100-Year Forecast: New Climate Zones Humans Have Never Seen

[TechBear_Seattle]

100-Year Forecast: New Climate Zones Humans Have Never Seen

If global warming continues unabated, many of the world's climate zones may disappear by 2100, leaving new ones in their place unlike any that exist today, according to a new study. Researchers compared existing patterns of temperature and precipitation with those that may exist at the turn of the century, based on scenarios put forth in the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). They found that if greenhouse gas emissions continue rising at the same rate, up to 39 percent of Earth's continental surface may experience totally new climates, primarily in the tropics and adjacent latitudes as warmer temperatures spread toward the poles.

Researchers say the analysis was intended to more precisely gauge the ecological consequences of climate change. Studies have already estimated that species such as butterflies are creeping toward the poles at a rate of six kilometers per decade as temperatures rise. Some species, however, may not be able to keep pace with future changes potentially leading to new regional ecosystems as novel climate patterns emerge, possibly leading to extinctions if some climates disappear entirely.

The article continues at http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleid=90A5DC7C-E7F2-99DF-320EEF89EB22219C

[meegbear]

1. So if people start feeding their girls lots of beef ...

their male offspring will have lower sperm counts, helping to keep down the world population, thus slowing down some of the effects of greenhouse gases.

I just solved a world crisis. No need to thank me world.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. For the benefit of those just tuning in...

Meegbear is referring to this post I made earlier.

It sounds like an interesting solution, but what would we do with India? :hi:

[meegbear]

3. We'll outsource them!

:rofl: