Glaciers suffer record shrinkage (BBC) {MFTE -- *sigh*}

[eppur_se_muova]

The rate at which some of the world's glaciers are melting has more than doubled, data from the United Nations Environment Programme has shown.

Average glacial shrinkage has risen from 30 centimetres per year between 1980 and 1999, to 1.5 metres in 2006.
***
Estimates for 2006 indicate shrinkage of 1.4 metres of 'water equivalent' compared to half a metre in 2005.

Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary General of the UN and executive director of its environment programme (UNEP), said: "Millions if not billions of people depend directly or indirectly on these natural water storage facilities for drinking water, agriculture, industry and power generation during key parts of the year.

"There are many canaries emerging in the climate change coal mine. The glaciers are perhaps among those making the most noise and it is absolutely essential that everyone sits up and takes notice.
***
more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7299561.stm

[XemaSab]

1. Canaries don't EMERGE from the coal mine.

:scared:

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. I do believe that may win a prize for most cumbersome use of a methaphor

It's too bad, because in the process, he quite distracted me from the central point.

How about this: There are many alarm bells starting to sound a warning of rapid climate change. Perhaps the loudest of bells at present are the many glaciers which are melting at accelerating rates world-wide.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. Data behind the article

If it's of any comfort, 2006 doesn't appear to be too much worse than 2003.

http://www.geo.unizh.ch/wgms/mbb/mbb9/sum06.html


Yeah, I don't find it all that comforting either.