British scientists warn Greenland ice cap headed for meltdown

[leftchick]

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/bulletins/radionz/200601302135/13ddcec1

Scientists advising the British Government have warned the world appears to be on a path to causing the Greenland ice cap to melt.

A report published by the Department for the Environment says many of the risks associated with climate change are more serious than previously thought.

It says there is only a small chance of greenhouse gas emissions being kept below "dangerous" levels.

And it says it fears the Greenland ice sheet is likely to melt, leading sea levels to rise by 7 metres over 1,000 years.

The report, "Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change", collates evidence presented by scientists at a conference hosted by the UK Meteorological Office in February 2005.

[xchrom]

1. with blair in charge -- that will go ignored.

[lostnfound]

3. I'm surprised you say that.

Blair is known for being concerned about global warming and for pushing Bush to sign up to measures to curb it, isn't he?

I disagree with him on many issues, but I thought that global warming was an exception.

[Delphinus]

7. He might have been at one time,

but just recently he changed his mind, quite publicly, about a major global warming issue, just to be on the side of the boy king.

[hatrack]

9. He backpedaled at the Gleneagles summit

After flaunting his green "credibility", he's now opposed to those nasty, nasty mandatory controls, and stresses (just like ChimpCo) that voluntary measures will save us.

Must be a hell of a gig he's got waiting for him on the Carlyle Board.

[hatrack]

14. My apologies - this is incorrect - Montreal was where he flip-flopped

That was in November, not Gleneagles, which was back during the summer.

[lostnfound]

16. Thanks for the post, I didn't know that.

One more reason to be disgusted with Blair.

[rfranklin]

2. Wow! I'll have beachfront property!

I'm thirty miles inland now. I won't even need a trailer for my boat.

[Chipper Chat]

5. You'll also have lots of neighbors

(maybe squatting on your own property!) Where will those beach refugees go? Babs Bush wont welcome them in Texas that's fo' sho'

[sweetheart]

4. This is unsuprising

Here on the far north coast of scotland, its been balmy warm this
winter. There hasn't been a serious frost, and near 10degrees C
degrees. The next landfall out to sea -greenland and iceland across
this north atlantic. This kind of warmth in winter can only be
a real ice-melter. Russia's heat was shifted to ahigh pressure
bubble over the north atlantic. Thanks for the CO2.

Before the gulf stream subsides, banana groves will cover north
scotland. :-)

[formercia]

8. I can just imagine a Scotsman in a Voille Kilt.

Just too hot for wool.

[benburch]

6. Except tt will not take 1000 years to melt.

I think they are ignoring the albedo changes that happen when dirty ice melts. Why is it so dirty? Industrial soot over the last 200 years.

[Dogmudgeon]

13. And some big positive-feedback factors

• Increased atmospheric water vapor (a GHG) but no corresponding precipitation


• Increased inorganic methane production and/or release (possibly from oceanbed clathrates)


• Increased nitrogen cycle activity, leading to more microorganisms, leading to more GHG release


• Increased CO2, organic methane, and other biogenic GHGs from the above


• Decreased number of sub-freezing days


• Reduced population of fish, mammals, and other organisms that feed on the GHG-producing plants

I'm sure I forgot a few things in that list, too.

--p!

[applegrove]

10. I one big chunk of ice drops off Greenland - it will kill the Gulf Stream.

[formercia]

11. England won't be so merry when the temperatures start to drop.

Being a gardener, I always envied the english climate compared to what we have to deal with in Maine. If you look at the latitude of northern Europe in comparison, the loss of the effect from the warm waters of the Gulf Stream will have a pronounced chilling effect of their climate as well as ours.

[applegrove]

12. It would be a bloody nightmare. For spots all over the world. New

Orleans will be the first of many cosomopolitan cities sunk. Let's hope & pray (if that works for you) that it doesn't happen.

[formercia]

15. It doesn't work for me either

The Gulf of Maine gets a lot of warming from the Gulf Stream,as a result, our Winters here along the cost are milder than they would be without it. The growing season is adequate now but the loss would shorten it considerably.

[applegrove]

17. Don't know the modeling so much on Gulf Stream going south - but surely

all that hot water & air staying south would result in hurricanes that are 5 or 6 all the time.

[formercia]

18. The Gulf Stream is not a closed system

Cold water flows South to complete the cycle. If the Gulf Stream were to stop, then the flow of cold water offsetting it would be greatly reduced. There would be significant increases in ocean temperatures. Hurricanes I guess. Anyone want to rate a cat 7?