Global warming could lead to a 20 percent decline in the world economic growth rate over the coming few years concurred a number of leading research centres concerned with the ecological impacts associated with increased energy consumption.
The studies conducted by these centers have, however, noted that solving the problem would not cost more than 1 percent of the global gross national product (GNP). The revelations come amidst growing fears that continued calls for curbing energy consumption, resulting from increasingly high temperatures, would adversely impact the economic growth of several countries. Concerns are also mounting that the world's failure thus far to check harmful C02 emissions would lead to disastrous water and seed shortages, as well as more desertification that could eventually trigger armed conflicts.
"It goes without saying that oil refining and production activities and automotive waste are among the major causes for the current rise in earth temperatures," said Dr Abdullah Al Amiri, the Emirates Energy Award Chairman.
"Higher temperatures cause sea water to expand with heat and glaciers to melt, raising the sea level year after year, which could result in a 48 cm sea level rise, a catastrophe that will have a particularly serious impact on all infrastructure facilities? Including roads, power grids, etc, in coastal cities" Al-Amiri added.-PR