Health Network News

An increasingly large amount of peer-reviewed research, published since the IPCC 4th Assessment Report was released in 2007, shows that global warming is happening right now, and that it is quicker than predicted just 2 years ago.

The evidence for this statement is from many areas. Some of the areas showing change are shown below.

-Multiple plants and animals, in widespread sites, are already showing evidence of climate change. Examples include the timing of plant flowering, animal breeding, and lake thawing.

-Increased ocean surface temperatures in Pacific & Atlantic hurricane-formation zones which will lead to stronger cyclones are definitely related to human-induced warming.

-Acidification of the world’s oceans is happening quickly, because of CO2 in massive amounts being dissolved in salty water. This is going to have major changes on marine environments and as a result food supplies for many areas.

-Probable sea-level rise over the next 100 years will be higher than that calculated in 2007. It will probably increase at least 100cm, based on newly released scientific studies.

-Rapid melting of Greenland’s glaciers, which began in 2004, is conclusively due to the greenhouse effect.

-West Antarctica’s Ice Shelf is undergoing accelerated melting during the last decade and has witnessed ten major ice-shelf collapses in that period of time.

-Arctic sea-ice is melting much faster than previously estimated, and it is almost certain that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer before 2080.

-Permafrost in the Arctic Circle is thawing much quicker than recently thought, and is releasing larger amounts of greenhouse gases than predicted.

The climate change that we are now witnessing is expected to continue for millennia, even after all anthropogenic carbon dioxide production stops. This is because of the major lags present in the climate system, and the slow removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.