Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog

Is the globe cooling?
Posted by: Dr. Jeff Masters, 02:48 PM GMT del 04 Febbraio 2009 +7
Recently, one has been hearing statements in the media like, the "twelve-month long drop in world temperatures wipes out a century of warming" and the Earth has been cooling since 1998. Let's take a look at the validity of these statements. The warmest year on record, according to both NASA and NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), was 2005. However, 1998 was virtually tied with 2005 for warmth, and the United Kingdom Hadley Center and Climatic Research Unit data set (HadCRU) rates 1998 as the warmest year on record. The three data sets use different methods, such as how they interpolate over missing data regions over the Arctic Ocean, and so they arrive at slightly different numbers for the the global average temperature. All three data sets are considered equally valid, so ignoring two of the three major data sets to claim that the globe has been cooling since 1998 is "cherry picking" the data to show the result you want.

Furthermore, 1997-1998 El Niño event was the second strongest of the past century. El Niño events directly warm a large part of the Pacific, and indirectly warm (via a large increase in water vapor), an even larger region. This extra warming--estimated to have boosted the global temperature an extra 0.1-0.2°C--made 1998's warmth spike sharply upwards from the globe's usual temperature. The climate is best measured by a multi-year average of global temperatures, in order to remove shorter-term oscillations in weather patterns like El Niño. It is not scientifically valid to base a cooling argument on a year that spiked sharply upwards from the norm because of one the largest El Niño events in recorded history. A valid way to measure whether the globe is warming or cooling is to use the average global temperature for the past ten years or longer. The 1999-2008 period was significantly warmer (by 0.18°C, according to NOAA) than the previous ten year period, despite the fact the record (or near-record) warmest year 1998 was part of this previous period. Thus, it is scientifically correct to say the globe has been warming since 1998, not cooling. This warming rate has been about 0.16°C per decade over the past thirty years. Note that even over time periods as long as eight years, the average global temperature is not always a good measure of the long-term global warming trend--particularly if a large volcanic eruption in the tropics occurs.

How often should we expect to see a new global temperature record?
The climate should warm at a rate of about 0.19°C (0.34°F) per decade, according to the computer climate models used to formulate the "official word" on climate, the 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Thus, we should expect to see frequent "warmest years on record". However, 2006, 2007, and 2008 were all cooler than 2005, and 2008 was merely the ninth warmest year on record. We know that the weather has a high degree of natural variability, with warmer than average years mixed in with cooler ones. How often, then, should we expect to set a new global temperature record if the climate is warming in accordance with global warming theory?


Figure 1. Predicted and observed global annual average temperatures between 1990-2008. The thin colored lines represent 55 individual runs of the twenty computer climate models used to formulate the 2007 IPCC report. These runs were done for the A1B "business as usual" scenario, which most closely matches recent emissions. The thick black line is the multi-model mean, and the thick colored lines with symbols denote actual observations, as computed by the three major research groups that estimate annual global temperatures. The sharp down spike in 1991-1992 is due to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, which cooled the Earth for two years. You can make these type of plots yourself, using the publicly available PCMDI IPCC AR4 archive. Image credit: Dr. Gavin Schmidt, realclimate.org.

The twenty models used to formulate the 2007 IPCC report (Figure 1) all predict the climate will warm, but with a lot of year-to-year variability due to natural weather patterns such as El Niño. Some of the IPCC models forecast periods lasting many years (in the extreme case, twenty years) with no global warming, due to natural climate and weather oscillations. If one plots up the cumulative distribution of these IPCC model runs to see how often a global average temperature record should be broken (Figure 2), one sees that the models predict a 50% chance that we'll unambiguously break the record every six years. By an unambiguous record, I mean a record that exceeds the previous one by at least 0.1°C. We've now gone ten years without unambiguously breaking the global temperature record, which the models say should happen 25% of the time. There is a 5% chance we'll go eighteen years without unambiguously breaking the record, so it is quite possible for natural variability in the climate system to obscure the global warming signal for periods of nearly twenty years. If we still haven't had a new global temperature record by 2018, then it is time to question global warming theory. If the theory is correct, there is a good chance that we will break the global temperature record during the next year that has a moderate or stonger El Niño event (and no major volcanic eruption in the tropics, since such major eruptions can dramatically cool the climate). Since we have La Niña conditions to start 2009, it is unlikely this year will break the record.


Figure 2. Cumulative distribution of how long one would have to wait for a new global temperature record to be set between the years 1990 and 2030. Image is based on the twenty climate models used to formulate the 2007 IPCC report, using the A1B "business as usual" scenario. The curves should be read as the percentage chance of seeing a new record (Y axis) if you waited the number of years on the X axis. The two curves are for a new record of any size (black) and for an unambiguous record (> 0.1°C above the previous record, red). The 95% confidence line is marked in gray. The main result is that 95% of the time, a new record will be seen within 8 years, but that for an unambiguous record, you need to wait for 18 years to have similar confidence. Image credit: Realclimate.org.

Is global warming slowing down?
The global average temperature has declined over the past three years (Figure 1) and global average sea surface temperature (SST) has not increased over the past seven years (Figure 3). Is global warming slowing down, then, and taking a break? That was the theory advanced by a group of German climate modelers (Keenlyside et al., 2008) in the journal Nature in 2008. Using a climate model that offered a unique way to handle the initial distribution of SSTs, they concluded that over the next ten years, natural variations in the climate may temporarily mask the global warming due to greenhouse gases. They stated: "North Atlantic SST and European and North American surface temperatures will cool slightly, whereas tropical Pacific SST will remain almost unchanged. Our results suggest that global surface temperature may not increase over the next decade, as natural climate variations in the North Atlantic and tropical Pacific temporarily offset the projected anthropogenic warming". However, they go on to state that greenhouse-gas driven global warming will resume full-force after the ten-year break is over. Other climate modelers disagree with this predicted "break" in global warming. Both theories are reasonable ones, and it is possible that the recent cool years portend the ten-year "break" from global warming hypothesized by Keenlyside et al. It is too early to tell, since the relative coolness of the past few years could easily be natural "noise" (weather) imposed on the long-term global warming trend. The fact that we've had a cold winter in eastern North America and in the UK--or any other anecdotal cold or snow-related record you may hear about--can't tell us whether global warming may be slowing down or not. The amount of global warming over the past century has only been about 1.3°F (0.74°C). Thus, it should not surprise us, for example, if temperatures during tonight's hard freeze in Florida bottom out at 25°F, instead of the 24°F it would have reached 100 years ago. The long-term ten and thirty year trends in global temperature are solidly upwards in accordance with global warming theory, and claims that the globe is cooling cannot be scientifically defended.


Figure 3. Global average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from 1990-2008. SSTs have not increased in the past seven years. Image credit: NASA/GISS.

References
Keenlyside, N.S., M. Latif, J. Jungclaus, L. Kornblueh, and E. Roeckner, 2008, "Advancing decadal-scale climate prediction in the North Atlantic sector", Nature 453, No. 7191, pp. 84-88, May 1, 2008

Further reading
2008 temperature summaries and spin by Gavin Schmidt of realclimate.org.

My next post will be on Monday.

Jeff Masters
Categories: Climate Change
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901. TampaSpin 02:50 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Member Since: Settembre 2, 2007 Posts: 176 Comments: 19767
902. KEHCharleston 02:55 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Quoting GeoffreyWPB:
i have a new photo uploaded...but can't find where to change it...sorry to be a pain..but thank you for your help

I had a bit of a problem figuring how to change my avatar. Let me see if I can remember. (Perhaps someone who has changed an avatar lately, could chime in here)
I used the quick menu at the top of the blog page to take me to My Photos
Use the Upload a Portrait (not upload a picture)
After uploading the avatar, you have to wait for approval - usually fairly fast, I have found.
You will see the avatars side-by-side. Then you just click the one you want.

At least I think, that is what I did.
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903. surfmom 02:55 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Tampa -- amazing how something so beautiful -- can be so destructive... Lady Redoubt gorgeous and yet what lurks underneath.......

Very female I suppose
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904. GeoffreyWPB 02:56 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
I know mom...I lost Indiana almost four years ago...after 13 years...Madison is going on three..but you never forget.
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905. surfmom 02:56 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Yes, when I tried changing mine... the computer almost went flying........
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906. TampaSpin 02:57 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
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907. AussieStorm 02:58 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    

Link

Victorian bushfire death toll continues to rise

Article from: The Daily Telegraph

February 09, 2009 06:40am

AT least 108 people are now confirmed dead in the bushfires ripping through Victoria in a disaster which has eclipsed the state's Ash Wednesday devastation of two decades ago.

Authorities are continuing a grim search for more bodies as horrific eyewitness accounts emerge from devastated communities. It was estimated more than 800 homes had been lost - 550 of them in the Kinglake area.

Victoria Police had last night confirmed 84 deaths, but the toll kept soaring into the day - and could rise much higher as authorities move further into the affected towns.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced emergency relief funding for the state, saying "Hell in all its fury had visited ... many good people lie dead".

Whole towns have been destroyed and thousands of people left homeless with record temperatures and fierce winds sparking devastating infernos.

The town of Marysville was reported to have been wiped out, but the Country Fire Authority (CFA) said many residents had made it to emergency shelter in a local park.

More destruction and power blackouts are possible, with up to a dozen fires still burning out of control. And it has been reported that arsonists are suspected of relighting some fires after fire crews had brought them under control.

The worst bushfire to strike Victoria was the 1983 Ash Wednesday disaster when 47 people were killed in the state.

Most of the bodies were discovered in towns northeast of Melbourne - eight at Kinglake, six at Kinglake West, five each at St Andrews and Flowerdale, four each at Callignee and Wandong, three each at Humevalem, Taggerty and Hazelwood, two at Hazeldene and one each in Arthurs Creek, Strathewan, Upper Callignee, Jeealang, Long Gully, Yea and Bendigo.

At least six bodies were found in the one car at Kinglake, with reports that others may have been trying to escape the fire in cars.

Police have not yet given the gender or ages of the victims, but one Kinglake resident said three members of the same family, believed to include a 14-year-old girl, a nine-year-old boy and an uncle, had died in the same house.

"It rained fire," another Kinglake resident told Sky News.

Strathewen resident Mary Avola said her husband of 43 years, Peter Avola, was among those killed. "He was behind me for a while and we tried to reach the oval but the gates were locked," she told Melbourne's Herald Sun.

"He just told me to go and that's the last time I saw him."

Firefighter Richard Hoyle described the scene as "a holocaust". "The road is riddled with burnt-out cars involved in multiple collisions and debris," he said.

Raylene Kincaide, of Narbethong, said her home had been destroyed and there was little left of the town. "Everyone we know has lost everything they had," she said on ABC radio.

More than 20 people have been admitted to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital with burns and three are in a critical condition. Seven of the injured have burns to more than 30 per cent of their bodies.

Anyone concerned about family or friends in fire areas should call the CFA on 1800 727 077.

Premier John Brumby has described the disaster as "the worst day in our history". He called the bushfires "a monster that couldn't be controlled".

The CFA said the communities of Kinglake, Kinglake West, Toolangi, Glenburn, Strathewen, Chum Creek, Dixons Creek, Castella, Pheasant Creek, Doreen, Yan Yean, Woodstock, Mernda, Mittons Bridge, Hurstbridge, St Andrews, Panton Hill, Arthurs Creek, Smiths Gully, Christmas Hills, Healesville, Yarra Glen, Coldstream, Tarrawarra, Steels Creek, had been and still may be directly impacted upon by the fire.
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908. TampaSpin 02:59 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Quoting surfmom:
Tampa -- amazing how something so beautiful -- can be so destructive... Lady Redoubt gorgeous and yet what lurks underneath.......

Very female I suppose


Has to be a female.......keeps you doubting.....LOL
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909. surfmom 03:00 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Tampa -- working on a rain dance to send over Emmy's Way??? She's hot and parched.
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910. surfmom 03:01 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Quoting TampaSpin:


Has to be a female.......keeps you doubting.....LOL


Now her name finally makes sense LOL!!
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911. Skyepony (Mod) 03:12 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Geoffrey~ click on the pic you want as the avatar. Scroll down to the thumbnail below it & click modify(right under the thumbnail). Then scroll to the bottom & click the box that says primary portrait.
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912. AussieStorm 03:20 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
128 dead in Victoria fires








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913. GeoffreyWPB 03:27 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
thanks skye...greatful for all your help!
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915. surfmom 03:31 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Aussie -- the country must be reeling from this tragedy -- those burned trees...... poor, poor Australia and it's people. I am so troubled -- because it doesn't seem like there's any relief in sight.....I mean you all are going to need Lots and lots of rain to cool things off?
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916. TampaSpin 03:37 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
914. GulfPoet 10:29 PM EST on February 08, 2009

I remember the last time i helped him what happened.....I will never get sucked into his things again.....never....
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917. lahcuts 03:39 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
"The long-term ten and thirty year trends in global temperature are solidly upwards in accordance with global warming theory, and claims that the globe is cooling cannot be scientifically defended." I might add that neither can global warming be scientifically defended. There are numerous scientest worldwide that do not accept the global warming hypothesis. There is some similarity between this government driven (IPCC) effort at saving the world and General Colin Powell's "unequivocal" evidence for Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. You can see where that thinking got us. As a scientest, and one familiar with mathematical modeling, I know the effect of using a model when one does not know the whole story. If all that most folks expose themselves to is that which supports their opinion, they may be surprised in the longer term. For your readers, do a Google search on climate warming dissention. You might be surprised. Take a look at youtube.com under a similar search. Also, and this is not quibbling, in the quote above, global warming "theory" is the way this issue is addressed. I would suggest that one look up the definition of theory versus hypothesis.
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918. GeoffreyWPB 03:46 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
tell everyone what happened Tim...to say you agree with poet is disgusting...tell everyone why we disagree
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919. KEHCharleston 03:49 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Does it look like Redoubt has quietened to y'all?

AKSnowLvr's Blog Seimsic graphs
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921. TampaSpin 03:56 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
920. GulfPoet 10:52 PM EST on February 08, 2009

ROFLMAO..........Geoff......I will let you tell the story .....and lets make sure your very accurate what you tell.....LOL
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922. KEHCharleston 03:56 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
If anyone has received death threats from the WU community be it in blogs or emails etc., it should be reported. Simple - Clear cut.

MODIFIED:
Good night folks
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924. GeoffreyWPB 04:03 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
From what I remember...I asked a ? on here for some help...you responded nicely...I then posted a video of Sarah Palin at the turkey rendering factory, which I thought was funny since it was during the election, and I think you wrote me a nasty e-mail saying I was an a-hole and you would never help me again. Just going by memory here. We have since been civil on here..confused why starting up now and agreeing with poet.
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925. TampaSpin 04:06 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Quoting GeoffreyWPB:
From what I remember...I asked a ? on here for some help...you responded nicely...I then posted a video of Sarah Palin at the turkey rendering factory, which I thought was funny since it was during the election, and I think you wrote me a nasty e-mail saying I was an a-hole and you would never help me again. Just going by memory here. We have since been civil on here..confused why starting up now and agreeing with poet.


Never said i agreed with everything Poet said.....i just said i would never assist you again same as many said that evening......
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926. bappit 04:08 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
The Palin video was hilarious. Thanks for posting it then and reminding me of it now.

:D

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927. GeoffreyWPB 04:10 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
just you and poet...i have received quite a few e-mails with helpful tips..and again...thank you for all who responded.
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928. GeoffreyWPB 04:11 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
That is all I meant it to be..just funny...
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929. TampaSpin 04:24 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Geoff,
This was a posting from someone after i helped you that day.......

xxxxxxxx:
xxxxxxxxx

Tim's frustration is understandable. Someone tells you they can't figure out how to post an image wishing everyone a happy thanksgiving, so you spend time teaching them, then they post something that they know will be inflammatory. It's very disappointing and makes you think twice before helping the next person.
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930. Patrap 04:27 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    


How to post Links and images is on the right side of this page..under "recommended links"..Link

How to start your own blog, and add blog images and links
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931. GeoffreyWPB 04:31 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Tim..I did not know the Sarah Palin video would offend you so much. I appreciated the help and believe it or not..visit your blog. This should not be a political forum when it comes to asking for information or help. If a storm approaches us, we all need to help each other.
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932. Beachfoxx 04:32 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Hi all....

Wanted to post and let you know that someone was kind enough to have info regarding Pet Safety during Volcano Ash Fallout sent to me via WU mail. I forwarded to friends in Alaska.

Thank you!!!
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933. Beachfoxx 04:33 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Ooops,

Did not mean to step into battlefield....

Cease Fire???
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934. TampaSpin 04:34 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Quoting GeoffreyWPB:
Tim..I did not know the Sarah Palin video would offend you so much. I appreciated the help and believe it or not..visit your blog. This should not be a political forum when it comes to asking for information or help. If a storm approaches us, we all need to help each other.


Geoff, i am done with it......its in the past......no big deal.........Sorry!
Member Since: Settembre 2, 2007 Posts: 176 Comments: 19767
936. TampaSpin 04:36 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Quoting Beachfoxx:
Hi all....

Wanted to post and let you know that someone was kind enough to have info regarding Pet Safety during Volcano Ash Fallout sent to me via WU mail. I forwarded to friends in Alaska.

Thank you!!!


Heck i was ready to make a fortune.........LOL.....nice job BeachFoxx
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937. GeoffreyWPB 04:39 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Agreed Tim...in the past. Still looking forward to your great informative blog.
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938. TampaSpin 04:42 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Now thats what i MEAN.....ya....

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939. GeoffreyWPB 04:46 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Looks like highs in the low to mid 80's from Weds. thru Sunday for the West Palm area.
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940. TampaSpin 04:52 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Guess i'm a whimp but, i just could not take running in the cold anymore......My lungs was killing me.
Member Since: Settembre 2, 2007 Posts: 176 Comments: 19767
941. TampaSpin 05:05 AM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
If you all have never drunk......10 Cane Rum....don't! Not only is it good...but, it sneaks up on you also.......LOL.
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942. TampaSpin 12:41 PM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Good Morning everyone.....wow is the blog slow...i was the last off last nite and the first on this morning.....either that or i don't sleep at all.......LOL
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943. charlottefl 01:03 PM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
I think for the first time in a while a large chunk of the E. half of the country is enjoying decent weather. Everyone's outside lol...
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944. melwerle 01:04 PM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Morning Tampa -

I'm around...what's the weather going to be like this week?

Oh, and what the heck happened last night on the blog? Death threats?
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945. TampaSpin 01:07 PM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Quoting melwerle:
Morning Tampa -

I'm around...what's the weather going to be like this week?

Oh, and what the heck happened last night on the blog? Death threats?


GulfPoet making crazy comments......nothing serious......We all know how he is........
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946. TampaSpin 01:08 PM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
I'm sure he got banned for some time.....after what happened.........LOL
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947. melwerle 01:10 PM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Ah...the ban...lol...I got banned last year for a couple of days during hurricane season. Didn't know it was possible to get banned on off-season though!
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948. Skyepony (Mod) 01:14 PM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Morning ya'll..

Indonesia is flooding..
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949. TampaSpin 01:21 PM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Just to let everyone know, the Sponser of my Super Bowl Pool....was Nordstrom's as they gave me my gift for the winner....RMM34667 will receive her gift this week.....
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950. Skyepony (Mod) 01:23 PM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Emergency Climate Summit..(highlights)

Scientists are to hold an emergency summit to warn the world's politicians they are being too timid in their response to global warming.

Climate experts from across the world will gather in Copenhagen next month to agree a stark message to policy makers, which they hope will break the political deadlock on efforts to curb rising temperatures. The meeting follows "disturbing" studies that suggest global warming could strike harder and faster than expected.

The meeting will publish an update to the 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Richardson said the IPCC report was "wishy-washy" on issues such as sea level rise. "The IPCC talks of a 40cm sea rise this century. Well, if the consensus now is a rise of a metre or more then they need to know that."

A number of "disturbing" trends seem to have accelerated since the IPCC report was published, he said, such as a decrease in the amount of carbon pollution absorbed in the oceans, and an increase in Greenland ice melt. But he denied that the new findings made the IPCC report obsolete. "They are not so radical as to undermine the report. They reinforce it."
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951. ftpiercecane 01:27 PM GMT del 09 Febbraio 2009    
Tampa, when will you be coming out with your next blog update. Looking forward to see your outlook on florida's long term forcast.
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About JeffMasters
Jeff co-founded the Weather Underground in 1995 while working on his Ph.D. He flew with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 1986-1990.

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