Climate 411

Part 2 of 4: Worldwide Emissions

By / Bio / Published: March 14, 2007

This is the second installment of a four-part series to be published each Wednesday on Action Needed to Stop Global Warming.

1. How Warm is Too Warm?
2. Worldwide Emissions Target
3. U.S. Emissions Target
4. Technologies to Get Us There

In Part 1 of this series, we described why scientists and policy-makers have identified the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, which would lead to a 20-foot rise in sea level, as the tipping point that must not be crossed. To stay below the tipping point, average global temperatures must not rise more than 3.6oF above pre-industrial temperatures, or 2.3oF above current temperatures.Today we consider how global emissions of greenhouse gases must change over the coming century to stay below that tipping point.

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Also posted in Basic Science of Global Warming, Greenhouse Gas Emissions / Read 11 Responses

Arctic Villages Haiku

By / Bio / Published: March 9, 2007

Arctic Villages
On permafrost for millennia
Falling into sea.

Also posted in Arctic & Antarctic / Comments are closed

Part 1 of 4: How Warm is Too Warm?

By / Bio / Published: March 7, 2007

This is the first installment of a four-part series to be published each Wednesday on Action Needed to Stop Global Warming.

1. How Warm is Too Warm?
2. Worldwide Emissions Target
3. U.S. Emissions Target
4. Technologies to Get Us There

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (see IPCC report [PDF] and description of the IPCC), global warming is “unequivocal”, and almost certainly due to human activities. Moreover, the IPCC says, global warming is already doing significant damage – more droughts, wildfires, heat waves, and downpours, and more intense hurricanes. What can we do about it?

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Also posted in Basic Science of Global Warming / Read 18 Responses

Inuits Blame U.S. for Global Warming

By / Bio / Published: March 5, 2007

Here’s an interesting news item you may have missed. The Inuit, who live in the arctic circle, are blaming the U.S. for destroying their homeland. On Thursday, they will make their case at a hearing of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Representing them is Sheila Watt-Cloutier, recently nominated with Al Gore for a Nobel Peace Prize for their work on climate change.

So why do the Inuit think the U.S. is responsible for the loss of their homeland? Here’s the scoop.

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Also posted in Arctic & Antarctic / Read 2 Responses

The Water Vapor Fallacy

By / Bio / Published: February 28, 2007

ignoratio elenchi n.
A logical fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be valid, but has nothing to do with the proposition it purports to prove. Also known as “irrelevant conclusion”. [Lat. ignorance of refutation.]

In her comment to our Exxon post, Beth Wellington raises an important question: What can we do to make sure that our kids are being taught the real facts on climate change? Her question reminded me of a recent incident, and leads me to award this week’s Ignoratio Elenchi Award to an unknown teacher from an unspecified state. Let me explain.

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Also posted in Basic Science of Global Warming / Read 3 Responses

Picturing a ton of CO2

By / Bio / Published: February 20, 2007

Tons of CO2 pollution. We are always hearing about how many tons of CO2 pollution we emit. The average American car emits about seven tons of CO2 in a year; the average American family, about 24 tons; the United States as a whole, over seven billion tons; and worldwide, almost 30 billion tons. The Virgin Earth Challenge (see last week’s post) offers $25 million to whoever can economically remove one billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year.

But what is a ton of CO2?

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Also posted in Basic Science of Global Warming / Read 54 Responses