Science / Space Forum

NF Reporter · 12-12-2007, 04:32 AM

AP - An already relentless melting of the Arctic greatly accelerated this summer, a warning sign that some scientists worry could mean global warming has passed an ominous tipping point. One even speculated that summer sea ice would be gone in five years.

Full Story...

waltky · 12-21-2007, 12:15 AM

Granny says we all gonna be like dat frog in hot water...

Global warming outpacing evolution
Dec. 20, 2007 -- U.S. and international researchers say global warming is outpacing the ability of humans, plants and animals to adapt.

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Research presented earlier this year at a conference sponsored by the UCLA Institute of the Environment, published in an upcoming special edition of Molecular Ecology, said human-caused ecological changes have resulted in greater threats of disease, reduced diversity in plant and animal communities, and an overall loss of natural heritage.

"Evolutionary change caused by human activities touches every ecosystem on the planet, yet our understanding of the processes and the long-term consequences remain poorly understood," Thomas Smith, acting director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment, and Louis Bernatchez of Universite Laval in Quebec said in the preface to the special edition.

They called for additional research and better collaboration with policy makers to incorporate evolution in planning and to develop strategies to maximize adaptability, the journal said Thursday in a release. More than 300 scientists and policymakers from 20 countries attended the UCLA summit.

Source

waltky · 04-27-2008, 11:02 PM

Ice free arctic this year??...

North Pole Could Be Ice Free in 2008
April 27, 2008 - You know when climate change is biting hard when instead of a vast expanse of snow the North Pole is a vast expanse of water. This year, for the first time, Arctic scientists are preparing for that possibility.

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"The set-up for this summer is disturbing," says Mark Serreze, of the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). A number of factors have this year led to most of the Arctic ice being thin and vulnerable as it enters its summer melting season. In September 2007, Arctic sea ice reached a record low, opening up the fabled North-West passage that runs from Greenland to Alaska.

The ice expanded again over the winter and in March 2008 covered a greater area than it had in March 2007. Although this was billed as good news in many media sources, the trend since 1978 is on the decline. Arctic ice at its maximum in March, but that maximum is declining by 44,000 km2 per year on average, the NSIDC has calculated. That corresponds to an area roughly twice the size of New Jersey.

What is more, the extent of the ice is only half the picture. Satellite images show that most of the Arctic ice at the moment is thin, young ice that has only been around since last autumn. Thin ice is far more vulnerable than thick ice that has piled up over several years.

Net Loss

waltky · 07-24-2008, 02:03 AM

Hope we get there before the Russkies do...

Oil Motherlode Sits Beneath Arctic
July 23, 2008 - The U.S. Geological Survey has taken a look around the part of the world north of the Arctic Circle, and in a new estimate, out today, it says there are probably "90 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, 1,670 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas, and 44 million barrels of technically recoverable natural gas liquids in 25 geologically defined areas thought to have potential for petroleum."

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What do those numbers mean? The USGS says it could be 22 percent of the undiscovered petroleum on the planet -- 13 percent of the oil and 30 percent of the natural gas. There's a fact sheet HERE, and more at the USGS Arctic Assessment site HERE. They'll give more of an idea of how the estimate was made.

84 percent of what could be drilled is probably offshore, says the report. That makes it harder and more expensive to reach -- but if indeed more of the Arctic Ocean is more ice-free in summer than it used to be, there are fewer complications than there used to be.

One more bit of fodder, perhaps, for the debate about powering the economy in the future. But while 90 billion barrels sound like a lot, the USGS says that's the equivalent of the world's demand for about three years.

Science and Society

Eagle One · 07-24-2008, 12:08 PM

Hello - I am a Senior Member of Rosie's Think Tank. We held a special meeting to discuss this matter of critical importance. Any Senior Member can call a Think Tank meeting to discuss matters of critical importance. All meeting are held at Rosie's Bar. See, we found we think clearer after a few drinks. Thought processes and all, you know.

First about the melting ice. They say the Earth is getting warmer, right? Okay, so ice is cold, right? Even melting ice is cold. So this will help cool the Earth. Problem solved. Don't worry about melted ice, it will just put more water in the oceans and the fish will have more water to swim in. They'll like the cooler water too because there aren't any trees for shade in the ocean.

Now about the oil and stuff up there. We decided the best thing to do is build like 500 or a 1,000 really giant supertankers and put a 1,000 or so giant oil rigs up there. Start pumping that oil before the Arabs or commies or somebody gets it first. Oil problem solved. Rosie's closed at 3:00AM, but I think we agreed to meet Friday night to discuss the food shortage problem. There's a real matter of critical importance.