Geneva: Petterique Talasi, head of the Geneva-based world meteorological organization (WMO), said extreme weather events and natural disasters would continue to rise, adding that climate change was the root cause of the torrential rains and deadly flooding in Europe this summer.
Speaking exclusively to Xinhua news agency on Monday, Talas said: “We always have extreme weather events, but because of climate change, we have started seeing them more often and they are more intense.
“Without climate change, we would not have seen such high temperatures in Canada and the western parts of the US, so this is a clear sign of climate change.”
Also, heavy rains have caused devastating floods in several Western European countries over the past few days, killing more than 100 people and causing heavy damage.
Asked if he expects more natural disasters in the next few years, Talas said: “Climate change will somehow continue for decades to come. If we are successful in climate mitigation, we may be in the 2060s.” I can stop this negative trend.
“By then we will see an increasing amount of natural disasters and an increasing amount of such extreme weather and more human losses and more economic losses than ever before.
“This means we also have to adapt to climate change, most importantly mitigating climate change, stopping using fossil fuels, and paying attention to our diet.”
Countries around the world have pledged to reach the global peak of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and achieve a climate neutral world by the middle of the century.
Talas stressed that no region in the world is safe from the negative effects of extreme weather events and natural disasters.
He also warned of a record amount of storms in Caribbean Last year, in Super Typhoon Asia, and hit by cyclones pacific island and southern parts of Africa.
“The key is that we have to start acting now, we can’t wait for decades to come,” urged the WMO Secretary General.
“We have to reduce the amount of fossil fuels, specifically we have to get rid of coal-fired energy production, we have to convert our transportation system to be based on electric vehicles and biofuels.
“In housing we should cool our homes using geothermal heat pumps, and we should especially reduce the amount of red meat in our diets,” he said.
Talas stressed that no more time could be wasted tackling global warming.
WMO, a specialized agency of a, has a membership of 193 member states and territories and was established in 1950.
Speaking exclusively to Xinhua news agency on Monday, Talas said: “We always have extreme weather events, but because of climate change, we have started seeing them more often and they are more intense.
“Without climate change, we would not have seen such high temperatures in Canada and the western parts of the US, so this is a clear sign of climate change.”
Also, heavy rains have caused devastating floods in several Western European countries over the past few days, killing more than 100 people and causing heavy damage.
Asked if he expects more natural disasters in the next few years, Talas said: “Climate change will somehow continue for decades to come. If we are successful in climate mitigation, we may be in the 2060s.” I can stop this negative trend.
“By then we will see an increasing amount of natural disasters and an increasing amount of such extreme weather and more human losses and more economic losses than ever before.
“This means we also have to adapt to climate change, most importantly mitigating climate change, stopping using fossil fuels, and paying attention to our diet.”
Countries around the world have pledged to reach the global peak of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and achieve a climate neutral world by the middle of the century.
Talas stressed that no region in the world is safe from the negative effects of extreme weather events and natural disasters.
He also warned of a record amount of storms in Caribbean Last year, in Super Typhoon Asia, and hit by cyclones pacific island and southern parts of Africa.
“The key is that we have to start acting now, we can’t wait for decades to come,” urged the WMO Secretary General.
“We have to reduce the amount of fossil fuels, specifically we have to get rid of coal-fired energy production, we have to convert our transportation system to be based on electric vehicles and biofuels.
“In housing we should cool our homes using geothermal heat pumps, and we should especially reduce the amount of red meat in our diets,” he said.
Talas stressed that no more time could be wasted tackling global warming.
WMO, a specialized agency of a, has a membership of 193 member states and territories and was established in 1950.
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