That's how a climate scientist says, "We're Screwed."
I'm finally back to being interested in what I do for a living. I'm not sure if this is just something that comes and goes with age, or if I was suffering burnout while living in the policy pressure cooker of Washington DC. Either way, 8 months out of the city, and not only am I actually (east coasters will gasp) jogging and wondering what kind of skis I'll buy, but I'm also picking up books on ecology and even opening energy and environment journals that might contain the words "global warming" or "climate change" or "economic development in China." In short, I'm currently digging what I've chosen to do with my life to this point.
That's the good news. The bad news, which far outweighs the good news, is that what I've been finding is that since I stopped paying attention about 4 years ago, the climate has not been improving. I just finished reading an article in this week's (released on Sundays) Nature (Letters section) by an MIT climate scientist named Kerry Emanuel. Kerry, over here, has been sitting in Boston, apparently running through reams of data on hurricanes from the last 50 years, and has this to say:
"I find that the record of net hurricane power dissipation is highly correlated with sea surface tempurature, reflecting well documented climate-signals, including multi-decadal oscillations in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, and global warming. My results suggest that future warming may lead to an upward trend in tropical cyclone destructive potential, and [Note from Liz: yes, it gets better] taking into account an increasing coastal population -- a substantial increase in hurricane-related losses in the twenty-first century. "
Now, I read that this morning as I was drinking my morning coffee. I read it three times, in fact, twice initially and once after I read the paper (which includes some rather disturbing graphs and equations - charts and whatnot). I then put my coffee down and thought, "That's not really good news, now, is it, kids?"
I guess there is a little bit of a shining light here, though -- since I started ignoring climate change because of the frustrations in convincing people that it is happening, the argument has changed: in none of the papers I have read, including the hurricane paper, is anyone questioning the reality of anthropogenic (or otherwise, if you must have it that way, you right-wing zealot) based climate change, just the extent to which it is going to change our lives.
Have a good day :)
That's the good news. The bad news, which far outweighs the good news, is that what I've been finding is that since I stopped paying attention about 4 years ago, the climate has not been improving. I just finished reading an article in this week's (released on Sundays) Nature (Letters section) by an MIT climate scientist named Kerry Emanuel. Kerry, over here, has been sitting in Boston, apparently running through reams of data on hurricanes from the last 50 years, and has this to say:
"I find that the record of net hurricane power dissipation is highly correlated with sea surface tempurature, reflecting well documented climate-signals, including multi-decadal oscillations in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, and global warming. My results suggest that future warming may lead to an upward trend in tropical cyclone destructive potential, and [Note from Liz: yes, it gets better] taking into account an increasing coastal population -- a substantial increase in hurricane-related losses in the twenty-first century. "
Now, I read that this morning as I was drinking my morning coffee. I read it three times, in fact, twice initially and once after I read the paper (which includes some rather disturbing graphs and equations - charts and whatnot). I then put my coffee down and thought, "That's not really good news, now, is it, kids?"
I guess there is a little bit of a shining light here, though -- since I started ignoring climate change because of the frustrations in convincing people that it is happening, the argument has changed: in none of the papers I have read, including the hurricane paper, is anyone questioning the reality of anthropogenic (or otherwise, if you must have it that way, you right-wing zealot) based climate change, just the extent to which it is going to change our lives.
Have a good day :)
posted by Mom and Dad at 12:41 PM
3 Comments:
I'm, as you know, a big cyclone fan. that is, I come down on the cyclone side of the cyclone v. tornado debate. luckily you live at 5680 feet, so really, if we're thinking selfishly here (and when aren't we), you're fine. okay okay, so there won't be any rain where you live for the next 20 years, but I mean, did you really like drinking water that much anyway?
Just to be clear, I'm SURE she meant to say 5280 feet.
Perhaps she tested the elevation on my porch?
Also, there is nowhere but to come down on the tornado v cyclone debate -- I mean, you can see them from space. It doesn't get more important than that.
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