BBC Focus Magazine

[Shadowwolf]

Change could impact power generation at fossil and nuclear plants by impeding water supply for cooling processes.

Higher water temperatures and reduced river flows in Europe and the United States in recent years have resulted in reduced production, or temporary shutdown, of several thermoelectric power plants, resulting in increased electricity prices and raising concerns about future energy security in a changing climate.

Thermoelectric (nuclear or fossil-fuelled) power plants, supply 91% and 78% of total electricity in the US and Europe respectively, thus disruption to their operation is a significant concern for the energy sector.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120603191619.htm

[M Paul Lloyd]

Very true but what they neglect to mention is that in most cases the lower river levels, depletion of reserves and general reduction in water supplies are a result of increased domestic population and industrial consumption levels rather than the result of climate change.

On a decadal basis the climate really hasn't changed that much at all but global population and demand for food production and technology certainly have.

[Lateralman]

Fracking. I feel it is my civic duty to comment on this. Anything that tampers with our water supply is a bad idea.

Earlier this year we were having a drought. Reservoirs were low. Things were looking desperate. There was talk of building a pipeline from the North to the South. Now we are potentially running the risk of polluting part of our supplies. Madness!

Anyone who thinks that is fine can obviously afford to buy bottled water from abroad. You are what you eat and ‘DRINK.’

No water, no life.

[Shadowwolf]

Climate in Northern Europe Reconstructed for the Past 2,000 Years

An international team that includes scientists from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has published a reconstruction of the climate in northern Europe over the last 2,000 years based on the information provided by tree-rings. Professor Dr. Jan Esper's group at the Institute of Geography at JGU used tree-ring density measurements from sub-fossil pine trees originating from Finnish Lapland to produce a reconstruction reaching back to 138 BC. In so doing, the researchers have been able for the first time to precisely demonstrate that the long-term trend over the past two millennia has been towards climatic cooling.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120709092606.htm

[nemisis1960]

Interesting but just how accurate are these findings as they state that the original findings during the roman and medevil time were to low

[M Paul Lloyd]

It must be hugely complicated research because they must have had to allow for not only reducing temperatures, which would reduce the tree ring growth, but also, in more recent times, a rise in CO2 levels which would effectively counteract any reduction in temperature!? Also localised conditions including volcanic activity (and the associated release of CO2) could have upset some of the figures so I'm inclined to think that given that they must surely have taken all these factors into account their findings are reasonably reliable?
Plus historical reports (or at least those that I am aware of) suggest that Roman Britain enjoyed a much warmer climate thatn we do today, given that vines proliferated and the growing season was apparently rather longer.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_h ... n28884672/
http://www.englishwineproducers.com/history.htm

Of course it could all be aprt of the Holocene periodicity.....
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v3 ... 515a0.html

[Shadowwolf]

A report by the UN says global attempts to curb emissions of CO2 are falling well short of what is needed to stem dangerous climate change.

The UN's Environment Programme says greenhouse gases are 14% above where they need to be in 2020 for temperature rises this century to remain below 2C.

The authors say this target is still technically achievable.

But the opportunity is likely to be lost without swift action by governments, they argue.

Negotiators will meet in Doha, Qatar for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP18) next week to resume talks aimed at securing a global deal on climate by 2015.

The Emissions Gap Report 2012 has been compiled by 55 scientists from 20 countries. It says that without action greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will be the equivalent 58 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide per year by 2020.

That's around 14 gigatonnes above the level that scientists have said is needed to keep temperature rises this century below the targeted level of 2C.

More here: BBC Science & Environment

[Shadowwolf]

The effects of climate change are already evident in Europe and the situation is set to get worse, the European Environment Agency has warned.

In a report, the agency says the past decade in Europe has been the warmest on record.

It adds that the cost of damage caused by extreme weather events is rising, and the continent is set to become more vulnerable in the future.

The findings have been published ahead of next week's UN climate conference.

They join a UN Environment Programme report also released on Wednesday showing dangerous growth in the "emissions gap" - the difference between current carbon emission levels and those needed to avert climate change.

"Every indicator we have in terms of giving us an early warning of climate change and increasing vulnerability is giving us a very strong signal," observed EEA executive director Jacqueline McGlade.

More here: BBC Science & Environment

[M Paul Lloyd]

The annoying thing is, if we had spent the last ten years building nuclear power stations instead of messing about with stupid windmills and arguing over graphs we might actually be getting somewhere, but given that both China and India have increasing needs for energy, that are largely being met by coal, I can't see us turning the tide any day soon.

[M Paul Lloyd]

And then.

Antarctic Glacier Primed to Form Iceberg
LiveScience.comBy OurAmazingPlanet Staff | LiveScience.com – Tue, Nov 20, 2012
With its protective sea ice barrier melted away, Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier grows ever closer to finally dropping its New York City-sized iceberg into the ocean, according to NASA.
The giant crack in Pine Island Glacier was first spotted by scientists with NASA's IceBridge mission in 2011 as they surveyed the massive ice shelf in their specially equipped DC-8 plane. A second rift also formed and joined the northern side of the crack in May 2012, as captured on satellite images that track the incipient iceberg.
When IceBridge scientists returned this month, they discovered the original rift now has only about half a mile (less than 1 kilometer) to go before the 300-square-mile (770 square kilometers) berg forms.
The calving front of Pine Island Glacier is also free of sea ice, as shown in an Oct. 26 image from the Landsat 7 satellite. Warm spring temperatures are melting the sea ice that rings the continent during the winter, and winds help push the remaining ice out to sea.
Sea ice acts as a buttress against waves, protecting the front of the glacier from calving, Kelly Brunt, a cryosphere scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a NASA video about the Pine Island Glacier rift.

More here
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/antarctic-glac ... 54453.html

[M Paul Lloyd]

But regardless,

Doha climate talks: Will 'hot air' derail the process?
By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News
The right of some rich countries to keep using "hot air" carbon permits could hamper progress at UN climate talks starting on Monday in Qatar.
With the Kyoto Protocol running out at the end of the year, several countries want to carry over unused carbon allowances.
Campaigners say this "hot air" could render new carbon cuts meaningless.
And there are fears that old fault lines between rich and poor will prevent any significant developments.

More here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20443227

[Trinity]

Perhaps this is what the Mayans were on about??


Just kidding honest..

[M Paul Lloyd]

Perhaps this is what the Mayans were on about??

I'm trying to keep an open mind myself.

But anyway.

Sea-level rise from polar ice melt finally quantified
By David Shukman Science editor, BBC News
Melting of polar ice sheets has added 11mm to global sea levels over the past two decades, according to the most definitive assessment so far.
More than 20 polar research teams have combined forces to produce estimates of the state of the ice in Greenland and Antarctica in a paper in Science.
Here
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6111/1183

Which is a shade over 0.5 mm per year.............. Hang on... I'm sorry but isn't that exactly the same as it has been estimated to have been the rate of rise since the end of the last ice-age some 10,000 years ago??

At this rate (based on a total sea level rise of 60 metres) it will take some 100,000 years for all the polar ice to melt!

Which sort of begs the question 'why all the fuss?' ...

Full story here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20543483

[Shadowwolf]

Melting of polar ice sheets has added 11mm to global sea levels over the past two decades, according to the most definitive assessment so far.

More than 20 polar research teams have combined forces to produce estimates of the state of the ice in Greenland and Antarctica in a paper in Science.

Until now different measurement means have produced a wide range of estimates with large uncertainties.

But sea-level rise is now among the most pressing questions of our time.

Polar ice has a tremendous capacity to cause massive rises - with huge potential impacts on coastal cities and communities around the world.

More here: BBC Science & Environment

[M Paul Lloyd]

Beat ya Mr.S

[Shadowwolf]

Oops

[M Paul Lloyd]

in other news.....

Carbon emissions are 'too high' to curb climate change
By Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News
It is increasingly unlikely that global warming will be kept below an increase of 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels, a study suggests.
Data show that global CO2 emissions in 2012 hit 35.6bn tonnes, a 2.6% increase from 2011 and 58% above 1990 levels.
The researchers say that emissions are the largest contributor to future climate change and a strong indicator of potential future warming.
The findings have been published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Meanwhile, the data has been published in the journal Earth System Science Data Discussions.
Many low-lying nations have used the UN conference, which is currently under way in Doha, to call for a threshold temperature rise less than 2C, arguing that even a 2C rise will jeopardise their future.

Full story here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20556703

[Powerman]

Sea-level rise from polar ice melt finally quantified
By David Shukman Science editor, BBC News
Melting of polar ice sheets has added 11mm to global sea levels over the past two decades, according to the most definitive assessment so far.
More than 20 polar research teams have combined forces to produce estimates of the state of the ice in Greenland and Antarctica in a paper in Science.
Here
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6111/1183

Which is a shade over 0.5 mm per year.............. Hang on... I'm sorry but isn't that exactly the same as it has been estimated to have been the rate of rise since the end of the last ice-age some 10,000 years ago??

At this rate (based on a total sea level rise of 60 metres) it will take some 100,000 years for all the polar ice to melt!

Which sort of begs the question 'why all the fuss?' ...

Full story here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20543483

Sorry M Paul but could you expand on this a bit for me as after reading your comment on South Georgian Glaciers earlier in this thread (page 7) I'm hoping for an explanation as to where is all the melted ice has going too?

[M Paul Lloyd]

I think it started on page 5 Powerman but not to worry I'm just glad that someone has read it.

I must admit that my position on Climate Change has waxed and waned dramatically over the years.
First of all I accepted the science on face value because the greenhouse effect was shown to be real..... at least that is in a laboratory experiment way and it has been observed that we have been pumping CO2 into the Earths atmosphere at an alarming rate and then the Mann Hockey Stick graph turned up and it all seemed confirmed.... except that on closer inspection it turned out that said graph was based on data that was compromised (Bristle Cone Pine ring growth that was affected by local elevated CO2 levels) and by the clever use of algorithms the Medieval warm period and little ice age had both been gently massaged out of the figures with the result that it made the graph look so much more dramatic.
So I found myself becoming very sceptical of the whole thing, but prompted by the good Flakkarin I decided to look at Glaciers (through maps and Google Earth as I am not taht well healed) and get some actual visible evidence of melting which gives a reliable indicator of rising global average temperatures, and I have to say I was astonished by how much the Glaciers on South Georgia had retreated and so although I still don't think the Mann Hockey Stick graph has any value at all I do accept that we have a serious problem.
Glaciers all over the world are retreating at an alarming rate releasing billions of tons of water into the Oceans and yet I too am left wondering where all the water has gone to.
I really don't know and sadly nor does anyone else.

[Powerman]

I too am left wondering where all the water has gone to.
I really don't know and sadly nor does anyone else.

I don't mean to be critical but thats just not acceptable! They can't not know?