Global warming close to becoming irreversible-scientists

[MindMover]

Last edited Fri Apr 6, 2012, 02:17 AM - Edit history (1)

(Reuters) - The world is close to reaching tipping points that will make it irreversibly hotter, making this decade critical in efforts to contain global warming, scientists warned on Monday.

Scientific estimates differ but the world's temperature looks set to rise by six degrees Celsius by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are allowed to rise uncontrollably.

As emissions grow, scientists say the world is close to reaching thresholds beyond which the effects on the global climate will be irreversible, such as the melting of polar ice sheets and loss of rainforests.

"This is the critical decade. If we don't get the curves turned around this decade we will cross those lines," said Will Steffen, executive director of the Australian National University's climate change institute, speaking at a conference in London.

Despite this sense of urgency, a new global climate treaty forcing the world's biggest polluters, such as the United States and China, to curb emissions will only be agreed on by 2015 - to enter into force in 2020.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/26/us-climate-thresholds-idUSBRE82P0UJ20120326

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Are we getting serious enough about the most dangerous issue facing humanity?????.....

[XemaSab]

1. I think we're 30+ years too late

[Neoma]

2. Didn't they say that in the Lost in Space movie?

[txlibdem]

3. Jimmy Carter fixed it then Ronald Reagan broke it again

I think he's talking about the incentives for solar and wind power that the Carter Administration put in place only to have President Reagan work tirelessly on behalf of the oil companies to kill them, along with a burgeoning wind power industry here in the USA.

Carter fixed it in 1979 with incentives for energy efficient homes and buildings as well. Then along came President Reagan to destroy those as well.

I believe that President Reagan will go down in history as the greatest traitor in our nation's history, perhaps world history, because of his actions.

[txlibdem]

4. Irreversible as in disastrous for us

It's sickening that so many people think that the danger of climate change isn't going to affect them in their lifetimes. So wrong.

Their grandchildren will curse their names.

[MindMover]

5. We have to change from industrial military complex to.....

green energy complex......and we can do this.....

[txlibdem]

6. No. We HAVE to do this!

Or we can just die. It's our choice.

[MindMover]

7. It is like this......

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/41483660@N04/6879702556/][img][/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/41483660@N04/6879702556/]no-plan-b[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/41483660@N04/]pbmus[/url], on Flickr