Climate change disasters could be predicted

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_143869_en.html

Climate change disasters could be predicted

Climate change disasters, such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, dieback of the Amazon rainforest or collapse of the Atlantic overturning circulation, could be predicted according to University of Exeter research.

Writing in the journal Nature Climate Change, Professor Tim Lenton of the University of Exeter shows that the ‘tipping points’ that trigger these disasters could be anticipated by looking for changes in climate behaviour.

…

Professor Lenton argues that a system of forecasting could be developed to enable some forewarning of high-risk tipping points. The approach he outlines involves analysing observational data to look for signs that a climate system is slowing down in its response to short-term natural variability (which we experience as the weather). This characteristic behaviour indicates the climate is becoming unstable, and is a common feature of systems approaching critical thresholds known as ‘bifurcation points’.

Professor Tim Lenton of the University of Exeter's http://lifesciences.exeter.ac.uk/">College of Life and Environmental Sciences said: “Many people assume that tipping points which could be passed as a result of human-induced climate change are essentially unpredictable. Recent research shows that the situation is not as hopeless as it may seem: we have the tools to anticipate thresholds, which means we could give societies valuable time to adapt.

…

Date: 19 June 2011

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1143

[Oceansaway]

1. K&R...n/t

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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

[texastoast]

3. Actually, I heard about all this stuff over 30 years ago

Along with the rest of the "civilized" world.

And people in the USA just don't want to believe it, as their convenience will suffer. Many would much rather "believe in" the Exxon hired shills who are paid to inspire us to continue to consume consume consume.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. "could" be predicted???? WAS predicted, as you say.

Sheesh..

Does no one remember David Suzuki and Paul Elrich and Frances Lappe Moore and hundreds of others back in the 70's and even the 80's who laid out all the models for too much ozone and how the ocean currents would be affected by temperature increases, etc?
Not to mention dozens of Sci-Fi books written about the same thing, with some excellent fact based info, in them.

[kestrel91316]

4. Sigh. Weather does not equal climate. FAIL.