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Mother Earth is Melting
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| LiquidX |
.... this sux ! ! !
Here it is.
SAN FRANCISCO (Dec. 8) - The northernmost reaches of the Earth are warming, reducing the sea ice across the Arctic Ocean, melting the ice sheet in Greenland and spreading shrubs into the Alaskan tundra, scientists said Saturday.
Taken individually, the changes only suggest the region's climate is undergoing a warming trend. Together, they provide dramatic evidence the change is real, a panel of scientists said during at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union.
``If you look at all the data sets together, they do provide compelling evidence something is changing over a great area,'' said Larry Hinzman, of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
Natural variability may be behind the changes, but human activity might also be to blame, scientists said.
A new five-year research plan presented this week by scientists and government officials meeting in Washington, D.C., asserts that people clearly are agents of environmental change, though it is still unclear how much human activity contributes.
President Bush wants industry to voluntarily cut smokestack and tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases that scientists believe are leading to a global rise in temperatures.
Evidence of the rise can be seen across the Arctic already, scientists said Saturday.
Greenland is experiencing a warm spell unseen since the 1930s. Satellite data show the greatest area of melt across its mammoth ice sheet in 24 years of measurements occurred this year.
Since 1979, the melt area has grown by 16 percent and is affecting higher and higher elevations.
Across the Arctic Ocean, the floating mantle of ice that covers it throughout much of the year shrank to record levels this summer, said Mark Serreze, also of the University of Colorado. In September, sea ice extent was 4 percent lower that that seen in any previous September since monitoring began in 1978.
Changes in Arctic atmospheric and marine circulation patterns are partly responsible, but depletion of the ozone layer due to pollution may also play a role, Serreze said.
On land, too, scientists note changes that suggest temperatures are rising. Shrubs are pushing farther northward, growing in areas of tundra that were void of trees as little as 50 years ago, said F. Stuart Chapin III of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
``The real question is, is this recent trend unusual, is this recent trend cause for concern that we are having an effect? The answer seems to be yes,'' Serreze said.
I got this from AOL portal.
I think this sux, and major country's should get their asses to this subject.. I wont mention names, nor countrys...
opinions ? |
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| miss_e |
where have you been in the past 5 years?
heh
:tongue2 |
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| LiquidX |
| quote: | Originally posted by miss_e
where have you been in the past 5 years?
heh
:tongue2 |
I knew this 5 years ago, yes I did, but SOOOME presidents uhum, say this are THEORIES, and I think they are still saying it, this report shows a much concret result. I hope THEY will take it for consideration .. mmmm |
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| JohnSmith |
Unfortunately, yes.. in short, we are ed.
this planet is DEFINITELY getting hotter, due to the greenhouse effect. the time to stop is now. we need to switch to better and cleaner energy sources, and stop using fossil fuels NOW.
the damage has already been done, and will continue for years even if we did stop now, which is obviously immpossible.
but, we can do our best, and start stocking up on sunscreen. ;)
President Bush is squarely against any action that will hurt the ailing US economy, and has already rejected the Kyoto Protocol, currently the best hope for fighting global warming.
Canada looks to be on the brink of signing, even though alberta premier ralph klein is bitching because alberta will be destitute, i say good job chretien. |
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| OrZonE |
Even though I agree that we need to stop using fossil fuels, still a question stands. How do you suppose we do that?
A large portion of the WORLD economy is based on using of those particular fuels. To do this, many plants need to be rebuild/shut down, this requires a lot of fundings. This can't be done overnight, in fact knowing our (CA/US) gov'ts I'm sure it won't happen for @ least 50 years, if ever :rolleyes:. |
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| LiquidX |
| quote: | Originally posted by OrZonE
Even though I agree that we need to stop using fossil fuels, still a question stands. How do you suppose we do that?
A large portion of the WORLD economy is based on using of those particular fuels. To do this, many plants need to be rebuild/shut down, this requires a lot of fundings. This can't be done overnight, in fact knowing our (CA/US) gov'ts I'm sure it won't happen for @ least 50 years, if ever :rolleyes:. |
Mmm I dont think there'll be fossil fuel in 50 years, it doesnt last forever, and reserves are running out, so they better start doing / improving technology this fast ! clikc.. |
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| Photo_bot_2k1 |
| hopefully we will all be dead long before this REALLY affects the earth |
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| Dj_ExOn |
| quote: | Originally posted by Photo_bot_2k1
hopefully we will all be dead long before this REALLY affects the earth |
Yeah and so will our grandchildrens children! :)
But i still agree that we need to fina alternate fuel resources!
Gasoline sux!:whip: |
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| Dj_ExOn |
| To bad vinyls has oil as an ingredient! :) |
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| nrjizer |
Trust me, the world wont be flooded by polar ice any time soon. We are expected to get much cooler in 10 years, not warmer. The warmer temperatures melts freshwater ice that mixes with the saltwater currents, thus changing them (due to weight/temperature difference of the water), and causing less warm air to flow from the south pacific up this way.
I do agree most fossil fuels suck, but there really isnt any other option right now. Everything we use, we pretty much absolutely need. Electric cars? Slow as hell, rare to find a charging station anywhere but major cities. Airplanes? Almost all modern airplanes need fossil fuels, or pay much much more for other fules (liquid o2, ect).
And I doubt we will run out of fuels any time soon... according to past predictions, we should have run out 3 or 4 times by now. Most predictions are based on current resivouirs, but new technology lets us find more fuels in places we never thought of before.
Besides, there isnt anything we tiny humans couldnt do to Earth that would cause serious long term damage. Earth has been here 4.5 billion years, endured being smacked by meteors, huge ice ages, and being a big ball of lava. Global climate has shifted farther in either direction more times than we could fathom. Humans have been here 130k years (isnt that it? not sure), thats just a geographical blink of an eye. Currently, and at least not for another few hundred thousand years, we humans are nothing more than the next critter in a long line of critters that earth has seen.
While this definately is a problem that needs serious action, I wouldnt start stocking up on sunscreen just yet... |
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| JohnSmith |
Regardless of how difficult it will be, we need to reduce our dependance on fossil fuels. It's been said we "need" to drive cars, and fly airplanes. and i suppose i would be greatly inconvenienced if i had no car right now.
but, the car was only invented just over a hundred years ago, what did people do before then? we survived, it just took us longer to get places. 100 years is barely a blink of an eye to mother earth, but in that time we have done more damage to the environment than in previous tens of thousands.
true we keep finding oil, but we will eventually run out, it is only a question of when. I believe it will be sometime in the next 40 - 80 years, and i plan on being around that long at least.
all you can do is TRY to reduce your dependancy on cars, and other things that use fossil fuel. I insure my car only during the winter, in the summer i walk or ride a bike. i suppose it would be better to never drive it at all, but it just isn't practical trying to get groceries on a bike in the snow in -40
anyway.. the earth is in trouble, and we need to help it, that much is sure. however.. the earth has always managed, that is sure as well, so i am not too worried ;) |
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