In November, I drove down to Cornell to hear Dr. Sylvester Johnson give his talk #“Climate Change: The New Urgency of Emission Reduction, and How to Make a Difference.”
I've been following the climate change debate for years, but I learned some new things from this talk that really got my attention.
I had heard that the polar ice was melting, but if you had asked me how much, I might have guessed 5 to 10 percent.
It turns out to be more like 25 percent by volume! Meanwhile, in Antarctica, the #“Larsen B#” ice shelf broke up in 2002. When sea ice melts, it can start a #“feedback#” cycle which works as follows.
Normally the white ice reflects the majority of the light coming in from the sun.
But when it melts and is replaced by dark seawater, more of the sunlight is absorbed, which has a warming effect on the temperature of the water.
Over time this contributes to the warming of the planet, which in turn leads to the melting of more ice.
Another example of a possible feedback cycle is the thawing of the permafrost in northern Canada and Russia.
As permafrost melts it allows oxygen into the soil, which allows the organic material to decompose more rapidly, releasing carbon dioxide.
The carbon dioxide rises into the atmosphere, where it acts as a #“greenhouse gas,” #increasing the air temperature, which in turn could lead to further melting of permafrost.
Climatologists are concerned that these feedback cycles, if they take off, could run away beyond our control.
NASA climatologist James Hansen believes we may only have 10 years to slow the rate of carbon emissions from our cars, trucks, power plants, heating systems, etc. before the feedback cycles become irreversible.
We have invited Dr. Johnson to come to Auburn to give his presentation, so that you may hear for yourself what he has to say.
Please come to learn more and bring your questions as well. We look forward to seeing you. For more information, call 255-1183.
Brian Aldrich is an agriculture extension resource educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County
Global Warming
What: A talk by NASA climatologist James Hansen
When: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Feb. 6
Where: CCE Education Center, 248 Grant Ave.
Cost: The talk is free and open to the public
I had heard that the polar ice was melting, but if you had asked me how much, I might have guessed 5 to 10 percent.
It turns out to be more like 25 percent by volume! Meanwhile, in Antarctica, the #“Larsen B#” ice shelf broke up in 2002. When sea ice melts, it can start a #“feedback#” cycle which works as follows.
Normally the white ice reflects the majority of the light coming in from the sun.
But when it melts and is replaced by dark seawater, more of the sunlight is absorbed, which has a warming effect on the temperature of the water.
Over time this contributes to the warming of the planet, which in turn leads to the melting of more ice.
Another example of a possible feedback cycle is the thawing of the permafrost in northern Canada and Russia.
As permafrost melts it allows oxygen into the soil, which allows the organic material to decompose more rapidly, releasing carbon dioxide.
The carbon dioxide rises into the atmosphere, where it acts as a #“greenhouse gas,” #increasing the air temperature, which in turn could lead to further melting of permafrost.
Climatologists are concerned that these feedback cycles, if they take off, could run away beyond our control.
NASA climatologist James Hansen believes we may only have 10 years to slow the rate of carbon emissions from our cars, trucks, power plants, heating systems, etc. before the feedback cycles become irreversible.
We have invited Dr. Johnson to come to Auburn to give his presentation, so that you may hear for yourself what he has to say.
Please come to learn more and bring your questions as well. We look forward to seeing you. For more information, call 255-1183.
Brian Aldrich is an agriculture extension resource educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County
Global Warming
What: A talk by NASA climatologist James Hansen
When: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Feb. 6
Where: CCE Education Center, 248 Grant Ave.
Cost: The talk is free and open to the public
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