Pollution soaring to crisis levels in Arctic

Pollution soaring to crisis levels in Arctic

Researchers have uncovered compelling evidence that indicates Earth's most vulnerable regions - the North and South Poles - are poised on the brink of a climatic disaster.
The scientists, at an atmospheric monitoring station in the Norwegian territory of Svalbard, have found that levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere near the North Pole are now rising at an unprecedented pace.

In 1990 this key cause of global warming was rising at a rate of 1 part per million (ppm). Recently, that rate reached 2 ppm per year. Now, scientists at the Mount Zeppelin monitoring station have discovered it is rising at between 2.5 and 3 ppm.

'The fact that our data now show acceleration in the rise of carbon dioxide level is really a source for concern,' said Professor Johan Strom, of Stockholm University's department of applied environmental science, which runs the Mount Zeppelin station. 'The increase is also seen at other stations, but our Zeppelin data show the strongest increase.'

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More good news from the top of the planet...

Groan.

Did you already see this?

Study Previews Ice Sheet Melting, Rapid Climate Change

The behavior of a massive ice sheet that existed in northern Europe at the end of the last Ice Age has been outlined for the first time, and researchers believe it may provide a sneak preview of how major ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica will act in the face of global warming.

OSU experts say those same forces are at work today, and probably mean that in the face of future global warming, the ice in large parts of Antarctica may actually increase, while the massive Greenland ice sheet -- which exists in a slightly warmer setting -- will almost certainly disappear.

These studies are confirming that the melting of ice sheets and their associated effects can be comparatively abrupt and rapid, the researchers said, once a certain level of warming is reached.

And this?

Antarctica's ice melts faster than snowfall can replace it

Yes.... I have.

There used to be a time when stories like these only trickled by every few months or weeks.... Now, the pace has increased to every day...

The data is coming in, folks, and it ain't looking good.

[edit on 13-3-2006 by loam]

Hmphh. Nobody really cares. Or too insignificant a percentage of the population gives a damn.

Climate change, endangered species, melting icecaps, open burning, increased pollution level, contaminated water, drying up rivers.. we're killing our planet and all everyone is talking about is war with Iran or war with this country or what if that country attacked the US. Shameful

Open a topic about the things related to the environment and see how many responses you get... Open a topic on cleaner alternative energy sources and see the level of interest generated. Pathetic humans. Our planet is dying and all you can talk about is how evil Bush is or how Iran can not be trusted. Complain about this insignificant topic, bitch about that unimportant issue. Pitiful :shk:

It wouldn't be a tragedy for this planet if a huge meteor came and killed of humans. Agent Smith was right, we are a virus. An extinction level event would be the cure.

I'll tell you all why we haven't made contact with any aliens. If you were a member of an advanced species, would you want to have anything to do with a self-important, egotistical, arrogant and stupid species that sleeps in it's own waste? A deluded species that is poisoning the very air they breath? A species that doesn't give any thought to destroying theplace they live and at the same time happily kill each other for dubious reasons?

If I were an alien I'd ignore humans, or at least mark them up as potentially dangerous... destroy them the minute they achieve faster than light travel. The galaxy doesn't need the plague that is them.

Bah! The world is dying and all some people can think of is which candidate is gonna be the next (Insert Country Name) Idol. Fools.[/rant]

This article about sums it up, doesn't it?

Hotter, Faster, Worser

Over the past several months, the normally restrained voice of science has taken on a distinct note of panic when it comes to global warming.

How did we go from debating the "uncertainty" behind climate science to near hysterical warnings from normally sober scientists about irrevocable and catastrophic consequences? Two reasons.

First, there hasn’t been any real uncertainty in the scientific community for more than a decade. An unholy alliance of key fossil fuel corporations and conservative politicians have waged a sophisticated and well-funded misinformation campaign to create doubt and controversy in the face of nearly universal scientific consensus. In this, they were aided and abetted by a press which loved controversy more than truth, and by the Bush administration, which has systematically tried to distort the science and silence and intimidate government scientists who sought to speak out on global warming.

But the second reason is that the scientific community failed to adequately anticipate and model several positive feedback loops that profoundly amplify the rate and extent of human-induced climate change. And in the case of global warming, positive feedback loops can have some very negative consequences. The plain fact is, we are fast approaching – and perhaps well past – several tipping points which would make global warming irreversible.

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Just give me the botom line...how soon will there be very observable differences in South Alabama?

We are past doing anything about it as it was beyond our doings, anyway.
How much time we got, Doc?

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
Just give me the botom line...how soon will there be very observable differences in South Alabama?

I dont know about time scales I dont think anyone can claim to know for sure. But worst case scenario and all the polar ice melts.

Then the blue on this map could be the new water line for beach front property in Alabama
www.srh.noaa.gov...


[edit on 13-3-2006 by ShadowXIX]

Originally posted by Beachcoma
Hmphh. Nobody really cares.

... we're killing our planet and all everyone is talking about is war with Iran or war with this country or what if that country attacked the US. Shameful

Perhaps if someone discussed what would happen if some terrorist threatened to unload 50 large tankers full of iron powder across Earth's oceans to try to throw us into an ice age, there might be more of a response. Most would probably wonder, could that happen?

I think most are more concerned with things that could affect them tomorrow, or within the next week or two. Climate change doesn't seem quite as interesting unless something is happening now. Now if someone discussed that Florida would be underwater in 50 years, that might get some attention from those that want to save Florida. Of course even Floridians are probably more concerned with a possible hurricane strike than something that might sink their whole state if it's 50 years away.