Scientists call for fossil fuel limits

London

THE world can only consume a fraction of the known deposits of fossil fuels if it's to avoid the most dangerous impacts from climate change, according to the biggest ever assessment of the issue.

Burning the existing reserves of oil, natural gas and coal that have already been identified by national governments and commodity companies would cause widespread droughts, more violent storms and melting of polar ice caps, a long-awaited report by a panel of climate scientists gathered by the United Nations said.