With
current rates of Arctic warming continuing to accelerate, especially
over the past two decades, Dr. Ashley Ballantyne of the University of
Colorado, USA and other international colleagues sought to better
understand these rising temperature-related risks.
To do so, he
looked back in Earths’ history to the Pliocene Epoch between 2.5 to more
than 5 million years ago, when CO2 levels were between 350-450 parts
per million, comparable to today’s approximately 390 parts per million.
However, despite the similar amounts of greenhouse gas in the
atmosphere, the Arctic’s temperature at that time was much higher.
Dr.
Ballantyne’s findings indicate that present temperatures in the Arctic
simply may not yet be showing the future changes in store for the
region.
Dr. Ashley Ballantyne – University of Colorado, USA (M):
We were pretty startled to learn from our estimates that temperatures
were on the order of 19 degrees (Celsius) warmer during the Pliocene in
the Arctic.
It was very different from the Arctic landscape of
today, which is very sparse and barren if there isn’t ice cover. This
implies that not only is the Arctic very sensitive to CO2 levels, but
that what we’ve observed thus far in the Arctic is a transient response,
and that the Arctic hasn’t yet reached its equilibrium state.
VOICE:
The research suggests that the significant changes resulting from the
presence of increased CO2 in the atmosphere could not only harm species’
adaptation and survival but could even set off an unalterable process
of ice-free warming. Related research has already forecast that
continued melting of the Arctic tundra could trigger a devastating
release of greenhouse gases such as the potent methane into the
atmosphere, leading to runaway global warming.
Dr. Ballantyne (M):
It implies that the Arctic is in store for much warmer conditions in
the future, even if we were to stabilize CO2 levels at four hundred
parts per million. And this warming will produce irreversible changes in
our big ecosystems.
VOICE: Our appreciation, Dr. Ballantyne and
associates, for your research that warns of future Arctic
destabilization even without further greenhouse gas emissions. May we
act quickly in mitigating climate change at all costs by adopting
necessary Earth-preserving measures. In an August 2008 interview by
Ireland’s East Coast FM Radio, Supreme Master Ching Hai urged for
humanity to heed such scientific cautioning through the most effective
actions to quickly rebalance the biosphere.
Supreme Master Ching Hai:
According to the scientists, whatever they have predicted or prescribed
about our critical situation is accurate up to 99%. They want us to
change the way we live our lives by cutting down CO2 emissions. And the
fastest way that individuals can do, without a lot of protocol and ado,
is to be veg.
It’s truly critical now, as we have witnessed
increasing disaster worldwide, due to climate change. We still have
time, we still have a little time to change the course of destiny,
thanks to the vegetarian population, old and new members that reduce the
most karmic retribution in the shortest span of time.
Thus we
have like an extended deadline before the no return point. But it’s not
much. We must change fast to avoid much more damage to the Earth as well
as loss of more lives and resources.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/06/30/Study-Arctic-climate-at-tipping-point/UPI-95001277922906/ http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/06/30/study-ozone-arctic-ice-levels.html