Climate change: Launch of a map showing the impacts of a global 4 degree rise on 22 October (22/10/2009)

The Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband, along with, Professor John Beddington, the UK Government’s Chief Scientist are launching a map of the impacts of a global 4°C (7°F) rise in temperatures on 22 October at the Science Museum.

Just a few weeks before Copenhagen, this map shows the devastation 4 degree rise in temperatures will bring to the planet.

Using the latest peer-reviewed science, The Met Office Hadley Centre produced the map drawing together contributions from 27 leading scientists. It illustrates the impacts of a global 4 degree rise in temperatures and therefore what could happen if a successful climate change agreement is not achieved at Copenhagen in December.

The impacts on human activity shown on the map are only a selection of those that may occur, and highlight the severe effects on water availability, agricultural productivity, extreme temperatures and drought, the risk of forest fire and sea level rise.