lightblueline

A story in the Washington Post (July 18, 2008) describes the EPA's findings on the health dangers of anticipated global warming. Much of the story is about how difficult it was for the EPA to do its work under the current administration. It is sad reading. You can read the whole article here:

Warming Is Major Threat To Humans, EPA Warns

Excerpts below:

The Manchester Guardian (April 23,2007) reviewed the Book, Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, by Mark Lynas. The book notes how various potential futures (based on the number of degrees the planetary climate warms) will impact human existence. From one to six degrees, which is the range envisioned by the recent IPCC report, the impacts grow almost exponential severe.
Here is an excerpt from this book review.:

The Harvard University Gazette (February 28, 2007) reports on a talk given by James McCarthy, the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Biological Oceanography. Professor McCarty noted that the Arctic region would be among the earliest, and most affected areas due to climate change. His talk covered the recent IPCC report, mentioning some difficulties he saw in their sea-level rise predictions:

"One glaring omission in the [recent IPCC] report, McCarthy said, is that the IPCC's projections of sea-level rise are based merely on the expansion of existing seawater due to warmer temperatures. Left out because the data was too recent, he said, was additional information that melting glaciers and land-based ice would likely significantly contribute to rising seas. McCarthy cited one study that projected a sea level rise of between a half a meter and 1.4 meters by 2100.

Low probability, but high impact scenarios: Introducing the backgrounds of a “Dangerous Climate Change”

The balance of scientific evidence now suggests that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are having a significant effect on the earth’s system and especially on the earth’s climate. Since the 1970s, there has been a significant increase of extreme weather events. Tropical and extra-tropical storm frequency and magnitude have considerably increased and so have the flood risks and heatwave occurrences along with very severe socio-economic and ecological impacts all over the globe. Even though the natural science of extreme weather events has progressed over the last decades, modelling climate scenarios still remains pretty speculative. However, it is now scientific consensus that if we continue to follow our “Business as usual”-path and if the greenhouse gas emissions weren’t cut drastically within the next decades, the impacts of a changing climate will intensify throughout the 21st century, with dangerous high impact scenarios becoming more likely to happen. A “dangerous climate change” with raising temperatures especially above 2°C (above pre-industrial levels) could tip certain ecological thresholds and trigger non-linear processes and feedback loops within the earth’s system, forcing the system rapidly into a totally new equilibrium. Dramatic changes within the carbon cycle, the eco- and hydrosphere and most obviously within the kryosphere would exceed our society’s ability to adapt to these changes. Unmanageable and most likely irreversible consequences could put our mankind on the edge of extinction. (1)

The Seattle Times has put together an extensive report about global warming. It describes both the science and the problems scientists are having getting the science to the public.

"'There's an overwhelming consensus among scientists,' said UW climate researcher David Battisti, who also was dubious about early claims of greenhouse warming.

Yet the message doesn't seem to be getting through to the public and policy-makers.

Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, calls global warming "the greatest hoax ever perpetuated on the American people." Novelist Michael Crichton's "State of Fear" landed on the best-seller list this year by depicting global warming as a scare tactic of diabolical tree-huggers. A Gallup Poll in June found only about half of Americans believe the effects of global warming have already started.

Yesterday, the California Governor and the State Legislature signaled an agreement to reduce carbon emissions state-wide.

In part this is due to the awareness of the state's dependency on snowpack for water, and vulnerability to sea level rise.

The expectation is that other politicians--even Republicans--will feel emboldened to take similar action: GWB where are you?

The International Herald Tribune said the following:

"A recent poll of Californians by the Public Policy Institute of California showed nearly four of five respondents agreeing that urgent action on climate change was needed.