Chris Field, who was one of the scientists awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize in 2007, says that we may be in for a dramatic rise in greenhouse
gasses. If what he is predicting comes true, he says that the Earth's
temperature is likely to increase 2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.
His contention? If higher temperatures start fires in the
tropics and melt the Arctic tundra, we are in for a serious problem. Why? Future dry conditions in the tropics
could ignite long-held carbon repositories and release tons of greenhouse gas
emissions into the atmosphere.
This effect could be replicated in the Arctic, he said,
where an acceleration of permafrost thawing could mean increased amounts of CO2
and methane.
"There is a real risk that human-caused climate change
will accelerate the release of carbon dioxide from forest and tundra
ecosystems, which have been storing a lot of carbon for thousands of
years," said Field.
Loss of tropical forests to wildfires and deforestation
could lead to higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations of 10 to 100 parts per
million by the end of the century, he said. "Tropical forests are essentially inflammable,"
Field said. "You couldn't get a fire to burn there if you tried. But if
they dry out just a little bit, the result can be very large and destructive
wildfires."
Comments like this make it all the more imperative for
companies everywhere to measure their carbon footprint and start to make big
changes in the way they do business. The Obama administration is committed to
ensuring that they do just that. It’s time to finally act.
Professor Field teaches at Stanford and is on the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change. | 
