Global Warming worse than we thought

A new report out today by the Global Carbon Project measures 2012's emissions at 58% higher than those of 1990. It says to forget about warming of 2°C; we're looking at 4-6°C of warming this century.

This comes at an interesting time for people here in Brisbane. Today is forecast to be a 'heatwave' of 39°C. You'd think that adding another 6°C to that would be something we'd want to avoid.

[ABC News report]
[SBS News report]

This amount of heat increase would see up to another 8600 deaths from heatwaves. There are also flow-on effects for Australia - including a possible 90% decrease in irrigated farming and complete loss of wheat production. $226 billion of infrastructure would be at risk to sea level rise.

[ABC 7.30 report]