Purdue university: Researchers find future temperatures could exceed livable limits

[GliderGuider]

Researchers find future temperatures could exceed livable limits

This map shows the maximum wet-bulb temperatures reached in a climate model from a high carbon dioxide emissions future climate scenario with a global-mean temperature 12 degrees Celsius (21 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than 2007. The white land areas exceed the wet-bulb limit at which researchers calculated humans would experience a potentially lethal level of heat stress. (Purdue University graphic/Matthew Huber)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Reasonable worst-case scenarios for global warming could lead to deadly temperatures for humans in coming centuries, according to research findings from Purdue University and the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Researchers for the first time have calculated the highest tolerable "wet-bulb" temperature and found that this temperature could be exceeded for the first time in human history in future climate scenarios if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated.

The researchers calculated that humans and most mammals, which have internal body temperatures near 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, will experience a potentially lethal level of heat stress at wet-bulb temperature above 95 degrees sustained for six hours or more, said Matthew Huber, the Purdue professor of earth and atmospheric sciences who co-authored the paper that is currently available online and will be published in an upcoming issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"These temperatures haven't been seen during the existence of hominids, but they did occur about 50 million years ago, and it is a legitimate possibility that the Earth could see such temperatures again," Huber said. "If we consider these worst-case scenarios early enough, perhaps we can do something to address the risk through mitigation or new technological advancements that will allow us to adapt."

Oops...

[derby378]

1. Maybe they should tell that to the voters

You know, the ones who failed to learn anything from eight years of Bush/Cheney and voted a more exreme variety of Republican into power anyway.

[LiberalEsto]

2. Hell on Earth

The corporations have just about succeeded in their plan.

[XemaSab]

3. Here's the key paragraph:

"Although areas of the world regularly see temperatures above 100 degrees, really high wet-bulb temperatures are rare," Huber said. "This is because the hottest areas normally have low humidity, like the 'dry heat' referred to in Arizona. When it is dry, we are able to cool our bodies through perspiration and can remain fairly comfortable. The highest wet-bulb temperatures ever recorded were in places like Saudi Arabia near the coast where winds occasionally bring extremely hot, humid ocean air over hot land leading to unbearably stifling conditions, which fortunately are short-lived today."

[joshcryer]

7. 1995 Chicago Heat Wave:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Chicago_heat_wave

I was there for that. In a car. With my family. Homeless.

Some Mexcian family took us in when we went to a Church for assistance.

Good times.

[Strelnikov_]

4. PETM bound n/t

[guardian]

5. I smell another research grant request! DOOM DOOM DOOM

Another idiotic doomer article to feed the doomer fantasy. The implication of the article and the OP is that AGW will bring DOOM. Just simply another doomer attempt to stoke fear in the general public. According the article itself

"The study did not provide new evaluations of the likelihood of future climate scenarios, but explored the impacts of warming."

Is there ANY, I mean ANY, credible projection showing an increase of 25 degrees F in our foreseeable future?? It is based on doomer hope and fantasy of the destruction of the world. Shit they just have well done a study that says if the earth is dropped on the surface of the sun people will die. The likelihood of either happening have about equal probability.

This professor simply pulled this paper straight from his ass. But since TSA did the anal search last time he flew he can claim the paper was "peer reviewed".

Time for another round:

[joshcryer]

10. The study does not predict 12 degrees temperature rise.

FYI.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[joshcryer]

12. The original post says 12 degrees.

I was merely correcting your asinine claims that anyone was projecting 12 degrees temperature rise.

I think your problem is that you can't distinguish between Fahrenheit and Celsius.

[jimlup]

6. This is not surprising

We're doing an experiment in which we may manage to kill ourselves in the end. Pretty amazing that we would consciously risk it.

[glitch]

8. Perhaps we're not as conscious as we imagine ourselves to be.

Nor as sentient.

[kestrel91316]

9. I am glad that i never had children. And I weep for my niece and nephew

and the world we are giving them.

[Kolesar]

13. I thought the world was screwed thirty years ago

At that time, it was overpopulation and resource depletion that scared me. I thought nuclear war was implement (another nuclear war).

The rest of the country did not agree with me and they were all super happy. I don't get it.