Tipping Point: Here and Now!

Our thanks to Lisa G. for forwarding the link to the following (Source)

We are at the tipping point because the climate state includes large, ready positive feedbacks provided by the Arctic sea ice, the West Antarctic ice sheet, and much of Greenland’s ice. — James Hansen

Tipping Point: PERSPECTIVE OF A CLIMATOLOGIST [PDF]
by JAMES HANSEN

An Excerpt from Hansen’s report:
Our home planet is dangerously near a tipping point at which human-made greenhouse gases reach a level where major climate changes can proceed mostly under their own momentum. Warming will shift climatic zones by intensifying the hydrologic cycle, affecting freshwater availability and human health.

[James Hansen is director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Institute for Space Studies and an Adjunct Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University’s Earth Institute.]

The ice in the Arctic is much younger than normal, with vast regions now covered by first-year ice and much less area covered by multiyear ice. Left: February distribution of ice by its age during normal Arctic conditions (1985-2000 average). Right: February 2008 Arctic ice age distribution. Credit: NSIDC [Caption: NASA]

Related Links:

• Arctic sea ice forecast:another record low in 2008
• Arctic Melting FAST!
• Greenland Ice Melt Faster Than IPCC Estimates
• Only Zero Emissions Would Avert Dangerous Warming
• Stern Report: “a great toxic dump of doublespeak in truly Orwellian fashion”

• Burning Earth
• Human Impact
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Giga Trends
• Nuking Earth for Lifestyle

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Stop the Arctic Madness!

Increased Arctic Oil Activity will end in Eco-Disaster

A report prepared by the eight-nation Arctic Council released on Monday said, the rising global demand for oil and gas is increasing the activity in the Arctic. The increased activity will enhance the risk of oil spills in the region.

“Oil spills can kill large numbers of animals by covering them in oil, and create long-term contamination that can affect populations and ecosystems for decades”.

“The Arctic is generally considered to be vulnerable to oil spills due to slow recovery of cold, highly seasonal ecosystems, and the difficulty of clean up in remote, cold regions, especially in waters where sea ice is present”.

Arctic Oil and Gas 2007 was prepared by about 100 scientists who have been working on the report since 2002. The release of the report scheduled for 2007 was reportedly delayed because the United States and Sweden had reportedly blocked publication of policy recommendations.

The report discusses:

• The significance of levels of petroleum hydrocarbons in the Arctic and significance of cold on toxicological effect
• The toxicological impact of hydrocarbons on people
• Impacts of oil spills on land including an account of 1994 commuter public pipeline ruptured that contaminated a large area
• Effects of marine spills including subarctic spills such as the Exxon Valdez
• Potential of impacts from arctic spills (and some of the consequences)
• Physical disturbance including impacts of infrastructure and activity on land surface and habitats
• Effects of offshore activity through noise an offshore construction
• Significance of further habitat fragmentation and disruption to wildlife
• Social impact on the indigenous population
• Implication for health care and social services

For more information and a copy of report visit Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program.