Climate Change and Entire Landscapes on the Move

[babylonsister]

Climate Change and Entire Landscapes on the Move
by Stephen Leahy

BROOKLIN, Canada - The hot breath of global warming has now touched some of the coldest northern regions of world, turning the frozen landscape into mush as temperatures soar 15 degrees C. above normal.

Entire hillsides, sometimes more than a kilometre long, simply let go and slid like a vast green carpet into valleys and rivers on Melville Island in Canada’s northwest Arctic region of Nunavut this summer, says Scott Lamoureux of Queens University in Canada and leader of one the of International Polar Year projects.1005 08

“The entire landscape is on the move, it was very difficult to find any slopes that were unaltered,” said Lamoureux, who led a scientific expedition to the remote and uninhabited island.

The topography and ecology of Melville Island is rapidly being rearranged by climate change.

“Every day it looked different,” he told IPS. “This is a permanent change.”

Normally Melville Island’s 42,500 sq kms are locked in sea ice all year round, as it is part of the high region that has been relatively unaffected by the dramatic declines in Arctic sea ice over the past decade. Until this year, that is. This summer, southern parts of the island were free of sea ice, Lamoureux told IPS. He has led expeditions to the island every year since 2003.

On land at Mould Bay on the island’s northwest side, his research team measured record-shattering temperatures of between 15 to 22 degrees C in July. Until then, the normal July average temperature had been between 4 and 5 degrees C.

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/10/05/4348/

[donsu]

1. climate changes are coming faster and faster and yet

world govts. are working on the problem as slow as ever.

and our neo con criminal govt. is busy raking in our cash as fast as they can.

it's like a race to the end of the world.

[razzleberry]

2. Kyoto Treaty limitations take effect in a few months

Kyoto Treaty limitations take effect in Jan 08.

the countries that ratified the treaty will
have their chance

[paparush]

3. Bush: We Can't Let Saving Permafrost Hurt the Economy

Every country should decide for themselves how much coastline they are willing to sacrifice to the horned god of inaction.

Now, watch this drive.

[ramapo]

4. Out of sight, out of mind

Few realize what is happening