A United Nations panel has sounded a new alarm about the long-term effects of climate change
on humans and Planet Earth...
And the alarm has never been louder.
To tell us more about what the UN report says, and how the changes it predicts will impact
us here in Korea, our Park Ji-won joins in the studio.
Hi, Jiwon.
Hi, guys.
The report comes from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC,... a leading
international organization for the assessment of climate change.
The report,... adopted last week in Japan,... has more than 300 authors and over 17-hundred
expert reviewers from about 70 countries.
Titled "Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability," it is the second of a
three-part report.
It's by far the most comprehensive assessment ever of the impacts of climate change.
So, Jiwon,... what are the main points of the report?
First and foremost,... the report says climate change is already affecting people, societies,
and ecosystems throughout the entire world, and that all of us,... in many respects,...
are ill-prepared for what's to come.
A previous report from 2007 was more focused on the scientific analysis of climate change.
This one centers more on identifying risks.
For example, it says rising sea levels could have devastating effects on low-lying coastal
areas,... and that extreme weather events could lead to breakdowns in infrastructure
networks, electricity and water supply systems.
There could be food insecurity,... insufficient access to drinking and irrigation water,...
and a general loss of coastal ecosystems and biodiversity.
The report says... the challenges will be especially pronounced for the least developed
countries, and vulnerable communities.