Himalaya's glaciers receding 30-50 ft./yr ... faster than in any other part of the world

[RedEarth]

By Janaki Kremmer | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

NEW DELHI – Billions of people in China and the Indian subcontinent rely on South Asia's Himalayan glaciers - the world's largest store of fresh water outside the polar ice caps. The massive ice floes feed seven of the world's greatest Asian rivers in one of the world's most densely populated regions.

Yet as global climate change slowly melts glaciers from Africa to the Andes, scientists say the glaciers in the Himalayas are retreating at a rate of about 33 to 49 feet each year - faster than in any other part of the world.

In the Himalayas, the Gangotri Glacier, one of India's largest, is entitled to an even more dubious distinction. Recent studies reveal that the Gangotri, which forms a mass of ice about 18 miles long, is retreating at a rate of more than 100 feet a year.

But according to government officials and environmental groups like Greenpeace, very little has been done in the way of a rigorous scientific study. Scientists are monitoring glacial melting on only a handful of the 7,000 glaciers that cover the Indian Himalayas.

And at such a rapid retreat, a gradual increase in droughts, flash floods, and landslides are not the only issue to worry about, say environmentalists. Justwhen power companies are planning more energy sources to power India's growing economy, a rising level of sediment in regional rivers is creating havoc for many grids

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0103/p07s02-sten.html

[NotGivingUp]

1. this sounds really bad

i think many people in the u.s. are not giving it hardly a thought because it's barely talked about in the MSM. i don't know, it may even be too late. with these HUGE changes, it would be hard to believe it's not too late.

[phantom power]

11. Over in the E/E forum, you can read headlines like that every day.

I think if you tried to explain to people how bad it really is, and how bad it's going to be in 10-20 years, they just wouldn't believe you. What's happening to Australia is going to be happening in the northern hemisphere fairly soon.

[NotGivingUp]

13. i wish the headlines weren't hidden away in the E/E forum.

I think they would get a lot more attention in the LBN or GD. Anyway, I think you're right. Most people just won't believe...we've been getting plenty of warnings..but many are totally oblivious. It's utterly frustrating. Hey, would you know where I can find some good information on the scientists' predictions on how specific areas will be affected and the general progression it will take?

[phantom power]

15. I haven't seen any centralized sources for that kind of info, however...

if you post that same question in the E/E forum, you are likely to get several good answers.

The main trend I see, based on reading lots of individual stories, is this: the disappearance of snow-pack/glaciers, which will cause drought for all of the ecosystems where spring/summer snowmelt is a big part of the water budget. Unfortunately, that's a lot of places in the northern hemisphere, including America's grain-belt.

Australia is currently running out of water. They lost 80 years worth of fresh water to evaporation in the last three years. Their prime minister appears to be a Bush-clone whose main response to this climate train-wreck is institutionalized denial. On average, an Australian farmer puts a gun to his head every four days, out of despair.

I ran across a graphic that shows the predicted "grain region" in 2050. Essentially, it's all north of the 43rd parallel. If I can find it again, I'll post it.

Over in the E/E forum, I've got a customized Magic 8-ball with special phrases like "Signs point to 'we're fucked'" and "Outlook is Mass Extinction"
and "Drop the 8-ball and Run run run..."

[Uncle Joe]

2. I see wars fought over water in the coming decades,

if the glaciers melt thus drying up the rivers.

Kicked and recommended

[BeHereNow]

4. Which remind us of the Bush land grab in Paraguay

over their water aquifer...next to their newly built
military base.
BHN

[Uncle Joe]

5. I was thinking about that last night BeHereNow, Bush knows global warming is real,

however instead of trying to change our insane policies, he's bailing out. The Captain is leaving in a lifeboat and has left the ship of state on auto cruise headed for a rocky shore.

One other point, after skimming through "An Inconvenient Truth" last night, I have come to the conclusion, the Arctic will melt and disappear before the Antarctic. I believe Bush knows this as well, influencing his decision to move down under.

[BeHereNow]

6. That was my first thought when I heard about the land grab.

I wish I could find the article I saved about the predicted areas
of the planet most likely to continue sustainable life in the
coming chaos of increased global warming...I vaguely recall
something about countries south of the equator being the only
areas that would still support agriculture etc.

Of course Bush and the rest of the corporate kings
know what is coming.
Katrina should enlighten any thinking person as far as
how they plan to deal with those of us unable to
buy land in Paraguay and split when the shit hits the fan.
BHN

[Sal Minella]

7. Wow. Just went map-hunting, and last time I googled Guarani aquifer

there were many maps available -- now nearly all disappeared.

The World Bank site (supposedly overseeing "developing" the Guarani aquifer) just bounced me to a site that doesn't even list Guarani Aquifer on its menu. Wow.

Found one on with Scroogle, though --

http://www.oas.org/dsd/guarani/PDF/LAC31523.pdf

Rev. Moon and the Bush cabal got this one cornered already.

By the time Exxon is wondering what to do next, the BFEE and Carlyle will already be doing it.

[BeHereNow]

8. That's just down right creepy...the maps have disappeared from the "internets?"

Not surprising- the global elite are just doing business as usual.
And their business is none of ours...eh?
Keep shopping.
BHN

[Sal Minella]

14. Taking a break from shopping.....

And when you DO find a map showing the Guarani aquifer on Google, and click on it for the large version, you get the Wikipedia entry for "tabby cat." I've arrived at Wiki tabby cat several times now. Ingenious, eh?

Unless Agent Mike has just reprogrammed my hard drive.....

[Uncle Joe]

10. This post deserves a kick, thanks Idealist Hippie n/t

[sweetheart]

3. yogi's in gangotri caves

I visited the gangotri glacier a few years back, and the glacier does not go to gangotri anymore,
but gomukh, further up the valley..

This photo from google earth shows the gangotri glacier stretching out to the southeast with the
plains of india in the background. Gangotri is on the right and you can see that the glacier is
now 10 miles up the valley from the last road-point. Pilgrims keep moving their camps further up
the valley. 'Gomukh' the camp that was at the end of the glacier is now just a waystation for the trek further and further up to glacier.

Funnily, however gangotri is famous for its yogis in caves. But these were from 100's years ago, when the glacier was much larger. So spiritual tourists go up the trail to the glacier to meet enlightened yogis, when the yogi-caves are down hill from gangotri.

Global warming meets archeology...

[lovuian]

9. Warm Air rises and what we are seeing that even at high

elevations which made the air cool that its getting warmer due to the extra CO2 trapping the sun in

Maybe its me but my feeling is that Northern countries and higher elevations such as Colorado Tahoe habitats are going to majorly change

[Connonym]

12. Giant Ice Shelf Snaps Free Near North Pole

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/giant-ice-shelf-snaps-free-near-north/20061229064309990001?cid=911

Don't worry though, ice displaces equal amounts of water -- never mind that part of it was land based and never in the water to begin with. :sarcasm:

There will be no sense of satisfaction when the global warming deniers are proven wrong. Sadly, we've probably waited too long already. I long for the day when fundementalism doesn't trump science.

"TORONTO (Dec. 29) - A giant ice shelf has snapped free from an island south of the North Pole, scientists said Thursday, citing climate change as a "major" reason for the event.

The Ayles Ice Shelf - all 41 square miles of it - broke clear 16 months ago from the coast of Ellesmere Island, about 500 miles south of the North Pole in the Canadian Arctic.

Scientists discovered the event by using satellite imagery. Within one hour of breaking free, the shelf had formed as a new ice island, leaving a trail of icy boulders floating in its wake.

Warwick Vincent of Laval University, who studies Arctic conditions, traveled to the newly formed ice island and couldn't believe what he saw."

[Toots]

16. There are glaciers in Alaska retreating over five hundred feet a year

The Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau Alaska has retreated an average of three hundred feet a year for the last five years. It is one of the most heavily visited glaciers in the world..Won't be for long though if this keeps up.