Government’s Stern Report on the economic effects of climate change

A 50-50 chance that climate change will destroy civilisation this century?

Posted by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard on 05 Jun 2008 at 16:35 Telegraph UK
Lord Stern and Lord Giddens frightened the wits out of a Goldman Sachs audience I attended this week on the risks of a global water, food, and energy crisis.

Without wishing to take a stand one way or the other on the bitterly polarized issue of climate change, I pass on some of their remarks so readers can judge for themselves.

Nicholas Stern -- the author of the Government’s Stern Report on the economic effects of climate change, and former chief economist at the World Bank -- said we have a one in two chance of destroying civilization within the life-span of people already born, unless drastic action is taken to slow CO2 emissions.

“If we let go, if we carry on with business as usual,....