6.4 degrees Centigrade by century's end--or why didn't the US get the whole story on Global Warming?

[Nikki Stone1]

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/green/story/0,,2005117,00.html

Worse than we thought


· Report warns of 4C rise by 2100
· Floods and food and water shortages likely

David Adam in Paris
Saturday February 3, 2007
The Guardian

The world's scientists yesterday gave their starkest warning yet that a failure to cut greenhouse gas emissions will bring devastating climate change within a few decades.
Average temperatures could increase by as much as 6.4C by the end of the century if emissions continue to rise, with a rise of 4C most likely, according to the final report of an expert panel set up by the UN to study the problem. The forecast is higher than previous estimates, because scientists have discovered that Earth's land and oceans are becoming less able to absorb carbon dioxide.

An average global temperature rise of 4C would wipe out hundreds of species, bring extreme food and water shortages in vulnerable countries and cause catastrophic floods that would displace hundreds of millions of people. Warming would be much more severe towards the poles, which could accelerate melting of the Greenland and west Antarctic ice sheets.

The report, from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is written by hundreds of scientists across the world and has been approved by every government. It leaves little room for doubt that human activity is to blame. Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, said: "February 2 2007 may be remembered as the day the question mark was removed from whether people are to blame for climate change."

[Richard D]

1. "An average global temperature rise of 4C would wipe out hundreds of species"

Couldn't be near correct. Hundreds of thousands I think if you take into account the amazon burning down.

[neoblues]

2. (Conservative:) Why Heck, I Ain't See No Problem...

I ain't gonna live to see the year 2100, and what's a puny 4°C, anyway--it ain't nowhere near the boiling point is it?

By the way, what is a degree "C"? That's that dang "metrick system", ain't it? Why can't them people speak English?

No worries, according to "Left Behind", all us good Christians will have been taken up by G_d long before things get bad--and all this "Science" talk is just proving that the times of Tribulation are a'coming (proves the Bible is true!). Besides, whatever happens is G_d's will--and He can "fix" the world in the blink of an eye when it's time for His Kingdom on Earth. You just need some faith.

Science has proved that all this "Global Warming" is due to volcanoes and Cow Farts (that's methane). Cars have them Catalitic Converters to remove all the CO2; jeez, you liberals don't even understand Science. It's amazing how ignorant you sissy liberals is! You claim to know "Science"; you always claim things backwards to what's true. Why, I bet you think the world's millions of years old... Everyone knows it's only 6000 or so years--the Sun itself couldn't last more than 10,000 years. You idjits ought to go home an cry in your recycle bin, cuz what you think don't even matter--"we're" the ones in power in this country! We are "The People" (not you), an we'll be taking back our Congress in '08. Till then, we'll just keep you'all fightin' yerselves over tryin' to pull the troops out of IRAQ. Heh. When you finally come up with a plan, you can talk--till then just "shut-up".

Guess you just ain't old enough to remember, but the summers when I was a kid--now, them were HOT--you just don't know what it's like to have to do without "Air Conditioning" (yer just a bunch o' environmintal pansies). Seriously guys, you've all fallen for it! It's a hoax! Don't you get it? I'm not listening to another word you say--you're just too stupid! There's just no talking to you people, always refusing to listen to the evidence and resorting to personal attacks. So get lost; go bother someone who cares or I'll be getting my gun; capish? Global warming my arse.

:sarcasm: but well deserved (earned even).

[terrya]

3. And this is apparently irreversible.

This has to be a colossal understatement, but we've really fucked things up on this planet, haven't we?

[applegrove]

4. Maybe the Bush WH wants global warming so that the north will not need

heating oil so much? Or maybe there could be oil locked under the ice in the arctic? There must be some creepy reason why they refuse to lift a finger with the exception of State of the Union addresses.