The news continues to grow worse over global warming. The Peru meeting revealed new research showing that time is running out for humanity to act on climate change. Now to new reports indicate that we may have underestimate the rate of loss on the huge ice sheet of West Antarctica — new calculations under global warming could mean a rise in global sea levels of as much as 23 feet. That would create massive changes in the coasts of the world.
The research indicates that prior computer modeling efforts did not capture the full dynamics of what is happening with these ice sheets during global warming. The difference is immense when one considers that the Greenland ice sheet is 656,000 square miles long with an average thickness of over a mile. If that ice melts at a faster rate, it would result in costly global changes, including the loss of cities and islands.
The more complex models shows that the dimensions of the topography and melting factors should result in a much faster meltdown.
The first new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by scientists at the University at Buffalo and several other institutions, used laser altimetry to measure almost 100,000 elevation points atop the Greenland ice sheet. The result is confirmation of a much higher melting process of about .68 millimeters of annual sea level rise rather than the previously estimated .29 millimeters per year.
A second student in Nature Climate Change by Amber Leeson from the University of Leeds looked at “supraglacial lakes,” which form atop the Greenland ice sheet. These lakes suddenly vanish through “moulins,” or crevasses, that plunge to depths far below the ice sheet. The study indicates that these lakes (which hold greater heat) will become more extensive with global warming and, through draining, accelerate melting.
There of course remain those who refuse to accept the vast majority of scientific researcher and experts on the fact of climate change. However, the concern is that we are passing a redline that divides an unpleasant world from an uninhabitable one.)
The result from Lima is being heralded as an improvement in securing agreement but the details show a substantial lack of consensus, including a refusal of countries to agree on a uniform way of accounting for emissions cuts. That is a critical issue since goals are meaningless if there is not uniform measuring of cuts. It was still more productive than past meetings but scientists warn that time is of the essence as the world continues to debate the most basic elements of a system of reduction of emissions.
Source: Washington Post
Gary, LOL! Maxie the Taxi works the 2nd shift and comes off work wired and commenting like a whirlwind.
Does anyone have the guts to admit we cannot stop the rise in sea levels? It’s time for palliative action to protect civilization.
Just to be clear how this global climate enlightenment process works: The science is settled, done, argument over, end of discussion. Uh, one moment please, I have new scientific evidence proving your previous science was incomplete. Go away; we’re right you’re wrong. Um, but the new scientific data will support your theory……………………..; welcome comrade, the floor is yours.
New Christmas song . . . “Let it Melt, Let it Melt, Let it Melt.” Here’s another one . . . “New Orleans the New Atlantis”
Nick:
And we go to sleep later too. 🙂
http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/night-owls-creative-intelligent/686025/
Global Warming has become the secular religion for progressives. Michael Crichton has some very good speeches on YouTube. JT is an evangelical. It looks like the nonbelievers wake up earlier than the believers, judging by the initial comments.
While you and other global leftists pretend to believe that the colorless, odorless trace gas carbon dioxide has extraordinary supernatural powers, the one power I doubt even you pretend to believe it has is the power to change at what temperature water changes from it’s solid form to liquid. As far as I know, even the most fanatical “global warming” zealots still believe ice melts at temperatures above 32 degrees. If you still believe that, then you can rest easy. The average temperature of Antarctica is 58 degrees below zero. It’s not going to melt. The Western Shelf is melting because of a geothermal hotspot.
What is so offensive is that you are crusading to change the global economic system while dishonestly pretending it is about science. Don’t take my words for it, take the direct quotes of some of the world’s global leaders and the highest ranking members of the UN IPCC, from a 2013 article published by townhall.com:
>> During last year’s climate meeting in Rio de Janeiro, UN climate chief Christiana Figueres said that what the UN intends is “a complete economic transformation of the world.” In 2000, former French President Jacques Chirac called the Kyoto climate treaty “the first component of authentic global governance.” And last year IPCC Working Group III co-chair Ottmar Edenhofer said international climate policy is not about environmental policy; it is about “how we redistribute the world’s wealth.”<<
http://townhall.com/columnists/davidrothbard/2013/11/19/poland-recognizes-the-real-global-warming-agenda-n1748681/page/full
So, if you are a Neo-Malthusian/Neo-Communist who wants world governments to control the world's resources, then have the decency to argue honestly for what you want. We just went through several years in which virtually every member of your political party lied incessantly to the American people to impose a healthcare system that has never had more than 50% support. Now your party wants to try to pull of another fraud.
Please stop pretending "global warming" is about science. It's 100% about politics and changing the world economic order. Every time you pretend it's about science you lose credibility with your readers who know what's going on.
And if you really care about how the predictions of increased extreme weather has panned out as carbon dioxide has increased it's composition of the atmosphere from 0.03% all the way up to 0.04%, you can read this. But I doubt you really care.
http://fabiusmaximus.com/2014/09/12/climate-change-extreme-weather-good-news-71777/
Isaac,
It is not a hoax, it is pathological institutional emotionality.
Throughout the ages there have been apocalyptic religions predicting the end of the world with many faithful adherents. This is just the modernized version of it.
Something in the masses have a perverse psychological appeal to the idea that end times are near, and must do something NOW to stop it.
And of course doing something now entails the moral right to tell others how to live and think.
If you really are interested in the science underlying the idea of global warming, I would suggest two very good fundamental physics treatments and analysis’ of the pertinent thermodynamics and physical chemistry. They are both free and on the web.
These are not hysterical, jump-to-conclusion, viewpoints, rather a rational physical analysis of the physical chemistry dynamics.
But it is not easy reading either if you do not have a basic understanding of science:
http://globalwarmingnotes.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-white-paper.html?q=half+life
http://cosy.com/Science/ColoredBalls.html
If you really want to know, instead of thumping a warmist’s bible and just proclaiming “This is the Only Truth I need to Know!”, then feed your mind, and the rest will follow.
Nah, ya see, CO2 is good for us. It makes the plants grow. If we lower the CO2 levels all the plants will die and we will starve to death. Also I have huge investments in inland, now useless land that will soon be prime waterfront.
So, if 3,865 major scientific studies show us that global warming is real and is primarily caused by human fossil fuel and two scientific studies point to this all being a hoax, well I’m going with the two, here in good company with Roger, Jim, and Gary. Wait that makes four of us, so it really must be a hoax.
So, take your pick, reduce CO2 and global warming and starve to death or eat lots of salads and then buy a boat.
…And at one time the *vast majority of experts* believed the world was flat.
The Earth hasn’t warmed in over 18 years, and we now we have the benefit of hindsight to see that earlier climate “models” failed to predict this “pause” in warming, why the “models” failed to predict “pause” cannot be accounted for, and we have true believers praying for El Nino so that hopefully temperatures will rise and they can go back to thinking they are right.
Sea levels have been steadily rising since the end of the last ice age but we are supposed to believe that we are going to see relatively sudden sea level rise of 23 feet if we don’t “do something.” The “do something” of course always involves restrictions on your liberty (at least here in the US, the rest of the world… not so much.)
The faithful members in the Church of Man-Made Climate Disaster continue to need scary future scenarios because more and more people are doubting the legitimacy of climate science and have come to realize that past climate predictions and resulting environmental catastrophes have not materialized, despite the continuing rise of “pollutants” such CO2 in the atmosphere.
IdFaciam:
The Left does not have a monopoly on being pulled into nonsense.
There are many non-leftists who believe nonsense also.
Oops “know” not “now”
IdFaciam, Because they now power and control are on the other side of the AGW rainbow.
“However, the concern is that we are passing a redline that divides an unpleasant world from an uninhabitable one.”
According to many of the global warming alarmists, we’ve already passed this point.
What is it about otherwise intelligent people on the Left that allows them to be pulled into this nonsense?
Naw, Obamacare will implode all by itself.
No debate needed 🙂
Gart T, What would make it really awesome would be to debate “Global Obamacare”.
Chicken Little: The Sky is falling, the Sky is Falling!
Global Warmists: And the Seas are Rising, the Seas are Rising!
I can’t wait either, I want to see Max-1’s hundred propaganda video posts now!
Oh yay, another global warming debate. I can hardly wait for Max-1’s hundred propaganda video posts.
Jonathan for an educated man you are easily misled or duped. AGW does not exist. Polar ice has GROWN of late