Global Warming Is Reality, Expert Says
There are no doubts that the earth is getting warmer, there is only a difference in opinions why these changes are taking place, said Lucka Kajfez from the Ljubljana Biotechnical Faculty at an environmental round table in Maribor on Monday.
According to Kajfez, humans cause the warming, as we consume seven times more energy than our ancestors. The average temperature in Slovenia rose by 1.5 degrees Celsius over the last 50 years.
If no measures are taken to curb the warming, we can expect numerous natural disasters, such as floods, droughts and landslides, as well as political, economic and social problems, she said at the panel, organised by the Maribor Institute for Environmental Protection and the NGO Umanotera.
According to Kajfez, climate change will consume between 5 and 20% of the world GDP in the next two decades.
Also present at the panel was Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Janez Podobnik, who said that Slovenia managed to meet all the targets of the Kyoto Protocol and reduced greenhouse emissions by 2% since the document took effect.
British Ambassador to Slovenia, Tim Simmons, who is also participating in the "Slovenia is Reducing CO2" project, said that his country had already met Kyoto Protocol targets, while the main goal was to reduce CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050.
"We are aware that this is a global problem, so our country will support such programmes in the rest of the world", said Simmons, adding that Slovenia is an important partner which helps promote ideas about positive changes in the environment.
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