These reports seem to be coming so thick and fast at the moment it is becoming quite easy to, well, simply avoid reading them, but this, from the New Scientist, is short and quite illuminating.
The essence of the piece? Even if we stopped all fossil fuel burning right now, the planet could take over a thousand years to recover from the excess CO2 in the atmosphere.
Showing posts with label NEW SCIENTIST. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NEW SCIENTIST. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, March 21, 2008
Food shortages WILL happen
Now we've commented on this very blog about the shrinkage of glaciers around the planet before, and pointed out some of the doom and gloom food shortage, mass migration and war scenarios that many, with perhaps more Malthusian mentalities, are predicting.
But this from the New Scientist makes for quite grim reading, and it does not hedge its bets; even the headline uses that key word WILL. Not 'could' or 'might' or 'potentially' or 'theoretically possible' but "Melting glaciers will trigger food shortages".
Quite depressing. But will anybody take note?
But this from the New Scientist makes for quite grim reading, and it does not hedge its bets; even the headline uses that key word WILL. Not 'could' or 'might' or 'potentially' or 'theoretically possible' but "Melting glaciers will trigger food shortages".
Quite depressing. But will anybody take note?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
A pipe dream?
..... or a possible means of fixing more CO2 out of the atmosphere?
Following on from the iron filings idea, this from James Lovelock and Chris Rapley suggests building hundreds of thousands of massive vertical pipes in the oceans. Each pipe would have a one way valve at the bottom so that wave action near the top would draw nutrient rich water up from the ocean depths, providing a spur to more algal growth, which it turn will fix more CO2 from the atmosphere.
The full article is reported in New Scientist.
Just one little snaglet might be the fact that "as well as being rich in nutrients, water rising up the pipes will be rich in carbon - this could mean CO2 is released into the atmosphere."
Oh well, it sounded like a good idea at first.
ADDENDUM (from Junkk Male) - Guardian - How sea tubes could slow climate change
Yes, I suppose they 'could'. But as mans's meddling with nature is not quite working out at a success rate that's enviable, maybe it's more down to whether they 'should'.
TELEGRAPH - James Lovelock's plan to pump ocean water to stop climate change
Following on from the iron filings idea, this from James Lovelock and Chris Rapley suggests building hundreds of thousands of massive vertical pipes in the oceans. Each pipe would have a one way valve at the bottom so that wave action near the top would draw nutrient rich water up from the ocean depths, providing a spur to more algal growth, which it turn will fix more CO2 from the atmosphere.
The full article is reported in New Scientist.
Just one little snaglet might be the fact that "as well as being rich in nutrients, water rising up the pipes will be rich in carbon - this could mean CO2 is released into the atmosphere."
Oh well, it sounded like a good idea at first.
ADDENDUM (from Junkk Male) - Guardian - How sea tubes could slow climate change
Yes, I suppose they 'could'. But as mans's meddling with nature is not quite working out at a success rate that's enviable, maybe it's more down to whether they 'should'.
TELEGRAPH - James Lovelock's plan to pump ocean water to stop climate change
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