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UN Report: Climate Changes Overwhelming

iONiUM (530420) writes "'The impacts of global warming are likely to be "severe, pervasive and irreversible", a major report by the UN has warned.' A document was released by the IPCC outlining the current affects on climate change, and they are not good. For specific effects on humans: 'Food security is highlighted as an area of significant concern. Crop yields for maize, rice and wheat are all hit in the period up to 2050, with around a tenth of projections showing losses over 25%.'"

24 of 987 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Projections by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Because scary reports must logically be false.

    This is the basic position a pseudo-skeptic like yourself takes, right? That if a large group of scientists say "X is harmful, potentially very harmful", you're response is that they're just trying to scare you, and you can safely ignore what they have to say and keep on doing X.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  2. Re:Meanwhile, people are bailing from the IPCC by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Because the first thought when confronted with a troubling scientific report is to consult an economist...

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  3. Re:Projections by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The observed temperatures are currently below the error bars of the most optimistic projection. What does this mean?

    It means you are reading BS that does not reflect *reality*.

    http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/...

    The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for February 2014 tied with 2001 as the 21st highest for February on record, at 0.41C (0.74F) above the 20th century average of 12.1C (53.9F).

    The global land surface temperature was 0.31C (0.56F) above the 20th century average of 3.2C (37.8F), tying with 1943 as the 44th highest for February on record. For the ocean, the February global sea surface temperature was 0.45C (0.81F) above the 20th century average of 15.9C (60.6F), making it the seventh highest for February on record.

    The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the Decemberâ"February period was 0.57C (1.03F) above the 20th century average of 12.1C (53.8F), making it the eighth warmest such period on record.

  4. we're all effed by noh8rz10 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    we're all effed. even if we do an aggressive CO2 reduction in emissions, we won't get emissions down to sustainable levels by 2050. Then, it will take decades for the CO2 air concentration to reach sustainable levels. and this assumes we don't get an explosion in emissions from developing countries.

    So we have 80 years of unmitigated climate change ahead of us. pretty much everybody reading this will die before there's a possibility of things improving. sorry to be a debbie downer, but these are no longer dire warnings of what might happen unless we take action, they're explanations of what will happen due to past inaction. hide yo wife, hide yo kids, hide yo husbands, cuz things are gonna start changing.

    1. Re:we're all effed by HiThere · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Unfortunately, it's a lot more extreme that you are considering. The heat that has been stored in the oceans will take a long time to be lost.

      OTOH, it's quite plausible that it's only our current civilization that is doomed, and that may well take 50 years or so. This may be long enough for a realtively reasonable transition to whatever will follow. The real problem is that there is as yet not even a acceptance that we're going to need radical change, much less an agreement of "change into what?" So we do lots of play-acting pretense that we say will let us keep things the same, or at least not much different.

      Actions we have already taken have committed us to a drastic change. They haven't determined what form that change will take. Every year that we let pass without acknowledging that some change will be necessary removes some options. Every technological advance offers options, some of which may open new possibilities. I don't know where the best balance is. If we wait too long, the only option will be collapse into a new stone age civilization, with over a 90% die-off of the population in the process...and likely over 99%. We could also get into a war with a mix of advanced technologies and kill off considerably more, perhaps 99.99% or 99.999%. Then the survivors need to stabilize the remaining population, this will probably lead to a further decline over the succeeding 50 years. Then any surviving population may being to grow.

      But this coulld be avoided by proper action, if we only knew what proper action was. We don't. We do know that what we're doing is only satisfying short term goals, and that in the long term it's disasterous. But the short term is where we live, so we tend to overly discount both long term gains and losses.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
  5. Re:Climate change conferences in 2014 by gurps_npc · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Who exactly do you think gets 'expenses'?

    I will give you a hint, pro-climate change scientists tend to be funded by universities and in some cases governments.

    Deniers tend to be funded by Exxon, and their like.

    So tell, me who gets tot see the world on expenses - the deniers or the scientists?

    If you can't see the answer than that tells me who is funding your internet connection. After all the deniers have expressly admitted paying people to spread lies.

    --
    excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
  6. Re:Projections by symbolset · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well if I am not to believe the BS from the IPCC because it doesn't reflect reality we don't need TFA, do we?

    --
    Help stamp out iliturcy.
  7. Re:Meanwhile, people are bailing from the IPCC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I call it a report written by climatologists. You know, SCIENTISTS...

    I get it. It tells you things you don't want to hear, so you have this need to cast aspersions on it.

    I hate those scientists, they have an agenda. They even question God's intelligent design.

  8. Re:Projections by interkin3tic · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yeah! The motto of the UN and any world leaders should be "Hope for the best and prepare only for the best!" Because planning for the worst-case scenario is just ASKING for trouble. Who are these people with their negative thinking about the worlds food supply? Why, that's downright irresponsible to be pessimistic like that, according to "The Secret."

    Sarcasm aside, I do sorta agree with you. They know it's going to be a problem. They don't really seem to be pointing fingers which would be the next step. I realize the top carbon emitting nations run the show at the UN, so even a toothless resolution telling the US and China to fucking stop tinkering with the atmosphere is never going to get anywhere, but it doesn't seem like anyone is trying. Furthermore, the UN is against the next logical step of cleaning it up. They seem resistant to finding out if iron fertilization in the oceans could solve it.

    So they won't make moves to prevent it and they won't make moves to allow it to be reduced. They come up with suggestions, but they're all basically "deal with the problems." For instance it encourages economic diversification in response to problems with the economy. Oh, great. Cause that's not something anyone thought to do before hand. MUCH easier than causing algal blooms in the ocean to soak up the carbon.

  9. Declining crop yields by Amigan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Assuming the projections are correct, wouldn't it make sense to eliminate using maize (corn in the US) as an additive to gasoline? When 30%+ of the corn currently being planted in the US is done so to get the Ethanol subsidy, it removes quite a bit from the food supply. I do not claim that all would be planted for food (corn price would plummet), but arable land is being used to for this 'not green' fuel additive. I say 'not green' because even the UN has acknowledged that the use is counterproductive.

    --
    "Software is the difference between hardware and reality"
  10. Re:Climate Denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Think of it like the evolution debate; some 'deniers' think there's still a debate, while the rest of us are interested in the details of how it works.

  11. Re:Projections by maccodemonkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    So scenario A It's true and we're all fucked and can't do anything about it. Thus we're arguing over..nothing.

    Science: If we can't change it, well, fuck it.

  12. Re:Projections by Vermonter · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here in Vermont, a few years back they redrew the flood maps, and a large number of people ended up being added to the flood areas. This cause a lot of outcry for people who suddenly had to buy flood insurance in order to keep their mortgages. Of course, they stopped whining after Hurricane Irene hit and caused a ton of flood damage and taking out a lot of houses that had just started being covered by flood insurance...

  13. Re:Projections by buchner.johannes · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Nothing significant can happen unless everyone does.

    Not true. If 20% do something, it will be significant.
    Everyone blame everyone else, and don't do anything? No thank you. Try at least.

    And here's the thing - most countries (especially poorer countries) don't give the tiniest bit of a fuck.

    Not true. Countries are affected differently, and some poor countries are highly concerned.

    If everyone in America did what I'm saying it would make an impact, but A) That will never happen and B) It would just delay the inevitable, because of china etc.

    So scenario A It's true and we're all fucked and can't do anything about it. Thus we're arguing over..nothing.

    Scenario B It's not true and we're arguing over..nothing.

    It doesn't paint the greatest picture of humanity but I'm fairly certain it's an accurate one.

    You are falsely blaming others. Even if not everyone contributes, change can be achieved, and it should be tried. Non-contributing countries could even be fined for not contributing to the common rescue attempt.

    China has about the same emissions as the US. And guess why China has so much emissions? Because of the outsourced productions (electronics, clothing, toys). The US could easily implement requirements that their outsourced products have to adhere to emission limits!

    --
    NB: The message above might reflect my opinion right now, but not necessarily tomorrow or next year.
  14. Re:Projections by Gunboat_Diplomat · · Score: 5, Informative

    "The observed temperatures are currently below the error bars of the most optimistic projection. What does this mean?"

    What it means is that as evidence of any actual greenhouse warming effect from CO2 grows thinner, and contrary science continues to build momentum, and evidence of -- shall we say -- "irresponsible" handling of data by climate alarmists is mounting... the cries of gloom and doom become ever more strident and shrill. That in itself is evidence that it is a scheme for more government control, rather than good science.

    Worst thing is that it is a world wide scheme. All scientists and all the world's governments are in collusion on this. It is even worse than how they all try to brainwash our kids into thinking we are related to apes.

  15. Re:Irreversible? by Loether · · Score: 4, Informative

    You can go to the bottom of the report page 38 for a chart and review the differences in the between a "low emission mitigation scenario" RCP 2.6 (one that we try to help the problem) and a high emission scenario (where we keep on keepin on.) RCP 8.5.

    While temps go up for both, the mitigation scenario leads to a much more livable planet, closer to the one we live in today. the difference between scenarios is stark, an average of 3C difference by 2100. Children born today could easily live to see 2100, they would be 86 years old. So for me in Houston TX that means a hot summer day that was 100F will be 105.5F. The mitigation scenario could reverse the warming trend as early as 2050. You are correct that even the best case scenario doesn't allow for a return to current temperatures by 2100. In my mind the question is how long until we realize we our saving our own skins and make some hard decisions. Everybody want's a livable planet, but nobody want's to be the first to make the sacrifice.

    --
    TODO create witty sig.
  16. Re:Projections by Gunboat_Diplomat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Worst thing is that it is a world wide scheme. All scientists and all the world's governments are in collusion on this. It is even worse than how they all try to brainwash our kids into thinking we are related to apes."

    It's not a "worldwide" scheme, it's a UN scheme. Hardly the same things. Rather than implying I am a "creationist", why don't you try refuting what I actually wrote? You know, facts and all that.

    Evolution has about the same level of scientific consensus supporting it as climate change. And very similar arguments against (it is to complex, data keep changing, this doesn't make sense to me, there is a conspiracy by the government).

    And it is a world wide scheme and not a UN scheme, since all scientists across the world are saying the same, independently of UN and US actors in the debate. Close to all of the scientists in this field are repeatedly refuting what you claim. Do you want me to refute intelligent design, homeopathy, vaccine skeptics, fake moon landing? Same answer.

  17. Re:Projections by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just say it like you mean it. "Let's hope they're wrong, they must be wrong, I don't wanna stop driving my SUV."

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  18. Re:Projections by ThreeKelvin · · Score: 5, Informative

    2010 and 2011 were La Niña years, i.e., years where the sea surface temperature is 3-5 degrees celcius below normal. What you're seeing is weather, not climate.

    Now, if it continues like that for another ten-fifteen years, our models were wrong and you'll see me running in the street, celebrating.

  19. Re:Projections by rgbatduke · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So Box 9.2 of AR5 in which they attempt to explain the 15 year (a year ago) "hiatus" is just describing just weather, not climate, because the general circulation models predicted 0.5 to 0.6 C warming over the same interval and they couldn't possibly be wrong, could they?

    Also, if you are going to ignore the cooling/flattening associated with La Nina, perhaps we should ignore the one single solid burst of global warming in the latter 20th century in association with the 1997-1998 super El Nino as well. If you are going to assert that 15 years isn't statistically significant, perhaps we should ignore the single 15 year interval with significant warming in the latter half of the 20th century, especially since this 15 year stretch is surrounded by flat to descending stretches all the way back to 1944 on the left and flat to very weakly ascending stretches from 1998 to the present. All of which can easily be seen with your own eyes here:

    http://www.woodfortrees.org/pl...

    That's what, 0.5 C of total warming over 75 years, almost all occurring in one single burst? Sort of like the 0.7 C of warming visible here:

    http://www.woodfortrees.org/pl...

    except that warming occurred without the benefit of significant CO_2 forcing and was much more uniform.

    rgb

    --
    Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
  20. Re:Projections by Atzanteol · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In fact climatologists don't consider 1997-1998 to be normal - they treat it as an outlier. It's the deniers who pick up on it and say "we've been getting cooler since 1998!".

    http://www.skepticalscience.co...

    --
    "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"

    - Charles Darwin
  21. Re:The climate is changing, it's colder than norma by BenSchuarmer · · Score: 4, Informative

    It may be colder than normal in some specific places (like the eastern part of the United States). In spite of that, worldwide temperatures are way above average (NASA released a report recently saying 2013 was one of the warmest years on record and every year in the top-10 was in the last 15 years).

  22. wrong! by mbkennel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "You would think there are enough math geeks who would be able to see the vast amount of BS the GW people are putting out, but since they hide the raw data and have no way of adjusting for varying albedo at ground stations we just have to go by the fudged data."

    This is simply and completely wrong. The data sets are OK and there is numerous adjustments & corrections applied.

    Remember the Berkeley statistician who was a skeptic about the data quality & reduction procedures for various reasons? Well, he did what you said was impossible: he got the not-actually-hidden raw data, and with some colleagues re-did everything. The conclusion? The climatologists were right all along and didn't screw anything up.

    And why would thousands of scientists all over the world suddenly and nearly uniformly "want" a specific outcome?

    And if it's all just a giant magic trick for "moar funding!!!!" somehow maintained across generations and countries why hasn't this happened in any other area of science? And if it's all a scam, why choose one which would be opposed by many of the most powerful forces on the planet?

    The ones who really "want a specific outcome" are actually the other side, for obvious reasons.

  23. Re:Projections by Tom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The arguments against which are that 1. the evidence in support of it is flawed; 2. the scientists who argue for it may have or likely have been influenced by the incentive inherent in their own need to collect a paycheck; 3. That political persons and entities most definitely have been corrupted by said incentives.

    There have been several meta-studies on these questions, and they all say that it's total bullshit, just in nicer words and with graphs and statistics. Google is your friend, I'm not doing the legwork for a denialist.

    As soon as this name calling "denialist" bullshit started, you signed the check for your own demise.

    There's a time for being nice and understanding and there's a time to call the sky blue and the liar a liar.

    Unfortunately, most arguments are lost by the reasonable and rational persons, because they say "probably" and "I think" and "the data indicates, that", while the fanatic says "certainly", "I know" and "(whatever) proves". Thus the fanatic sounds more convincing, irrespective of facts.

    --
    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org