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Science Forum Index » Environment Forum » AGU science body warns Global Warming Dangers.
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| Vendicar Decarian |
 Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:14 pm |
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US science body warns on climate
One of the most influential US science organisations dedicated to
studying the Earth and its environment says human influence on the climate
is increasing.
The American Geophysical Union has just adopted a new policy position
on global warming in which it states its concern over rising greenhouse gas
emissions.
The AGU's council says carbon dioxide concentrations may be climbing
faster now than at any time in Earth history.
It calls for concerted worldwide study to understand how Earth will
change.
"It is virtually certain that increasing atmospheric concentrations of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will cause global surface climate
to be warmer," the AGU council statement says.
"The complexity of the climate system makes it difficult to predict
some aspects of human-induced climate change: exactly how fast it will
occur, exactly how much it will change, and exactly where those changes will
take place."
Recent meeting
It continues: "In contrast, scientists are confident in other
predictions. Mid-continent warming will be greater than over the oceans, and
there will be greater warming at higher latitudes.
"Some polar and glacial ice will melt, and the oceans will warm; both
effects will contribute to higher sea levels.
"The hydrologic cycle will change and intensify, leading to changes in
water supply as well as flood and drought patterns."
The AGU has just finished its fall meeting held in San Francisco. As
in previous years, it heard from researchers whose studies strongly support
the idea that human influence on climate is real and growing.
One presentation sought to show that humans had been altering the
climate for thousands of years, ever since the beginnings of agriculture.
The AGU said it was imperative scientists worldwide participated in
climate research. It also called for policy discussions and decision-making
"to be based upon objective assessment of peer-reviewed research results".
New technologies
The AGU is one of a number of leading US scientific organisations
which have adopted a position on climate change that challenges US
Government policies.
The US Academy of Sciences has also issued similar sentiments to the
AGU.
The Bush administration and members of the Republican-led Congress
have, however, frequently criticised what they regard as the poor and
uncertain science that underpins much of the case for human-induced climate
change.
The US has repudiated the Kyoto Protocol designed to mitigate the
effects of global warming because it believes America's economic interests
would be gravely damaged.
The White House wants greenhouse gas emissions to be cut not by what
it calls the "command and control" of Kyoto, but by voluntary action and
development of new energy technologies such as hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
--
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paying for themselves by causing budget deficits that, in turn, would place
heavy pressure on Congress to lower spending." - Jeff Lemieux - Senior
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"They have an agenda which is to starve the government of revenue. But in
order to get it through, they keep on having to pretend that the tax cuts
are affordable, and so they've been suppressing the likely cost of
everything, including the war on terror." - Paul Krugman - Economist. |
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