Peking University, Nov. 23, 2011: Academician Fang Jingyun and his fellow students from College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University (PKU), carried out a systematic analysis on global warming and its driving forces which were widely discussed on world’s stage in recent years. Recently, some of their findings were published on China Science (see China Science - Earth Science Volume 10 41 2011: Global warming, human-induced carbon emissions, and their uncertainties). Based on an extensive review of researches on global warming, their work analyzed the carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion and climate change caused by atmospheric CO2 concentration. It argued that global warming was an objective fact though the magnitude of the temperature increase occured with uncertainty. It also suggested that both human activities and natural forces contributed to climate change, but their relative contributions were difficult to quantify.

The study caused a stir in the international arena after being published. It received comments from many research institutions and media outlets. Science & Public Policy Institute (SPPI), a well-known research institute for carbon emissions and global warming, published full text of the paper on its website, wih picture of Shaoyuan in winter as its cover page. Other international institutions, such as The Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), The Drinking Water Advisor, Weekly Climate and Energy News Roundup, also published the paper, saying that “This is an overview of the science, comparable to the Royal Society's guide” and that it led “climate change (to be) reconsidered”. 

the cover page of SPPI with winter scenery of Shaoyuan
                        

This study was sponsored by the Faculty Advisory Committee of Chinese Academy of Sciences（CAS, the Global Change Program of Ministry of Science and the National Natural Science Foundation. Part of the research findings was reported at the 2010 CAS Conference.

Written by: Wang Shiqin
Edited by: Liu Lu
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
Extended Reading: 全球变暖、碳排放及不确定性