Comments on: Energy and Global Warming News for October 15: Arctic to be ice-free in summer in 20 years — scientist

By: zanardm

zanardm — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:03:26 +0000

If Arctic is to be open in ~20 years, in addition to Gulf Stream as is; wouldn’t this seem to be a set up ‘normally’ for another ice age, from nature’s perspective? Especially since it is 20,000 yrs (Melankovitch precession external forcing) since LGM? Provided no current global warming.

By: Phillip Huggan

Phillip Huggan — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:14:54 +0000

Will a warmer and wetter arctic significantly affect sequestered methane in tiaga and tundra permafrosts? I’m confused when scientists predict rainfall variations up to 1500km (I think that is the figure) inland. Is that inland from Canada’s mainland northern border or inland from the edge of the Arctic archipalego? I’m asking if weather forms in the straights between the islands or just Arctic Ocean.
Calling all deniers and slow pokes Neville Chamberlain from now on.

By: Mal Adapted

Mal Adapted — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:19:50 +0000

God promised us there would not be another Great Flood

Yes, God promised Noah He would not destroy the world by water again. Instead, He would destroy the world by fire!

By: Hmpf

Hmpf — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:27:59 +0000

@Racheal Shapiro: My parents are currently on holiday in the north of Germany, near the North Sea. Yesterday they called me to tell me they had found a lot of signs spaced evenly along the beach. Written on those signs was, “God promised us there would not be another Great Flood”. So, you see, no need to worry. We can continue to behave as stupidly as we like, as long as we put up enough signs on the coasts to remind the sea that it’s not supposed to rise.[/sarcasm]

By: Racheal Shapiro

Racheal Shapiro — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:19:30 +0000

So the Arctic will be ice free in 20 years…hmmmm guess its Noah’s Arc part 2. I agree with Sasparilla, if we don’t do something now, the ice will be gone sooner.

By: C. Vink

C. Vink — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:29:24 +0000

Warming threatens Canada's rivers and lakes: WWF Agence France-Presse, October 15 - Canadian rivers are at risk from a variety of environmental challenges, including global warming, expanding agriculture, the construction of hydro-electric dams and increased urban consumption of water, a study said Thursday. Although Canada holds the world's largest freshwater reserves in thousands of lakes and rivers, this could quickly change as demands for water increase exponentially, warned the authors of the World Wildlife Fund report. Arctic Land, Seas Account For 25 Percent Of World's Carbon Sink RedOrbit, October 15 - In a new study in the journal Ecological Monographs, ecologists estimate that Arctic lands and oceans are responsible for up to 25 percent of the global net sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Under current predictions of global warming, this Arctic sink could be diminished or reversed, potentially accelerating predicted rates of climate change. [Also see comment #16 by David B. Benson above] Marine plant life: a crucial carbon sink that badly needs protection TimesOnline, October 14 - Mangrove forests, salt marshes and seagrass beds (...) cover less than 1 per cent of the world’s seabed, [but] they lock away well over half of all carbon to be buried in the ocean floor. Their capacity to absorb the emissions is under threat, however: the habitats are being lost at a rate of up to 7 per cent a year, up to 15 times faster than the tropical rainforests. A third have already been lost. Halting their destruction could be one of the easiest ways of reducing future emissions, says report, 'Blue Carbon', a UN collaboration. Next step taken in fuel cell development BusinessGreen, October 14 - Tests show fuel cell technology can generate and export electricity to a grid as efficiently as traditional electrodes. AFC Energy claims that field tests of its alkaline-based hydrogen fuel cell technology at a chlor-alkai plant in Germany have proved that it can generate and export electricity to a grid as efficiently as traditional higher-cost platinum-based electrodes Law change needed to cover climate exiles: lawyers Reuters, October 14 - International law is unfit to deal with the millions of people expected to flee their home countries to escape droughts and floods intensified by climate change, a group of lawyers said on Thursday. Biggest Obstacle to Global Climate Deal May Be How to Pay for It New York Times, October 14 - As world leaders struggle to hash out a new global climate deal by December, they face a hurdle perhaps more formidable than getting big polluters like the United States and China to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: how to pay for the new accord. The price tag for a new climate agreement will be a staggering $100 billion a year by 2020, many economists estimate; some put the cost at closer to $1 trillion.

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:42:47 +0000

More bad news.
Arctic Has Potential To Alter Earth’s Climate: Arctic Land And Seas Account For Up To 25 Percent Of World’s Carbon Sink:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/ 2009/ 10/ 091014144729.htm

By: Ryan S

Ryan S — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:43:01 +0000

All the more reason for the Senate to pass global warming legislation!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ margie-alt/ yes-we-can-stop-global-wa_b_322452.html

By: Sasparilla

Sasparilla — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:51:05 +0000

I sure hope it takes at least 20 years to be ice free in the summer…the more time we get to fix things, the better.

My personal opinion is that we’ll be lucky to get 20 years. These systems don’t respond in a linear fashion and we’re always way behind the curve on our predictions so far – at least as far Arctic Ice Cover has been concerned.

By: Mike D

Mike D — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:08:45 +0000

I think that the idea is that most of the ice is so thin that it would take only a couple of really hot years (1998 or 2005 type) to melt a huge chunk of it, far above the background melt rate, and that ice would effectively never recover as longs as temps keep rising. We’ll see this next year if El Niño holds like they say it will. The big feedback cycles, other than the effect of darkening albedo, I don’t think are projected to have taken hold by 2030.