The world's getting hotter?

[Captain Kong]

I don't believe that there is Warming.
I have had a fairly cold Summer, I have had to have my gas central heating on most days of the summer to get warm'. When I was a kid in the 30s and 40s we always had long hot summers but not now for a long long time, only cold wet ones.
The Earth is always changing. since it was created. The South Pole used to be in where Middle of Africa is.
the Antarctic continent was full of Rain Forests. That is why there is Oil and Coal in abundance there under the ice.
A slight tilt in the earths axis will expose more of the ice cap than it did before hence the melting.
That is something we cannot stop.
and again when I was in the Antarctic in 2009, it was COLD. and the BAS man told me it was still freezing more on one side of the continent which I think will prove the earth has tilted a little more.
Cheers
Brian

[Frederick Lacey]

I must stop falling asleep, I think I missed it.!!!!!!F

[j.sabourn]

The thing that spoils the scientists theory which most of us agree with in any case that climatic change occurs and is a continuous process is, as soon as they say since records were kept and go back 130 years, 130 years is like a second in the worlds history. So they are assuming a hell of a lot. Anyhow there are just as many scientists with alternate theories who are just as aware but have different ideas. That's all they are when man talks about the Earths birth and history, the occasional dinosaurs bones are turned up to expound one theory or another. We mostly accept the worlds crust may be getting hotter so what, if man thinks he can change billions of years of climatic change he is again a bigger fool than has been often suggested. We cant even stop wars so haven't even come out of the dark ages yet. A feature all during my lifetime has been the figure with a billboard around his neck saying "The end is Nigh", will still be there in thousands of years time , that is if we have managed to prevent the blowing up of the world itself by the actions of mankind and the misuse of weapons still to be invented. PS How many people know that if they stand on the equator they are actually moving at 600 knots. That is fact and not fiction. In different latitudes is different lower speeds. Maybe why a lot of us get dizzy easy. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

One of our leading scientists here retired a couple of years ago. He then wrote a very interesting article in the national press. He told how the figures his department produced on the subject wee so extreme as to be laughable, but as he said those were the figures the gov wanted, not the truth. Read an article by D. Belamy and an aticile from NZ which shows the souther icepack is now bigger and thicker than ever recorded I now believe the whole issue is a political one and not one of the climate as such.

[Rodney Mills]

I thought of two examples of man's environment impact:

Back in the 1950s the current rage for men were thick crepe sole shoes commonly called 'brothel creepers'. Quite common, particularly in London were deadly thick fog, known as smog or 'pea soupers'. The fog was caused by an inversion layer of air and ground moisture, the smog part was the addition of smoke and soot from home coal fires being trapped in the fog.

The smog attacks had been going on for years, getting progressively worse as London's population increased. In the late fifties it became so bad that one could not see their hand in front of one's face. Elderly people and persons with respiratory problems were dying by increasing numbers with each outbreak.

Now for a lighter note—the 'brothel creepers'. The thick crepe soles made for absolute silent walking, and when slowly trying to follow the curb of a night time in this dark, smelly mess, trying to make your way home, you got the crxx scared out of you when suddenly you literally bumped into another crepe soled walker following the curb from the opposite direction.

Buses came to a stand still, trolley busses could move at about a mile an hour, as they where attached to an overhead electric wire, but the conductor had to walk ahead as a guide, flashing a torch so the driver could follow, usually back to the depot.

Around the time I emigrated to Canada (1958), the UK government outlawed coal fires, and moved to electric fires and deaths from smog became a thing of the past, dirty old London, commonly called 'The Smoke', gradually power washed the soot off the buildings and London turned into the lovely city (for tourists anyway) it is today, and the deadly smog is a thing of the past. What was caused by man was cured by man.

A more resent example occurred a few weeks ago in Beijing. A celebratory military parade for the anniversary of China's victory over Japan was held in Beijing. Absolutely no automobiles were allowed within the greater Beijing region for a period of days, in order to dissipate the perpetual air pollution caused by automobiles, thus leaving the air quality somewhat clean for filming the parade. This is a resent occurrence, as prior to China's switch to a market driven economy cars were rare, usually just available for high party officials, everyone else used bicycles. Ownership of a car today is almost mandatory for China's new emerging middle class. If you remember this forbidding automobiles was also done for the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, and limited odds and even days driving during was enforced during the actual games. Hopefully in the not to distant future, an electric powered car may alleviate this problem...but then there will be the battery cases!

Cheep, cheep.

[Rodney Mills]

Republic of Kiribati

The Pacific Ocean holds the nation of Kiribati, a 266-square-mile republic on 32 atolls and one island. With a population of 102,697, this archipelago of coral atolls covers an oceanic expanse equal to the size of the United States. Most of the island nation does not lie more than 3 meters above sea level. For this reason, its residents are greatly concerned about the impact of warming seas. Recently, President Anote Tong revealed that his Cabinet had endorsed a plan to buy nearly 6,000 acres on Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island. The plan is to potentially move the entire population off of Kiribati. “It wouldn't be for me, personally, but would apply more to a younger generation,” Tong said in March. “For them, moving won't be a matter of choice. It’s basically going to be a matter of survival.”

The low-lying islands of Kiribati, just a few feet above sea level, are on the front lines of climate change. Globally, sea levels have risen eight to 10 inches since 1880, but several studies show that trend accelerating. If carbon emissions continue unchecked, a recent survey of experts concluded, sea levels may rise about three feet by 2100.

That could inundate most of Kiribati by the end of the century, and the islands, home to some 100,000 people, are already feeling the impact. The government of Kiribati says the intrusion of salt water caused by rising sea levels has contaminated fresh water supplies and crop soil, and President Anote Tong has predicted that his country will become uninhabitable in 30 to 60 years. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, all the residents of Kiribati, along with other low-lying island states such as the Maldives and Tuvalu, could be forced to flee as a result of climate change. “Entire populations could thus become stateless,” the agency wrote.

The remote nation, more than 1,200 miles south of Hawaii and 3,800 miles northeast of Australia, has already purchased 6,000 acres on the neighboring island state of Fiji to protect its food security as the sea encroaches on its arable land — and possibly, in the future, to relocate its residents.


Micronesia

Micronesia is made up of 607 mountainous islands and low-lying coral atolls and is being eroded away by rising sea levels and has even made cemeteries disappear.

The islands are east of the Philippines and have a population of 102,624. One man was seen standing shin-deep in water, where a cemetery used to be. Micronesia's Ambassador to the UN told ABC News: "Even the dead are no longer safe in my country." The ocean water is also killing off food crops

Palau


Palau consists of eight principal islands and more than 250 smaller ones, about 500 miles southeast of the Philippines. Their population of 20,000 is being threatened by rising sea levels.

William Brangham of PBS wrote: "Palau’s coasts are being eroded, its local farmlands tainted by seawater, and its valuable reefs threatened."

The president of Palau, Johnson Toribiong, describes the damage he is seeing as “a slow-moving tsunami.”


Carteret Islands


The Carteret Islands are located in the south-west Pacific Ocean and is home to about 2,500 people. The Telegraph states that some people believe these islands will be uninhabitable by 2015, as high tides have inundated the islands, destroying crops, wells, and homes.

Bernard Tunim, a clan chief from the islands, tells The Telegraph: “In the last 10 to 20 years the change has been dramatic. We have experienced many king tides and when the wind blows, it comes right through the island, destroying our vegetables and fruit. The salt water destroyed bread fruit trees and poisoned the wells.”


Tuvalu


Tuvalu consists of six true atolls and three reef islands that has a population of 11,636 that was estimated in 2005. The highest point in the country is less than five meters above sea level, but most of it is less than a meter above.

In 2003, Saufatu Sopoanga, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, told the United Nations General Assembly: "We live in constant fear of the adverse impacts of climate change. For a coral atoll nation, sea level rise and more severe weather events loom as a growing threat to our entire population. The threat is real and serious, and is of no difference to a slow and insidious form of terrorism against us."

It’s heartening that New Zealand has recently granted residency to a family from Tuvalu, accepting their landmark claim that climate change effectively thwarted their return home. While it’s the first successful application of this type, it certainly won’t be the last time that climate change will force islanders to seek safer shores elsewhere.

New Zealand’s decision is commendable for a number of reasons, including recognition by the immigration and protection tribunal of climate change as an important causal factor in long-term displacement and human wellbeing. It’s also a tacit acceptance that the international refugee convention is not the appropriate or only instrument for offering protection, justice and a lifeline of hope to Pacific climate change refugees. Indeed, the refugee convention has already been determined to be irrelevant for climate change refugee situations by New Zealand’s court of appeal which earlier this year refused to recognise climate change refugee status to a family from Kiribati, arguing that in the absence of persecution Ioana Teitiota did not meet the legal definition of a conventional refugee.

There are growing calls for action to help these island nations. A few weeks ago the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program Achim Steiner called on the world to help small island states win their battle against climate change. He said that island states are “microcosms of our larger society ... the rest of the world should not let them drown”.

There are roughly twenty island nations threatened, I just picked out the South Pacific ones. If it is a fact and the ocean does rise then it becomes many parts of nations that will be threatened or lose large segments of landmass, i.e. China, Bangladesh. And G.B. could lose its Canvey Island in Essex.

Cheep,cheep.

[j.sabourn]

#35... After 1958 they brought in smokeless fuel. We changed over to gas sometime in the 70"s, purely for the expensive smokeless fuel (coal). Never noticed when last time over if some houses still had. Just the beer which varied very much in price depending on location. As for encroaching seas I live 400 metres from the shore and if the various estimates of up to a metre a year loss, should be ok for now at least. The land came from the sea and whilst new mountain peaks are still emerging there are others which in time will disappear. An ever onward cycle of natural cycle change in my and others opinions. Everyone is allowed to at least think on different lines the powers to be although they can legislate the way people speak, haven't attained peoples minds yet, however it is coming. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

The London smog was the result of the way in which the coal was used I power stations the biggest users.. It arrived directly from the coal face and it all went in, dust and other bits. When the clean air act was brought in about 1960 they had to change the way in which they used the coal It had to be washed and all the crap removed. Then forced air was added to the burning process at the power stations the biggest culprits and that was the end of the green London snog.
As to most of the island, It is not a rising sea level doing the damage. It is the fact they have just abuot exhausted the underground fresh water supply so the islands ate actualy sinking.

[j.sabourn]

#32 Fred you"ll have to stop falling asleep like that in the sun or will finish up with sunstroke. JS

[j.sabourn]

#31...All these explosions especially in the M.E. and the nuclear one set off in the Pacific could of caused the alteration in the tilt of the earth. Maybe someone can find out off one of these wikipea progammes if any mad professor has explored such possibilities yet. Also does not all these electronic devices which must emit all sort of rays apart from radio waves doesnt that not have an effect on the atmosphere, apart from the poor old cow getting the blame all the time. Should not blame the cow too much, as he is sacred to millions of people. JS