Action on warming could curb nightmare impacts

[OKIsItJustMe]

Source: Reuters

Action on warming could curb nightmare impacts

Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:53 PM ET

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

OSLO (Reuters) - Cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases can mute the worst impacts of global warming, such as water shortages for billions of people or extinction of almost half of Amazonian tree species, a draft U.N. report shows.

The report, due for release on April 6, foresees ever worsening damage to the planet as temperatures gain, including rising seas that could swamp low-lying Pacific island states or declining crop yields that could mean hunger for millions.

"The longer we go without action (to curb greenhouse gases) the more likely it is that some of the big feedbacks will kick in," Richard Betts, manager of the climate impacts research team at the British Met Office and Hadley Center.

"We can make a big difference by either choosing a low emissions scenario or a high emissions scenario," said Gunnar Myhre, of the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo.

...

Read more: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2007-03-19T175045Z_01_L1926517

[redqueen]

1. I can't believe that's considered news...

How long have people been talking about this stuff? FCOL!

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. What's news is that it may not be hopeless

Perhaps it's just magical thinking, but it sure would be nice to know that the IPCC thinks we still have a chance to turn things around.

[redqueen]

3. Harrumph... that's not news either...

Ah I hate that hopeless talk... if it is, it is... but doing nothing sure won't help, so why not change our habits anyway, just in case?

[sam sarrha]

4. actually it will just mean the DISASTER will last only 400 years instead of 800 years

when the ocean currents stop we are SCREWED.. till the ice builds up again and starts calving icebergs to start it again..

the ice age's were apparently started by the cessation of the ocean currents.. where did the 9 mile thick ice cap come from.. snow.. all that water came out of the ocean.. which dropped 130 to 150 feet..

it takes 5 pounds of red hot cast iron to evaporate a pound of water.. that sort of sunshine is what we are looking forward to.. some estimates are that the world population will drop to about or below 1 billion people

[phantom power]

5. The big feedbacks have already "kicked in."

Thawing permafrost releasting Methane? Check.
Melting polar ice causing huge albedo decreases? Check.
Warming oceans absorbing less CO2? Check.
Drought decreasing ability of biosphere to sequester CO2? Check.
Increasing CO2 concentration reducing ability of plants to fix CO2? Check.

These are already happening. It is simply a factual error to say we can "prevent" them.