Editing 2000s (section)

== Environment and climate change ==
[[Climate change]] and [[Climate change|global warming]] became household words in the 2000s. Predictions tools made significant progress during the decade, UN-sponsored organisations such as the [[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change|IPCC]] gained influence, and studies such as the [[Stern Review|Stern report]] influenced public support for paying the political and economic costs of countering climate change.

The global temperature kept climbing during the decade. In December 2009, the [[World Meteorological Organization]] (WMO) announced that the 2000s might have been the warmest decade since records began in 1850, with four of the five warmest years since 1850 having occurred in this decade.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i9TuMrvrknh-ZXwqmZ2N-48kff3wD9CF81LO0 |title=UN: 2000–2009 likely warmest decade on record |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=December 8, 2009 |access-date=December 20, 2009 |author=Hanley, Charles J. |quote=This decade is on track to become the warmest since records began in 1850, and 2009 could rank among the top-five warmest years, the U.N. weather agency reported Tuesday on the second day of a pivotal 192-nation climate conference. |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240524195059/https://www.webcitation.org/5m7FhrAlX?url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i9TuMrvrknh-ZXwqmZ2N-48kff3wD9CF81LO0 |archive-date=May 24, 2024 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/temperature-records-released-to-debunk-climate-change-claims-1836391.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091213051423/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/temperature-records-released-to-debunk-climate-change-claims-1836391.html |archive-date=December 13, 2009 |title=Temperature records released to debunk climate change claims |agency=[[Press Association]] |work=The Independent |location=London |author=Beament, Emily |date=December 8, 2009 |access-date=December 20, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[NASA]] and the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]] later echoed the WMO's findings.<ref>{{cite news |last=Broder |first=John M. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/science/earth/22warming.html?hpw |title=Past Decade Warmest on Record, NASA Data Shows |date=January 21, 2010 |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125154903/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/science/earth/22warming.html?hpw |archive-date=January 25, 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Global Warming Predictions Map.jpg|thumb|Scientific studies on [[climate]] helped establish a consensus.]] Major natural disasters became more frequent and helped change public opinion. One of the deadliest heat waves in human history happened during the 2000s, mostly in Europe, with the [[2003 European heat wave]] killing 37,451 people over the summer months.<ref>[http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/plan_b_updates/2003/update29 Earth-policy.org], Janet Larsen, ''Record Heat Wave in Europe Takes 35,000 Lives: Far Greater Losses May Lie Ahead''. Retrieved December 10, 2009. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716072349/http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/plan_b_updates/2003/update29|date=July 16, 2013 }}</ref> In February 2009, [[Black Saturday bushfires|a series of highly destructive bushfires]] started in Victoria, Australia, lasting into the next month. While the fires are believed to have been caused by arson, they were widely reported as having been fueled by an excessive [[2009 southeastern Australia heat wave|heatwave]] that was due in part to climate change. It has also been alleged that climate change was a cause of increased storms intensity, notably in the case of [[Hurricane Katrina]].

=== International actions ===
Climate change became a major issue for governments, populations and scientists. [[Global warming controversy|Debates on global warming]] and its causes made significant progress, as [[climate change denial]]s were refuted by [[Scientific consensus on climate change|most scientific studies]]. Decisive reports such as the [[Stern Review]] and the [[IPCC Fourth Assessment Report|2007 IPCC Report]] almost established a climate change consensus.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Osborne |first1=Hilary |title=Stern report: the key points |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2006/oct/30/economy.uk |work=The Guardian |date=30 October 2006}}</ref> NGOs' actions and the commitment of political personalities (such as former U.S. Vice President [[Al Gore]]) also urged to international reactions against climate change. Documentary films ''[[An Inconvenient Truth]]'' and ''[[Home (2009 film)|Home]]'' may have had a decisive impact.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/inconvenient-truth-then-and-now |title=An Inconvenient Truth Then and Now: What's Changed for Our Climate Since 2006? |website=Climate Reality |date=January 17, 2017 |language=en |access-date=October 9, 2019 |archive-date=September 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924092816/https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/inconvenient-truth-then-and-now |url-status=live}}</ref>

Under the auspices of The [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|UN Convention on Climate Change]] the [[Kyoto Protocol]] (aimed at combating global warming) entered into force on February 16, 2005. As of November 2009, [[List of parties to the Kyoto Protocol|187 states have signed and ratified]] the protocol.<ref name="Kyoto-PDF-unfccc">{{cite web |title=Kyoto Protocol: Status of Ratification |url=http://unfccc.int/files/kyoto_protocol/status_of_ratification/application/pdf/kp_ratification.pdf |date=January 14, 2009 |access-date=May 6, 2009 |publisher=[[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325015751/http://unfccc.int/files/kyoto_protocol/status_of_ratification/application/pdf/kp_ratification.pdf |archive-date=March 25, 2009}}</ref> In addition The [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|UN Convention on Climate Change]] helped coordinate the efforts of the international community to fight potentially disastrous effects of human activity on the planet and launched negotiations to set an ambitious program of carbon emission reduction that began in 2007 with the [[Bali Road Map]]. However, the representatives of the then 192 member countries of the United Nations gathered in December 2009 for the [[2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference|Copenhagen Conference]] failed to reach a binding agreement to reduce carbon emissions because of divisions between regional areas.

However, as [[Environmental technology|environmental technologies]] were to make up a potential market, some countries made large investments in [[Renewable energy|renewable energies]], [[energy conservation]] and [[sustainable transport]]. Many governments launched national plans to promote sustainable energy. In 2003, the European Union members created an [[European Union Emissions Trading System|emission trading scheme]], and in 2007 they assembled a [[European Union climate and energy package|climate and energy package]] to reduce further their carbon emission and improve their energy-efficiency. In 2009, the United States Obama administration set up the [[Green New Deal]], a plan to create millions of jobs in sectors related to [[environmentalism]].

The [[Household Waste Recycling Act 2003]] requires local authorities in [[England]] to provide every household with a separate collection of at least two types of recyclable materials by 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/waste/news/recycling_bill_success.html |title=Friends of the Earth – "Recycling Bill success!" |publisher=Foe.co.uk |access-date=February 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212193454/http://foe.co.uk/campaigns/waste/news/recycling_bill_success.html |archive-date=February 12, 2009}}</ref>