Its an eye opener and the article gets into what will happen to our Earth.
Scientific American: 2-Degree Global Warming Limit Is Called a “Prescription for Disaster”
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels before the industrial revolution were about 280 parts per million on average. They have been rising ever since, and today are about 397 ppm. A level of 450 ppm has generally been associated with an average global temperature rise of two degrees C. However, the latest analysis shows that a level of 450 ppm is enough to melt a significant portion of the world’s ice, because feedback mechanisms kick in; melting ice hastens the melting of even more ice, for example, and thawing permafrost emits methane that accelerates warming, prompting permafrost to thaw even more.
If the number reaches 560 ppm, a doubling of preindustrial values, sea level globally could rise 25 meters, according to Eelco Rohling, professor of ocean and climate change at University of Southampton in the U.K., who presented data at the AGU meeting with Hansen. Many large cities worldwide lie at that elevation or lower. The two scientists agreed that if nations continue to emit CO2 at current rates, the world could reach 560 ppm by 2100.
3 comments:
The train has left the station on climate. The huge lags built into the system are going to slam into us in a few decades. When Antarctica starts to melt fast and Greenland and the Seas start to rise 5X's faster then the hard right will blame all of us anyway. Even then EXXON and its pals will claim its just the Sun or anything but them. Its game over.
Nothing is being done to counter the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The financial and corporate pressures on the political system are essentially the only pressures that get a response. In this case the response is to be mute and look the other way. I would agree its game over. With the BRIC countries increasing coal and oil usage the yearly emissions will keep increasing thereby hastening the warming trend.
You know the really sad thing in all this is if it weren't for the absolute greed and ignorance of a few of the 1% and their shills this could have been blunted. Now however were going to feel the full wrath of Mother. Once were past the tipping pt. things could change very rapidly in some areas of the planet, might already be doing that.
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