Arctic ice cap melting 30 years ahead of forecast
The Arctic ice cap is melting much faster than
expected.
Conservative IPCC predictions
The Arctic ice cap is melting much faster than expected and is now about 30 years ahead of predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.S. ice expert said on Tuesday.
This means the ocean at the top of the world could be free or nearly free of summer ice by 2020, three decades sooner than the global panel’s gloomiest forecast of 2050.
“Right now … the Arctic helps keep the Earth cool,” Ted Scambos said in a telephone interview. “Without that Arctic ice, or with much less of it, the Earth will warm much faster.”
That is because the ice reflects light and heat; when it is gone, the much darker land or sea will absorb more light and heat, making it more difficult for the planet to cool down, even in winter, he said.
“The IPCC report was very careful, very thorough and cautious, so they erred on the side of what would certainly occur as opposed to what might occur,” Scambos said.
Fact is - the chickens are probably coming home to roost a bit earlier than expected. But, why let facts get in the way of politics?
Posted: Wed - May 2, 2007 at 06:41 AM