Yay, us!
On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 20:43:15 -0500, Larry C. Lyons <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/world/Full_Story/did-sgsAtWaxCKF0EsgTbBP-2fa91M.asp > 24/01/05 > Humans 'may have saved world from ice age' > > By John von Radowitz > HUMANS may have unwittingly saved themselves from a looming ice age by > interfering with the Earth's climate, according to a new study. > > The findings from a team of American climate experts suggest that were it > not for greenhouse gases produced by humans, the world would be well on the > way to a frozen Armageddon. > > Scientists have traditionally viewed the relative stability of the Earth's > climate since the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago as being due to > natural causes, but there is evidence that changes in solar radiation and > greenhouse gas concentrations should have driven the Earth towards glacial > conditions over the last few thousand years. > > What stopped it has been the activity of humans, both ancient and modern, > argue the scientists. > > Over the last 8,000 years carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have > gradually risen, when previous trends indicated that it should have dropped. > > Methane, another greenhouse gas, had also increased instead of fallen. > > The unexpected trends could be explained by massive early deforestation in > Eurasia, rice farming in Asia, the introduction of livestock, and the > burning of wood and plant material, all of which led to an outpouring of > greenhouse emissions. > > The United States researchers, led by William Ruddiman from the University > of Virginia in Charlottesville, used a climate model to test what would > happen if these greenhouse gases were reduced to their "natural" level. > > They wrote in the journal, Quaternary Science Reviews: "In the absence of > anthropogenic contributions, global climate is almost 2C cooler than today > and roughly one-third of the way toward full glacial temperatures." > > At the peak of the last ice age, which began 70,000 years ago, 97% of Canada > was covered by ice. > > The research showed that without the human contribution to global warming, > Baffin Island would today be in a condition of "incipient glaciation". > > "Portions of Labrador and Hudson Bay would also have moved very close to > such a state had greenhouse gas concentrations followed natural trends," > said the scientists. > > The experiment had probably underestimated the amount of ice that would > exist today in north-east Canada without human interference, they said. > > Anthropologist Dr Benny Peiser, from Liverpool John Moores University, said: > "If the research findings are correct, a radical change in the perception of > anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions will be required. > > "Instead of driving us to the brink of environmental disaster, human > intervention and technology progress will be seen as vital activities that > have unintentionally delayed the onset of a catastrophic ice age." > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=17 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:144800 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
