Posted on 03/16/2006 6:58:29 AM PST by The_Victor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Human-fueled global warming has reached a "tipping point," according to a new survey of scientific research that found warming would continue even if greenhouse gas emissions halted immediately.
"It would keep on warming even though we have stopped the cause, which is greenhouse gases from the combustion of fossil fuels," David Jhirad of the Washington-based World Resources Institute said on Wednesday.
The rate of warming would be slower, Jhirad said in a telephone interview, but a kind of thermal inertia would ensure that global temperatures continue their upward trend.
He referred to a report released by the nonprofit institute this week that analyzed research reports on climate change for 2005.
"Taken collectively, they suggest that the world may well have moved past a key physical tipping point," the institute wrote.
Jhirad said there were actually two tipping points. The first is that there is no doubt human activities cause global warming; a more physical tipping point is that the effects of global warming are evident now.
The report, based on research published in journals including Science and Nature, also found the effects of climate change were so severe they should spur urgent action to prevent more damage and to combat damage that has already occurred.
"We can't assume this change is so far in the future that we can afford to delay," Jhirad said.
The World Resources Institute, founded in 1982, is a nonpartisan environmental think tank that works with industry and other ecological groups around the world.
CARBON TRADING
New policies should encourage companies to make technological and commercial innovations that will cut air pollution, Jhirad said, adding U.S. companies were also clamoring for political leadership.
Jhirad said he was "underwhelmed" by U.S. political leadership on this issue. In 2001, President George W. Bush pulled the United States out of the Kyoto Protocol, the United Nations' main plan to curb global warming. He denounced Kyoto as an economic straitjacket that would cost U.S. jobs and said it wrongly excluded developing nations.
The Kyoto agreement obliges some 40 industrial nations to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases by 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2008 to 2012.
Jhirad said the United States should adopt a system of carbon trading, like one in place in much of Europe, where companies that emit few greenhouse gases get credits that can be traded with companies that emit a lot.
"The market has expanded tremendously in terms of the volume of trading and the value of the carbon credits," he said. "That's what we would like to see (in the United States): a market-friendly approach that would set incentives for technological innovation, which is going to be needed."
Also on Wednesday, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Civil Society Institute released a survey that found 83 percent of Americans wanted more leadership from the federal government to reduce the pollution linked to global warming.
The survey contacted 1,029 adults in the United States from February 23 through 26 and had an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
In a nutshell, Yes! But, that isn't what happened.
Calls originate or end at a foreign source or terminal.
It was certain terminals within the ports, not the ports.
WE'RE GONNA DIE!!!
"Huh-hu, hu, huhuhu, shut-up, Bevis!"
We never could do anything about it! It's not human caused.
The forces of nature are far greater than anything we can do. there was a 500 year drought and global warming long before man was on the scene.
Sshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
You'll hurt the left's self esteem.
I guess that all depends on when you start measuring. If you go back to the "big bang" era, the Earth was a sweltering mass. Since that time, in general terms, we are on a cooling trend. I does make one wonder that when life evolved it was considerably warmer than today. Why did warmer weather then, impel life, and warmer weather today will destroy it?
If there is any human activity causing so-called "global warming" it's the hot air these totalitarian bozos are putting out about it.
If we're all doomed, I guess there's no more point to signing Kyoto.
:^)
"bookmarking" this post
Okay, then lets not bother with Kyoto and enjoy warmer weather and longer growing seasons.
Most importantly, more time for thong bikini viewing.
I am waiting on my check right now.
I asked my buddies Global Warming Freak sister what she thought did more to cause warming of the plant.
A) The sun
B) SUVs
Guess what her answer was.
This so-called "reporter" Deborah Zabarenko is an utter fraud - this entire article reads as a press release for the leftie activist organization which is quoted and cited throughout. There's not even any pretence of getting any other views or comments - she just repackages the press release that came across her desk.
Don't you know it. He has to be one of the biggest political gold diggers.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Those SUVs are more diabolical than we realized.
As a good gesture on my part, since we are all gonna die from from irreversible 'man-made' global warming inertia, I would like to offer my services to each and every woman out there who need to sow their wild oats one last time. I know, I know, I am only doing for compassion and all of humanity's sake! ;>)
Yep those all powerful hot suv's. Makes me wonder how Canada can have seasons since SUV's don't migrate.
Really scarey,,, I assume she votes.
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