Global Warming Mostly Confirmed - On Mars

dinotrac writes "A just-completed 23 month study, carried out over the course of a Martian year, found that the Martian polar ice caps are rapidly eroding, sending large amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the Martian atmosphere. If this pattern continues over time, Mars could go from a planet whose winters are cold enough for dry-ice snow to having a shirt sleeve atmosphere. Humans would still have to provide for oxygen, but plants could go naked. I wonder if this means tougher emission controls on the next Martian rover?"

Comments

Is this part of a cycle?

[mfarah]

Just 23 months is pretty much nothing in terms of planetary cyclical events. Maybe this warming is just part of a very long cycle in Martian atmosphere, taking decades of even centuries, that we haven't observed yet. I'd hate to see the November 13, 2614 headlines of The Martian Times stating something like "Global cooling confirmed - atmosphere compromised".

(BTW, will Greenpeace stablish a Martian Chapter called "Redpeace"?)

Well, that explains everything

[Masem]

Apparently Dennis Quaid finally reached the controls of the reactor.

Expect blue skies on Mars in less than an hour!

<joke>

Re:Quick, call GreenPeace!

[pgpckt]

the Earth isn't currently the hottest it's been this millenium, much less the hottest ever.

Hate to disagree, but it is the year 2001, making this millenium currently in its first year. Therefore, the temperatures being recorded now for this year are by definition the hottest of the millenium (and coldest too).