, carbon cycle feedbacks from both land and ocean add more than a degree Celsius to global temperatures by 2100. Emission Scenarios Scientists predict the range of likely temperature increase by running many possible future scenarios through climate models. Although some of the uncertainty in climate forecasts comes from imperfect knowledge of climate feedbacks, the most significant source of uncertainty in these predictions is that scientists don’t know what choices people will make to control greenhouse gas emissions. The higher estimates are made on the assumption that the entire world will continue using more and more fossil fuel per capita, a scenario scientists call “business-as-usual.” More modest estimates come from scenarios in which environmentally friendly technologies such as fuel cells, solar panels, and wind energy replace much of today’s fossil fuel combustion. It takes decades to centuries for Earth to fully react to increases in greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide, among other greenhouse gases, will remain in the atmosphere long after emissions are reduced, contributing to continuing warming. In addition, as Earth has warmed, much of the excess energy has gone into heating the upper layers of the ocean. Like a hot water bottle on a cold night, the heated ocean will continue warming the lower atmosphere well after greenhouse gases have stopped increasing. These considerations mean that people won’t immediately see the impact of reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Even if greenhouse gas concentrations stabilized today, the planet would continue to warm by about 0.6°C over the next century because of greenhouses gases already in the atmosphere.

Chevron is Developing Solutions & Strategies For Climate Change.

At Chevron, we recognize and share the concerns of governments and the public about climate change. There is a widespread view that the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) is a contributor to climate change, with adverse effects on the environment. Guided by our Seven Principles for Addressing Climate Change, Chevron is working internationally and at the U.S. federal and state levels to contribute to climate change policy discussions. Our stance reflects a balanced approach to addressing climate change through short and long-term measures. As we work to reduce GHGs, our collective challenge is to create solutions that protect the environment without undermining the growth of the global economy. We believe that a successful climate policy will be one in which the reduction of GHGs is accomplished equitably by the top emitting countries of the world through long-term and coordinated national frameworks. Carbon Sequestration Chevron participates in the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum, an international climate change initiative focused on development of improved, cost-effective technologies for the separation and capture of carbon dioxide. In the 2012 CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project) report, we ranked in the top tier of the energy sector. CDP conducts an annual global review of companies' climate change disclosures and performance. Our score of 88 was two points higher than last year, revealing that we are on the right track when it comes to managing and reducing emissions. Investing in Research, Development and Technology Chevron also supports research to explore technologies that may reduce emissions or improve efficiency. Through our Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV) business unit, we identify, develop and commercialize emerging technologies that have the potential to transform energy production and use. CTV’s portfolio includes biofuels, emerging energy and investments in startups designing technology valuable to Chevron.

Global warming slowdown 'does not invalidate climate change

The slowdown in rising global surface temperatures is not a sign that climate change is no longer happening, scientists say. The slowdown in rising global surface temperatures is not a sign that climate change is no longer happening, the national science academies of the US and the UK have said. Publishing a guide on the state of climate change science, the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society said the short-term slowdown this century did not "invalidate" the long-term trend of rising temperatures caused by man-made climate change. "Despite the decadal slowdown in the rise of average surface temperature, a longer-term warming trend is still evident. Each of the last three decades was warmer than any other decade since widespread thermometer measurements were introduced in the 1850s," the publication, Climate Change Evidence and Causes, said. Scientists have been investigating reasons for the slowdown in temperature rises. Peer-reviewed papers over the last year have suggested 17 sun-dimming volcanic eruptions since 2000, "unusual" trade winds in the Pacific Ocean burying surface heat deep underwater and the world's oceans absorbing greater amounts of heat in recent years may have contributed. Climate change : California's Central Valley Impacted By Major Drought A sign from wetter times warns people not to dive from a bridge over the Kern River, which has dried up following drought in Bakersfield, California. Photograph: Thomas Stocker, the co-chair of working group one of the UN's climate science panel, said at the launch of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's landmark report last September that the recent slowdown in surface temperature rises was not significant because it was over too short a period of time. "Climate relevant trends should not be calculated for periods of less than 30 years," he said. The new document by the two science academies addresses the issue head on and says: "A short-term slowdown in the warming of Earth's surface does not invalidate our understanding of long-term changes in global temperature arising from human-induced changes in greenhouse gases." The publication also addresses areas of uncertainty in climate science, saying more work needs to be done to predict the role of clouds in future climate change, as well as the likely impact on the frequency of future hurricanes occurring. But the academies state unequivocally that the world is warming and will warm by a further 2.6-4.8C by the end of the century. A claim by the UK environment secretary, Owen Paterson, that a future temperature rise of 1-2.5C would only be "modest", is squarely contradicted, with the scientists noting that the global average temperature in the last ice age was only 4-5C colder than today. "Global warming of just a few degrees will be associated with widespread changes in regional and local temperature and precipitation as well as with increases in some types of extreme weather events," they write. Sir Paul Nurse, president of the Royal Society, said: "We have enough evidence to warrant action being taken on climate change; it is now time for the public debate to move forward to discuss what we can do to limit the impact on our lives and those of future generations." Climate scientists who worked on the new guide include Eric Wolff of the University of Cambridge, Inez Fung of the University of California, Berkeley, Brian Hoskins of Imperial College London and the University of Reading, and Kevin Trenberth, of the US-based National Center for Atmospheric Research.

US, China to share policy ideas to fight global warming

The US and China, the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, Saturday announced they were joining forces to share more information on trying to combat climate change. In a joint statement announced as US Secretary of State John Kerry wrapped up a two-day visit to Beijing, both countries said that they would work together "to collaborate through enhanced policy dialogue, including the sharing of information regarding their respective post-2020 plans to limit greenhouse gas emissions". The two sides have also reached an agreement on implementing five initiatives launched under a joint climate change working group, the statement said. Those initiatives include emission reductions from heavy duty and other vehicles; smart grids; carbon capture utilisation and storage; collecting and managing greenhouse gas emissions data; and energy efficiency in buildings and industry. China's cities are often hit by heavy pollution, blamed on coal-burning by power stations and industry, as well as vehicle use, and it has become a major source of discontent with the ruling Communist Party. Authorities have become more open about pollution levels, in part as a response to public pressure, but officials have implied that it will take years before the situation improves. The pollution has been linked to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths, and has tarnished the image of Chinese cities including Beijing, which saw a 10 percent drop in tourist visits during the first 11 months of 2013. After touring a factory which is a joint US-Sino venture making clean diesel engines for heavy vehicles, Kerry said the two countries were to try to pool their efforts. "The leaders of China have agreed to join us," he told workers at the spanking new Cummins-Foton factory, which is set to go into production in April. "China and the United States will put an extra effort into exchanging information and discussing policies that will help both of us to be able to develop and lead on the standards that need to be announced next year for the global climate change agreement," Kerry said. "This is a unique cooperative effort" between the two countries, he said, adding he hoped it would set "the standard for global seriousness" to fight climate change. Indiana-based Cummins has joined with China's Foton to build the $350 million dollar plant on the edge of Beijing, which will initially produce some 60,000 of the new clean engines a year. When the second phase comes online next year, it is expected to double production of the engines, which will meet new emissions standards set to be adopted soon by Beijing. Climate change is set to be the main theme of the next stop of Kerry's Asia tour as he arrives in Jakarta later Saturday. In their joint statement Saturday, both sides said that they recognise the need for action "in light of the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change and its worsening impacts, and the related issue of air pollution from burning fossil fuels". The agreement includes the sharing of information regarding the plans of the US and China to limit greenhouse gas emissions post-2020, the statement said.