How serious is global warming? Procter & Gamble believes that there is growing scientific evidence linking greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change.
As a global citizen, P&G is concerned and believes that cost-effective actions by governments, industry and citizens to reduce emissions to the atmosphere are justified.
In a greenhouse world:
- Local climate patterns would become more extreme. As a result some regions would more often be affected by drought while others would be more regularly flooded.
- Polar ice will melt and the water in the oceans will warm up, which means the sea level will rise. Coastal and low-lying areas, including parts of many major cities, may be affected.
- People in regions such as North Africa, the Middle East and India may experience water shortages as rainfall decreases and rising sea levels contaminate coastal ground water with salt.
- The rise in temperature and change in rainfall could lead to reduced cereal crop yields in Africa, the Middle East and India.
- Tropical diseases could spread to new areas, affecting new populations.
- Climate change could affect parts of the Amazonian and African rainforests, which currently absorb large amounts of the carbon dioxide we produce.
In short, drought, hunger, disease and migration could affect many more people than it does today. Most of these people will be in developing nations that have barely contributed to global warming.
But the effects will be felt by everyone. The Stern Review (2007), commissioned by the UK government, predicts that global production could drop by as much as 5 to 20 per cent, depending on the region. Fortunately, the report also emphasizes that cost-effective measures can be implemented.