Expert warns climate change will lead to 'barbarisation'

The Guardian, on May 15th 2008, has a report about a lecture given by Mohan Munasinghe, vice-president of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), about the possible future problems that will face the world because of climate change. It said,

Climate change will lead to a "fortress world" in which the rich lock themselves away in gated communities and the poor must fend for themselves in shattered environments, unless governments act quickly to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate change is, or could be, the additional factor which will exacerbate the existing problems of poverty, environmental degradation, social polarisation and terrorism and it could lead to a very chaotic situation.

The scenario, which he termed "barbarisation" was already beginning to happen, he said. "Fortress world is a situation where the rich live in enclaves, protected, and the poor live outside in unsustainable conditions.