from Crikey ….. 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report was released over the weekend. Without urgent, aggressive steps to stop greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, it argues, will cause devastating heat waves, floods, starvation and disease.  

There will be unprecedented species extinctions. In the best-case scenario, reports The New York Times, temperatures will keep rising from carbon already in the atmosphere.  

Even if factories were shut down today and cars taken off the roads, the average sea level will gradually rise over the next 1,000 years to reach as high as 4.6 feet above that in the pre-industrial period. 

"These scenes are as frightening as a science fiction movie ... but they are even more terrifying because they are real," said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.  

"Climate change poses an urgent challenge that threatens the environment but also international peace and security, prosperity and development." British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. "My view is that there's a serious challenge ... my view also is that the world is not coming to an end tomorrow.'' Australian Prime Minister, John Howard. 

Be proud Australia. Or relaxed. Whatever.