Posted by
Barry Siskind
Community Manager
More than 300 scientists from around the world, have arrived at the same conclusion, our planet is warming.
The conclusion was published by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA). Scientists from Britain, Australia, United States, and Canada gathered data collected by 160 research groups in 48 countries. They compared the figures back more than 100 years and concluded the Earth has been growing warmer for 50 years and 2000 to 2009 was the warmest decade ever. http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100728_stateoftheclimate.html
Derek Arndt, a co-editor of the report said “Of the 10 measurements, the report said seven are rising – air temperature over land, sea-surface temperature, air temperature over oceans, sea level, ocean heat, humidity and the temperature of the troposphere, which is the atmosphere closest to the Earth’s surface. Three indicators are declining – Arctic sea ice, glaciers and spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere. All of which point to a warming trend.”
The researchers also found the retreat of mountain glaciers, an important signal of climate change, continued for the 19th consecutive year in 2009. The cumulative loss of the past 30 years is “equivalent to slicing 13 metres off the top of the average glacier.
Not to be an alarmist but the exhibition industry is not immune to the forces of nature. Last year’s volcanic eruption cannot be forgotten. The difference between the effects of a volcano and a warming planet are significant, the most obvious being time. The exhibition industry felt the effects of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland for months and the cost reached in the billions. Global warming will affect us with incalculable costs.
You may say as we are warming gradually there is not an immediate affect on my business. While there may be some truth in this objection, it’s what we do now that will predict where we will be in the next decade.
During the past decade, exhibition organizers have embraced sustainable programs through the use of greener technologies. It is a good beginning but we have lots yet to do. However, even with our best efforts, can we stave off the warming? No one knows the answer so our discussion must also include what are we going to do as it is happens; as worldwide temperatures change, prolonged draught in some areas, the sea level rising and so on.
You touch on a really important issue here Barry and one on which which we know that an international organisation such as UFI must take a lead. We’re doing that and, through our Sustainable Development Committee, we’re upgrading our action plans. We’re also very involved in the processes which are going on at the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and through ISO to come up with some standards which are applicable to and appropriate for our industry.
As you say, steps have been taken and many in our industry are seriously engaged in this issue. But, there is much still to be done and I imagine it will remain high on our agenda for a very long time to come.