Around 10 days ago, the UN Environment Program put out a media release about the latest climate science, clearly timed to contribute to the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh.
The media release announced findings from the Climate Change Science Compendium 2009, which reviews 400 major scientific works on earth systems and climate released through peer-reviewed literature or from research institutions over the last three years, since the close of research for consideration by the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, the current global scientific benchmark.
Amazingly, 10 days later, Google shows that there have been only 68 media mentions of the Compendium from the whole world – and some of them are derisory comments from sceptics.
This is amazing because the Compendium shows that the observed reality of climate change is unfolding at or above the most pessimistic projections of the IPCC, and events such as glacier and ice sheet melting are exceeding predictions.
Amongst the significant points:
- Losses of tropical and temperate mountain glaciers affect perhaps 20 percent to 25 percent of the global human population in terms of drinking water, irrigation and hydro-power.
- The growth in carbon dioxide emissions from energy and industry has exceeded even the most fossil-fuel intensive scenario developed by the IPCC at the end of the 1990s. Global emissions were growing by 1.1 percent each year from 1990-1999 and this accelerated to 3.5 percent per year from 2000-2007.
- Growth of the global economy in the early 2000s and an increase in its carbon intensity (emissions per unit of growth), combined with a decrease in the capacity of ecosystems on land and the oceans to act as carbon “sinks”, have led to a rapid increase in the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This has contributed to sooner-than-expected impacts including faster sea-level rise, ocean acidification, melting Arctic sea ice, warming of polar land masses, freshening of ocean currents and shifts in the circulation patterns of the oceans and atmosphere.
- Until the summer of 2007, most models projected an ice-free September for the Arctic Ocean towards the end of the current century. Reconsideration based on current trends has led to speculation that this could occur as soon as 2030.
Why has this major scientific summary gained so little attention?
“Some scientists are now warning that sea levels could rise by up to two metres by 2100 and five to ten times that over following centuries.”
Not very newsworthy, really. Better to worry about your share portfolio.
Answering your question with a question: How much of the media is controlled by conservatives and corporate conglomerates world wide who have interests opposed to disseminating this information?
I suspect the answer to mine explains the answer to yours.
I agree with you to a degree, Steven, but the MSM and particularly the better newspapers have generally given coverage to developments in climate science. I suspect the fact that this was released during the G20 hullabaloo meant it was overlooked because interested journalists were covering what the leaders were saying..
No worries Mate. You’re well inland and we’re at almost 400 metres above (the current) sea level.
I’m sure all those millions of dark-skinned people living a few feet above sea-level will be perfectly well-behaved while their world disappears around them. I mean, it’s not like anyones going to start a war over the increasingly diminishing remaining resources, or anything silly like that.
Beer?
Crikey cobber, you have become a dinky-di Aussie, haven’t you? Next you’ll be wrestling tassie devils in Hollywood movies…
But you’re right. The government has of course taken the appropriate precaution of keeping defence spending at high levels. Fortunately we won’t see very many of the people who starve, drown or get blown away in natural disasters. Now, this IPO of Myer shares: what do you think about retail prospects?
What can I say, I got my citizenship earlier this year.
Yeah, I’ve noticed the increases in military firepower. For a country that has its own continent, and is completely “girt by sea”, we do seem to be a packing a lot of heat. I mean, if push comes to shove, Indonesia (the US’s largest weapons purchser) out guns us twenty to one.
As for the Myer IPO I think it’s over priced. But then, our Myer burned down.
Oh, and speaking of wrestling devils, check out the second clip down. The audio sure explains why the convicts thought there were “devils” living in the bush.
I see (hear) what you mean.
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I haven’t checked the background of this group, but I can’t complain about the initiative …
While we debate how to reduce carbon emissions and protect our future, climate change is already costing lives. Millions around the world are facing increased flooding, new disease outbreaks and dying farms.
Climate change disproportionately affects the people who have done the least to cause it and have the fewest resources to help cope. Developing countries are 20 times as likely to be effected by climate-related disasters.
But there is hope: new legislation in the Senate would provide targeted funding to support innovative solutions that are already helping people adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
Sign our petition and tell the Senate to stop climate change and it’s devastating effects!
People of Faith for Health Reform
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."