Scot at helm of climate fight warns world 'not in a good place and faces grave crisis'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The Scot in charge of the global fight against climate change has warned the world is “not in a good place” and it will only get worse without drastic action to curb emissions.Prof Jim Skea, boss of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said it is now clear global warming is well under way, pushing the planet into a “grave crisis”.He told STV’s Scotland Tonight Climate Special that some islands and coastal areas around the world - such as the Maldives and the Caribbean - faced an “existential threat” from rising seas.Following his election as IPCC chair last month, we told how Prof Skea said he remained optimistic humanity could deal with the crisis and was “not powerless” in the climate fight.The 69-year-old admitted his optimism is now being “challenged by the difficulty of the situation that we find ourselves in”.

But he insisted: "The human race has this in its own hands."It follows the planet’s hottest month since records began in July - while devastating wildfires have continued through August across the globe, including in Hawaii, Canada and Tenerife.Tragically, eighteen burned bodies were discovered yesterday in a wildfire hotspot in northern Greece.Extreme heat in the oceans is also concerning scientists, while floods, typhoons and hurricanes have hit regions like Asia and the US.Prof Skea said: “Quite frankly, it is a grave crisis.“Ten, twenty years ago, we used to think climate change was something for the future - it was something we would face in future generations.“Now, you look at your television sets, and it's very clear - with extreme events, sea level rise, the wildfires we've been seeing in some parts of the world - that climate change is with us now.