The world's scientists yesterday issued a grim forecast for life on earth
when they published their latest assessment of the impacts of climate change.
A warming world will place hundreds of millions of extra people at greater risk
of food and water shortages and threaten the survival of thousands of species of
plants and animals, they said. Floods, heatwaves, storms and droughts are all
expected to increase, with people in poorer countries suffering the worst
effects.
Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the panel that published the report, said: "It's
the poorest of the poor in the world, and this includes poor people in
prosperous societies, who are going to be the worst hit."
The report's release was delayed by arguments between scientists, who wrote the
report, and some government representatives present, who must agree the final
text and insisted some of its conclusions were weakened.
"The authors ...