Arctic ice cap melting 30 years ahead of forecast

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Gman
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Arctic ice cap melting 30 years ahead of forecast

Arctic ice cap melting 30 years ahead of forecast
By Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent

The Arctic ice cap is melting much faster than expected and is now about 30 years ahead of predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.S. ice expert said on Tuesday.

This means the ocean at the top of the world could be free or nearly free of summer ice by 2020, three decades sooner than the global panel's gloomiest forecast of 2050.

No ice on the Arctic Ocean during summer would be a major spur to global warming, said Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the National Snow and Ice Center in Colorado.

"Right now ... the Arctic helps keep the Earth cool," Scambos said in a telephone interview. "Without that Arctic ice, or with much less of it, the Earth will warm much faster."

That is because the ice reflects light and heat; when it is gone, the much darker land or sea will absorb more light and heat, making it more difficult for the planet to cool down, even in winter, he said.

Scambos and co-authors of the study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, used satellite data and visual confirmation of Arctic ice to reach their conclusions, a far different picture than that obtained from computer models used by the scientists of the intergovernmental panel.

"The IPCC report was very careful, very thorough and cautious, so they erred on the side of what would certainly occur as opposed to what might occur," Scambos said in a telephone interview.

ICE-FREE SUMMER ? Read More >>>>>>

GrooveConnection
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Am I the only one...?

Hearing about the planet's cooling system going off line within my lifetime is a dark and scary scenario that makes my hair stand up - ain't no fun in exploring the only logical consequence:

Think CHAIN REACTION, RUNAWAY REACTION, CONSEQUENCES OF OUR IN-ACTION!

I wanna scream at the ignorance of folks around me (intelligent and articulate professionals alike), who obviously need their "Mind-Dictator" to tell them to get out of their lawnchairs, put down the remote control, feel something and then DO SOMETHING.

There is a lot of talk about Gore's poor choice about his home's energy policy. True. But would we be able to take a look at his political affiliates and opponent's dealing behind closed doors I'd say let's send him the message and move on.

Next, DO SOMETHING. SOMETHING.

Don't just sit there and BLOG. Activity starting in your own backyard. Voting with your wallet with the environment (of which we only have one) and your sons and daughters in heart and mind.

kringle777
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Re: Am I the only one...?

My wife and I are going to get solar panels installed when we replace our roof next year. And we decided that our next car would be all electric, not one of these fake "hybrids" that gets 40 MPG. We haven't gone so far as composting, or planting vegetables in the garden, or eating tabouli and doing moon chants (not that there's anything wrong with that!), but we figured if we start with our home electricity and automobile fuel costs (in addition to recycling), maybe we'll feel a tad better about being Americans.

The world must really hate us by now. We're acting like a bunch of pigs, using up all the resources as fast as we can lay our grubby hands on them. What really ticks me off are the single occupent large pickup trucks and SUV's. Not the trucks being driven by workers, or people who need to haul stuff around. But the ones who "need to sit up higher" and "want to feel safe". Thanks a lot jerk! My sister-in-law is one of them, a particularly vile shrew.

Oh, by the way, the rest of that link above has expired. Can't read the rest of the article....

kringle777
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kringle777
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emini
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Re: Am I the only one...?

I live in Australia and im pretty sure both of us (Aus & USA) are the only two advanced nations not to have signed to the kyoto. I don't know how our governments can be so ignorant to such a important crisis, I really dont know how they sleep at night. I am currently converting a 1969 mini to electric, I dont understand the obssesion with bigger is better. Im only 25 and most of my mates drive large cars suitable for a family when they are single, the other thing which gets on my nerves is the amount of people who drive these big cars to work by themselves. There is no excuse for exessive energy use now as everyone has been made aware to some degree of the global warming crisis.

Until the gorvernment takes a hard stand and puts in place direct regulations to deter people from being so ignorant i dont think much will change. I think what the government is doing is criminal, the are not acting on information which is indicating a massive problem, I dont know what they get out of ignoring such information. Hopefully here in Aus we will have a government change this year which i think will have a positive impact on environmental policies

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