Professor Chris Field, an author of the 2007 landmark report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has spoken out saying that the previous report seriously underestimated the amount of warming to expect in the coming century.
The difference between now and two years ago is a better understanding of greenhouse emissions since the turn of the century. From the year 2000 to 2007 greenhouse emissions worldwide have increased 3.5 percent per annum, or four times the average increase during the nineties. The culprit of course being the increase in coal based electric production in China and India as their economies start to mature.
Do you understand what I’m saying, but just need a little credibility to go along with it? Well I’ve got you’ve covered, just click on the following link to hear the same things I’ve said but with a British accent. Ya heard me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y06aWhSVY8
The video points out that not all people believe in global warming. Which I get because everyone likes some good old fashioned absolution. But I don’t really understand exactly what the debate is all about.
Are people really doubting whether greenhouse gases heat the earth? Because there is absolutely no scientific debate on that, it’s a fact. The catalyst that moves the earth between normalcy and glacial periods is the release or lack thereof of greenhouse gases. Humans are also unquestionably producing greenhouse gases and releasing them into the atmosphere.
Some of these gases are released naturally, and when it comes to carbon dioxide human activity only accounts for 5% of the total annual production. But believe it or not, that 5% is the difference between accumulation in the atmosphere and natural absorption.
Another gas is methane, which also has natural sources but in this case human activity is accountable for the majority of the 500 million annual tonnes. Also there is nitrous oxide of which humans account for 40% of annual emissions.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7890988.stm
