Global Warming Threatens Chinese Coastal Cities; Gore Discusses Climate Change at Tsinghua Forum

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Al Gore, the former vice president of the United States, gave a speech on global warming to about 700 Tsinghua University students in Beijing on October 10. In his address he warned that the world's people are facing a huge global environmental crisis and that Hurricane Katrina could mark the first of many more visible impacts related to global warming, according to Xinhua Net. "We are making the storms stronger and more destructive, increasing the number of floods and droughts, and making ourselves more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. These are warnings that we must hear, understand and fight with. It's everyone's mission," he noted.

Gore pointed to two studies, one indicating that glaciers worldwide could melt in summertime within 50 to 70 years, and the other projecting sea level rise of up to 6 meters over a similar period. Students expressed shock after hearing Gore's prediction on climate change impacts in China's large cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai. In 2003, sea levels in the nation's coastal cities—including Shanghai and Tianjin—rose at an annual rate of 2.5 millimeters, slightly faster than the world average, according to Beijing Review.

Speaking about the Kyoto Protocol, Gore said that developed countries should take initial responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, establish momentum, and then require nations with lower average incomes to join in the global commitment. Consensus among China and five other key players—the European Union, India, Japan, Russia, and the United States—who together represent 60 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, would provide the global leadership needed to make broader progress possible.