UN sounds alarm over record Arctic ice melt


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UN sounds alarm over record Arctic ice melt

MDF79542-19-09-2012-21-09-53-70.jpg

NASA handout image shows how satellite data reveals how the new record low Arctic sea ice extent, compares to the average minimum extent over the past 30 years (in yellow). File photo

Image by: NASA / Handout

The Arctic's sea ice melted at a record pace in 2012, the ninth-hottest year on record, compounding concerns about climate change underscored by extreme weather such as Hurricane Sandy, the UN weather agency said Thursday.

In a report on the situation in 2012, the World Meterological Organisation said that during the August to September melting season, the Arctic's sea ice cover was just 3.4 million square kilometres.

That was a full 18 percent less than the previous record low set in 2007.

WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud dubbed it a "disturbing sign of climate change."

"The year 2012 saw many other extremes as well, such as droughts and tropical cyclones. Natural climate variability has always resulted in such extremes, but the physical characteristics of extreme weather and climate events are being increasingly shaped by climate change," he said.

"For example, because global sea levels are now about 20 centimetres higher than they were in 1880, storms such as Hurricane Sandy are bringing more coastal flooding than they would have otherwise," he added.

October's Hurricane Sandy killed almost 300 people and caused major destruction in the Caribbean before developing further strength and causing tens of billions of dollars in damage and around 130 deaths in the eastern United States.

Typhoon Bopha, the deadliest tropical cyclone of the year, hit the Philippines twice in December, sparking floods and landslides which killed more than 1,000 people.

The WMO said that the 2012 global land and ocean surface temperature was estimated to be 0.45 degrees Celsius above the 1961-1990 average of 14.0 degrees C.

That marked the ninth warmest year since records began in 1850 and the 27th consecutive year that the global land and ocean temperatures were above the 1961-1990 average, it underlined.

Jarraud noted that the rate of warming varies from year to year due to a range of factors, including the El Nino and La Nina weather phenomena --which see warming and cooling, respectively, in the Pacific Ocean -- as well as volcanic eruptions.

Last year's warming came despite a cooling La Nina at the beginning of the year.

"The sustained warming of the lower atmosphere is a worrisome sign," said Jarraud.

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this should be in conspiracy section since so many people believe that global warming it's just a bunch of lies :laugh:

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The UN is trying un-do the natural process of human species phasing out themselves in due time; and I'm glad to report that all their efforts areth in vain...

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Yea i dont seeing the world leaders doing anything until its too late, and then they will blame there people before them for not doing anything sooner.

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Yea i dont seeing the world leaders doing anything until its too late, and then they will blame there people before them for not doing anything sooner.

As long as there is more of a profit to be made doing the wrong thing people won't do the right thing. Capitalism is an incredibly destructive force.

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As long as there is more of a profit to be made doing the wrong thing people won't do the right thing. Capitalism is an incredibly destructive force.

Yeah, but socialism is equally bad, if not, check out my neighboring country, Nicaragua or venezuela in south america.

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I suggest we build high sea walls. ;)

But where were the ice caps during the prehistoric times when Earths temperature / climate was much, much higher and creatures were huge like the Titanoboa, Megalodon etc etc... :shiftyninja:

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WOW! Great job UN, only 15 yrs too late cos that's when the scientists told you this was gonna happen and you did....nothing.

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WOW! Great job UN, only 15 yrs too late cos that's when the scientists told you this was gonna happen and you did....nothing.

yeah thats what my mah keeps saying "they've been saying this since the 80s, what the alarm now if they haven't done anything for 20 years"

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WOW! Great job UN, only 15 yrs too late cos that's when the scientists told you this was gonna happen and you did....nothing.

Ever heard of Rio, Treaty of Montreal, Kyoto, etc..... the UN has been trying to do plenty but member nations have always not ratified it, vetoed it, abandoned it, etc. The UN also has no power to force countries to abide by treaties. I don't like how people blame the UN for non-action if 70%+ of the UN budget is supplied by the US, Security Council has 5 veto countries, and since 2003 there has not been a powerful or useful UN Military to force countries to abide by the rules.

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WOW! Great job UN, only 15 yrs too late cos that's when the scientists told you this was gonna happen and you did....nothing.

UN policy is dictated by the permanent members of the Security Council and when the US opposes even very conservative environmental protection measures it's very difficult to make any progress.

Yeah, but socialism is equally bad, if not, check out my neighboring country, Nicaragua or venezuela in south america.

In pretty much every implementation we've seen, you're right. Still, I long for a Star Trek style future where money is obsolete and the planet works together.

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Ever heard of Rio, Treaty of Montreal, Kyoto, etc..... the UN has been trying to do plenty but member nations have always not ratified it, vetoed it, abandoned it, etc. The UN also has no power to force countries to abide by treaties. I don't like how people blame the UN for non-action if 70%+ of the UN budget is supplied by the US, Security Council has 5 veto countries, and since 2003 there has not been a powerful or useful UN Military to force countries to abide by the rules.

Agree UN is not big daddy...

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This is not true the UN documents say nothing of the sort, If you want to see the source for this claim just email me and I will be happy to provide you with the link.

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But where were the ice caps during the prehistoric times when Earths temperature / climate was much, much higher and creatures were huge like the Titanoboa, Megalodon etc etc... :shiftyninja:

They didn't exist. In Earths normal climate there should be a Jungle in the Antarctic. If there are any standing bodies of Ice on the Earth like there are now it's classed as an Ice Age. We are still technically in one. The melting is inevitable. If Mankind never existed all that would probably happen is the melt would slow down.

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They didn't exist. In Earths normal climate there should be a Jungle in the Antarctic. If there are any standing bodies of Ice on the Earth like there are now it's classed as an Ice Age. We are still technically in one. The melting is inevitable. If Mankind never existed all that would probably happen is the melt would slow down.

There is a bigger issue. Because we have greatly accelerated the warming process, if there is one, nature cannot catch up through evolution to evolve us, and all the current animals on earth to adapt to the heat. Thus, animals that would of adapted to a more "normal" temperature if the process was natural there would not be mass extinctions as there are now. We as humans are not immune either. Cancers, heat stroke, head aches, etc have all increased because of our activities. We have not only increased our carbon emissions that heat up the planet but we have also chemically changed our atmosphere to contain toxins that are not found in nature, such as PCB's, and toxins that are not normally air borne... such as asbestos. All of this contributes to the degredation of ecosystems, resulting in more carbon releases than normal.

For example, Acid Rain was a major problem in the 1960's-1980's and still is to an extent. It is toxic to plant and animal life. In Sudbury Ontario, Acid Rain destroyed 1000's of Hectares of forest. Since forests are 'Heat Sinks', these forests were not absorbing carbon but releasing it exponentially. Additionally, Oceans are major heat sinks, and with deforestation, and warming of the atmosphere, these two heat sinks cannot offset each other as they used to, resulting in even more accelerated atmospheric carbon increases.

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Climate change is worse because of HAARP-like technologies as well. It's safe to say that the amount of experiment they are doing with the atmosphere is extremely bad.

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So basically it took less than 300 years since the start of the Industrial Revolution for humans to ruin the planet?

Way to go!

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So basically it took less than 300 years since the start of the Industrial Revolution for humans to ruin the planet?

Way to go!

Yes, humans have become a virus. Our population exploded to a level that the planet could not sustain, so we genetically modified life so it can grow faster, bigger with the nutrients we need. Now that food is altering our chemistry... cancers, mutations, muscular diseases, etc.

In my opinion, the industrial revolution was the greatest event to happen to our planet. It increased our knowledge, it increased our lifespan (40yr life expectancy, to 80+yrs now), however, we did not take control of our breeding. Everything that is wrong with our planet today that is caused by humans links back to population. I completely agree that climate change and global warming are our fault and we need to take action. We also need to take action on population growth, but at the same time, I read an article that stated in the next 15 years when 90% of baby boomers retire, we in the west will be ****ed with the majority of our population requiring support. 7.5/10 Western Citizens will be in hospital or a retirement home by 2025 according to Health Canada.

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this should be in conspiracy section since so many people believe that global warming it's just a bunch of lies :laugh:

Climate change is real, but its been happening ever since the earth was formed.

The "bunch of lies" bit, is that its man made, and that by paying a LOT of taxes, and armies of scientists/public servants, we can stop it.

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