In February 2005, 200 scientists met in Exeter, UK to warn that dangerous climate change is happening now and action must be taken. The meeting was ignored in the US media. Audio courtesy of TUC Radio.
Program One: The Dangers of Climate Change and Global Warming in the
Antarctic
Stephen Schneider (Stanford University) Chris Rapley (British Antarctic
Survey)
While the earth as a whole has warmed by an average of 7/10 degree C since the industrial age, the Antarctic, Siberia and Alaska have shown much stronger regional warming. The accelerated melting in the Antarctic is of huge importance. The ice sheets hold 90% of the world's fresh water. If all of it melted the global mean sea level would rise by 52 meters. Also: the circumpolar ocean current around the Antarctic is driving the ocean currents of the world, influencing climate up into the Northern Hemisphere.
Program Two: Global Warming on Greenland & Risk of Gulf Stream Collapse
Jay Zwally (NASA) Jason Lowe (Hadley Centre, UK) Michael Schlesinger (U.
of Illinois)
Is the melting we are seeing today the precursor of a major deglaciation
of Greenland or a momentary anomaly? How fast will this process unfold, and can deglaciation be stopped if it begins accelerating due to
internal feedback? Even after CO2 levels are brought under control the oceans will keep expanding - raising the sea levels around the world - the question is for how long? The possible collapse of the Gulf Stream,
leading to a dramatic cooling of Europe, was considered a "high impact - low probability" event. Recent data show that there is now a 70% chance of collapse due to global warming.
Program Three: Global Warming Impacts on Oceans and Land & The Bush Wars on
Climate Science
Rik Leemans (Wageningen University, Netherlands) Carol Turley (Plymouth
Marine Laboratory, UK) Myron Ebell (Bush advisor on climate) Senator
Inhofe (US) Chris Rapley (British Antarctic Survey)
About half of the man-made carbon dioxide produced by fossil-fuel burning has been absorbed by the oceans. These changes are accelerating the extinction of marine life from plankton to cod to coral reefs. Animals and plants are on the move everywhere. Changes in the oceans are especially fast. Some plankton species have already moved north by up to 1000 kilometers. Science tells us more today about the accelerated collapse of earth systems than ever before - we need to pay attention and ACT! However the Bush administration undermined climate science and
prevented an agreement on limits of CO2 emissions at the G8 meeting in Scotland.
