Although climate scientists around the world have been issuing dire warnings for decades, public perception of climate change has been changing at a snail's pace, perhaps implying that people may be disengaged from the topic. However the deeper issue could be a lack of public understanding resulting from poor communication (by the scientists and media) of a complex climate science.
As it turns out there is broad consensus that the media, public and their leaders should have some level of science literacy in order to appreciate its role in society, and participate in debates about its applications, benefits and limitations (Linguistic Insights - studies in Language and communication, 2010).
However when it comes to climate science the reality is, the vast majority of people find it too complicated as the language is difficult to understand. As a result most people avoid the issue and remain largely disengaged from any meaningful debates or discussions. Bill Hutchison, CTV Toronto's late night news anchor, who has been in the influential broadcast media for over four decades says,
"You've got to realize that most people out there are not climatologist - they don't have that kind of scientific background so you have to be able to tell a story in a way that is understandable to them."
It begs the question whether scientists need to be more pro-active. According to the authors of Linguistic Insights -- Studies in Language and Communication, scientists need to recognize that it isn't enough for them to simply publish their research; they also have an obligation and responsibility to break down the scientific information into simple language, and communicate in a manner that would resonate with people.
What good is scientific research if it can't be used to advance a society? After all, effective scientific communication is at the heart of a successful democracy if we are to assess and influence government policies in relation to the application of scientific knowledge.
In his book The Web of Life, Physicist Fritjof Capra attempts to unpack the mechanistic science by using metaphors to help us understand our physical universe. He says,
"The crucial role of language in human evolution was not simply the ability to exchange ideas, but the increased ability to cooperate."
Of equal significance is the role of the media in disseminating information to the public, as for most people the reality of science is what they learn from the press. According to a published article entitled
Testing Public (Un)Certainty of Science, researchers Julia Corbette and Jessica Durfee of the University of Utah suggest, an average person depends on mass media for science-based information, rather than scientific publications.
Surprisingly, even scientists tune into the media for scientific information, as much as they rely on the media to infuse their research into the public sphere. In an interview for my MA thesis documentary "Connecting the Dots...", Climate scientist Dr. Gordon McBean, a co-author of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) reports, and the Director of Academic Programs & Administration at the University of Western Ontario (Canada), corroborated this research:
"Clearly most people don't sit down and read scientific books in the evening, they don't read the journals. I can tell you very briefly a study we did a few summers ago with one of the grad students who was a medical doctor in training, working for me on this issue of smog and human health. We asked the doctors - and these are medical doctors who you walk into their office and you are their patient in South Western Ontario - do you feel that you have an adequate knowledge of science and medical relationships for smog as it relates to asthma and cardiac patients? And over 50 per cent of them said 'yes', by personal assessment I know enough! The next question was - how did you get that information? The biggest single source was the media. Our doctors are being trained by the media, and so just think the public are being trained even more."
This assertion from a climate scientist should be a wakeup call for scientists in realizing that without sharing their information and building trusting partnerships with the media, climate change coverage will continue to remain ineffective and inadequate. CTV Toronto's senior producer, Richard Mcilveen who produces the late night newscast says,
"The scientific community has to come forward in terms of supplying information and simplifying it to put things in layman's terms and there has to be optimism."
And Discovery Channel Canada President and Managing Director Paul Lewis echoes similar sentiments,
"Just in the same way that journalists need to understand the science, scientists need to understand what the needs of the media are to be able to explain these stories in clear and concise manner. Secondly they need to realize that the media is their friend and not their enemy, and that becoming more accessible to try and sit down and explain the stories to journalists is part of their job."
At least two credible and popular climate scientists have been relentless in their efforts to hammer home the climate change message for the past few decades - Dr. James Hansen, who heads the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, also an adjunct professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, and Dr. Andrew Weaver, Professor and Canada Research Chair in climate modeling and analysis at the University of Victoria (B.C., Canada), also the co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with former US Vice President Al Gore.
Dr. Hansen's groundbreaking testimony on climate change to congressional committees helped raise broad awareness of global warming after an unprecedented heat wave gripped the United States in the summer of 1988, which caused severe droughts, destroyed crops, and spread forest fires. He said at the time,
"The Earth is warmer in 1988 than at any time in the history of instrumental measurements," and "There is only a one percent chance of an accidental warming of this magnitude; the greenhouse effect has been detected, and it is changing our climate now."
For months thereafter the news made headlines not only in the USA but also around the world, and the public and politicians became actively engaged, but soon after, scientists carried on with their research as usual, while temperatures continued to soar. It wasn't until 2006, almost two decades later, when Mr. Gore presented his award-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" that the topic of global warming resurfaced, and then quickly faded away.
It is clear that the media cannot be held solely responsible for climate change coverage but scientists too need to be pro-active in feeding the media with their research in a language accessible to the journalists, so they can put out the information accurately and effectively in the public domain.
In addition to the language issue, another obstacle in the way of media coverage is the information itself, which is usually difficult to extract, as scientists are generally very cautious and protective of their research, according to Thomas Khun, in his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962). He says scientists tend to hoard information and fear sharing it in order to avoid "acrimonious disputes about priority and independence in discovery" which he claims has marred the "normally placid tenor of scientific communication" (p. 760).
Whether or not Khun's claims apply to climate scientists, Dr. McBean bluntly acknowledges that communication is indeed a huge challenge facing the scientific community,
"There's a natural tendency of scientists to prefer not to talk to the media just because it's not a priority and part of it is what we call our rewards structure. A climate scientist in a university as I am will never get any credits for his promotion and is unlikely to get his 10-year salary based on doing 500 media interviews, as the research council gives out funding entirely based on scientific publications. The fact that you are actually able to convey some of that to the media, to the policy makers is interesting but not part of the score card. So our rewards structure doesn't encourage this kind of thing, it basically encourages you to do other things, and to work with the media you have to take time away from those other things."
In the grand scheme of things though the internal politics within the scientific community and their reluctance to share information with the media seem to have caused a systemic failure, and given the deniers an upper hand, as they continue to utilize every bit of opportunity to spew out misleading information, while leaving the public confused and even more disengaged with the issue.
But the good news is even skeptics seem to have displayed a change of heart lately, and ironically this man's involvement with the media seems to have played a significant role in that regard. In an interview with Democracy Now dot org, James Balog, an award-winning photographer talks about how being involved in the documentary Chasing Ice has changed his worldviews on climate change, as he witnessed massive icebergs collapse right before his eyes while filming.
He conceded that he was under the impression climate science was based on computer models, as he couldn't comprehend "it was possible for humans to change the physics and chemistry of this gigantic planet." However, clearly his views has been profoundly reshaped since then,
"I'm really, really, really concerned for my daughter's future. I have a 24-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old daughter and I'm quite concerned that by the time they get to be our age they are going to be living in a world that's so radically different from what we are living in and might not be such a great world. I think they're certain to be living in much more violent extremes of weather with unknowable geopolitical consequences from that. Perhaps agriculture stress, and others, I'm very concerned about the stability and safety and security of the world that my kids will be in."
The verdict is out -- climate change is real, and rather than point fingers at each other, it's about time all stakeholders came together and found ways to engage the public on this very crucial issue. As Khun points out in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962), today's complex problems require an intelligent and informed debate that is multi/ inter-disciplinary rather than one that engages only those in the specialized fields, otherwise it would end up being divisive in nature and offer no tangible way forward.
For instance there's no reason why economists and environmentalists can't collaborate and exchange ideas (Risk Management for example), or why religious institutions can't (emulate the Vatican), use their pulpit to instil love for our planet earth and its sentient beings that were created by the same God that created us. I don't see why cross-cultural integration won't work; in fact sharing different worldviews and traditional knowledge from the east or the indigenous peoples in the North could well be our saving grace, as it has the potential to enlighten our worldviews and experiences, while providing rich environments to seed new ideas and create intellectual revolutions.
Last but not least and once again, the media and the scientific community need to work together, as the media are constantly looking for stories and the climate science community has plenty to offer. Clearly the two are interdependent on each other and they need to strengthen their relationship in order to provide effective coverage of climate change if we are to engage the public and spur political action before it is too late.
Loading Slideshow
Sweet Snorkeling Pics
As humans increase atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, oceans absorb some of the CO2. The resulting drop in ocean pH, known as ocean acidification, has been called <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/ocean-acidification-reefs-climate-change_n_1658081.html" target="_hplink">climate change's "equally evil twin"</a> by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco.
Coral reefs, which are an invaluable part of marine ecosystems and tourism economies, are threatened by ocean warming and acidification.
At the 2012 International Coral Reef Symposium in Cairns, Australia, 2,600 scientists signed a petition calling for international action to preserve global coral reefs, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18765584" target="_hplink">reported the BBC</a>. Noting that 25 to 30 percent of the world's reefs are already "severely degraded," <a href="http://www.icrs2012.com/Consensus_Statement.htm" target="_hplink">the statement asserts</a> that "climate-related stressors [represent] an unprecedented challenge for the future of coral reefs and to the services they provide to people."
A <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/10/coral-triangle-reefs-threatened_n_1662620.html" target="_hplink">recent report from the World Resources Institute</a> found that the Coral Triangle, an important area from central Southeast Asia to the edge of the western Pacific with many reefs, is threatened at a rate far greater than the global average.
Wine Tasting Parties
Winegrowers in France's Champagne region and scientists have already seen changes in the past 25 years, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/business/energy-environment/winemakers-rising-to-climate-challenge.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all" target="_hplink">reported <em>The New York Times</em></a> last year. They have "noted major changes in their vineyards, including an increased sugar content in the grapes from which they make their wine, with a consequent decrease in acidity, and a harvest time that regularly comes two weeks earlier than it once did."
Last year, the <em>Telegraph</em> reported that Bordeaux, one of the world's most famous wine-producing regions, may be "<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/8354820/Global-warming-threatens-wine-production-in-France.html" target="_hplink">unsuitable for wine-growing by 2050</a>."
<a href="http://e360.yale.edu/feature/what_global_warming_may_mean_for_worlds_wine_industry/2478/" target="_hplink">Yale Environment 360 explains</a> that many European wines are tied to a specific geographical area, creating a problem for regions which may soon find themselves most suited to a new kind of grape.
In the U.S., <a href="http://www.climatechangeandwine.com/noticia-detalle.php?id=421" target="_hplink">researchers at Stanford University found</a> that climate change could mean "50% less land suitable for cultivating premium wine grapes in high-value areas of Northern California."
A 2006 study published in the <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em> found that "up to 81 percent" of "premium-wine-grape production area" could decline in the U.S. by the end of this century, <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/04/climate-desk-wine-industry/" target="_hplink">reported Wired</a>. Without any adaptation measures, wine-grape production could disappear from "many areas" of the country.
Wired notes, "By the law of supply and demand, that suggests the best wines of tomorrow will cost even more than the ridiculous amounts they fetch today."
Winnie The Pooh's Key Plot Point
<a href="http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/Hone/Hone-03-30-2012.pdf" target="_hplink">According to the USDA, bee populations are dropping nationwide</a>. Wetter winters and rainy summers make it harder for bees to get out and about to collect, leaving them to starve or become malnourished and more prone to other diseases. This doesn't just mean a decline in honey. We rely on bees to pollinate crops. When bees disappear, many food crops could also die off.
Spring Break, Wohoo!
As global temperatures rise this century, sea levels are also expected to increase. South Florida may be hit particularly hard.
If greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, global sea levels <a href="http://globalwarming.markey.house.gov/impactzones/florida.html" target="_hplink">could rise over three feet</a> by 2100, with a six foot rise possible. The U.S. Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming notes:
<blockquote>This threatens to submerge Florida's coastal communities and economies since roughly 9 percent of the state is within 5 feet of the existing sea level. Rising sea level also threatens the beaches, wetlands, and mangrove forests that surround the state.</blockquote>
University of Florida professor Jack Putz said in 2008, "People have a hard time accepting that this is happening here," <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/globalwarming/article435224.ece" target="_hplink">reported the <em>Tampa Bay Times</em></a>. Seeing dead palm trees and other impacts "brings a global problem right into our own back yard," he added.
<a href="http://geology.com/sea-level-rise/florida.shtml" target="_hplink">Click here</a> to see a map showing what different levels of sea level rise would look like for Florida and other states.
Cute Baby Polar Bear Videos
A November 2011 study found that polar bear litters are getting smaller as climate change causes sea ice decline. <a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2011/WWFPresitem19837.html" target="_hplink">According to World Wildlife Fund</a>, the study "found that if spring sea ice break-up occurs one month earlier than usual, 40-73 percent of pregnant females could fail to bring cubs to term."
The National Snow and Ice Data Center found that in 2010, <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=49132&src=share" target="_hplink">Arctic sea ice</a> was at its lowest January level in 30 years.
With decreased sea ice, polar bears may have greater trouble finding food sources. This could lead to cannibalism, which has already been observed by photographers. Environmental photojournalist Jenny Ross <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16081214" target="_hplink">told BBC News</a> in 2011, "There are increasing numbers of observations of it occurring, particularly on land where polar bears are trapped ashore, completely food-deprived for extended periods of time due to the loss of sea ice as a result of climate change."
PB&Js
Thanks to a failing peanut crop due to last summer's scorching hot weather, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/10/peanut-butter-price-jump_n_1003732.html" target="_hplink">there was a shortage of peanuts in supply</a> at the end of 2011. If temperatures continue to rise, a jump in peanut butter prices is just the prelude to what could be in store for the beloved spread.
Chocolate Cravings
<a href="http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/Newsroom/Documents/ghana_ivory_coast_climate_change_and_cocoa.pdf" target="_hplink">A report released by the International Center For Tropical Agriculture </a>warns chocolate could become a luxury item if farmers don't adapt to rising temperatures in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, where a majority of the world's cocoa is grown.
The October 2011 report, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, "calls for increased research into heat and drought resistant crops, and to help transition cocoa farming to new regions that will be suitable for production in the future," <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/09/30/332951/chocolate-climate-change-cocoa-industry-study/" target="_hplink">reported ThinkProgress</a>.
'Friday Night Lights' & 'Varsity Blues'
As average temperatures rise over the course of this century, states in the Southern U.S. are expected to see a greater number of days with temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit each year. Hotter temperatures will mean that football players in the South will face a greater risk of hyperthermia, <a href="http://txchnologist.com/post/41213194156/heres-a-reason-to-care-about-climate-change-it-could" target="_hplink">explains GE's TXCHNOLOGIST blog</a>.
<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/02/05/419061/will-global-warming-ruin-football-in-the-south/" target="_hplink">ThinkProgress suggests</a>, "Indeed, it is the conservative southern U.S., especially the South central and South east, who have led the way in blocking serious climate action, as it were, making yesterday's worst-case scenario into today's likely outcome."
Not Sneezing
Bad news for allergy sufferers -- climate change, and specifically warmer temperatures, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/31/seasonal-allergies-rising_n_913650.html" target="_hplink">may bring more pollen and ragweed</a>, according to a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21259264" target="_hplink">2011 study</a> from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
Along with allergies, a changing climate may be tied to more infectious diseases. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17/flu-pandemic-climate-pattern-la-nina_n_1211480.html" target="_hplink">According to one study</a>, climate change could affect wild bird migratory patterns, increasing the chances for human flu pandemics. Illnesses like <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/04/global-warming-lyme-disease-west-nile_n_1400692.html" target="_hplink">Lyme disease could also become more prominent</a>.
Keg Stands
Famed for producing some of the world's best beer, <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080502/full/news.2008.799.html" target="_hplink">Germany could suffer from a drop in production due to climate change-induced water shortages</a>. Barley and hops can only be grown with water, and using cheaper alternatives like corn isn't possible in Germany because of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot" target="_hplink">strict regulations</a> about what you can make beer with.
Research published earlier this year in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v2/n7/full/nclimate1491.html" target="_hplink"><em>Nature Climate Change</em></a> found that "unless farmers develop more heat-tolerant corn varieties or gradually move corn production from the United States into Canada, frequent heat waves will cause sharp price spikes," <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/23/business/climate-change-effect-seen-for-corn-prices.html" target="_hplink">reported <em>The New York Times</em></a>. Price spikes for U.S. corn could affect prices of <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/38/" target="_hplink">American macrobrews</a> made with an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjuncts" target="_hplink">adjunct ingredient like corn</a>.
Valentine's Day Cliches
With higher temperatures expected in northern latitudes in coming decades, the U.K. has begun a program to develop strawberries that will survive in higher temperatures with less water. Since chocolate also may be threatened, could sexy chocolate-covered strawberries, a Valentine's Day staple, be endangered?
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8603607/Climate-change-resistant-strawberries.html" target="_hplink">According to <em>The Telegraph</em></a>, Dr. David Simpson, a scientist with England's East Malling Research, said last year, "Consumer demand for fresh strawberries in the UK has been growing year on year since the early 1990s. The British growers have done a great job of increasing their productivity to satisfy this demand between April and October. The future will be challenging due to the impacts of climate change and the withdrawal of many pesticides but the breeding programme at EMR is using the latest scientific approaches to develop a range of varieties that will meet the needs of our growers for the future."
Coffeehouse Snobs
Coffee lovers may want to get that caffeine fix before the treasured drink becomes a rare export. Starbucks raised the issue last year when the company's director of sustainability told <em>The Guardian</em> that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/16/starbucks-climate-change_n_1011222.html" target="_hplink">climate change is threatening the supply chain</a> for the Arabica coffee bean.
Starbucks Sustainability Director <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/oct/13/starbucks-coffee-climate-change-threat?newsfeed=true" target="_hplink">Jim Hanna told the paper</a>, "What we are really seeing as a company as we look 10, 20, 30 years down the road - if conditions continue as they are - is a potentially significant risk to our supply chain, which is the Arabica coffee bean."
Water Out West
According to a 2011 U.S. Interior Department report, "annual flows in three prominent river basins - the Colorado, Rio Grande and San Joaquin - could decline by as much [as] 8 percent to 14 percent over the next four decades," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/26/western-us-water-supplies-climate-change_n_853882.html" target="_hplink">reported the Associated Press</a>. Expected changes in temperature and precipitation are likely to alter river flows "with increased flooding possible in the winter due to early snowmelt and water shortages in the summer due to reductions in spring and summer runoffs."
Mike Connor, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said, "Impacts to water are on the leading edge of global climate change."
Earlier this year, the Bureau of Reclamation <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/us-reviews-ideas-for-boos_n_1418724.html" target="_hplink">asked the public to suggest ideas</a> for meeting future water demand around the Colorado River basin.
Rudolph (And Donner And Blitzen)
Reindeer, also known as "caribou" in North America, could face a difficult future in a warmer climate. <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/energy/slideshows/10-animals-threatened-by-global-warming" target="_hplink">According to U.S. News & World Report</a>, "Russell Graham, associate professor of geosciences and director of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum at Penn State University, says global warming will most harm the animals adapted to the coldest environments, primarily those accustomed to life in the Arctic."
A 2008 study found that caribou in West Greenland are "now arriving after peak foraging time, fewer calves are being born and more calves are dying," <a href="http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/341435/title/Animals_on_the_Move" target="_hplink">reported ScienceNews</a>.
Yummy Pancake Breakfasts
It may be a bit harder to drown your pancakes in maple syrup in the future, <a href="http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/effects-global-warming-maple-syrup-production-20078.html" target="_hplink">studies suggest</a>.
According to <a href="http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Nov10/SyrupClimate.html" target="_hplink">a 2010 Cornell University study</a>, "maple syrup production in the Northeast is expected to slightly decline by 2100, and the window for tapping trees will move earlier by about a month." Additionally, most maple syrup production south of Pennsylvania "will likely be lost by 2100 due to lack of freezing."
<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/01/no-maple-syrup-2100" target="_hplink">Click here to watch one farmer's fight to save New Hampshire's sugar maples.</a>
Gone Fishin'
According to a <a href="http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/ntrout.asp" target="_hplink">2002 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Defenders of Wildlife</a>, a warming planet does not bode well for species that thrive in cold streams. The study found that "global warming is likely to spur the disappearance of trout and salmon from as much as 18 to 38 percent of their current habitat by the year 2090."
A 2011 study published in the <em>Proceedings of the National Academies of Science</em> produced "models [which] forecast significant declines in trout habitat across the interior western United States in the 21st century," <a href="http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/trout-fishing-in-a-climate-changed-america/" target="_hplink">reported <em>The New York Times</em></a>.
The study claims, "The decline will have significant socioeconomic consequences as recreational trout fisheries are valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars in the United States alone."
NYC's Waterfront Real Estate
According to a 2012 report from New Jersey-based nonprofit <a href="http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/" target="_hplink">Climate Central</a>, thousands of New York City residents may be at risk for severe <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/15/rising-sea-levels-threate_n_1347333.html" target="_hplink">coastal flooding as a result of climate change</a>.
<a href="http://slr.s3.amazonaws.com/factsheets/New_York.pdf" target="_hplink">Climate Central explains</a>, "the NY metro area hosts the nation's highest-density populations vulnerable to sea level rise." They argue, "the funnel shape of New York Harbor has the potential to magnify storm surges already supplemented by sea level rise, threatening widespread areas of New York City."
The Best Part Of July 4th
With droughts and wildfires hitting many parts of the U.S., municipalities from <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/03/colorado-wildfires-2012-f_n_1647571.html" target="_hplink">Colorado</a> to <a href="http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2012/07/03/climate-change-is-totally-ruining-your-4th-of-july" target="_hplink">Tennessee</a> canceled July 4th public fireworks displays or banned personal fireworks this year, citing the fire hazards they posed.
In June, a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/12/climate-change-wildfires_n_1588741.html" target="_hplink">study published in the journal <em>Ecosphere</em></a> found that almost all of North America will see more wildfires by 2100, reported Reuters. The study's lead author, Max Moritz, said, "In the long run, we found what most fear - increasing fire activity across large areas of the planet."
The Non-.com Amazon
Along with <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/06/brazil-amazon-rainforest-deforestation-levels_n_1130554.html" target="_hplink">deforestation</a>, climate change also poses a serious threat to South America's Amazon rainforest.
A 2009 study from the U.K. Met Office found that a global temperature rise of four degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would cause 85 percent of the Amazon to die off in the next 100 years. Even a two degree Celsius rise would kill 20 to 40 percent of the rainforest, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/11/amazon-global-warming-trees" target="_hplink">reported the <em>Guardian</em></a>.
In May, The Club of Rome think tank predicted a global average temperatures rise of "2 degrees Celsius by 2052 and a 2.8 degree rise by 2080," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/08/club-of-rome-climate-change_n_1499183.html" target="_hplink">reported Reuters</a>. Jorgen Randers, author of the club's report, said, "It is unlikely that governments will pass necessary regulation to force the markets to allocate more money into climate-friendly solutions, and (we) must not assume that markets will work for the benefit of humankind."
He added, "We are emitting twice as much greenhouse gases every year as are absorbed by the world's forests and oceans. This overshoot will worsen and will peak in 2030."
Island Getaways
As global sea levels rise during the 21st century, low-lying island nations like the Maldives could see their very existence threatened. With a three to six foot sea level rise predicted by 2100, nations like the Maldives could become uninhabitable, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/05/25/25climatewire-island-nations-may-keep-some-sovereignty-if-63590.html" target="_hplink">explained <em>The New York Times</em></a>.
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/mohamed-nasheed-maldives-climate-change-united-states_n_1652409.html" target="_hplink">Maldives' former president, Mohamed Nasheed</a>, has been a tireless campaigner for the urgent need for countries to take action against climate change, arguing "You can't pick and choose on science."
Ski Bums
Although seasonal fluctuations occur and El Nino/La Nina weather patterns affect snowfall, global temperature rise may impact conditions for skiers and boarders.
"The long-term trend is less snow and earlier snowmelt. This means more frustration for snow sport enthusiasts and a negative impact on the snow sports industry," <a href="http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/tspencer/skiing_snow_blog_2312.html" target="_hplink">writes the Natural Resources Defense Council's Theo Spencer</a>.
In May, a snow-less ski race was held in Aspen, Colorado to "highlight the effect climate change has on the outdoor recreation industry," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/06/aspen-ski-area-climate-change_n_1489390.html" target="_hplink">reported the Associated Press</a>.
Thanksgiving Dinner Food Comas
A 2010 paper in the journal <em>Food Research International</em> found that climate change may one day affect the cost and quality of traditional Thanksgiving dishes, <a href="http://news.discovery.com/earth/thanksgiving-climate-change.html" target="_hplink">reported Discovery News</a>.
Future temperature rises could impact the quality of turkey meat. Additionally, foods like "pumpkins, sweet potatoes, potatoes, grains [and] green beans ... will be sensitive to water shortages should they arise," study author Neville Gregory told Discovery News.
In fact, common Thanksgiving foods were <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/thanksgiving-dinner-battles-weather_n_1099899.html" target="_hplink">impacted by weather events in 2011</a>, with shortages and price spikes hitting over the holidays.
The Views On Your Alaska Vacation
Earlier this year, researchers from the U.S. Forest Service confirmed that climate warming is killing southeast Alaska's mighty yellow cedars. The study, published in the journal <em>Bioscience</em>, found that with decreasing snow cover, the trees' shallow roots are more vulnerable to freezing, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/18/climate-change-yellow-cedar_n_1286387.html" target="_hplink">reported AP</a>.
Paul Schaberg, a U.S. Forest Service plant pathologist, said, "As time goes on and climates change even more, other species, other locations, are likely to experience similar kinds of progressions, so you might do well to understand this one so you can address those future things."
"Lady & The Tramp"-Like Scenes
Scientists at the British Met Office warn that Italy may soon be forced to<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/climate-threat-to-italys-pasta/story-e6frg6so-1225797946930" target="_hplink"> import the basic ingredients to make pasta because climate change will make it impossible to grow durum wheat domestically</a>. The crop could almost disappear from the country later this century, scientists say.
Home Sweet Home (For Kiribatians)
Along with the Maldives and other island nations, Kiribati is also threatened by climate change. Earlier this year, the president's cabinet endorsed a plan to spend about $9.6 million for 6,000 acres on Fiji's main island, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/09/kiribati-global-warming-fiji_n_1334228.html" target="_hplink">reported AP</a>.
President Anote Tong told AP, "We would hope not to put everyone on one piece of land, but if it became absolutely necessary, yes, we could do it." He added, "It wouldn't be for me, personally, but would apply more to a younger generation. For them, moving won't be a matter of choice. It's basically going to be a matter of survival."
Super Duper Fast Wi-Fi Connection
A 2011 report from the U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found that climate change could affect certain infrastructure, like wireless internet. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/09/climate-change-wi-fi-connections" target="_hplink">The <em>Guardian</em> reports</a>, "higher temperatures can reduce the range of wireless communications, rainstorms can impact the reliability of the signal, and drier summers and wetter winters may cause greater subsidence, damaging masts and underground cables," according to secretary of state for the environment.
The <em>Guardian</em> notes, "The government acknowledges that the impact of climate change on telecommunications is not well understood, but the report raises a series of potential risks."
The Great Smoky Mountains' Smoke
The Great Smoky Mountains have the most annual rainfall in the southeastern U.S., which mostly falls as a light, misty rain, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/28/great-smoky-mountains-climate-change_n_1461482.html" target="_hplink">explains OurAmazingPlanet</a>.
A study by a team from NASA's Precipitation Measurement Missions found that "light rainfall is the dominant form of precipitation in the region, accounting for 50 to 60 percent of a year's total, governing the regional water cycle."
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/28/great-smoky-mountains-climate-change_n_1461482.html" target="_hplink">OurAmazingPlanet</a> notes:
<blockquote>The results suggest the area may be more susceptible to climate change than thought; as temperatures rise, more of the fine droplets from light rain will evaporate in the air and fail to reach the ground. Lower elevations will have to contend with not only higher temperatures, but less cloud cover.</blockquote>
California Beach Bums
Along the California coast, beach communities are finding that it may be impossible to stop coastal erosion as global sea levels rise.
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/02/beach-communities-moving-inward_n_1565122.html" target="_hplink">According to AP</a>, David Revell, a senior coastal scientist at <a href="http://www.pwa-ltd.com/" target="_hplink">ESA PWA</a>, acknowledged the relentless power of the sea, saying, "I like to think of it as getting out of the way gracefully."
A <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/22/west-coast-sea-level-rise_n_1619568.html" target="_hplink">report released in June by the Natural Resources Defense Council</a> found that West Coast ocean levels will rise several inches in the next few decades. Sea levels along the California coast are expected to be six inches higher by 2030 and three feet higher by the end of the century.
Despite the risks, another recent NRDC study found that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/08/california-climate-change-study_n_1409312.html" target="_hplink">California is one of several states</a> with the best plans to deal with the effects of climate change.
Repeats Of The Titanic
2012 could be a record year for the extent of Arctic sea ice at its yearly summer minimum. Walt Meier, a research scientist at the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center, said that with recent satellite observations, "It definitely portends a low-ice year, whether it means it will go below 2007 (the record minimum in September), it is too early to tell," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/18/arctic-sea-ice-levels_n_1605441.html" target="_hplink">reported LiveScience</a>.
As sea ice declines in the Arctic, countries are anticipating a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/arctic-climate-change-military-activity_n_1427565.html" target="_hplink">competition for control of shipping lanes and mineral extraction</a> in the region.
In Antarctica, research from the United States' Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula has found that "87 percent of the peninsula's land-bound glaciers are in retreat," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/12/environmental-threats-antarctica_n_1669023.html" target="_hplink">reported OurAmazingPlanet</a>.
Decreasing sea ice levels were also addressed in <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/shell-arctic-ready-hoax-greenpeace_n_1684222.html" target="_hplink">a recent spoof of Shell's plans to drill for oil in the Arctic this summer</a>.
Crazy Sugar Highs
Climate change has already impacted sugarcane production in Indonesia.
In late 2011, the <a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/11/09/sugar-association-blames-climate-change-production-drop.html
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/11/09/sugar-association-blames-climate-change-production-drop.html" target="_hplink">chairman of the Indonesian Sugarcane Farmers Association said</a>, "sugarcane production decreased by up to 30 percent in 2011 due to climate change that has occurred since 2009."
Warning Joe: Coffee Extinct in The Future?
Climate changes and insect invasions threaten the future supply of morning joe.
ian somerhalder
Greenpeace Australia
Adam Wiesehan
GreenVamps-PaulinaEm
Michael Gesme
John Lingenfelder
ydzabelishensky
Belle Medina
Ashley
Nicastani American
Nicole Pardy
Anna Cleveland
Rick Bosman
Samiksha Sen ϟ
King Grasshopper
ydzabelishensky
ISF Humboldt n.CA
Gaby Montaño
David Paterson
Maddie
Follow Sangita Iyer on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/Sangi8
Science has discovered a serious issue with our base technologies that has extreme long term implications.
Most people however don't believe things they can't immediately see, smell, taste etc. and climate change is a slow multi-generational shift. So it doesn't matter what the scientists say or don't say to these people.
By the time the effects are clear enough that no one can debate them however, it will be far too late to do anything about it.
In fact where I work we've almost given up entirely on the notion of mitigating change and are focusing on adaptation instead. It's going to be a very different world a couple centuries from now, I can guarantee you that.
Maybe this is just something that has to happen. It seems certain that many many generations from now when humanity looks back at this time period they will shake their heads in disgust at us, and rightfully so.
We know, but we will do nothing about it.
The problem is that there is a huge, well-financed vested interest on the other side of the so-called "debate" that is doing everything it can to mislead and confuse the public, and the media have been playing along despite the fact that the scientific evidence for climate change is now overwhelming and unequivocal. Plus when it comes right down to it, not many of us really want to change our high-energy consumption lifestyles. Let's face it. So climate change is not a winning issue for politicians to spend much time on.
But the changes are coming whether we're ready for them or not.
Polling seems to indicate that a majority of citizens believe climate change is a problem. But when the media refuses to give it proper credit, and politicians refuse to make any change outside the status quo...people don't know what else to do. They shrug and think we'll have to accept it and get used to it. We become to corporatized and too used to accepting the externalities that come from the behaviour of others. In this case coal and oil companies and the power they have in the political process.
Meanwhile if we just took away all the subsidies and tax breaks oil companies get and direct it all to green initiaitves, we'd probably be good. A recent report out of germany shows their solar initiative meets 30% of peak load and 50% of weekend demand. That is huge and their economy isn't tanking because of it.
I think there are solutions that can be done that have an impact and don't hurt the economy. But since they buck the status quo and take away from the current corporations we've alligned ourselves with, it will probably never happen until, as you say "crisis forces us to change".
I'd argue that a green change over is exactly what our economy and our environment need right now.
Against dishonest fabricators who are willing to pretend that THEY'RE a 100% sure, many people are misled.
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
“The biggest cause of trouble in the world today is that the stupid people are so sure about things and the intelligent folks are so full of doubts.”
The problem with your climate science, is that it is crude, deceptive, requires a great deal on controlling the narrative, intimidation of opponents, requires a great deal of economic fiasco, its intended to cause panic and distress amongst the general people so they feel they have no choice but to accept a fascist form of political control disguised as "democracy"...im sure i left a few of the more disturbing details out, but hey, i like to be fair.
O, and yes, the "prediction" from this undisputable science are failing to produce the results as per science.
O, and you have not done much other then create a lot of hysteria and high paying jobs that produce literally nothing.
And it leaves a lot of variables out, quite likely intentionally.
I can go on if you'd like?
First it if you haul a fish out of water and feed it, it will still die because it can't breathe not sprout legs. In order for a new species to be created a population of fish would need to be isolated from anouther population of the same fish. Next the environments need to be different in some fashion that will help select for slightly different traits. Now you wait for many generations to be born so that those traits that are selected for make each population distinctly different, finally fish from each population are no longer able to create viable offspring and viola a new species.
Your concept of "science" as you explain it shows exactly what the article is saying, there is a lack of scientific literacy and a reliance on popular media to inform our decisions about science. If you truly did watch a documentary that told you in order to create a new species of fish just take it out of water and feed it til it grows legs, it is more proof that scientists need to get their message out better.
We couldn't even have this conversation without science. No lcd screens, no internet, no electricity. Every time you turn the key to start your car, you expect it to start. That is how much you already trust science to work.
As for your other concerns, we live in a complex world, which requires an understanding of complex problems that need complex solutions to correct them. That is what happens when 7 billion people live on one rock together and have to co-exist.
http://www.climatedepot.com/a/18662/125-International-Scientists-Rebuke-UN-in-Open-Letter-for-Climate-Claims-Global-warming-that-has-not-occurred-cannot-have-caused-extreme-weather-of-past-few-years
So, you comment that it's incredible there are still "deniers" who spread their agenda. I consider myself an objective observer who takes in all available evidence, information etc. Answer me this.....are these 130 well respected scientists "ignorant" and do they have an agenda or are they simply "communicating" what the science and observational evidence has shown them??
When Al Gore produced his preposterous "An Inconvenient Truth", where were the climatologists denouncing the film as manipulative, alarmist, and scientifically dubious on many fronts? When reporters claim every bit of weather is somehow evidence of "climate extremism", where are the climatologists stating that we've suffered extreme weather in the past, we'll suffer extreme in the future, and not every tornado or drought is evidence of AGM?
Climatologists' reputation is now crap because they did not have the courage to be honest with the public
Second, the issue isn't that things happened in the past and will continue in the future. The issue is that human beings are forcing change to happen faster than society (and life in general) can adapt. And since we've built our entire global society on a certain expectation of climate, quick, sudden, long-term changes to said climate is going to have very serious and destructive consequences...both social and economical.
Nobody is saying we can't or won't adapt. The issue is how hard we plan on making it for ourselves.And calling claims "alarmist" and blaming Al Gore I think shows that some in the public don't deserve the respect you claim they should. Especially since they are more concerned with scoring points by making ridiculous arguements than listen to what the science is actually saying. And science right now is saying that everything the IPCC predicted is happening sooner than expected. The IPCC wasn't being "alarmist" in its report...it was actually being overly cautious.
That is the science. And yet when people report the science, people such as yourself stomp their feet and pout and make straw man arguements. Then when called on those logical fallacies they only further stick to them and start complaining about lack of respect.
You find me a piece of bad weather, I'll find you a news report claiming it's due to climate change.
Seems to me you're setting up an impossible task and then pointing at that as some sort of failure.
Anything to evade the truth?
But unfortunately we live in a world where people think corporate profits are sacrosanct but the environment and public health and things that actually matter should be sacrificed to protect the former.
One reason is that the science behind climate science is itself suspect. The scientists don't even recognize or understand this fact. The fault of their very own scientific method, which blinds them from seeing beyond their own teaching.
The second is that even when scientists attempt to communicate in plain language. Their definitions are completely at odds with the real definitions of words. Science has taken the same words us common folk use on a daily basis & created their own definitions apart from our own. "Theory" for example in science is touted as fact. Completely opposite the dictionary definition of speculation & conjecture.
Before someone starts on my mention of theory. A rather interesting confrontation between MP Gary Goodyear & a scientists on evolution comes to mind. The scientist a Professor went on a absolutely psychotic ranting about how evolutionary theory was fact.
So how can scientists communicate effectively when they persist in creating their own alternative meanings/definitions for words?
So if people don't understand the scientific terminology, it isn't the fault of scientists, it is the fault of the education system. I would also argue that it is the fault of the media and politics for pushing the confusion you point too because I don't ever hear anyone disputing gravity because it is just a "theory". Or calling Einstein crazy because relativity is just a "theory" and then pointing to microscopic scientific findings to call into question his macroscopic findings.
Switch to evolutionary theory, the big bang or climate change theory, you enter into a completely different realm. All three of these theory's have something very important in common. People use them to alter, influence & shape the world people perceive. They are used for control & subjugation, altering the behaviours & actions of people the world over.
I don't dispute climate change as defined by language. I certainly dispute the notion of man-made global warming & the notion that we can alter & somehow prevent climate change. Such dispute is given all the greater validity when it's suggested we must pay more or new taxes to prevent climate change, that we must alter our behaviours. While it shouldn't amaze me, it still does when I read of people actually buying carbon offsets.
The world was flat, the moon made of cheese, thalidomide & asbestos perfectly safe. All things perceived & touted as fact at one time by scientists.
All the things your body does the World does on a different time frame.
Everything we do effects everything else. Balance is all that is needed.
Humanity out of balance with our environment,Nature is now a mere inconvenience.
An entire generation that doesn't know what it is to catch a frog or watch mice play in the snow.
Humanity out of touch and unfamiliar with that which supports his existence.
If you cut trees you kill a cloud, if you kill a salmon you starve a tree, If you kill a snow goose you kill a fox It's a WEB and we wander around in it like Godzilla. Wanton destruction now catches up to us The web feeds us and it is broken.
Lesson one Fracking http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthgwaquifer.html
If we consider the natural systems they have a way to balance themselves through feedback loops, because the organisms in the system pay attention to the feedback. Similarly human systems also provide feedback, but it seems is being largely ignored (as evidenced by the 2008 collapse of our economic system, which is causing ripples across the planet).
So yes, those interconnections need to be highlighted when scientists send out information to the media, and the media need to find a way to poke and probe in order to discover the interconnections and this isn't happening at the moment.
I have the highest regard for science and scientists, and although Climate change communication may be challenging, the media and scientists need to find a way to work together and the education systems need to integrate all academic disciplines such that people are able to have a basic understanding that what we do the planet will come back to haunt