[lizard]

A bit more news...

It seems there is a growing consensus on urgency.

Source: Yale University
Date: October 4, 2007

Americans Consider Global Warming An Urgent Threat, According To Poll

Survey's findings

Sixty-two percent of respondents believe that life on earth will continue without major disruptions only if society takes immediate and drastic action to reduce global warming.

Sixty-eight percent of Americans support a new international treaty requiring the United States to cut its emissions of carbon dioxide 90 percent by the year 2050.

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...and a growing threat.

Julian Borger, diplomatic editor The Guardian Friday October 5 2007
Climate change disaster is upon us, warns UN

· Emergency relief chief calls for swift action
· 12 out of 13 'flash' appeals in 2007 related to weather
· In pictures: floods, droughts and storms across the world
· World in crisis map, 2007 - pdf

A record number of floods, droughts and storms around the world this year amount to a climate change "mega disaster", the United Nation's emergency relief coordinator, Sir John Holmes, has warned.

Sir John, a British diplomat who is also known as the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said dire predictions about the impact of global warming on humanity were already coming true.

"We are seeing the effects of climate change. Any year can be a freak but the pattern looks pretty clear to be honest. That's why we're trying ... to say, of course you've got to deal with mitigation of emissions, but this is here and now, this is with us already," he said.

As a measure of the worsening situation, Ocha, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - part of the UN secretariat that employs Sir John - has issued 13 emergency "flash" appeals so far this year. The number is three more than in 2005, which held the previous record.

Two years ago only half the international disasters dealt with by Ocha had anything to do with the climate; this year all but one of the 13 emergency appeals is climate-related. "And 2007 is not finished. We will certainly have more by the end of the year, I fear," added Sir John, who is in charge of channelling international relief efforts to disaster areas.

More appeals were likely in the coming weeks, as floods hit west Africa. "All these events on their own didn't have massive death tolls, but if you add all these little disasters together you get a mega disaster," he said.

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Originally Posted by GlobalwarmingheartLAN

The poor used to be skinny.

[LANMaster]

Al Gore's Convenient Untruths

LONDON — A High Court judge in London has turned film critic, highlighting "nine scientific errors" in Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. The judge said some of the errors had arisen in "the context of alarmism and exaggeration" to support the former US vice-president's thesis on global warming.

The Government's decision to show the film in secondary schools had come under attack from father-of-two Stewart Dimmock, a Kent school governor and a member of political group The New Party, who accused the Government of "brainwashing" children with propaganda.

Justice Burton ruled at London's High Court that the film, much acclaimed by environmentalists, could be shown in schools as part of a climate change resource pack, but only if it was accompanied by new guidance notes to balance Gore's "one-sided" views.

The judge set out nine alleged errors in the film in which statements were made that were not supported by the current mainstream scientific consensus.

View the 9 here

[LANMaster]

Followup to last
British Court Rules Al Gore Film Exaggerated Climate Claims

Al Gore’s award-winning climate change documentary was littered with nine inconvenient untruths, a judge ruled yesterday.

An Inconvenient Truth won plaudits from the environmental lobby and an Oscar from the film industry but was found wanting when it was scrutinised in the High Court in London.

Justice Burton identified nine significant errors within the former presidential candidate’s documentary as he assessed whether it should be shown to school children. He agreed that Gore’s film was “broadly accurate” in its presentation of the causes and likely effects of climate change but said that some of the claims were wrong and had arisen in “the context of alarmism and exaggeration.”

In what is a rare judicial ruling on what children can see in the class-room, Justice Barton was at pains to point out that the “apocalyptic vision” presented in the film was politically partisan and not an impartial analysis of the science of climate change.

“It is plainly, as witnessed by the fact that it received an Oscar this year for best documentary film, a powerful, dramatically presented and highly professionally produced film,” he said in his ruling. “It is built around the charismatic presence of the former Vice President, Al Gore, whose crusade it now is to persuade the world of the dangers of climate change caused by global warming.

“It is now common ground that it is not simply a science film – although it is clear that it is based substantially on scientific research and opinion – but that it is a political film.”

The analysis by the judge will have a bearing on whether the Government can continue with its plan to have the film shown in every secondary school. He agreed it could be shown but on the condition that it was accompanied by new guidance notes for teachers to balance Gore’s “one-sided” views.

The Government’s decision to show the film in secondary schools had come under attack from Stewart Dim-mock, a school governor in Kent and a member of political group the New Party, who accused the Government of brainwashing children.

Link

[Stoner]

I think it's a good idea to stop these 'political' claims.
Many don't believe the Bush camp, and I hope many will realize Gore is also playing politics on an issue that should be observed from a scientific aspect and then decided as to the ability to resolve if, indeed, it's needed/possible.

[LANMaster]

So why is Gore on the verge of being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?

[Stoner]

Originally Posted by LANMaster

So why is Gore on the verge of being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?

I haven't followed that......
But, imo, it became worthless when Arafat was awarded one.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/p...aureates/1994/

[LANMaster]

Can't argue with you there, Jack.

[valis]

here's a neat little blurb:

Europe needs to take drastic action to reverse complex environmental issues that have shortened the life expectancy of its people by almost a year, the European Environmental Agency said Wednesday.

"Air pollution continues to pose a significant threat to health: it shortens average life expectancy in western and central Europe by almost one year and affects the healthy development of children," the EEA said in a report presented at the opening of a ministerial conference here.

The continent needed to act fast to deal with challenges including the poor quality of air and drinking water, adverse impacts of climate change and continuing biodiversity losses, said the 400-page report.

The report goes on to say that, in the next 40 years or so, you are more likely to die from air pollution than motor vehicle accidents, which, in itself, is rather ironic, as the motor vehicles are contributing so to the air pollution.

Sort of a self cleansing circle.

[poochee]

Killer cow emissions
Livestock are a leading source of greenhouse gases. Why isn't anyone raising a stink?
October 15, 2007

It's a silent but deadly source of greenhouse gases that contributes more to global warming than the entire world transportation sector, yet politicians almost never discuss it, and environmental lobbyists and other green activist groups seem unaware of its existence.

That may be because it's tough to take cow flatulence seriously. But livestock emissions are no joke.

Most of the national debate about global warming centers on carbon dioxide, the world's most abundant greenhouse gas, and its major sources -- fossil fuels. Seldom mentioned is that cows and other ruminants, such as sheep and goats, are walking gas factories that take in fodder and put out methane and nitrous oxide, two greenhouse gases that are far more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Methane, with 21 times the warming potential of CO2, comes from both ends of a cow, but mostly the front. Frat boys have nothing on bovines, as it's estimated that a single cow can belch out anywhere from 25 to 130 gallons of methane a day.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...track=ntothtml

[lizard]

Gore: No plans to run for presidency despite Nobel
Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:18am ET
By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

OSLO (Reuters) - Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore says he has no plans to join the presidential race despite encouragement from thousands of supporters since he won the Nobel Peace Prize for campaigning against climate change.

Gore, narrowly beaten by U.S. President George W. Bush in the 2000 election, said that it was a "great honor" to win the award. Gore will share the $1.5 million prize with the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

...............

"I'm involved in a different kind of campaign, it's a global campaign," Gore said. "It's a campaign to change the way people think about the climate crisis."

Gore has repeatedly said that he has no plans to run, without completely ruling it out...

yeah, and prolly without a lot of other stuff, too.

Be afraid, Lan....be very afraid.
j/k



Actually, the Nobel was awarded jointly to Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, so I doubt he has much choice in sharing the cash.

[pyritechips]

Originally Posted by Stoner

Interesting politics..............the Earth warms, the ice caps melt and the water rises ( )

But I'll be cozy halfway up the Rockies in my seaside resort

Our house in P.E.I for our retirement is only about 10 feet above sea level! I think I had better invest in a snorkel.

[pyritechips]

...you are more likely to die from air pollution than motor vehicle accidents, which, in itself, is rather ironic, as the motor vehicles are contributing so to the air pollution.

Very interesting point! What if a driver chokes on the desiel fumes from the bus in front of him, passes out and kills a pedestrian. That would really complicate cause of death.

[Sins]

I want an immediate UN vote to require India to do something about all those reincarnated cows!! This is a gastro-crisis that could result in a spontaneous explosion and threaten world peace!!!

[Gabriel]

Originally Posted by Sins

I want an immediate UN vote to require India to do something about all those reincarnated cows!! This is a gastro-crisis that could result in a spontaneous explosion and threaten world peace!!!

I always thought it was peculiar that moo was oom backwards

[lizard]

Oceans seen soaking up less CO2

LONDON (Reuters) - The world's oceans appear to be soaking up less carbon dioxide, new environmental research has shown, a development that could speed up global warming.

A 10-year study by researchers from the University of East Anglia has shown that the uptake of CO2 by the North Atlantic ocean halved between the mid-1990s and 2002-2005.

"Such large changes are a tremendous surprise," said Dr Ute Schuster, who will publish the findings with professor Andrew Watson in the Journal of Geophysical Research next month.

"We expected that the uptake would change only slowly because of the ocean's great mass."

There is also evidence of a slowdown in the uptake of CO2 by the Southern ocean, although it is not as great or as sudden as in the North Atlantic.


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