it's frickin' cold here in victoria. i've lived on the west coast for about 20 years and i don't remember a cold spell like this except for where i left it behind, in alberta. i'll bet there are many immigrants from the colder parts of canada wondering what the heck's going on. this year we had another very late spring/summer, a scorcher of a fall, and now this .... and apparently with another dump of snow overnight followed by who knows how many more days of it. maybe the immigrants can help the others figure out how to shovel their sidewalks, and drive (or take the bus). chains are good if you're going over the malahat, or up mt. washington, but they wreck city roads. i suggest just point and laugh at those ones, hopefully they'll get the message.
the photo is ingmar lee, from the collection he took on another european lecture tour.
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Dear friends of our planet Earth,
NASA's latest report reveals that the Arctic has lost over 2 trillion tons of land ice since 2003, including 400 billion tons from Alaska, plus the weight of sea ice equal in size to half that of the United States. Currently Greenland melt is raising the sea level by about 0.5 mm per year. If/when Greenland ice completely melts off, it will raise the global sea level by about 7 meters (23 ft). If all land ice melts off, including the Antarctic ice sheet, and Himalayan glaciers (over 2000), the sea level will rise over 70 meters (231 ft). More graphically, all points of land lower than 230 ft above today's sea level will be submerged. What is your city's elevation?
With the melting of land ice will go the melting of the permafrost, which will release stored methane by the billions of tons. Methane (CH4), being 20X more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (CO2), will generate its own feedback loop and release even more methane, accelerating global warming into Runaway Global Heating.
The massive melting of both sea ice and land ice will alter ocean water stratification and circulation, and could radically affect the major ocean currents, including the Gulf Stream, as well as disrupt the El-Nino/La-Nina cycle, which in turn will grossly impact on marine and even terrestrial (e.g. Amazon) life.
The melting of ice, both on land and in the sea, will generate its own albedo feedback loop which will add local heating to the Arctic.
With the warming of the Arctic Ocean will also go the melting of shallow methane hydrate deposits, release more methane into the atmosphere.
The Arctic is of special interest in global warming because it warms up much faster than the temperate and tropical regions. The current 0.78C global average increase means a 2-6C (3-10F) temperature rise in the high Arctic.
The Antarctic is less studied and less understood, but massive melting of the ice sheet will definitely have an impact on the whales, seals and penguins, most likely all negative.
So, what do I say to end this on a positive note? How about this: Cool it!
Anthony Marr, founder and president
Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)
www.HOPE-CARE.org
www.MySpace.com/AnthonyMarr
www.YouTube.com/AnthonyMarr
www.HomoSapiensSaveYourEarth.blogspot.com
www.ARConference.org
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Thanks to Anthony for summarizing information printed in a different article that ends with this sentence: That, Semiletov said, "should alarm people." Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
