Indian origin climate researcher, partner say Copenhagen Accord objectives an uphill task

San Diego US, May 4 (ANI): Two climate change researchers have warned that the goals spelt out in the Copenhagen Accord will be a "Herculean" task.

Indian origin Veerabhadran Ramanathan and Yangyang Xu, climate researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego are advocates of fast-action climate change strategies.

"Without an integrated approach that combines CO2 emission reductions with reductions in other climate warmers and climate-neutral air-pollution laws, we are certain to pass the 2-degree C and likely reach a 4 degree C threshold during this century," Ramanathan said.

"Fortunately there is still time to avert unmanageable climate changes, but we must act now," he added.

Using a synthesis of National Science Foundation-funded research performed over the last 20 years, Ramanathan and Xu have outlined three steps that must be taken simultaneously to avoid the threshold, and stressed that carbon dioxide control alone is not sufficient.

Recommended steps include stabilizing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere, and fashioning warming-neutral pollution laws that will balance the removal of aerosols that have an atmospheric cooling effect with the removal of warming agents such as soot and ozone.

Finally, the authors advocate achieving reductions in methane, hydrofluorocarbons and other greenhouse gases that remain in the atmosphere for short periods of time.

According to the scientist, aggressive simultaneous pursuit of these strategies could reduce the probability of reaching the temperature threshold to less than 10 percent before the year 2050. (ANI)