Global Unity: Together in Saving Lives Part 2 of a Multi-part Series, Oct. 3, 2009, Hong Kong

Before starting the speeches by our distinguished guests, let’s share an interview with Professor Lin Pay-Liam regarding global warming and climate change. Professor Lin is Chairman of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences/Graduate Institute of Atmospheric Physics, National Central University, Taiwan (Formosa). Professor Lin Pay-Liam has some advice for us on global warming. “Though we cannot avoid the phenomenon of global warming, we can alleviate it. If we can lead a more simple and frugal life to avoid emissions of excessive greenhouse gases, then we may be able to maintain a relatively better environment. On the contrary, if we still go on wasting fossil fuels and emitting this much greenhouse gases, then within the next hundred years, we will face an extremely distressing environmental condition.”

We have our first distinguished guest, Professor Geng Shu, who will share his view on “Climate Change and Fundamental Combat Strategy.” Professor Geng Shu is currently a professor and dean of the School of Environment and Energy at Peking University’s Shenzhen Graduate School. Professor Geng is a renowned expert in environmental ecology, simulation models, especially risk assessment methodology of global environmental changes and water resource management.

“These are two pictures and not related at all. On your left is a picture from the Himalayas, and on your right is a picture taken in Washington D.C. These two pictures were taken on the same day, in January 2007. And as you know, in Washington D.C., and at the top of the Himalayas, winter is cold, but this picture shows the contrary phenomenon; that is: hot and warm on the same day and almost at the same temperature, 21 degrees Celsius. It’s enormous. It’s unheard of. It’s a record broken. I mean, it’s a coincidence of two unrelated, far apart locations [experiencing] unlikely temperature at the same time.

So, we have a lot of problems, all kinds of disasters. In Sichuan province, for example, Sichuan is known historically for a lot of rainfall, and it’s a ‘land of abundance.’ It’s well known for agriculture because it has a lot of water. But in recent years, even those places where they used to have a lot of water have become prone to drought. The bottom line is how it’s affecting our economy. And extreme climate conditions have a tremendous toll on the economy.”

“Personally, I have done some research on global climate change and how it impacts various things that we are concerned with. One, for example, is the water resource. For rice, if you are above six millimeters evapotranspiration per day, after the global climate change it will increase from 17% to 40% – three times more. And here is another example: for grapes, an increase from 12% to 47%. Now, those are the problems.”