Part 3 – Will George have a green future?
Changing technologies and new mobility habits will be good news for the environment, but there is still much to do. That is why sustainability is close to the heart of George's grandfather. Prince Charles has been involved in environmental causes for over 40 years, and he works today to balance his carbon footprint and promote green energies. Even his Aston Martin, which became famous as William and Kate’s wedding mobile, runs on a fuel "made from wine wastage and a cheese by-product", according to the Prince of Wales’ website.
Nevertheless, the climate change we are experiencing today will probably continue to some extent. Even though other pollutants in the air may decrease, by 2078 the concentration of CO2 could be well above 550 parts per million (ppm), compared to 400 ppm today. Due to the combination of thermally induced bleaching events, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise it is likely that coral reefs in many areas would start to dissolve with large implications for many fish species.
In the summer of 2003, Europe experienced record high temperatures that could become the norm by the summer of 2078. "That may be good news for sunbathers on the Thames, but some other effects might be less pleasant for our descendants," says Dr. Markus Stowasser, a meteorologist in Allianz Re's catastrophe research and development unit. Losses in the UK due to flooding for example could increase by 14 percent, and on the European continent they could rise up to 70 percent.