Climate Change Impact More Extensive than Thought

Spiegel ^ | 3/2/07 | Volker Mrasek

[NormsRevenge]

Global climate change is happening faster than previously believed and its impact is worse than expected, information from an as-yet unpublished draft of the long-awaited second part of a United Nations report obtained by SPIEGEL ONLINE reveals. No region of the planet will be spared and some will be hit especially hard.

Is the world's weather already out of control? Is the pollution of the past decades having an impact on the present? That's exactly what the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change fears: Human influences over the last 30 years "have had a recognizable effect on many physical and biological systems," write the authors of the as yet unreleased second part of the 2007 global climate change report.

--snip--

The second part of the report is to be presented in April in Brussels after final discussions with government representatives from around the globe. The meta-study is certain to have a major political impact on the ongoing debate about climate change.

Mounting evidence: Climate change is happening now

The main conclusion of the report is that climate change is already having a profound effect on all the continents and on many of the Earth's ecosystems. The draft presents a long list of evidence:

Glacial lakes are increasing in both size and number, potentially leading to deadly floods.

Permafrost in mountainous regions and at high latitudes is warming increasing the danger of land slides.

As the temperature of rivers and lakes rises, their thermal stratification and water quality is changing.

River currents, affected by melting glaciers and ice, are speeding up during the spring.

Springtime is starting earlier, causing plants to bloom earlier and changing the migrations of birds.

Many plants and animals are expanding their habitats into mountainous regions and higher latitudes that are becoming milder.

[Mike Darancette]

If the problem isn't bad enough figure out how to make it worse.

Eco-Porn at it's worst.

[RegulatorCountry]

What a weird headline. I thought the whole thing was supposed to be "global," so it's not quite possible for "climate change" to be more extensive, unless they're talking about Mars or something.

[neverhillorat]

It seems to be obvious that the threat of Global Warming (weather for all of you over the age of twelve) destroys common sense.

[El Gato]

The second part of the report is to be presented in April in Brussels after final discussions with government representatives from around the globe.

Since when do the results of a scientific study have to be "discussed" with government representatives, *before* being released to the public and, more importantly, the rest of the scientific community? I guess it's to make sure the conclusions and most importantly the recommendations, are politically, rather than scientifically, correct. That is, ones that will give those governments, and the UN itself, *more* power.

[D Rider]

"unless they're talking about Mars or something."

The polar ice caps on Mars are melting! Must be all those fluorocarbons that America released in the 60's, 70's and 80's.

[rock58seg]

Since the Sun is causing this, we should somehow arrange that at least almost half the Earth remain in shadow at all times.

If we shut down all Human activity it would only have about as much effect as a popcorn F*rt in Hell.

[NormsRevenge]

speaking of Mars.. Thanks for the reminder..
;-]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1793354/posts

National Geographic: Melting Mars Means Man-Made Global Warming a Myth
NewsBusters, National Geographic ^ | 3/1/2007 | Noel Sheppard

[BonnieJ]

Is it part of global warming that AZ had the worst and longest freeze in decades in January and it destroyed our beautiful yard that it took us 18 years to create? The weather is strange lately, but maybe they could say that at just about any time over all the decades, centuries and millenniums.

[NormsRevenge]

sorry to hear about the yard, we were pretty lucky here, most of the succulents held up pretty well.. my fruit trees loved it, the buds are about to burst

[Blind Eye Jones]

Yes, the face on Mars is melting according to the tabloids!

[A message]

Here I thought all one had to do was buy some carbon offsets and climate change is halted. Isn't that how Al "I'm neutral" Gore deals with his excessive energy usage that contributes to putting earth out of balance.

[NormsRevenge]

Gore is nothing more than a scam artist and a poor one at that, well, maybe not poor, he does sit on corporate boards and such, obviously he is well fed.. too excess in fact if his appearance is worth anything.

[pepsionice]

Pull up the top 500 environmentalists and green politicans...and ask them to bring their yearly gas and electricity bill into the studio...I will bet that all 500 use at least twice what a normal American family uses...and almost all have houses that are 1500 sq feet or bigger. You can smell where this is going.

I've tired myself out trying to read all of the science coverage and I've come to realize in the past week that these dimwits are the ones using up three, five, ten and even twenty times the amount of power as the typical American family. They are the cause of the mess and they can fix this...IF THEY want to get involved. They want us to feel quilty for their contributions to the problem. Frankly...we need to call up Larry King when they appear. We need to call NPR when they appear on Science Friday. We need to openly challenge them to tell us about their lifestyle....and make them admit what they are doing to the environment. Every conference they attend in Malayasia....they burn a heck of alot of fuel to get to it. They need to explain alot before I ever waste any more time on this science issue.

[The Duke]

Wasn't it alligators last year, and sharks the year before?

Wonder what it will be next year?

[callofduty]

I am one of the few conservatives open to global warming, but not to the point where I give a damn about it even if I believe it.

Look at the progress man has made. All of the roads, parking lots, buildings, roofing, clearing of forest area, etc... Instead of the sun's heat being absorbed into plant life, it gets reflected off all those man made materials and back into the air. So if they want to say the Earth's temp has gone up a little, it sounds reasonable to me.

However even if we are in a crisis, you've got to believe technological advancements will naturally change that. Take mandatory car emissions testing for instance (if your state has these). Ten or fifteen years from now we will all be driving cars that run on something other than gas, so why go through all that testing now for an engine that is on it's way out anyway????

[Always Right]

This is HORRIBLE!!!! We have a longer growing season and more of the earth is becoming habitable. Oh the horrors!!!!!!! I have never been so scared in my life.....

[mad_dawg30]

"Is it part of global warming that AZ had the worst and longest freeze in decades in January and it destroyed our beautiful yard that it took us 18 years to create?"

Yes Bonnie, you are right! Global Warming causes extreme weather conditions, also extreme cold periods not only warming. Weather is a very complex system and so the term "global warming" is a bit confusing.

[HHFi]

Is the world's weather already out of control?

Pardon me for asking a stupid question, but at what time in the past were humans in control of the weather?

[AlexW]

"Gore is nothing more than a scam artist and a poor one at that"

Gore couldn't scam his way out of a fart. He is nothing but a useful idiot fool of the extreme left.
I doubt if Gore even learned to read a thermometer, much less have any concept of the climate.