Climate change report forecasts global sea levels to rise up to 4 feet by 2100.
Climate change report forecasts global sea levels to rise up to 4 feet by 2100.
According to a new report led by the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. “faces the possibility of much more rapid climate change by the end of the century than previous studies have suggested.” The report, commissioned by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, found that global sea levels could rise higher than a 2007 U.N. Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) study had concluded:
In one of the report’s most worrisome findings, the agency estimates that in light of recent ice sheet melting, global sea levels could rise as much as 4 feet by 2100. The intergovernment panel had projected a rise of no more than 1.5 feet by that time, but satellite data over the last two years show the world’s major ice sheets are melting much more rapidly than previously thought. The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are losing an average of 48 cubic miles of ice a year, equivalent to twice the amount of ice in the Alps.
The lead scientist for the report’s chapter on ice sheets said the models used by the IPCC “did not factor in some of the dynamics that scientists now understand about ice sheet melting” such as “a process of ‘lubrication,’ in which warmer ocean water gets underneath coastal ice sheets and accelerates melting.”
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There goes reality, with its pesky liberal bias.
December 26th, 2008 at 9:17 amWarmer ocean?
The real bad stuff happens when the sea clathrates start melting.
All signs point to Permian style event but we are worried about how much sales dropped from last year while buying more Chinese junk.
Glad I’m 56.
December 26th, 2008 at 9:22 amChimpy once said about history that “who cares about history. We’ll all be dead anyway.” His response to this climate report will likely be “who cares about 2100….thats a really big number.” My only concern is that well known climate scientist Michael Crichton died earlier this year so we won’t have his input in interpreting this report. I guess that just leaves us with those two other climate experts – Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Rush Limbaugh – to separate the wheat from the chaff so we can understand what this report really means.
December 26th, 2008 at 9:40 amThe global warming denier cult has shrunk, but seems to have stabilized around a final core of true deniers who will never, under any circumstances, admit that AGW exists.
December 26th, 2008 at 9:45 amGlobal warming, and infrastructure improvement seem to be two issues that are connected on many levels. One, is the increasing damage that midwestern states will see as a consequence of global warming, and yearly flooding along the Mississippi, Misouri, and Ohio rivers (as well as many smaller ones, like the Platt). Another is the greatly reduced rainfall in the western states. Simply repairing damage as it occurs will be hugely expensive to the American taxpayer, as the damage will be constantly escalating, and levees that are sufficient now won’t be in twenty years, or sooner. We need to deal with this problem, by taking bold steps.
One possible solution would be to create a system of flood-water retention and removal, to western areas of the country which can absorb it. If funneled through the relatively flat Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, it could both help protect valuable mid-western river-front real estate, and enrich a drought-plagued west.
December 26th, 2008 at 10:03 amThe global warming / climate change denier cult, you may all have noticed, has changed its strategy recently.
No longer denying that things are changing (rising water levels, increase weather phenomenon and ice melting video is harder to deny), they are now saying that it is caused by not just flatuent cows, but also THE SUN!
So they will continue to try to absolve all reponsibility and accountability for humans for the sole purpose of not negatively effecting industry and big business (and perhaps the Second Coming for the really freaky religious types).
Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more crap about the SUN and COW GAS from Drudge, Republican congressmen, Beck and Dobbs.
December 26th, 2008 at 10:21 amHell even my backwoods Wingnut friends and relatives are on board with the looming disaster resulting from climate change, and have begun lashing out at the Reichtwing pundits who claim it’s a hoax.
Me like change.
Change good.
December 26th, 2008 at 10:25 amMelting Ice will effect sea levels, and that’s a real problem for those Earthly Inhabitants whole unfortunately inhabit the Low elevations.
But Melting Ice will ALSO effect the Ocean Currents, changing Worldwide Climate, and that’s a REAL problem for those of us who EAT for a Living.
We should work to Mitigate our burning of fossil fuels…but we also better address the Starvation and Drought induced mass migrations and potential violence that Profound Climate Change will Create.
December 26th, 2008 at 10:35 amthe world’s major ice sheets are melting much more rapidly than previously thought.
– - The remedy is clear; we need to add more scotch to the oceans.
December 26th, 2008 at 10:51 amCheney: “So?“
December 26th, 2008 at 11:20 amAnd it is possible that farting cows and the sun are contributing to the problem. It is also likely that we are contributing heavily and to the deniers I say what is your problem with finding the truth?
December 26th, 2008 at 12:12 pmWait, wait, wait, it’s cold at my house. What are you people whining about. /trollish stupidity
December 26th, 2008 at 1:19 pmHere in Minnesota I live on a boarder between two bio-zones and, as an avid outdoors man, I have witnessed the change in flora, fauna, and migration patterns in the last couple decades. But the scary part is that many of the most dire predictions are occurring much, MUCH, faster than once feared. It is possible that we have passed the “tipping point” and unchecked warming is inevitable.
If, as some research suggests, carbon trapped in permafrost and methane clathrates is already being released? The only effective actions we can take will be adaptive, for all the good that will do. The problem is that extinction events hit the top of the food chain the hardest and that means us humans. Despite our unprecedented adaptive powers, it won’t make much difference once the oceans start dying.
December 26th, 2008 at 2:24 pmFred – “what is your problem with finding the truth?”
You may be a few years behind on this, but 99.9% of the scientific community already found the truth: the problem is CO2 produced by humans. But I do appreciate you asking so kindly.
December 26th, 2008 at 2:39 pmStill, you hear too many ignorant mouth breathers on the right making the claim:
Making comments like this without taking into consideration there IS record amounts of snow due to the excess moisture in the air because of melting ice caps.
December 26th, 2008 at 3:11 pmmk3872 Says:
You may be a few years behind on this, but 99.9% of the scientific community already found the truth: the problem is CO2 produced by humans. But I do appreciate you asking so kindly.
And what is your point, solution and/or agenda?
December 26th, 2008 at 3:18 pmI’m of the same opinion as Pete@13. Since the predictions are occurring much sooner than expected, if they say the seas will rise 4ft by 2100, then you can bet the reality will be closer to 8ft by 2050. I personally believe that the tipping point has already been passed and the changes we are just now seeing (relative to media coverage) are occurring exponentially. You can bet that this global experiment that the human race is conducting will have many surprising, and negative, unexpected results. Keep your eyes on the Antarctic. She will be the sign of the beginning of the end.
December 26th, 2008 at 3:31 pmFor an explanation of the important “Global Climatic Disruption” issues check out this video of John Holdren speaking at a conference in the Adirondacks; Holdren has been selected as Obama’s Science Advisor> http://usclimateaction.org/userfiles/flash/Holdren.html
December 26th, 2008 at 3:49 pmMost of those who don’t believe that the Earth is warming (despite all of the facts), are those who believe that Jesus is a Republican and the Iraq war was a mandate from god…
December 26th, 2008 at 3:52 pmI should have made it clear, in the earlier post, that I still think it’s important to use every bit of our great imaginations, and abilities, to reduce the emission of all kinds of pollutants. And, if we put enough resources into “green” technologies we may well mitigate the damage or find cheap and easy ways to adjust environmental parameters.
December 26th, 2008 at 4:06 pmWho’s going to take care of McCain’s waterfront properties? Oh wait , he has homes that are 2 miles inland and will become waterfront property soon.
December 26th, 2008 at 5:03 pmI hope some creative minds are thinking about harvesting icebergs for tomorrow’s water needs
The Climate Change article on ABC News is one small piece of consistently devastating news from Poznan, the American Geophysical Union Conference, NASA http://climateprogress.org/2008/12/17/nasa-another-brutally-hot-year-for-the-siberian-tundra/, and the International Arctic Change conference http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45121
It’s been quite a week for new research on global warming – and how the crisis may be upon us no matter what we do.
Most of the news doesn’t seem to be breaking through to the MSM.
Take this measured comment from Poznan, “It doesn’t matter what the politicians promise. Even if we stop emissions growing today, the world will still warm by 2 degrees C, a lot more in some places. It is too late to prevent that.” Phillip Ciais, the incoming chairman of the Global Carbon Project. He also states that melting permafrost released a fraction of its huge stores of frozen methane. “Once this process starts, it could soon become unstoppable, [it is one of the] “tipping points” most feared by climate scientists. “It is too early to say if we have passed that threshold. But once it is passed, even zero emissions of CO2 won’t stop the warming.” by Fred Pearce from New Scientist Magazine (not yet available on the Web)
What headline would the MSM print if they believed this report was important?
Scientists Predict Runaway Global Warming
Global Warming Inevitable
Leading Politicians at Odds with Climate Scientists – might be closer to the truth.
- or try this: Scientists: We’re Gambling Our Children’s Lives
Now consider which one of these would get the average person to read the article?
December 26th, 2008 at 7:51 pm“Under a Green Sky” by Peter Ward
“Hell and High Water” by Joseph Romm
Required reading, both.
December 26th, 2008 at 10:10 pmThe fact is people don’t know. It will rise at least 1 meter, probably 1.6, maybe as much as 25. We don’t know.
The last scientist to comment on the lower side of this was Jonathan Overpeck (you can find him on iTunes U). He’s a friend of the IPCC and believes their science, but even most the prescient scientist knows very little for sure about this. These are uncharted waters. No humans have ever been through what we are about to embark on.
And the worst part is, many many ignorant people are still saying it’s all propaganda/agenda of “liberals”. I don’t even know how to argue against such ignorance. The biggest naysayers seem to be libertarians!
Even a 2′ rise in sea level would be devastating.
December 27th, 2008 at 6:03 ampete said, “Despite our unprecedented adaptive powers, it won’t make much difference once the oceans start dying.”
I’m also in MN and have seen what you’ve seen. I’ve also witnesses tornados in late October, rain storms in December, thunderstorms in January, and wild weather in between, as we all have.
The weather we can handle. But what about the climate refugees? What about the shortages of food and water? We need the ocean, now more than ever. The last time I went snorkeling near the reef in central America, I could already see the difference in the coral and lesser numbers of fish, from two years earlier. I have read the fishermen now have to go outside the reef to fish, for the first time ever. This is very serious. The ocean is a major food supplier and it’s already changing and part of it won’t support the sea life it used to. People think it will change back to how it was, but when it won’t, what will they do?
My suggestion in part at least for now is to stop eating seafood, stop eating fish of all types, if possible. What isn’t being overfished is disappearing for other reasons. And the “dead zone” around the coasts is getting bigger every year. Can you imagine an ocean without life in it?
December 27th, 2008 at 6:09 am