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Earth

ESA Satellite Shows Sudden Ice Loss In Southern Antarctic Peninsula 268

ddelmonte tips news that the ESA's CryoSat spacecraft has detected a sharp increase in the rate at which ice is being lost in a previously stable section of Antarctica. In 2009, glaciers at the Southern Antarctic Peninsula began rapidly shedding ice into the ocean, at a rate of roughly 60 cubic kilometers per year (abstract). From the ESA's press release: This makes the region one of the largest contributors to sea-level rise in Antarctica, having added about 300 cubic km of water into the ocean in the past six years. Some glaciers along the coastal expanse are currently lowering by as much as four m each year. Prior to 2009, the 750 km-long Southern Antarctic Peninsula showed no signs of change. ... The ice loss in the region is so large that it has even caused small changes in Earth’s gravity field, detected by NASA’s GRACE mission. Climate models show that the sudden change cannot be explained by changes in snowfall or air temperature. Instead, the team attributes the rapid ice loss to warming oceans.

Comment Re:Oh shut up (Score 1) 776

There's no reason why men should be considered as the only sex to be able to exhibit these traits w/o detracting from their identity as male or female.

-- this post brought to you by the letter ' t ' in LGBTt (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender, transsexual)


Never before have a commenter's sentence and sig gone so well together.

Comment Re:Great. Let's sit here and wait for the next wav (Score 1) 422

Projections in the media of damage and death from the potential impacts of climate change is what the average person hears about and is a useful motivator to convince them that trillions of taxpayer moneys must be spent. To mitigate against possible unspecific events in an uncertain location at an unknown time.

Comment Re:Great. Let's sit here and wait for the next wav (Score 1) 422

Let the ad hominems begin!

https://nofrakkingconsensus.fi...

“The IPCC was not established – and is not controlled – by science academies. Rather, it is a child of one of the most politically driven bodies known to humanity, the United Nations."

"As a UN entity, the IPCC’s primary purpose isn’t to further scientific knowledge but to provide scientific justification for another UN entity – the 1992 treaty known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)."

"Evidence of this is in plain sight. At a 2008 event celebrating the IPCC’s 20th anniversary, chairman Pachauri told a group of IPCC insiders: “The UNFCCC is our main customer.”"

"Similarly a 2011 presentation by vice chair van Ypersele ends this way: “Conclusion: IPCC is eager to continue serving the UNFCCC process.”"

"An international treaty is a political instrument. This makes it impossible for any reasonable person to conclude that the IPCC is about science for science sake."

"This is science for politics sake.”

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