Comments on: Tundra, Part 2: The point of no return http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:18:44 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Aaron Lewis http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-30723 Aaron Lewis Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:42:07 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-30723 This site remains wildly cheerful by excluding the unpleasant concept of warm plumes of North Atlantic water intruding into the Arctic and liberating clathrates. If you suffer from an unbearable sense of joy, pour yourself a large glass of absenth and read the 2008 report from : http://www.iaoos.no/IAOOS/About_iAOOS_Norway/About_the_international_iAOOS/ Then, and only then, you may drink the absenth. This site remains wildly cheerful by excluding the unpleasant concept of warm plumes of North Atlantic water intruding into the Arctic and liberating clathrates.

If you suffer from an unbearable sense of joy, pour yourself a large glass of absenth and read the 2008 report from : http://www.iaoos.no/ IAOOS/ About_iAOOS_Norway/ About_the_international_iAOOS/

Then, and only then, you may drink the absenth.

]]> By: kenlevenson http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13466 kenlevenson Mon, 26 May 2008 20:50:28 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13466 David, Relatively small compared to what is coming perhaps - but according to Fred Pearce Siberian melt is already releasing the equivalent of ALL U.S. man made GHG emissions....that evokes a "holy sh*t" in my mind. http://books.google.com/books?id=otocIlRRVPcC&pg=PA79&dq=Fred+Pearce,+which+meant+a+warming+effect+on+the+planet+greater+than+that+of+all+the+U.S.&ei=GfQ1SLzkDJyUywTI_5XqDw&client=firefox-a&sig=7dT3ovC7HTREtjtsHdn2l5rQUpo David,
Relatively small compared to what is coming perhaps – but according to Fred Pearce Siberian melt is already releasing the equivalent of ALL U.S. man made GHG emissions….that evokes a “holy sh*t” in my mind.
http://books.google.com/ books?id=otocIlRRVPcC&pg=PA79&dq=Fred+Pearce,+which+meant+a+warming+effect+on+the+planet+greater+than+that+of+all+the+U.S.&ei=GfQ1SLzkDJyUywTI_5XqDw&client=firefox-a&sig=7dT3ovC7HTREtjtsHdn2l5rQUpo

]]> By: David B. Benson http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13408 David B. Benson Sun, 25 May 2008 21:33:50 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13408 The Holocene is termination 1. The Eem/Sangamon is termination 2. Looking back in the Vostok ice ccore record, termination 4 was far warmer than the following three. Somehow, I can't (yet) get too excited about a small amount of methane release. The Holocene is termination 1. The Eem/Sangamon is termination 2. Looking back in the Vostok ice ccore record, termination 4 was far warmer than the following three.

Somehow, I can’t (yet) get too excited about a small amount of methane release.

]]> By: kim http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13363 kim Sun, 25 May 2008 12:03:18 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13363 No, Greg, that's what the people who think the world is overpopulated say. Quite a little dilemma of identity they face, and they are facing it disreputably, so far. =================================================== No, Greg, that’s what the people who think the world is overpopulated say. Quite a little dilemma of identity they face, and they are facing it disreputably, so far.
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]]> By: Greg N http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13354 Greg N Sun, 25 May 2008 10:18:02 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13354 Oops. ‘Homo sapiens’ That's what the planet's saying. Oops. ‘Homo sapiens’

That’s what the planet’s saying.

]]> By: David B. Benson http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13329 David B. Benson Sat, 24 May 2008 20:36:00 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13329 Oops. 'Homo sapiens' Oops. ‘Homo sapiens’

]]> By: David B. Benson http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13325 David B. Benson Sat, 24 May 2008 18:56:19 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13325 Gaia doesn't care about whole families that go extinct, much less mere genera and species. I don't think you can count on Gaia to do anything as Homo Spaiens self-distructs. Gaia doesn’t care about whole families that go extinct, much less mere genera and species. I don’t think you can count on Gaia to do anything as Homo Spaiens self-distructs.

]]> By: Reader http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13309 Reader Sat, 24 May 2008 15:03:41 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13309 Robert, The Gaia hypothesis also places us humans within the system or superorganism. In what way do you suppose our actions are 'unnatural' and a cause for concern? Is it possible we just aren't seeing the big picture? Robert,

The Gaia hypothesis also places us humans within the system or superorganism. In what way do you suppose our actions are ‘unnatural’ and a cause for concern? Is it possible we just aren’t seeing the big picture?

]]> By: paulm http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13304 paulm Sat, 24 May 2008 07:00:25 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13304 ....No one knows for sure, but my vote goes for the point at which we start to lose a substantial fraction of the tundra’s carbon to the atmosphere —..... I would say from the graph we are pretty much there. The next 18 months will tell. It was pretty much the same for the arctic sea ice. I mentioned on seeing the graph, posted in here, that it looked like it had tipped for 2007 - well they are now saying an ice free arctic next year! These graphs are scary, but many (even those in the know) seem to be in denial as to the catastrophic message they are portraying. The permafrost melt is pretty dire - I don't see how higher concentrations of CO2 are avoidable now, what ever action we take. ….No one knows for sure, but my vote goes for the point at which we start to lose a substantial fraction of the tundra’s carbon to the atmosphere —…..

I would say from the graph we are pretty much there. The next 18 months will tell. It was pretty much the same for the arctic sea ice. I mentioned on seeing the graph, posted in here, that it looked like it had tipped for 2007 – well they are now saying an ice free arctic next year!

These graphs are scary, but many (even those in the know) seem to be in denial as to the catastrophic message they are portraying.

The permafrost melt is pretty dire – I don’t see how higher concentrations of CO2 are avoidable now, what ever action we take.

]]> By: kim http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13299 kim Sat, 24 May 2008 03:35:28 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/23/tundra-part-2-the-point-of-no-return/#comment-13299 Interesting, Robert. I've wondered if the interworkings of the biosphere with the sun have kept the earth perched near the edge of glaciation. Vulcanism is the source of CO2 and critters, powered by the sun, virtually permanently sequester carbon as hydrocarbons and carbonates. As the earth heats, the biosphere goes into high gear, and as it cools and ices, it goes into granny. This is a self-regulable cycle. Keeping us on the cusp of glaciation is a marvelous response to the gradual increase in insolation. ==================================== Interesting, Robert. I’ve wondered if the interworkings of the biosphere with the sun have kept the earth perched near the edge of glaciation. Vulcanism is the source of CO2 and critters, powered by the sun, virtually permanently sequester carbon as hydrocarbons and carbonates. As the earth heats, the biosphere goes into high gear, and as it cools and ices, it goes into granny. This is a self-regulable cycle. Keeping us on the cusp of glaciation is a marvelous response to the gradual increase in insolation.
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