Summary of the IPCC Summary for Policymakers, part III

This time, it's personal

Posted by Joseph Romm (Guest Contributor) at 4:36 PM on 11 Apr 2007

Read more about: IPCC | climate change impacts | politics | climate | United States

(Continued from parts I and II.)

Last but not least (actually, what quite literally hits closest to home!):

North America

Moderate climate change in the early decades of the century is projected to increase aggregate yields of rain-fed agriculture by 5-20 percent, but with important variability among regions.
Warming in Western mountains is projected to cause decreased snowpack, more winter flooding, and reduced summer flows, exacerbating competition for over-allocated water resources.
Disturbances from pests, diseases, and fire are projected to have increasing impacts on forests, with an extended period of high fire risk and large increases in area burned.
Cities that currently experience heat waves are expected to be further challenged by an increased number, intensity, and duration of heat waves during the course of the century.
Current adaptation [to stress posed toward coastal communities] is uneven and readiness for increased exposure is low.

In the United States, we have the most to lose from changing climate. And yet so many of our citizens are not worried. According to a recent Gallup pole, that attitude isn't going over well globally. Historically and today, we are responsible for a disproportionate percentage of the emissions and have yet to take responsibility or action.

That attitude needs to change because of the consequences to nature, the globe, and -- we can't forget -- ourselves.

For story: Summary of the IPCC Summary for Policymakers, part III
11 Comments | Post a Comment

Agriculture

>Moderate climate change in the early decades of the century is projected to increase aggregate yields of rain-fed agriculture by 5-20 percent, but with important variability among regions.

That is if total warming is kept to 2 or 3 degree centigrade. Above above 3 degrees that turns into a decrease in production. And I think that with feedbacks the odds are there is no such thing as a 3 degree warming: a 3 degree warming (unless it is very short term) would tend to promote feedbacks that would stabilize at well above 3 degrees.

by Gar Lipow at 6:34 PM on 11 Apr 2007

Sounds Good To Me

Warmer weather and more food.

I can't wait! This is going to be great. The only people who fear global warming are the Crypto-Malthusians:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crypto-malthusian

by jabailo at 6:45 PM on 11 Apr 2007

If

>Globally, the potential for food production is projected to increase with increases in local average temperature over a range of 1-3°C, but above this it is projected to decrease

In other words, we need to keep the increase less than 3 Degrees. And the indications seem to be that there is no such thing as 3 degrees. Which means we really need to keep to not much over 2 degrees.

by Gar Lipow at 8:28 PM on 11 Apr 2007

Crypto-Malthusian

Jabailo you're cute. Unfortunately (for your point of view) people mostly seem to fall into your category of "crypto-malthusians".

The only people who don't worry about global warming are crypto-republicans? Or crypto-nazis?

Silly, pejorative labeling. And a silly wikipedia entry. Try urban-dictionary.com the next time.

by jaybor at 11:49 PM on 11 Apr 2007

Speculation

The Andrill studies show the earth can warm up 2 - 3 degrees naturally.

"Forcing" is not needed to explain or understand the increase by 2-3 degrees.

by jabailo at 12:43 AM on 12 Apr 2007

Not at all

people mostly seem to fall into your category of "crypto-malthusians".

Not at all...I would say the Crypto-Malthusians are a very small minority with a very large lever to promote their views.

Time has always shown the Crypto-Malthusians to be wrong. Man has always survived and prospered through growth.

by jabailo at 12:44 AM on 12 Apr 2007
[ Parent ]

Lol

This line of thinkers includes Malthus himself as well as the Peak Oilers, Peak Coalers, Anthropogenic Ice Agers and Silent Springers as well as current Anthropogenic Global Warmers.
Historically, Crypto-Malthusians have always been proven wrong.

Lol

Oil will never run out. Ever.
Coal will never run out. Ever.
Smoke/Dust can never block sunlight. Ever.
Dioxin has never caused any problems. Ever.
Humans have never altered the atmosphere. Ever.

In short, those "crazy" people who are swayed by mere scienctific facts.

"Well, I for one don't appreciate facts."

-David Ahlport

by GreyFlcn at 1:05 AM on 12 Apr 2007

Riot in Uganda over Mabira Forest Giveaway

I've just gotten off the phone with my foster son, who was caught in an environmental riot in downtown Kampala, Uganda over the Mabira forest giveaway. http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/latest.php

The president of Uganda is proposing to give away a third of the Mabira forest, a national preserve for decades, to a sugarcane company. A planned peaceful demonstration turned violent as the demonstrators went onto a closed road and the police, breaking their promise, fired tear gas and bullets.

The sugarcane comany is owned by the Mehta Group, based in India, so some rioters branched off into ethnic violence, targeting Indian and Chinese businesses.

I am alarmed that I have seen nothing about this in the the mainstream environmental media. I expect Grist readers to be on this case.

On a personal note, my foster son got out of downtown Kampala safely, in a taxi that had stones thrown at it.

by Lisa Deeley Smith at 4:03 AM on 12 Apr 2007

Horrors!

Glad to hear your foster son escaped unharmed, Lisa.

Here's another link.

Do you know whether the company want to expand sugar production for food, or for turning into ethanol?

These are only my personal opinions.

by Ron Steenblik at 4:31 AM on 12 Apr 2007
[ Parent ]

Y'all Hoodwinked

>> Moderate climate change in the early decades of the century is projected to increase aggregate yields of rain-fed agriculture by 5-20 percent, >>

LOL, I will believe this when I actually see it

What a white wash...... drought is all you will get once your ice sources are gone under the sea's oil layer.....

I understand now why not one of y'all are really serious about global climate change.

What ever happened to "Global Warming" ( why is what is unfolding now called GCC ????, crazy, because GW is JUST not happening, so what is all this talk of greenhouse gases still going on )

LOL, y'all hoodwinked again.....

This is serious guys... leading y'all to the brink

by Zarkov at 4:49 AM on 12 Apr 2007

Heh

Well I do know I was listening to some public radio yesterday

Due to the weirdly dry and warm winter California had, we're fubared on snow pack.

Which may sound silly, as if it would only affect skiiers.

Catch is 2/3rds of California's water comes from snowpack, and we only have half the usual snowpack.

Sure sounds like a drought in the making.

-David Ahlport

by GreyFlcn at 8:28 AM on 12 Apr 2007
[ Parent ]

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