NASA: Danger Point Closer Than Thought From Global Warming

[DeSwiss]

NASA: Danger Point Closer Than Thought From Warming
'Disastrous Effects' of Global Warming Tipping Points Near, According to New Study

ABC News
By BILL BLAKEMORE
May 29, 2007 —

Even "moderate additional" greenhouse emissions are likely to push Earth past "critical tipping points" with "dangerous consequences for the planet," according to research conducted by NASA and the Columbia University Earth Institute. With just 10 more years of "business as usual" emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas, says the NASA/Columbia paper, "it becomes impractical" to avoid "disastrous effects."

<snip>

Recent Climate Reports Underestimated How Soon
By heralding the new research paper, NASA is endorsing science that places considerably more urgency on the need to reduce emissions to avoid "disastrous effects" of global warming than was evident in the recent reports from the world's scientists coordinated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The new NASA release emphasizes the danger of "strong amplifying feedbacks" pushing Earth past "dangerous tipping points." Scientists have been warning for several years that such tipping points are the greatest threat from manmade global warming and what makes it potentially catastrophic for civilization.

'Potentially Uncontrollable' Feedback Loops
As the tipping points pass, "there is an acceleration, potentially uncontrollable, of emissions of vast natural stores of greenhouse gas," according to Hansen, who reviewed the study for ABC News today. Hansen explains that dangerous feedback loops are being tracked in various regions of the planet. Many studies have reported feedback loops already observed in thawing tundra, seabeds and drying forests.

more: http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3223473

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Puh-lease. You are disturbing my nap." - Commander AWOL

"How many times do I have to tell you, don't bother me with that fact-based shit."

- Commander AWOL

[Tanuki]

2. "and not another word about the polar bears"-Commander Awol

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2344771.ece

" The Bush Administration has been accused once again of gagging US government scientists by getting them to agree not to talk about polar bears, sea ice and climate change during official overseas trips. A leaked memorandum issued by a regional director of the US Department of the Interior states that officials within the US Fish and Wildlife Service will limit their discussions when travelling in countries bordering the Arctic region because of sensitivities about climate change.

"This traveller understands the administration's position on climate change, polar bears and sea ice and will not be speaking on or responding to these issues," says the memo from the regional director Richard Hannon to his boss, the director of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

It is not the first time that US government officials have been accused to trying to gag scientists on climate change. James Hansen, the director of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and a world authority on the climate, complained last year that public relations officials appointed by the Bush Administration had tried to limit his access to the media.
.........

Any requests concerning foreign trips to Arctic countries such as Canada, Norway or Russia should also include "a statement of assurance that these individuals understand the Administration's position on these issues", particularly the topic of polar bears. "

[hatrack]

3. Oops!

So, let's talk about corn-based ethanol, non-existent carbon-sequestering coal plants and how monstrously UNFAIR any restrictions on emissions would be. And let's talk about them for another ten or twenty years, OK?

:silly:

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Closer than expected?

That's a new one...

[phantom power]

5. Closer than expected. That's cute...

"Thelma, NASA says the edge of that cliff is closer than they previously thought."

[phantom power]

6. sociological question....

I notice that this particular story hit the top of the greatest page this morning with a bullet. It caused me to wonder why. Why this one, as opposed to any of the other hundred seals of the apocalypse that we E/E denizens post here every week, which mostly do not see the light of day outside this forum.

Any thoughts?

[Dead_Parrot]

7. my guess...

...is that it attracted the attention of a couple of chucklenuts from the 28% posse, which sparked enough discussion to pin it to the top of LBN long enough to get noticed. 'Cause yeah, usually the threads on "By the way, we're all fucking doomed" vanish faster than Kilimanjaro snowman.

[OKIsItJustMe]

8. NASA Links

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/danger_point.html
http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/news/20070530/