Climate change quickens, seas feared up 2 meters

[steven johnson]

New York, Buenos Aires and Bangladesh would be highly vulnerable to sea level rise. Now scientists feel sea level rise could be as high as two meters by 2100.

OSLO (Reuters) - Global warming is happening faster than expected and at worst could raise sea levels by up to 2 meters (6-1/2 ft) by 2100, a group of scientists said on Tuesday in a warning to next month's U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen.

In what they called a "Copenhagen Diagnosis," updating findings in a broader 2007 U.N. climate report, 26 experts urged action to cap rising world greenhouse gas emissions by 2015 or 2020 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

"Climate change is accelerating beyond expectations," a joint statement said, pointing to factors including a retreat of Arctic sea ice in summer and melting of ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica.

"Accounting for ice-sheets and glaciers, global sea-level rise may exceed 1 meter by 2100, with a rise of up to 2 meters considered an upper limit," it said. Ocean levels would keep on rising after 2100 and "several meters of sea level rise must be expected over the next few centuries."

Climate change quickens, seas feared up 2 meters

[kestrel91316]

1. Twenty years hence, the debate will be all about how soon Antarctica will be ice-free.

That is, if there is anyone left to do the debating.

[Dead_Parrot]

2. Hmm. "accelerating beyond expectations"

Nah, too wordy. I'll stick with Faster Than Expected.

[endless october]

3. tell China, India, and third world manufacturing.

[Chemisse]

4. I just hope the deniers will finally admit they were so very wrong

Fat chance though. Somehow it will be twisted around so they are guilt free.

[tom_paine]

5. That will happen when the Nazi Party admits it was wrong about the Jews.

The mindset, though differing (for now) in levels of murderous evil, certainyl bear many MANY other similarities in gullibiltiy, lack of ability or desire to critically think, etc.

And if these people own the Future Dark Ages, now coming so very fast, then one day in this century or perhaps the next one at latest will see the witch-burners relight their torches.

I wish I was exaggerating, but can't you smell them in the air like you can smell coppery electricty just before a summer storm rolls in?

May we be long dead before the final transformation occurs, but I fear this is far to unrealistic a a hope.

OTOH, it so often seems that human affairs, particularly large movements like the rising ignorance and darkness that is now blanketing our nation and is the single dominant thought form of more than half our people, often seem to take longer than first thought.

[Chemisse]

6. It's hard to imagine we as a people could go backwards

On knowledge and wisdom. But I guess it has happened before.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. Not that it’s history, but…

Dig out a copy of A Canticle for Leibowitz.

Seriously, its portrayal of a future “dark age” should be required reading.

[Chemisse]

8. I read that book a bunch of years ago!

I've read a zillion books, but that one stands out. It was illuminating and somewhat haunting.

[GliderGuider]

9. I re-read it a couple of years ago.

It was even better against the backdrop of current events. Absolutely phenomenal. Haunting is the right word for it.

[Dead_Parrot]

11. Some good sig lines, too.

:D

[joshcryer]

12. It's our fault, we buy their cheap goods, can't really blame them for that.

Though we can work on ways to stop buying their cheap goods, even if it hurts their economy.

[kestrel91316]

10. I predict this 2 meters is a SEVERE underestimation of what will

actually happen.

[joshcryer]

13. I predict the same. I wonder what the historians will say about people like us.