CLIMATE CHANGE :THE CANARY HAS DIED
Over 2000 scientist from 150 countries have reached consensus that global warming is real and that it is caused by human activities. Dr. James Hansen, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA, says we need to cut our atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide to 350 or less by 2016
(just seven years from now) if we are to avoid the most catastrophic and dangerous effects of climate change, such as: disrupted food and water supplies; the extinction of thousands of species of plants and animals; and seal level rises that would flood the homes of hundreds of millions of people.
Just last year two top scientists surprised their colleagues by projecting that the Arctic sea ice was melting so rapidly that it could disappear entirely by the summer of 2040. Now, NASA climate scientist Jay Zwally is saying at the current rates of melting “the Arctic Ocean could be nearly ice-free at the end of summer by 2012".
Why should we care? "The Arctic is often cited as the canary in the coal mine for climate warming," said Zwally, who as a teenager hauled coal.
Over 2000 scientist from 150 countries have reached consensus that global warming is real and that it is caused by human activities. Dr. James Hansen, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA, says we need to cut our atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide to 350 or less by 2016
(just seven years from now) if we are to avoid the most catastrophic and dangerous effects of climate change, such as: disrupted food and water supplies; the extinction of thousands of species of plants and animals; and seal level rises that would flood the homes of hundreds of millions of people.
Just last year two top scientists surprised their colleagues by projecting that the Arctic sea ice was melting so rapidly that it could disappear entirely by the summer of 2040. Now, NASA climate scientist Jay Zwally is saying at the current rates of melting “the Arctic Ocean could be nearly ice-free at the end of summer by 2012".
Why should we care? "The Arctic is often cited as the canary in the coal mine for climate warming," said Zwally, who as a teenager hauled coal.
"Now as a sign of climate warming, the canary has died. It is time to start getting out of the coal mines"
