Nature News
Optimistic signals from informal climate meeting of 28 nations
Jun 14, 2007, 11:50 GMT
More measures to combat deforestation and to plant new trees was one of the issues raised at an informal parley of environment ministers and officials from 28 countries that ended Thursday in northern Sweden.
Riksgransen/Stockholm - More measures to combat deforestation and to plant new trees was one of the issues raised at an informal parley of environment ministers and officials from 28 countries that ended Thursday in northern Sweden.
The discussions ranged from 'more ambitious legally-binding emissions targets for all developed countries' to further action against deforestation, Swedish Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren said via video link.
Carlgren underlined that the purpose of the meeting was not to agree on concrete measures but to conduct broad discussions.
On deforestation he said, 'this was an area where there was need for urgent and immediate action.'
Rachmat Witoelar, Indonesia's State Minister for the Environment, said Jakarta was 'in the process of planting 2 billion trees over five years,' noting the role forests had in capturing carbon dioxide.
Germany's Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who last week attended the Group of Eight (G8) summit in the German resort of Heiligendamm, said tree planting was 'one of the cheapest forms of climate protection, especially in the developing world.'
A plan to create a so-called global carbon forest fund was agreed at the G8 summit, with Germany pledging 50 million dollars, he said.
The four-day informal meeting was held at the Hotel Riksgransen in northern Sweden, some 300 kilometres above the Arctic Circle. The vistas included lakes, snow-capped mountains and gnarled mountain birch trees.
Witoelar said he was 'very encouraged,' after the meeting, noting the 'broad consensus' among delegates.
Indonesia is in December slated to host a UN climate change conference in Bali.
'We can develop a road map on what to do and to proceed,' Witoelar said, noting the need to 'concentrate on the further emission reductions by industrialized countries because we know that excess of carbon dioxide is making a blanket around the Earth.'
Gabriel said the G8 summit was 'a step forward toward international negotiations about the post-Kyoto regime,' referring to the treaty aimed at reducing greenhouse gases that expires 2012.
'We need to finish the (post-Kyoto) negotiations in 2009 because our experience is that we need a lot of time to bring it through parliaments,' Gabriel said, noting that 189 nations were involved.
Gabriel said 'we could see a remarkable change' compared to the Nairobi conference on climate last year.
'One of the most unfair situations is that we in the industrialized world emit the most carbon dioxide, and the people in Africa are so poor there are no emissions and suffer the most,' he added.
Denmark created the format in 2005 when environment ministers visited Greenland, and in 2006 the meeting was held in South Africa. Argentina has offered to host the 2008 informal meeting.
With the exception of Russia, many key nations ranging from industrialized nations like Germany, Japan and Britain to emerging economies like Brazil, China, India and China as well as developing nations that would be impacted by climate change like Bangladesh, Kenya and Tuvalu attended.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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page: 1
they already have this tech, called the haarp...Where have you been?
Carl Wunsch, professor of physical oceanography at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that the debate about global warming can point out risks, but assertions of impending catastrophe can’t be proven with mathematical certainty.
“Carbon dioxide is part of a very complicated feedback system,” Wunsch said Monday. “Assertions that you can show that carbon dioxide change led, or lagged, temperature change proves that there is, or is not, a human component is absolute nonsense. It’s much more complicated than that.”
He said computer models can underscore risks, but can’t be used to made definitive predictions.
“You’re talking about an extraordinarily complicated scientific subject in which there are many elements not very well understood,” the professor said. “What’s going on with the models is people saying, ‘This could happen. If it does happen, we need to take precautions to deal with it.’ That’s quite different from saying that ‘I know the world will be warmer by X. I know there will be a drought in the mid-west that will last for decades.’ Models are simply telling us this is a real possibility.”
Wunsch stressed that “very little is actually proven in this subject” and possible policy solutions are beyond the reach of science.
“It’s an extraordinarily complicated social, economic, political and scientific problem that we’re now reducing to sound bites,” Wunsch said.
new report published today by the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change challenges NASA scientist James Hansen's claims of a dire global warming future. In the report, physicist Sherwood Idso and agronomist Craig Idso conducted a comprehensive evaluation of Hansen's April 26, 2007 testimony before the House Select Committee of Energy Independence and Global Warming and concluded there is 'very little evidence to justify [Hansen's] policy prescriptions for dealing with what he calls a 'dangerous climate change.''
Considered by many to be perhaps the world's foremost authority on the 'greenhouse effect' of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, Hansen's statements are typically regarded as expressions of fact. 'In many cases, however, they are merely his opinions,' said Dr. Sherwood Idso, lead author of the report. 'When Hansen's testimony is compared with what has been revealed by the scientific investigations of a diverse assemblage of highly competent researchers in a wide variety of academic disciplines, we find that he paints a very different picture of the role of anthropogenic CO2 emissions in shaping the future fortunes of man and nature alike than what is suggested by that larger body of work.'
Among the inconsistencies between Hansen's House of Representatives' testimony and the scientific literature is Hansen's claim of a sea level rise this century measured in meters, due to 'the likely demise of the West Antarctic ice sheet.' However, the most recent and comprehensive review of potential sea level rise due to contributions from the wastage of both the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets suggests a century-long rise measured in millimeters. Similarly, whereas Hansen claims the rate of sea level rise is accelerating, century-scale data indicate the mean rate-of-rise of the global ocean has either not accelerated at all or has actually slowed over the latter part of the past century.
Another Hansen claim that is at odds with reality is that atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are 'skyrocketing,' which is not universally true. The most important contrary example is methane, which has historically provided a climate forcing equal to approximately half that provided by CO2, but whose atmospheric concentration actually stabilized several years ago and has not risen since by any appreciable amount.
Also contrary to what Hansen claims is the fact that the earth is not any warmer now - and is possibly a fair amount cooler - than it was many times in the past. These warmer-than-present periods include much of the Medieval Warm Period of a thousand years ago, most of the Climatic Optimum that held sway during the central portion of the current interglacial, and significant portions of all four of the prior interglacials, when (in all six cases) the air's CO2 concentration was much lower than it is today. These facts are extremely important because they demonstrate that today's temperatures are not in any way unusual, unnatural or unprecedented, contrary to what Hansen claims.
Google 'New Scientist Climate Myths' for data on medieval wrming period and other items
I don't know where REAL GEM gets his facts from but sea levels[From NASA satelite data] rose one inch from 1945-95 from 95 to 05 they rose another inch and are curently rising at one inch every 7 years, that sounds like an acceleration to me.
Co2 in the atmosphere last year was the highest level ever recorded and also the yearly increase was by the largest margin ever recorded, that sounds like an accelaration to me.
Arctic sea ice last year shrunk to it's lowest level ever recorded, an area the size of Turkey that had never melted before broke up,that sounds like an accelaration to me.
Can you please explain to me that if temperatures were higher in medaeval times [and I am not disputing that] why sea levels were not higher than today?
The real problem with global warming though is that the last time we had it the worlds population was a fraction of what it is now. What are we going to do with 6.6 billion human beings?
The anti-warmer Sherwood Idso quoted above is president of the Centre for Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change.
This organisation is funded by ExxonMobil Corporate Giving and The ExxonMobil Foundation - so everybody can understand how 'impartial' it must be !
Re: Medieval temperature: It was higher then than the periods either side, but the current temperatures are now exceeding the medieval peak, and are the highest for perhaps the last 125,000 years - and the rate of change is current very rapid, unlike changes in previous eras
Thank you JOHN
Al Gore is the largest shareholder and on the board of Occidental Petro, Is he influenced also?...By the way ...greatest manu of solar and other green products, yep petro corporations...dont fall for the reverse smoke and mirrors...
Temperatures are in decline, Try reading something other than enviromental wacko bias web info. Saw where George Bush is more green than Big AL Gore...WOW
Heavy snow and wind storms that are punishing the Andes region have forced the closure of a key mountain highway and tunnel connecting Argentina with Chile leaving an estimated 6.000 fully loaded trucks stranded.
Argentine transit officials predicted the Cristo Redentor tunnel, a nearly 3.5 kilometres passage drilled into the mountains at 3.500 meters above sea level, would remain impassable for another 72 hours because of snowstorms and winds, reported the Argentine news agency Telam.
Authorities said some 2.700 trucks were halted on the Argentine side of the border and 3.300 more on the Chilean side.
Cristo Redentor, 1.300 kilometres from Buenos Aires has been blocked with snow and closed since last weekend and weather officials have warned that besides heavy snow, winds over a hundred kilometres strong are forecasted for Thursday and Friday.
The Andes crossing which links Mendoza with Santiago de Chile is crucial for Mercosur land transport.
The spell of bad weather has also extended to Buenos Aires and neighbouring Uruguay with days of intermittent heavy fog that hampered domestic air travel and sea links between Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
The situation worsened when a few among the thousands of stranded passengers in Buenos Aires domestic air terminal, Aeroparque, furious because of the lack of information and accommodation attacked check-in personnel which resulted in a two days strike by Argentina’s main domestic airline, Aerolineas Argentinas staff.
Workers only returned when greater security was guaranteed by the airlines. An estimated 20.000 travelers have been stranded for almost a week in Aeroparque.
I seem to recall this was printed several days ago - could it be that the anti-warmers are getting so desperate that they have to keep regurgitating any sparse items which appear to support them ?
In fact, Global Warming models predict highly variable weather patterns - so events such as this support the case for Global Warming, not spurious claims of a new Ice Age coming soon
Deny terrorism, real deniers, without george bush, you would be fighting al queda and could not focus on global warming, now called global climate change since it is obvious the ice age is soon nearby.Unfortunately cool or cold weather is not reported on as much and not referenced as global warming, at least not by socialist environmental terro deniers. Get a hummer and save us from the prius.
Yawn
Real Denier - if you are so concerned that cool weather is not being reported, why don't you tell us about it ? Beware, however, that Global warming models predict that there will be some areas that will become colder, so your publishing of such events will possibly have the opposite effect to your intention
The models also predict, for instance, that the North of the UK will become much wetter. There is currently extremely heavy rain and widespread flooding there. Or drought conditions in america - look at California. Or warming of the Antarctic - 3 degrees warmer on the coast (colder in the centre - also predicted). And so on and so on. Please look at the models and tell us which events are not happening
Why did More WIMB bother with the weather report of snow in the Andes ? This is in the Southern hemisphere, Winter is approaching, it is a mountainous region - I believe snow is not unknown in such a scenario !
He might do better to look at the impending drought conditions in america, which are rather more serious (but of course, indicates global warming, which he is trying to ignore)
Go to 'USA Weather' on Google and look at the lead story
Because drive by media sheep believe everything is global warming or climate change, if its happeneing in your backyard its real. all normal weather like droughts etc are now global warming, what a joke, what will you believe next?...Al Gore?...Dont worry, the comet or asteroid will be here as will a ice age, every 11000 years...
Yawn...
And the blind man who fell from a skyscraper thought,'Well thats a nice breeze and everything seems to be OK so far'.
Amazing loss of words, oops that right, never anything to post, fake USA hater...Busy sleeping...Are you Pete, Tonni or Andy,Jim, Who this week?...Also what wacko websites do you subscribe to?...Thanks
Strong and widespread cold described March this year (2007) all across Alaska. Temperatures throughout the mainland were more than 8EF below average and the most extreme temperature departures of more than 16EF below average were observed in the central Interior. Areas along the Arctic coast and the southeast panhandle had relative warmth with temperature departures less than 8EF below average. The portions of the state that had extreme cold also received little in the way of precipitation as clear and sunny skies dominated. A location that received more than its fair share of snowfall was Juneau, breaking daily, monthly, and seasonal snowfall records.
Fairbanks
Fairbanks residents experienced nearly the coldest March on record this year with an average temperature of -6.5EF, just one tenth of a degree shy of the record cold of 1959. This is a departure of -17.6EF from the average March temperature . The high of 41EF on the last day of the month broke a string of 111 consecutive days (or since December 9th) that the temperature did not reach freezing. Only twice during March was the low temperature not below zero and the lowest temperature for the month was -39EF on the 2nd.
Anchorage
With an average temperature of 15.0EF for March, Anchorage had its 3rd coldest March on record, one degree behind the record coldest set in 1959. This average is 10.9EF colder than normal. The high and low for the month was 37EF on the 31st and -3EF on the 6th..
Juneau
The snowfall total at Juneau’s airport of 62.7 inches broke the previous high snowfall total of 1948 by 10 inches. In addition, two daily snowfall totals set records; 10.7 inches on the 2nd and 6.8 inches on the 16th both set new records for the respective dates. The seasonal snowfall total to date of 197.8 inches is more than twice the normal amount and sets a new record, surpassing the previous record high snowfall season of 1964/65 by 3.5 inches.
King Salmon
King Salmon residents experienced a cold and dry March. The average temperature of 5.7EF is 17.8EF colder than normal and ties with 1959 as the third coldest March on record. The low for the month of -27EF set a new record low for that date, while the high for the month of 41EF occurred on the 31st.
The above is further proof of global warming, which is predicted to bring more extremes of weather. The places above were much colder, parts of Europe were much hotter than normal - so events are matching predictions. They certainly don't support the anti-warmers fantasies about another ice age before Christmas
Signs of approaching Ice Age. Recently, Scottish workers who pan for gold in the many Scottish rivers have been putting some of their effort into panning for lentils, which used to be abundant in the centuries following the last ice age, but the practice died out during the medieval warm period.
Now there are signs of a resurgence in the industry and this is taken as a sure sign that colder times are approaching. Schools will be adding panning skills to the curriculum from next September.
A downside, however, may be the lentils' effect on the Scottish Salmon industry, as the fish are notoriously wary of using the same rivers as lentils
If other readers have similar evidence of a progressive trend towards the next ice age, perhaps they could post them here
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techJun 15th, 2007 - 00:02:18
The majority of the communication systems today are based on our recognizable senses such as sight and sound. Scientists have designed and developed hardware based on these two primary attributes. What Gaiacomm International has done is to go beyond those attributes and design technology that relies entirely on global senses.
Gaiacomm International has based it’s communications system on the senses that we are not aware of but exist globally.
By understanding the principles of electrostriction one can use the benefit of terahertz radiation to insight atoms in the atmosphere to collide and release energy that could be focused in an area desired. The results would be a flash-burn (Ignition) of the oxygen atoms and other specific atoms to completely destroy a target. A weapon of mass destruction.
Reference: United States Patent 4,686,605 Eastlund August 11, 1987
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