A series of ten minute slots in a New Zealand radio show provide a useful climate update. Listen to Glenn Williams discussing the climate with Gareth Renowden.They review some of the worst weather events in 2012 including Hurricane Sandy, and look to the coming year for hints of what to expect next.
The stunning lack of official action to reduce our impact on climate also gets a mention.
We're now in a place where we must expect a severely changed planet, perhaps four or even six degrees celsius warmer than it is right now. Carbon dioxide levels are continuing to rise and are likely to top 400 ppm in 2013. The consequences involve considerable sea level rises, ocean acidification, serious ocean ecosystem damage and further loss of Arctic sea ice.
My own conclusion is that we are doing nowhere near enough to limit our carbon dioxide output at a time when the pace of change is proving to be far faster than we expected just a few years ago.
There's much more detail about all these matters at the Skeptical Science website.
Oh, and if you don't live in New Zealand don't think you don't need to listen. You do. You really, really do. We all need to listen.
Questions:
- Is there anything you can do to help make more people aware of the facts?
- What do you think will happen if we do nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
- On present showing, do you think humans are looking after the Earth well?
See also:
- Avoiding dangerous climate change - Wikipedia
- Climate change, an update - Journeys of heart and mind
- Climate change, truth or deception? - Journeys of heart and mind
- Global warming - Wikipedia
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - Wikipedia
- Sandy storming in - Journeys of heart and mind
- Sixteen years climate myth - Journeys of heart and mind
- Skeptical Science
