Reuters: Mussels Found Near N.Pole in Global Warming Sign

[wildflower]

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

OSLO (Reuters) - Mussels have been found growing on the seabed just 800 miles from the North Pole in a likely sign of global warming, scientists said on Friday.

The blue mussels, which normally favor warmer waters like off France or the eastern United States, were discovered last month off Norway's Svalbard archipelago in waters that are covered with ice most of the year.

"The climate is changing fast," said Geir Johnsen, a professor at the Norwegian University for Science and Technology who was among experts who found the bivalves. Molluscs were a "very good indicator that the climate is warming," he said.

"It seems like the mussels we found are two to three years old," he told Reuters. Such shellfish have not been recorded off the islands since Viking times 1,000 years ago during another warm period.

more

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=6268517

[ieoeja]

1. How did medieval fix it?

"It seems like the mussels we found are two to three years old," he told Reuters. Such shellfish have not been recorded off the islands since Viking times 1,000 years ago during another warm period.


How did they combat global warming 1000 years ago?

[Roland99]

2. They stopped burning the dead at sea.

;)

[prodigal_green]

5. Changes occurred slowly

Not in a matter of one or two decades.

[Atman]

3. Hmmm...this kind of muddies the waters, eh?

"Such shellfish have not been recorded off the islands since Viking times 1,000 years ago during another warm period."

This kind of plays right into the right's hands. I doubt there was much of an issue with industrial greenhouse gasses a thousand years ago. They'll argue that this just proves it is a cyclacle thing. Betcha. I would if I was them.

[hatrack]

6. They will also neglect to mention that the MCO was a regional trend

You won't hear that from CEI or Tech Central Station or the Moonie Times and the other assorted biostitutes.

[Bandit]

11. By golly you are right and I bet every single scientist agrees

No such thing as global warming..Vikings from a thousand years ago prove it. :crazy:

[Atman]

17. Roll your eyes all you want

Don't offer anything else. Do you deny this is a perfect set-up for the Repubs? They've been trying to use this tact for ages...now there is "proof" for them to serve up. I didn't say I agreed with it, just that it seems like and obvious road for them to go down. Remember, this is the republican party, not a brain trust.

[Gregorian]

16. Hardly likely. The CO2 content in the atmosphere is nowhere near the same.

It has risen dramatically in an extremely short period. And that is the alarming factor. Of course, republicans can argue that mussels are good food. I'm waiting for it.

[prodigal_green]

4. Show on PBS last night

the one with Alan Alda (came in late so I didn't catch the name of the series) discussing how the boreal forest was changing quickly and that the permafrost was disappearing. In addition, scientist debunk the theory that a lot of freepers spout that more carbon would be sopped up by more plants growing. Turns out, the Arctic, which has functioned as a "carbon sink" (soaks up carbon and traps it in the soil), is producing a net increase in atmospheric carbon.

[theophilus]

7. Here's another link of interest.....

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/globalwarming/paleobefore.html


Right wingnuts seem to grasp at straws and try to view life as totally uncomplicated when it comes to facts. There is more to this than a naturally reocurring cycle, probably.

However, if the sea level rose in pre industrial times I guess you could just abandon your village and move to higher ground, etc. Times have changed folks and we better start taking these clues seriously.

[hatrack]

8. National Ice Center update on Svalbard - zero - ZERO sea ice at 80 North

Meanwhile, over in the Canadian Arctic . . . Is that a Northwest Passage in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?

[TX-RAT]

9. during another warm period? Hmmmm

[HereSince1628]

10. I've collected and eaten blue mussels above the Arctic Circle.

Back in the days when my days involved concerns about such things the northern advance of parasitic disease, often involving molluscs (usually snails rather than clams).

I had no doubt 5 years ago that the range extensions being seen were real.

By the way my Russian friends and I really like smoked mussels, we accomplished that in an old metal soviet ammo case with locally acquired wood chips...the translation I got was "ironwood" but I don't know if that was correct...but knowing there is a biffy dripping into the sea just a thousand feet made me a bit wary about it.

[Marthe48]

12. Nat'l Geographic Sept. 2004 issue

is entirely about global warming -- when you see a concentration of compelling observations from all over the world, its hard to think that there are people who aren't convinced that the climate is changing. Course same people probably think the earth is flat.

[Marthe48]

13. Subject: Nat'l Geographic Sept. 2004 issue

Message:
is entirely about global warming -- when you see a concentration of compelling observations from all over the world, its hard to think that there are people who aren't convinced that the climate is changing. Course same people probably think the earth is flat.
(I had some trouble posting, sorry if this is a dup)

[Strawman]

14. Ahnold responds...

"Vat do yu haf against mussels, yu enviuhmental girliemen. I think it's gut that people in the North Pole ah getting mussels."

Hey, I'm sure the Republicans have plenty of credible scientists to debunk this like the late Dixie Lee Ray. Come on, What did the IPCC know when they put out all those fancy reports anyway? Just because an overwhemling consensus of experts from all over the world say something is true doesn't mean it is. No sir, I ain't seen no evidence of global warming. Matter of fact, it was a mite bit chilly outside today. Besides, if global warming doesn't kill off all those animal species, Ted Nugent will just do it anyway.

(BTW I am being sarcastic. I know I have a low post count so it is probably best to add this disclaimer)

[struggle4progress]

15. kick for the emerging northwest passage

:kick:

[coreystone]

18. What is the scientific explanation of 1,000 past?

<snip>
"The climate is changing fast," said Geir Johnsen, a professor at the Norwegian University for Science and Technology who was among experts who found the bivalves. Molluscs were a "very good indicator that the climate is warming," he said.

"It seems like the mussels we found are two to three years old," he told Reuters. Such shellfish have not been recorded off the islands since Viking times 1,000 years ago during another warm period.

U.N. scientists say the Arctic is now warming faster than any other region because of human emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released from burning fossil fuels in cars, factories and power plants.
<snip>

What is the scientific explanation of the Vikings reporting as compared to this similar phenomena 1,000 years later; as compared to the current explanation?

Sorry, but, I work with a “neo-con” who still believes that “Global Warming” is some sort of fantasy of the elected President Al Gore!

;)