Scientific American: Global Warming Close to Becoming Irreversible

[kpete]

Global Warming Close to Becoming Irreversible
The world is close to reaching tipping points that will make it irreversibly hotter, making this decade critical in efforts to contain global warming, scientists warned on Monday.



As emissions grow, scientists say the world is close to reaching thresholds beyond which the effects on the global climate will be irreversible, such as the melting of polar ice sheets and loss of rainforests.

"This is the critical decade. If we don't get the curves turned around this decade we will cross those lines," said Will Steffen, executive director of the Australian National University's climate change institute, speaking at a conference in London.

Despite this sense of urgency, a new global climate treaty forcing the world's biggest polluters, such as the United States and China, to curb emissions will only be agreed on by 2015 - to enter into force in 2020.

"We are on the cusp of some big changes," said Steffen. "We can ... cap temperature rise at two degrees, or cross the threshold beyond which the system shifts to a much hotter state."



http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=global-warming-close-to-becoming-ir

[benld74]

1. Pbbbbbbt! Its just Scientific American, what do THEY know?

[villager]

2. shoot! Posted this myself after looking for -- but somehow missing -- this earlier post

Well, I guess the sad news bears repeating though. Alas.