Alex Smith, podcaster extraordinaire and host of Radio Ecoshock, features a blunt and terrifying assessment of climate change by Sir David King, the United Kingdom’s chief scientist.
Smith writes:
“Sir David King warns we are headed toward a hot-state planet, not seen since 55 million years ago (when life huddled on Antarctica).
The only way out, he says, is a binding international agreement by 2009. Even so, we only have a window of 5 years to act, to cut carbon drastically. Otherwise, the global climate may shift by 5 degrees C. ( 9 degrees Fahrenheit) or more. Keep in mind, that’s the just the global average. The arctic may go up 14 degrees or more.”
Listen to Sir David King interview on Australia’s ABC radio network as he addresses a wide range of issues including the so-called sceptics, politics and the latest science.
As Sir David points out the international community must finalize an agreement to dramatically cut emissions of carbon dramatically by 2009. Those negotiations begin in Bali Dec 3. While I won’t be in Bali, I will be writing some stories about the negotiations and the implications.
Related stories:
Climate Change Experts Warn World
Kill Kyoto or Kyoto II Our Only Hope?
Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist 
This is the original risk assessment of climate change and terrorism, that is usually attributed to David King
http://www.mp2.worldfriend.com/sustainable_development_forum.htm
It was for a United Nations Environment and Development-UK report commissioned by the UK Government. An organisation I believe King is a member of.
This is 13 months before he published in Science Jan 2004. Really following etiquette and standard methodology he should have cited the original and source of the assessment.
Its now been taken off the DEFRA site but we have placed it on a sister site for reference.