By
Aditya Ganapathiraju
January 26, 2009
President Barack Obama has four years left to save the earth, said one of the world’s leading climatologists, Jim Hansen of NASA.
As the country celebrated Obama’s inauguration last week, Hansen sent a personal appeal to the president and first lady warning of catastrophe unless swift action is taken.
Not known for hyperbole, Hansen warned that the Earth is in “imminent peril” from the accelerating effects of climate change, particularly from “feedback” loops. Only the United States has the political strength to alter the situation, Hansen told The Guardian.
Other scientists have painted an even bleaker picture than Hansen.
At a high-level talk months ago, climatologist Kevin Anderson of Manchester University in the U.K. said carbon emissions were soaring well beyond the predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), ultimately delivering an even starker conclusion.
“The battle against dangerous climate change had been lost, and the world needed to prepare for things to get very, very bad,” The Guardian wrote, paraphrasing Anderson’s talk.
Anderson said it would be “improbable” that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels could be restricted to 650 parts per million (ppm), and that this may mean a disastrous 4-degrees-Celsius rise in global temperature.
“The last time the Earth warmed 2 or 3 degrees Celsius — which is what 450 ppm implies — sea levels rose by tens of meters, something that would shake the foundations of the human enterprise should it happen again,” environmentalist Bill McKibben wrote last year in The Washington Post.
As a researcher, Anderson hoped to be right, but as a human he wished someone at the talk — the “cream of the U.K. climate science community”— would show that his figures were wrong. No one did.
Former head of the IPCC and leading U.K. scientist Bob Watson supported the warnings, saying we’re currently in “the worst case [emissions] scenario,” and that the world needs to prepare for a 4-degree-Celsius rise, which, according to The Guardian, would result in the displacement of hundreds of millions of people by flooding, severe food and water shortages and the loss of hundreds of species.
Still, some scientists disagree that these new studies render the more conservative IPCC reports outdated. Others warn that setting new and more ambitious goals than previously agreed upon will lead to a failure to reach any agreement at all at the upcoming climate summit in Copenhagen.
Most scientists agree that time is running out to take action.
“We cannot now afford to put off change any longer,” Hansen told The Guardian. “We have only four years left for Obama to set an example to the rest of the world. America must take the lead.”
Reach reporter Aditya Ganapathiraju at news@dailyuw.com.
11 Comments
#1 Bill
on January 25, 2009 at 10:40 p.m.(Marysville, WA | Unverified Name)
What a pile of horse-hockey. Where is the balanced reporting? Remember, Jake will getcha if you don't follow SPJ ethics!
Hansen is "not known for hyperbole"?? Give me break! Hansen tore up is scientist membership card long ago when he said that those who disagree with him about AGW should be tried as criminals. Hansen has been known for nothing but hyperbole.
"Most scientists agree that time is running out to take action." Wrong again, bucko. There are many times more scientists who are skeptical that we face a crisis on the global warming front than there are alarmists, who are the only ones you quote in your article.
Try this: Try publishing the other side the story too. For starters you can go to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works webpage at http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cf...
Lots of useful info there. Try reading the article at
http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cf...
for another view of the so-called consensus. Note that the dissenters (skeptics) include many of those on the original IPCC panel. You can also find evidence of more AGW skeptics at the Global Warming Petition Project website at http://www.petitionproject.org/
Now get back in there like a good journalism student and get us a real story, not sensationalism.
#2 Nick J.
on January 25, 2009 at 11:08 p.m.(UW Campus | UW Community)
Give.Me.A.Break.
#3 Bill
on January 26, 2009 at 12:19 a.m.(Marysville, WA | Unverified Name)
Thanks for the correction, Nick. I forgot the "a". I also let a couple typos through. Are we on the same page regarding the big picture?
#4 Ozonator
on January 26, 2009 at 2:20 a.m.(Baton Rouge, LA | Unverified Name)
Poor Bill aka Marc Morano;
While it is not plagiarism to post 100 k of the same “letters” under different names, it is identity theft. Your dog and phony show with Evil Inhofe cited lacks even such basic scientific predictions as day and night.
#5 Ozonator
on January 26, 2009 at 3:10 a.m.(Ponchatoula, LA | Unverified Name)
Dear Marc, Mother of Swiftboating;
Even you can’t cover up earthquakes generated from global warming energy for your corporate pimps. Of the following, remember that a correct prediction is anything 0.5 below the number to anything about it and are in effect for at least 2 weeks. “B. The specifics of the Giulaino - Gansu Model (1/25 - 31/09) of extreme earthquake warnings ... for regions (magnitude in Richters) are:
1. Quebec (5+) - Missouri (4+) - Texas (3+) - Mexico (7+) - Clarion Island (5+); 2. Hawaii (6+) - Northern California (6+) - Oregon (5+) - Montana (4+); 3. Peru (6+) - South Sandwich Island (6+) - Bouvet Island (6+); and
4. Yemen Model: a. Azores (7+) - Algeria (5+) - France (5+) - Romania (5+) - Chechnya (5+), b. Djibouti (5+) - Strait of Hormuz (6+) - Iran (7+) - Turkmenistan (5+), c. Pakistan (6+) - China (6+) - Mongolia (5+), d. India (4+) - Myanmar (4+) - Laos (4+), and e. PNG (7+) - Yap (7+) - Marianas (6+)” (“GBRWE 1/25 - 31/09's Extreme Planetary Warnings for Earthquakes, II. Volcanoes, and Solar/Terrestrial Flares from Human Activities”; Robert Rhodes, Supplemental; GBRWE 1/25 - 31/09, 1/24/09).
#6 Ozonator
on January 26, 2009 at 12:24 p.m.(Greenwell Springs, LA | Unverified Name)
Technically incorrect but functionally useful, Sunday was a day after I sent out my warning predictions and the following was reported after posting much of the same information in this blog. The US loses more people in from visable hurricanes depending on warnings through expensive extremist media outlets and their insidious “Bill”.
With condolences, “An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale, which jolted northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Sunday, has affected more than 4,500 people and caused house collapses and damages ... No casualties have been reported so far. A total of 198 houses collapsed and 2,928 were damaged. The direct economic loss was estimated at 21 million yuan (3.1 million U.S. dollars)” (“More than 4,500 people affected in NW China earthquake”; Editor: Yan; chinaview.cn; news.xinhuanet.com, 1/26/09).
#7 Ozonator
on January 28, 2009 at 8:42 p.m.(Baton Rouge, LA | Unverified Name)
About 70 mile northeast of Texas, “A minor earthquake was recorded ... quake measured 3.4 on Richter scale ... south of Amber” (“Minor earthquake reported south of Oklahoma City”; By Brian Sargent; newsok.com, 1/28/09).
#8 Ozonator
on January 29, 2009 at 8:50 p.m.(Baton Rouge, LA | Unverified Name)
Global warming = earthquakes = holy grail = yet another hoax for extremist Republican and Christian (aka corporate whores) ‘cause they have yet to learn how to read a thermometer and calendar for Esso bucks.
With a week+ to go, the following A. and B. are current results of predictions were not random, functionally useful, may be technically correct for minimal intensity and region of origin, and are showing increased quake stress from China - Hawaii - Northern California with increased spreading (volcanism) from Europe - Africa.
“The specifics of the Giulaino - Gansu Model (1/25 - 31/09) of extreme earthquake warnings with included statistics, analysis indicates for regions (magnitude in Richters) are: ... Texas (3+) ... Peru (6+) ... Yemen Model: ... Turkmenistan (5+) ... Myanmar (4+)” (“GBRWE 1/25 - 31/09's Extreme Planetary Warnings for Earthquakes, II. Volcanoes, and Solar/Terrestrial Flares from Human Activities”; Robert Rhodes, Supplemental; GBRWE 1/25 - 31/09, 1/24/09).
A. North - northeast of predicted regions
Magnitude Richters Date-time Depth Region
“3.4 2009/01/28 11:19:10 5.0 OKLAHOMA” and “(277 km (172 miles) NNW ... from Dallas, TX”
(earthquake.usgs.gov)
“5.6 2009/01/29 22:28:07 612.7 ACRE, BRAZIL” and “360 km (225 miles) E of Pucallpa, Peru” (earthquake.usgs.gov)
“4.8 2009/01/25 21:16:25 52.3 TAJIKISTAN” (earthquake.usgs.gov) and about 300 miles west - northwest of Turkmenistan (emsc-csem.org)
B. South-southeast of predicted region
Magnitude Richters Date-time Depth Region
“5.2 2009/01/28 20:29:57 35.0 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION” and “400 km (250 miles) SSW of Pathein (Bassein), Myanmar” (earthquake.usgs.gov)
C. “One of the most active volcanoes in the world, the Etna, is throwing ... ashes and lava ... is visible from a long distance ... Etna, located in the southern Italian island of Sicily” (“Active Volcano Erupted in Europe”; Prensa Latina; plenglish.com, 1/26/09).
While no one even threw Mardi Gras beads at shirtless me and my supercomputing $10 calculator, “Now a project to assess the risk of an earthquake in the region has received EUR250,000 of NATO funding ... 'For example we can estimate long term 'slip rates' on big faults and their patterns of behaviour - but exact earthquake prediction is the elusive holy grail of earthquake geology.'” (“NATO to fund study into earthquake risk”; Science Centric; Source: University of Portsmouth; sciencecentric.com, 11/10/08).
#9 Ozonator
on January 30, 2009 at 1:10 p.m.(Baton Rouge, LA | Unverified Name)
The 4.5 Richter quake in Washington is the 4th predicted quake in addition to 3 similar quakes from Central Asia to the entire Western Hemisphere that is showing north-northeast away from the temporary Earth version of Mars’ Valles Marineris of Italy - Andaman Islands - Hawaii. Thus, the predicted and resulting quakes in this blog can be used by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to determine if and when Mount Redoubt will erupt as part of the “Valles”, say global warming ain’t so Joe, or see ExxonMobils’ generated smokestack from her igloo from an environmentally raped and pillaged Mother Nature. You betcha. Last week’s tectonics showed this northern shift and dissipated some energy for Mt. Redoubt. While I predicted a 5+ for Kodiak under 1/18 - 24/09, ~100 miles away to the northeast, “Alaska shaken by 6.1 quake, no damage reported” (The Associated Press; nola.com, 1/24/08).
I predicted a 5+ for Oregon under 1/24 - 31/09 and a 6+ for Vancouver under 1/18 - 24/09. “Some Lewis County residents felt this morning’s Olympic Peninsula earthquake. ... shaking from the 4.5-magnitute quake near Kingston” (“Earthquake Felt Locally”; appears to be an extremist media outlet providing some help!; kelaam.com, 1/30/09). “A 4.5 magnitude earthquake rattled the Seattle and Puget Sound area early Friday, waking up a lot of people. ... It was felt as far away as Victoria, British Columbia, 70 miles to the north” (“Residents startled as quake rattles Seattle area”; nola.com, 1/30/09).
I had predicted the Olympic Peninsula Washington with a 5+ Richter quake in the 2-week model under 11/2 - 8/08. Applicable models may include - “C. GBRWE official experimental quake and other models ... 5. 5-week model: ... Washington ... 10. 10-week model - Albania, Japan, and Vancouver”.
#10 Jahn E.
on February 1, 2009 at 6:55 p.m.(Redmond, WA)
Six consecutive posts by one man must be some kind of record...
#11 Ozonator
on February 2, 2009 at 12:43 p.m.(Baton Rouge, LA | Unverified Name)
With more condolences to the good people of Peru from the good people with bad maps at the USGS (earthquake.usgs.gov):
Magnitude Richters Date-time Depth Region
“5.8 2009/02/02 17:53:23 ... 25.0 NEAR THE COAST OF CENTRAL PERU”.
Thanks to “Underreported: NASA climate scientist: “four years to save Earth” By Aditya Ganapathiraju January 26, 2009” - we see at lest 1 correct earthquake prediction due to global warming in a branch of science that will give you a holy grail if you can predict the impossible.
However, lacking even neuticles and only able to predict a paycheck based on hatred, greed, spelling fool without “U”, and avoiding my updated quake predictions: “BBC abandons 'impartiality' on warming Again and again the BBC has been eager to promote every new scare raised by the advocates of man-made global warming, says Christopher Booker. By Christopher Booker ast Updated: 12:50PM GMT 01 Feb 2009” at
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/co....
And “Jahn E. (Redmond, WA | Name Verified by Facebook) on February 1, 2009 at 6:55 p.m.” - following the data with your scientific method appears to be ideological. You will get one of those free Roy “d-rage” Spencer - LABI Limbaugh environmental grants long before me based on the following. “Being a serial plagiarist may no longer be the professional equivalent of a hair shirt. Look at ... ex-Bush administration political operative Tim Goeglein ... been named the top Washington, D.C., lobbyist for Focus on the Family ... Goeglein was personally recruited in 2001 by political mastermind Karl Rove to work in the Bush White House as chief liaison to conservative religious groups.... until Feb. 29, 2008, when ex-Fort Wayne News-Sentinel columnist-turned-blogger Nancy Nall stumbled across an odd reference in a Goeglein column ... editors found he had plagiarized 20 of 38 columns and cited the works of such luminaries as the Dartmouth Review, Nixon speechwriter-cum-game show host Ben Stein and the Pope without credit. Goeglein resigned his position with the White House by that afternoon ... until his political rebirth as Focus’ primo lobbyist” (“UPDATED: Disgraced Rove aide named top lobbyist for Focus on the Family”; By WENDY NORRIS; coloradoindependent.com, 1/26/09).
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