First let me expound on only 1 of the 10 because for some reason we seem to focus on it and seem resigned to simply have to live with the rest.
Sea Level Rise: It Could Be Worse Than We Think: A new analysis released Thursday in the journal Science implies that the seas could rise dramatically higher over the next few centuries than scientists previously thought — somewhere between 18-to-29 feet above current levels, rather than the 13-to-20 feet they were talking about just a few years ago.
The increase in sea level would largely come from the partial melting of giant ice caps in Greenland and Antarctica, which have remained largely intact since the end of the last ice age, nearly 20,000 years ago. But rising global temperatures, thanks to human greenhouse-gas emissions, have already begun to melt that ancient ice, sending sea level up 8 inches since 1880 alone, with as much as 6 feet or so of additional increase projected by 2100.
Seriously, are we supposed to worry about that or look for a new way to live in an ever aquatic world or increase the search for a new planet to live on where a select few can migrate too and start over.
The Himalayan glaciers that feed major south Asian rivers like the Indus, the Brahmaputra and the Ganges are melting more rapidly, reveals a major new study which says that soaring global temperatures are not the only reason.
The study, led by Yao Tandong, director of the Institute of Tibetan Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, and eminent glaciologist and paleo-climatologist Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University, is the most comprehensive examination so far of the region’s glaciers. "The status of the glaciers had been a bone of contention," reported the weekly science journal, Nature, whose sister publication, the peer-reviewed journal, Nature Climate Change, published the study. Having Asia's water source dry up we should worry about! Think about the repercussions.
Top Ten Things Climate Change Is Making Worse Right Now: The onslaught of extreme weather and record temperatures this year have had an impact on people globally, directly through drought and temperature, and more indirectly impacting food prices and public transportation.
Here are 10 impacts we’re seeing right now that climate change is very likely worsening, in some cases playing a major role:
Rising Food Prices
Over half of the Continental U.S. is now facing severe drought–the worst in fifty years. As a result of extreme temperatures and little rain, corn production suffers although analysts predicted record production at the start of the year. In coming months, record-high food prices will continue to rise, affecting thousands of supermarket products. See also “Story of the Year: Warming-Driven Drought and Extreme Weather Emerge as Key Threat to Global Food Security.”
Goodbye Glaciers, Sea Ice
This week, an iceberg twice the size of Manhattan tore itself off of one of the largest glaciers in North Greenland, following another break of comparable size in 2010. Scientists say that such dramatic change is unprecedented, and report that “the Arctic had the largest sea ice loss on record for June.” [ClimateProgress]
Landslides
A recent landslide on an Alaskan glacier was massive enough to register as a 3.4-magnitude earthquake, even recorded in Canada. “We are seeing an increase in rock slides in mountain areas throughout the world because of permafrost degradation,” a scientist said. [Huffington Post]
Massive Dust Storms
In addition to dangerous wildfires and drought, the current heat wave is helping to create massive dust storms in Arizona. These walls of dust and strong wind can be thousands of feet high, destroying property, setting of a chain of further environmental damage and killing an average of five people per year. [New York Times]
Toxic Algae Pollute Drinking Supply, Lakes: Spurred by warmer winters that prevent seasonal a die-off, Lake Zurich in Switzerland is seeing an increase in a toxic species of algae known as Burgandy blood algae. “Research on Lake Zurich in Switzerland reveals that Burgundy blood algae, a toxic cyanobacteria species, has become more dense in the last 40 years as warm winters prevent seasonal die-off.” [CBS News]
$1.5 Billion Hail Damage: In a striking example of current dramatically unpredictable weather patterns, some cities now experiencing record-breaking temperature highs are also dealing with the after-effects of extreme hail damage. Estimates suggest that total damage in places like Dallas, St. Louis and Norfolk, Nebraska could exceed $1.5 billion. [Inside Climate News]
Wildfire Causes $450 Million Damage In Colorado
States like Colorado and New Mexico have experienced their worst wildfire season on record, and the damage totaled an estimated $450 million in Colorado alone. However, there are additional costs of the fire. “Water quality, for example, is being compromised up to 100 miles from burn sites,” and air quality has been damaged, even indoors. [Washington Post]
Greater Terrors For Mountain Climbers: “Sharper seasonal variations of ice and snow and temperature are being repeated all across the world from the Himalayas to the Andes, which scientists say are driven by a higher level of energy in the atmosphere from global warming.” Veteran climbers “say today’s conditions are combining to create a volatile highball of risk.” [NY Times]
More Drilling In The Arctic, Taxpayers Pay For Risks: Ironically, oil companies are capitalizing on ice melt in the Arctic caused by global warming. “Royal Dutch Shell has spent $4.5 billion since 2005 preparing to explore for oil off Alaska’s north coast in the Arctic. U.S. taxpayers may end up paying almost as much to supervise future operations in the region.” [Bloomberg]
Blackouts
Extreme temperatures stress the power grid, and Con Edison recently took action to lower power voltage, known as a “brown out” in NYC, to prevent mass black outs. Of course, millions suffered from blackouts during brutal heat after a rare, heat-fueled derecho impacted the Washington area. [Reuters
This is really sick! The oil companies are largely responsible for Global warming and the melting of the Glaciers that were protecting the Arctic and all they are focused on is spending Billions of dollars to go into the Arctic to capitalize on the damage they did. Even sicker! Taxpayers "you and I" will end up footing the bill once again and as usual for our own demise!
James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com
4 comments:
Let's face it the oil companies will only deal with the problem once we have gone past the period of peak oil. However by that time we will have gone past the point of global warming where nothing we do will stop it. The other issue is that this planet can only hold so many people and we're increasing population at an exponential rate. In that respect we have gone past the tipping point. Unless some major event like a plague or other natural disaster happens we will hit 10 billion by 2050. Just glad I won't be here to see that.
I actually read this early this morning Jim, and a real good posting here of course. The thing is, we been running in circle's Jim on this going green stuff way too long, we simply are not doing enough by just selling people a few million elctric car's, and some surcharge's, green this or that advertising/ marketing, and largely because the major shareholder's/ corporation's of energies and market's have bought damn near all the political influence as well around the globe that is worth buying (and of course you know "why" they are buying it), all they feed us is their pie chart's and projection's of what we will be reduced to by 2040 or 2050 or some shit, yet, the money and technological resource's ande science are actually advanced enough right now to make drastic change's in how we do thing's, but no one want's to spend too much and only want to rape and rathole all they can basically. As far as thing's like diseases or what Demeur was mentioning, plague's or whatever, I actually look to these type thing's getting to be a concern, I have posted about this here and there back awhile ... after all, "life" is "life", even if "that" life/ bacteria is an enemy to human's and other animal species, and of course that's what evolution, natural selection and all that related shit is all about, and you can bet on it, that within the next couple decade's, some virus or whatever you want to call it, will evolve that will be detrimental to the species of our's and even other's, the warming temperature's will contribute to the growth and spread, etc ... enough from me ... Thanx for the read Jim, later ....
Well Demeur I can't argue with you there You probably know I feel the same way only those asses will never agree we are past peak oil, they will keep looking and digging until they screw us and the planet up permanently along with everything else you pointed out and more.
What kills me is they don't mind cause we don't matter!
RC they don't want an alternative energy. Their facade of concern is to placate those of us that do.
The whole issue sickens me because like a cure for cancer, if they wanted it we would have it.
There is no way in hell those in the industry and the millions benefiting from it would accept an alternative energy putting them out of business.
Likewise there is no way they want a cure for cancer. There is no money in a cure. Just think of the multiple million collecting money for studies and the multiple millions working in the many facets of that industry right to death. They don't want a cure.
The only ones that want a cure is those with the disease and their friends and family collecting all the money that keep the industry going. Because of their hope it will keep going and there will be no cure.
You know, about that disease coming along I actually thought HIV was it and I am sure in its day they thought bubonic plague and others were it.
I happen to think we are our own worse enemy and will do ourselves in!
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