Climate Change

Just found a new blog on global warming, very informative:

So the NYT’s Andy Revkin blogs on the new Gallup survey, “Gallup: Rising View That Climate Risk Exaggerated?” and asks “What’s your take on what’s going on?” What’s your take on why Gallup finds “a record-high 41%” of Americans now say the

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“seriousness of global warming” is exaggerated.

[Yes, let’s put aside the irony of that question coming from the reporter who famously wrote an article, “In Debate on Climate Change, Exaggeration Is a Common Pitfall” that charged Nobelist Al Gore — the man most associated in the public mind with the climate warning — with exaggeration (a false charge, as I proved here).]

Here’s my take. Objectively, in the last two years, the science makes painfully clear that climate risk has grown sharply, far beyond what 99% of people I talk to realize, even highly informed people.

He has lots of charts and things but the main point is clear - we are screwed. Nobody is doing anything in this country because most of us don't think it's all that bad. I've been worried sick about this, we really are going to be royally screwed by climate change that has gone too far to stop now. Best we can do is try to limit the damage. Here's more from the site:

* Hadley Center: Catastrophic 5-7°C warming by 2100 on current emissions path
* M.I.T. joins climate realists, doubles its projection of global warming by 2100 to 5.1°C
* AAAS: Climate change is coming much harder, much faster than predicted
* Nobel laureate Rowland agrees we are headed to 1000 ppm
* NOAA stunner: Climate change “largely irreversible for 1000 years,” with permanent Dust Bowls in Southwest and around the globe
* Startling new sea level rise research: “Most likely” 0.8 to 2.0 meters by 2100
* US Geological Survey stunner: Sea-level rise in 2100 will likely “substantially exceed” IPCC projections

All this is very bad news. Now I don't think things will get so bad that human life or civilization will end, but millions, maybe even billions, are going to suffer and many will die over the next century.

He is saying that the oceans will rise 5 feet by 2100, 91 years from now. To think about how bad this is go to the beach (those of you not landlocked) and stand on the sand right at the water's edge. Figure out where 5 feet is by using your own height, doesn't have to be perfect, this is just a quick estimate to give perspective.

Now turn around and face away from the ocean and project an imaginary line at 5' high and see where it goes. Down here in So Cal it means all our beaches will be gone and all houses close to the beach will be gone, at a total lose to the owners.

The blog is called Climate Progress and it's written by Joseph Romm.

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• Sea level could rise more than a metre by 2100 (guardian.co.uk)
• Poll: Number Of Americans Who Think Global Warming Is 'Exaggerated' Is Increasing (thinkprogress.org)