U.N. warns of 6-degree jump in global temperatures by 2100

[Ladywriter 7,783]

U.N. warns of 6-degree jump in global temperatures by 2100

Earth's temperature is likely to jump six degrees between now and the end of the century even if every country cuts greenhouse gas emissions as proposed, according to a United Nations update.Scientists looked at emission plans from 192 nations and calculated what would happen to global warming. The projections take into account 80 percent emission cuts from the U.S. and Europe by 2050, which are not sure things.

well... this is really bad news...

"We are headed toward very serious changes in our planet," said Achim Steiner, head of the U.N.'s environment program, which issued the update on Thursday. The review looked at some 400 peer-reviewed papers on climate over the last three years.Even if the developed world cuts its emissions by 80 percent and the developing world cuts theirs in half by 2050, as some experts propose, the world is still facing a 3-degree increase by the end of the century, said Robert Corell, a prominent U.S. climate scientist who helped oversee the update.

Corell said the most likely agreement out of the international climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December still translates into a nearly 5-degree increase in world temperature by the end of the century. European leaders and the Obama White House have set a goal to limit warming to just a couple degrees.

In other words NO leaders are doing enough to confront the problem. The confrence in Copenhagen is critical. It is going to decide the future of life on this planet.

Global warming is speeding up, especially in the Arctic, and that means that some top-level science projections from 2007 are already out of date and overly optimistic. Corell, who headed an assessment of warming in the Arctic, said global warming "is accelerating in ways that we are not anticipating."

Because Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets are melting far faster than thought, it looks like the seas will rise twice as fast as projected just three years ago, Corell said. He said seas should rise about a foot every 20 to 25 years.Other problems that have worsened since the 2007 report include the oceans getting more acidic — a threat to some sea creatures — and projections for regular long-term droughts in the U.S. Southwest.

"As sobering as this report is, it is not the worst case scenario," said U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, co-author of the bill that passed the U.S. House. "That would be if the world does nothing and allows heat-trapping pollution to continue to spew unchecked into the atmosphere."

You and I will continue to see the effects of our changing climate, but its our kiddies that will be really fuckin screwed. Don't forget to thank yer parents for this "special present"; Climate Destabilization, the gift that will keep on giving

Let me repeat myself like a skippin cd We must put programs into place to mitigate the damage right fuckin now or else we will be our enviro wrecking parents and elders. Just because our predecessors left us pretty screwed it does not mean we should do the same damn thing to our kids. The science is screaming at us to take action. To do nothing is treason against our entire species. Seriously folks, it takes almost 0% effort to shoot an email at your congress person or senator. Every American with internet access should be lobbying their reps to fuckin do something. Capitalism and excess will not save our coastal cities and towns. Remember Katrina? Okay, now imagine that all along the entire coastline of the USA. Imagine the sheer number of climate refugees in this country alone.

We have to do something now. As voters and consumers you have wayyyy more power then you think. If your rep isn't representing your views you don't vote for the fuck again. The where and on what you spend your almighty dollar is what big business cares about. Supporting green companies, buying products grown and manufactured locally, energy star appliances... A few minutes on google and you will know what the company yer chucking cash at is up to (ex: Kleenex, GM, Exxon). As the voter and consumer it is also a responsibility for us to let the hats at the top offering up these goods and services know what we want and expect them to do.

motivation

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[Sledgstone 8,672]

Damn, 6 degrees is huge!