Category: Climate chaos

The atmosphere is to the earth as a layer of varnish is to a desktop globe. It is thin, fragile and essential for preserving the items on the surface.150 years of burning fossil fuel have overloaded the atmosphere to the point where the earth is ill. It now has a fever. Read the detailed article, Soothing Gaia’s Fever for an evocative account of that analogy. The items listed here detail progress on coordinating 6.5 billion people in the most critical project undertaken by humanity. 

The Gulf Stream

admin /29 May, 2009

The Gulf Stream
Joanna Gyory, Arthur J. Mariano, Edward H. Ryan
     

 
   

Beginning in the Caribbean and ending in the northern North Atlantic, the Gulf Stream System is one of the world’s most intensely studied current systems. This extensive western boundary current plays an important role in the poleward transfer of heat and salt and serves to warm the European subcontinent. Traditional hydrographic studies in this region include those of Iselin (1936) and Gulf Stream ’60 (Fuglister 1963). The high degree of mesoscale activity associated with this system also has attracted oceanographers. Studies of these phenomena have focused on the “snapshot” representation of the region and have included studies such as SYNOP, Gusto, and ABCE/SME. The Gulf Stream system is powerful enough to be readily seen from space and was visible in even the earliest satellite altimetry studies, such as Seasat and later Geosat. Strong thermal gradients also made it visible to infrared measurements, like VHRR (Very High Resolution Radiometer) readings using the early NOAA satellites, THIR (Temperature and Humidity Infrared Radiometer) readings from Nimbus satellites, and Advanced VHRR (AVHRR) readings from later NOAA satellites.

Carbon Trading and cash values on forests cannot curb carbon emissions

admin /29 May, 2009

Carbon trading and cash values on forests cannot curb carbon emissions

Climate change solutions cannot be created by unfettered markets, despite what business leaders think

 Oscar Reyes

When Sir Crispin Tickell had the temerity to suggest that “the business community needs to re-examine the fundamentals of economics” at the recent World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen, his discordant tone was drowned out by a chorus of more than 800 delegates singing the praises of unfettered markets as a means to tackle climate change.

 

The commitment to carry on with business as usual took an almost surreal form at times. Indra Nooyi, the chief executive officer of PepsiCo, proudly proclaimed: “The fact that I flew here for 1 1/2 hours to sit on a panel them I’m flying straight back to the US is an example of our commitment to environmental sustainability.”

EU out on a limb with carbon scheme

admin /29 May, 2009

EU out on a limb with carbon scheme

Lenore Taylor | May 28, 2009

Article from:  The Australian

ONLY the 27-member European Union has a legislated and operating emissions trading scheme to achieve the carbon pollution reduction targets it will sign up to at the United Nations climate change negotiations in Copenhagen in December.

While the Rudd Government insists it needs its emissions trading scheme legislated to give it a credible negotiating position in Copenhagen, many countries around the world are locked in domestic debates similar to the one under way in Australia – about the targets they can commit to and the best domestic laws to achieve them.

The EU has promised to cut emissions by at least 20 per cent of 1990 levels by 2020, and says it will cut by 30 per cent if other advanced economies follow suit.

John Kerry hails progress of US-China climate talks

admin /28 May, 2009

John Kerry hails progress of US-China climate talks

Kerry’s comments mark a further sweetening of the mood music between the US and China, which together account for almost half of the world’s greenhouse gas emission

Climate talks between the United States and China have entered a crucial few weeks that will determine the outcome of landmark negotiations in Copenhagen later this year, according to US senator John Kerry.

 

Speaking in Beijing, the former presidential candidate and chairman of the powerful Senate foreign relations committee, said he was hopeful that an agreement can be reached after what he described as the “most constructive and productive” talks he has had with China over climate change in 20 years.

 

“Based on these meetings, I am very optimistic at the possibility of producing a successful outcome in Copenhagen,” said Kerry, who has been involved in negotiations since 1988.

Assessment of CO2 Levels Hansen

admin /28 May, 2009

This table shows that several critical systems pass their tipping points somewhere between 300 and 350 ppm CO2 and in the case of North Pole Summer Ice, between 300 and 325 ppm CO2.

Hansen makes reference to the resorting summer Arctic ice the his recent draft paper:

“Stabilization of Arctic sea ice cover requires, to first approximation, restoration of planetary energy balance. Climate models driven by known forcings yield a present planetary energy imbalance of +0.5-1 W/m2 (5), a result supported by observed increasing ocean heat content (48). CO2 amount must be reduced to 325-355 ppm to increase outgoing flux 0.5-1 W/m2, if other forcings are unchanged. A further reduced flux, by ~0.5 W/m2, and thus CO2 ~300-325 ppm, may be needed to restore sea ice to its area of 25 years ago.” (1)

What James Hansen really said to Barack and Michelle

admin /28 May, 2009

What James Hansen really said to Barack and Michelle

By Stephen Keim – posted Wednesday, 4 February 2009

 

When the climate change whistleblower of more than two decades standing, James Hansen, of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, wrote his letter (PDF 83KB) to the new President and his wife, Michelle, Australian newspapers reported in some detail the criticisms made of Australia’s recently adopted policies to reduce the growth in carbon emissions.

The letter has much of interest in its detail. It is as challenging for positions held by the conservation movement as it is for the fossil fuel industry. It is particularly challenging for any policy maker who has any real interest in doing something effective to restrict changes to the climate which will be devastating for both the natural world and human society.

The letter makes three policy recommendations. The first is that there should be a moratorium and phase out of coal fired power stations that fail to capture and store the carbon dioxide that they produce.

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