Stronger evidence of global warming
R. Ramachandran
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Area of glaciers reduced from 3,391 to 2,721 sq. km. between 1962-2004
By 2050, negative mass balance of glaciers will be
90 per cent
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Udhagamandalam: With more recent data on the Himalayan glaciers from the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites, scientists of the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisaation (ISRO) at Ahmedabad now have much stronger evidence of the finger print of global warming in the observed alarming retreat of these glaciers.
The new results were presented at the ongoing National Space Science Symposium (NSSS-2008) here by Dr. Anil V. Kulkarni of SAC.
In 2004 Dr. Kulkarni and his colleagues investigated the spatial extent of 466 glaciers in the basins of Chenab, Parbati and Baspa using remote sensed data and compared them with the 1962 topographic data of the Survey of India.
They found an overall reduction of 21 per cent in the glacial surface area. They had also found that the process of deglaciation had led to the fragmentation of large glaciers resulting in the reduction in the mean surface area of glacial extent from 1 sq. km. to 0.32 sq. km. during 1962-2004.
The new data pertains to two additional basins of Warwan and Bhut comprising 253 and 189 glaciers respectively. Together with the earlier data on 466 glaciers, the cumulative area of these 908 Himalayan glaciers has been found to have reduced from 3391 sq. km. to 2721 sq. km., implying a total area reduction of 20 per cent.
Another new finding is that the snow line — altitude above which there is no snowmelt had significantly increased in the Himalayan basins since 1970. Snow line essentially is the line of zero mass balance, where snow accumulation equals ablation or melting. For example, studying 30 glaciers in the Baspa basin, the scientists found that the snow line had increased from 4900 m in 1970 to 5300 m in 2006.
More quantitatively, the scientists found that the percentage area of the 30 glaciers below the snow line was only 25 per cent between up to 1990. This means that only 25 per cent of the glacial area had negative mass balance. In 2006, this fraction increased to 70 per cent. The scientists predict that by 2050, this fraction would be a high 90 per cent.
One of the significant changes due to warming that Dr. Kulkarni and his associates had seen even in the earlier work was that the winter run off had increased by as much as 75 per cent between 1966 and 1995. Now they have more quantitative glacier-wise data, which shows the snow accumulation having a wavelike pattern, instead of a flat profile of accumulated snow during peak winter.
Snowfalls
This shows that between snow storms or heavy snow falls the warming is resulting in significant melt. So, even the episodes of heavy snowfalls in the north during the most recent winter should not be taken to imply that warming has not significantly affected the Himalayan snow and glacier formation, Dr. Kulkarni said. Far less accumulation is occurring in glaciers today than before and this is a clear imprint of warming, he added.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Earthquake in Lincolnshire......
An earthquake in Lincolnshire is felt all over UK but particularly in Barnsley.......
Chimney pot falls off roof and knocks a man's flat 'at off!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
David Suzuki & Global Warming
David Suzuki and uncomfortable warming
Monday, February 25, 2008 at 10:44 PM Comments: 15Previous Post Next Post
If you listen to David Suzuki, you'd hear about how human activity is causing the Earth to warm up. Specifically, how a mere 30 million Canadians are supposed to shoulder a large amount of the blame.
His rhetoric has become increasingly heated, ironically.
Well, it seems that the heat generated by his latest comments has caused David Suzuki to throttle it back.
David Suzuki was embroiled in controversy over the last two weeks following repeated comments made to university students in which he declared not believing in the theory of anthrogenic global warming to be a crime, and that politicians ought to be imprisoned who do not follow David Suzuki's formula to save the planet.
The apparent shift from scientific theory to a state-sponsored religious orthodoxy became a flashpoint for a slew of editorials across the country denouncing Suzuki's comments.
For many columnists, Suzuki's comments represented confirmation of what they had long suspected -- global warming was no longer a matter of science, but of faith. And a dark form of faith, with inquisitions and imprisonment for those who exhibited less-than-acceptable zeal for the Environmental Word.
Though nowhere does it say this, I wonder if David Suzuki was feeling progressively more uncomfortable with the increased temperature. Even as the initial furor died down, references to Suzuki and his demand for jail terms for the unbelievers continued to appear in the media -- sometimes in a serious way, sometimes in a mocking tones.
Unless something was done quickly, that image of David Suzuki demanding that prisons be emptied of killers and thieves to make room for skeptics who drive SUVs (not what he called for, exactly, but these things grow in the retelling) would become indelible.
And so the next major announcement from David Suzuki speaks of taxes. Not higher taxes to shut down the carbon dioxide spewing economy, but lower taxes for all of us:
David Suzuki is trying to speak Stephen Harper's language, releasing a report Monday that argues a strong climate change plan could produce deep income tax cuts.
The well-known environmentalist and Simon Fraser University economist Mark Jaccard released a report Monday morning on Parliament Hill that outlines various options for Ottawa to implement a carbon tax or other ways of forcing polluters to pay for their environmental impacts.
The report argues that making polluters pay a fee for every tonne of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere could raise between $50-billion and $100-billion in revenue annually by 2020.
The report argues that most of that revenue could be used to greatly reduce personal income taxes.
Rather than devoting all the revenue to tax cuts, the report suggests some of the money be put toward renewable energy projects such as wind and solar power.
Suggests that some of the money be put into windmills?
Who are you and what have you done with the real David Suzuki?!
I'll leave the question of whether this idea seems credible. I won't even delve into the question of whether David Suzuki is being sincere when he says money ought to be put back into the economy, or even if he really believes there is any likelihood of money being available to put back in.
But I find the timing interesting. David Suzuki's middle initial is "T". Perhaps he was worried if people would wonder if it stood for Torquemada, the Dominican most identified with the excesses of the Spanish Inquisition. So out comes a report in which David Suzuki bangs on the "lower taxes" drum.
Go green and we'll all be rich!
Right. Sure. And if I'm as skeptical of your wildly optimistic economic theories as I am of your shrill environmental prophecies of doom, then what? Is there a wing of your prison those people too?
It'll take more than promising money you don't have to make people forget that you told Canadian youth to put the previous generation in jail.
Search for more opinions from Canadian bloggers on these related keywords
David Suzuki global warming taxes
Monday, February 25, 2008 at 10:44 PM Comments: 15Previous Post Next Post
If you listen to David Suzuki, you'd hear about how human activity is causing the Earth to warm up. Specifically, how a mere 30 million Canadians are supposed to shoulder a large amount of the blame.
His rhetoric has become increasingly heated, ironically.
Well, it seems that the heat generated by his latest comments has caused David Suzuki to throttle it back.
David Suzuki was embroiled in controversy over the last two weeks following repeated comments made to university students in which he declared not believing in the theory of anthrogenic global warming to be a crime, and that politicians ought to be imprisoned who do not follow David Suzuki's formula to save the planet.
The apparent shift from scientific theory to a state-sponsored religious orthodoxy became a flashpoint for a slew of editorials across the country denouncing Suzuki's comments.
For many columnists, Suzuki's comments represented confirmation of what they had long suspected -- global warming was no longer a matter of science, but of faith. And a dark form of faith, with inquisitions and imprisonment for those who exhibited less-than-acceptable zeal for the Environmental Word.
Though nowhere does it say this, I wonder if David Suzuki was feeling progressively more uncomfortable with the increased temperature. Even as the initial furor died down, references to Suzuki and his demand for jail terms for the unbelievers continued to appear in the media -- sometimes in a serious way, sometimes in a mocking tones.
Unless something was done quickly, that image of David Suzuki demanding that prisons be emptied of killers and thieves to make room for skeptics who drive SUVs (not what he called for, exactly, but these things grow in the retelling) would become indelible.
And so the next major announcement from David Suzuki speaks of taxes. Not higher taxes to shut down the carbon dioxide spewing economy, but lower taxes for all of us:
David Suzuki is trying to speak Stephen Harper's language, releasing a report Monday that argues a strong climate change plan could produce deep income tax cuts.
The well-known environmentalist and Simon Fraser University economist Mark Jaccard released a report Monday morning on Parliament Hill that outlines various options for Ottawa to implement a carbon tax or other ways of forcing polluters to pay for their environmental impacts.
The report argues that making polluters pay a fee for every tonne of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere could raise between $50-billion and $100-billion in revenue annually by 2020.
The report argues that most of that revenue could be used to greatly reduce personal income taxes.
Rather than devoting all the revenue to tax cuts, the report suggests some of the money be put toward renewable energy projects such as wind and solar power.
Suggests that some of the money be put into windmills?
Who are you and what have you done with the real David Suzuki?!
I'll leave the question of whether this idea seems credible. I won't even delve into the question of whether David Suzuki is being sincere when he says money ought to be put back into the economy, or even if he really believes there is any likelihood of money being available to put back in.
But I find the timing interesting. David Suzuki's middle initial is "T". Perhaps he was worried if people would wonder if it stood for Torquemada, the Dominican most identified with the excesses of the Spanish Inquisition. So out comes a report in which David Suzuki bangs on the "lower taxes" drum.
Go green and we'll all be rich!
Right. Sure. And if I'm as skeptical of your wildly optimistic economic theories as I am of your shrill environmental prophecies of doom, then what? Is there a wing of your prison those people too?
It'll take more than promising money you don't have to make people forget that you told Canadian youth to put the previous generation in jail.
Search for more opinions from Canadian bloggers on these related keywords
David Suzuki global warming taxes
Earthquake in the UK
UK rocked by powerful earthquake
The biggest earthquake to hit the UK for almost 25 years has shaken homes across England and parts of Wales.
Lincolnshire was hit by the centre of the quake early on Wednesday, but the tremors woke people up as far away as Newcastle, London and Cardiff in Wales.
The main quake lasted about 10 seconds and measured 5.3 on the Richter Scale.
Lots of chimneys collapsed, roof tiles fell off and the emergency services received loads of calls, but luckily it seems no-one was seriously hurt.
Did YOU feel the earthquake? Tell us here...
The centre of the quake hit LincolnshireYou've been telling us what the quake felt like where you live.
In Lincolnshire, eight-year-old John said it felt like a rollercoaster ride, but Molly, nine, thought it was much scarier.
"It was really bad here and we thought it was a plane crash from our nearest airport," she said. "We were bouncing around. It was that strong and really scary."
The last big earthquake to hit the UK measured 5.4 on the Richter Scale when it struck north Wales in 1984, but a smaller quake hit Kent in April last year.
Really Cool!
Cooler temperatures, more snow, in cards for March
John Schudlo, Ottawa CitizenPublished: Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Don't think about putting away that shovel or scarf any time soon.
Ottawa's seemingly relentless onslaught of snow continued Tuesday, with 10 to 15 centimetres expected to fall by Wednesday morning. Then, says Environment Canada, temperatures will drop to as low as -22 on Thursday, a full 10 degrees below the average for this time of year.
And after that? More snow on Friday and Saturday. "We cry 'uncle' and we think that nature is humanitarian and it will be kind to us," says Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips.
"Well, that's not the case."
He says many people think that because Ottawa has already gotten so much snow this year - 302 cm in total, 64 per cent more than average for this time of year - the weather is bound to let up soon.
"The thing is, it's probably still another eight weeks," says Mr. Phillips. "We haven't stopped counting the flakes." He likes to remind people that Ottawa has never had a March on record without snow, and only three of the past 70 Aprils haven't produced snowfall in the area.
Still, he says, people can take solace in knowing that the days are getting longer and the sun is getting more intense. That, combined with the typical jump in rainfall that March brings, will help to wash some snow away.
Mr. Phillips says residents probably shouldn't expect this winter's snowfall to surpass the 450 cm the region experienced in the record-setting 1970-1971 winter.
But, Environment Canada is calling for a "normal to colder than normal" March, he adds.
John Schudlo, Ottawa CitizenPublished: Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Don't think about putting away that shovel or scarf any time soon.
Ottawa's seemingly relentless onslaught of snow continued Tuesday, with 10 to 15 centimetres expected to fall by Wednesday morning. Then, says Environment Canada, temperatures will drop to as low as -22 on Thursday, a full 10 degrees below the average for this time of year.
And after that? More snow on Friday and Saturday. "We cry 'uncle' and we think that nature is humanitarian and it will be kind to us," says Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips.
"Well, that's not the case."
He says many people think that because Ottawa has already gotten so much snow this year - 302 cm in total, 64 per cent more than average for this time of year - the weather is bound to let up soon.
"The thing is, it's probably still another eight weeks," says Mr. Phillips. "We haven't stopped counting the flakes." He likes to remind people that Ottawa has never had a March on record without snow, and only three of the past 70 Aprils haven't produced snowfall in the area.
Still, he says, people can take solace in knowing that the days are getting longer and the sun is getting more intense. That, combined with the typical jump in rainfall that March brings, will help to wash some snow away.
Mr. Phillips says residents probably shouldn't expect this winter's snowfall to surpass the 450 cm the region experienced in the record-setting 1970-1971 winter.
But, Environment Canada is calling for a "normal to colder than normal" March, he adds.
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