Many scientists see no escape for dramatic Arctic thaw
October 25, 2005
By Andrew C. Revkin
New York Times

In 1969, Roy Koerner, a Canadian government glaciologist, was one of
four men (and 36 dogs) who completed the first surface crossing of the
Arctic Ocean, from Alaska through the North Pole to Norway.

Today, he said, such a trek would be impossible: There is just not
enough ice. In September, the area covered by sea ice reached a record
low. "I recently reviewed a proposal by one guy to go across by kayak,"
Koerner said.

Many scientists say it has taken a long time for them to accept that
global warming, partly the result of carbon dioxide and other
heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, could shrink the Arctic's summer
cloak of ice.

But many of those same scientists have concluded that the momentum
behind human-caused warming, combined with the region's tendency to
amplify change, has put the familiar Arctic past the point of no
return.

The rest:
http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs....82/1002/NEWS01

"Roger Coppock" wrote in message
ps.com...
Many scientists see no escape for dramatic Arctic thaw

Many scientists say it has taken a long time for them to accept that
global warming, partly the result of carbon dioxide and other
heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, could shrink the Arctic's summer
cloak of ice.

But many of those same scientists have concluded that the momentum
behind human-caused warming, combined with the region's tendency to
amplify change, has put the familiar Arctic past the point of no
return.

Yup, now that it is being recognised that global warming is happening it is
too late to stop it!

NB it is too late NOW. Immediatiate action is imperitave. GWB's
procrastination over the levees in NO will be nothing compared with the
effects of his procrastination over global warming!

Cheers, Alastair.

Yes! About the only way one can rap one's mind
about what is to come in the next couple of centuries
of anthropogenic greenhouse gas forced global
warming is to imagine New Orleans duplicated all
over our entire planet. It didn't have to happen,
Alastair, there was no need for it to happen. We
can still cut it short, if we act.

"Roger Coppock" wrote in message
ups.com...
Yes! About the only way one can rap one's mind
about what is to come in the next couple of centuries
of anthropogenic greenhouse gas forced global
warming is to imagine New Orleans duplicated all
over our entire planet. It didn't have to happen,
Alastair, there was no need for it to happen. We
can still cut it short, if we act.

First, it is not going to take a couple of centuries. The summer Arctic ice
will not last past the next big El Nino, and even if the winter ice does
reform the albedo will have been changed because that is only affected by the
summer ice.

It is not inconceivable that there will be several major hurricanes next year,
with one of them hitting another major city such as Miami or Houston. Even if
the US is spared next year, what odds to you give on Miami not being destroyed
within five years? Even Landsea expects this to last 15 years.

The point is that there is no point in telling me we should act. The USA is
the key. Without action from America nothing will happen. Of course I am
accused of US bashing, but even Americans like yourself are caught in the same
trap. Like me you want change but there is nothing you can do to bring it
about until George W. Bush is converted from christianity to realism!

Cheers, Alastair.

Global warming has more evil tricks in its bag than
just ice and hurricanes, all of them will take a couple
of centuries to develop. We, should act, now.

No, I don't think the odds for Miami or other US
gulf cities is high.

"Roger Coppock" wrote in message
oups.com...
Global warming has more evil tricks in its bag than
just ice and hurricanes, all of them will take a couple
of centuries to develop. We, should act, now.

No, I don't think the odds for Miami or other US
gulf cities is high.


New York will probably be hit within 10 years. There, that's a surprise!

BTW, 2006 will go down in British History as the year with no winter.

Cheers, Alastair.

To Roger

Climate imbalance,and it is an imbalance is just the mechanism for
losing heat,it is not evil or otherwise.

I have noted that climatologists still stick with observations based on
non existent hemispherical axial tilt properties to the Sun or orbital
plane and that fact alone highlights the dismal prospects of
comprehending what is going on.Even allowing for the silly technical
arguments derived from an astronomical mechanism (btw,it is changing
orbital orientation movingthrough fixed axial orientation that causes
cyclical seasonal changes),it is the poor intellectual standard that
presents itself as the immediate obstacle to comprehending what is
going on.

In other words,none of you are up to the job.

"Alastair McDonald" k
wrote:
GWB's
procrastination over the levees in NO will be nothing compared with
the effects of his procrastination over global warming!

GW did NOT "procrastinate" over the levees!
The floodwall that gave way was almost brand new, you idiot.

Cheers, Alastair. *PLONK*
--
): "I may make you feel, but I can't make you think"
(: Off the monitor, through the modem, nothing but net

"Well Done" wrote in message
...
"Alastair McDonald" k
wrote:
GWB's
procrastination over the levees in NO will be nothing compared with
the effects of his procrastination over global warming!

GW did NOT "procrastinate" over the levees!
The floodwall that gave way was almost brand new, you idiot.

Procrastination is far too generous a term for what he really did, which was
to actively cut the flood control budget. And indeed some work continued,
as with the new flood wall, but it was wholly inadequate. We should bear in
mind that he was only the latest in a string of national leaders to have
ignored or minimized the problem, though.

Cheers, Alastair. *PLONK*
--
): "I may make you feel, but I can't make you think"
(: Off the monitor, through the modem, nothing but net