Arctic Warming At "Dizzying Pace" Sylvia Earle: "Ice-Free Arctic Means A Very Different Planet"

[hatrack]

WINNIPEG — The deteriorating state of the Arctic shows the world is running out of time to address global warming and complacency is the biggest obstacle to reversing the damage, international commissioners studying climate change said Thursday.

At a meeting in Winnipeg, commissioners from the Aspen Institute said the Arctic is a bellwether for the rest of the world. The North is warming at a dizzying pace, losing sea ice and threatening both residents and wildlife, they said.

The Arctic also acts as the world’s cooling system and, without it, they say life on Earth is at risk. “An ice-free Arctic means a very different planet, full stop,” said Sylvia Earle, explorer-in-residence with National Geographic and one of the commissioners studying the issue. “It will resonate globally . . . We have to take some action. We have no time. We are out of time. The next 10 years will really determine, in a major way, the future of civilization.”

The international Aspen Commission on Arctic Climate Change is examining the affects of global warming on the North and making recommendations for better international co-operation to protect the region. Made up of prominent scientist, policy-makers, corporations and indigenous groups, the commission is expected to attend the United Nations meeting on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the end of the year to raise awareness about the role of the North.

EDIT

http://www.ngnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=272092&sc=503

[orwell]

1. Are we all acting stupidly?

And what does this have to do with the Gates situation?

Just kidding...thanks for the post.

K&R'd for truth...

[hatrack]

3. I just counted 25 threads - TWENTY-FIVE separate threads - on GD about Professor Gates

The degree to which we can apparently be distracted by shiny media objects is stunning.

I'm surprised that there aren't more hypnotist/con men out there taking peoples' wallets, keys and VCRs day in, day out.

:eyes:

[kristopher]

4. Maybe that's what Obama wanted.

He isn't prone to gaffes, and that has certainly drowned out Reid's admission of his inability to meet Obama's ill considered public pronouncement of a deadline to get a health care bill through the Senate before recess.

[Bigmack]

11. Not only that, but

when "you" look at the economy page, NO ONE is talking about the impact of coming catastrophic climate change on the f'ing economy, which is already lower than a snake's belly. Nope. The "green shoots" will soon have us "back to normal".... or something..... Ms Bigmack

[phantom power]

2. full stop

[XemaSab]

5. The Arctic is a castrated ram?

What?

[Canuckistanian]

7. That's drought - a foreshadowing of the future in a warmed-up world

They're taking this seriously in Australia. Why aren't we?

[earth mom]

6. Hey peeps! Let's go cut down some trees in the Arctic too!!!

:sarcasm:

When in the hell is Obama & Congress going to give a damn about global warming? :grr:

[Lorien]

8. Read Naomi Klien's "Shock Doctrine"

they WANT a massive global catastrophe; disaster capitalists can then run amok! I wish I could say that I'm joking, but truly, Goldman Sacks and friends are already thinking about this. They don't care if all the human beings on the planet (and most other species) die out before 2050. They're all at least middle aged, so they really don't give a damn.

[pscot]

12. That's like suggesting the owners of the titanic

wanted the ship to go down so they could make a killing on life vests.

[dgibby]

9. Sad and we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Personally, I think it's waaaay too late to fix, even if we (as a global community) had the will, which we don't. I'm glad I'm in my 60's and I'm glad I have no children or grandchildren to worry about. This is going to be very ugly, and I probably won't be around to experience it (if I'm lucky).

[Optical.Catalyst]

10. We are set to go below the Sea Ice Extent of 2007

The only time the sea ice area record has been below today's level was in 2007

I see an ice free arctic for a week in 2010 with the ice free date coming sooner (and for a longer period of time) thereafter.

When the Arctic goes ice free, people will become acutely aware that it really is the time for action, the planet can't wait.