| 
      
          | 
					  
	                    | 
      
	
 Current global consumption patterns would require a  second Earth. Natural resources are currently being consumed at 1.5 times the  capacity that Earth can provide. (“2010  Living Planet Report” by World Wildlife Fund) Tipping points could arrive suddenly. Sudden shifts in  the Earth’s natural systems could arrive precipitously, without warning. (Dr. Alan Hastings, professor at University  of California, Davis in the USA and one of the world’s foremost mathematical  model experts)
 FINANCIAL  COSTS 
 
 Damage from rising seas, floods and heat waves due to the loss  of Arctic Sea ice will cost the sectors of  agriculture, real estate and insurance up to US$24 trillion by 2050. Heat  waves, flooding and other factors are already resulting in hundreds of billions  of dollars lost annually. (US Pew Environmental Group report) Global losses due to natural disasters could triple to US$185  billion per year by 2100. Damage from climate change-related powerful cyclones  could add to this up to US$58 billion annually. (UN/World Bank joint report, 2010) In the 2009 Copenhagen climate change summit, nations  approved a US$30 billion fund to help vulnerable countries cope with climate  change impacts, plus agreed to provide US$100 billion per year from 2020.
 |  |  |  |  | Reference |  |  |  | 
  Pollard, D. et al. (2010). Living Planet Report, p 34 . WWF. Retrieved January 11, 2011 from http://assets.panda.org/downloads/lpr2010.pdfUniversity of California - Davis (2010, February 10). Climate ‘tipping points’ may arrive without warning, says top forecaster. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 11, 2011 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209191445.htmGardner, T. (2010, Mar 5). Arctic Melt To Cost Up To $24 Trillion By 2050: Report. Planet Ark. Retrieved January 11, 2011 from
  http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/56999Goodstein, E., Huntington, H. and Euskirchen, E. (2010). Arctic Treasure Global Assets Melting Away. Pew Environment Group. Retrieved January 11, 2011 from http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Protecting_ocean_life/Arctic_Summary_FINAL.pdf?n=1822Natural disaster losses could triple (2010, November 16). An article on UN/World bank joint report. Reuters. Retrieved January 11, 2011 from
  http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=/data/openspace/2010/November/openspace_November17.xml§ion=openspaceTollefson, J. (2009, December 22). World looks ahead post-Copenhagen. Naturenews. Retrieved January 11, 2011 from
  http://www.nature.com/news/2009/091222/full/462966a.htmlFactbox: U.N. climate study shows ways to raise $100 billion (2010, November 5). Reuters. Retrieved January 11, 2011 from
  http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A43GV20101105 |  |