Friday, 06 Apr 2007

We Hear Mars Is Nice This Time of Year

Top scientists say global warming is triggering ecosystem changes around the globe

The natural world is already getting knocked around by climate change, the world's top climate experts said today. In the second of four reports being released this year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the group looked at the impacts of global warming, both present and projected, and said we can expect more big floods, droughts, wildfires, species extinctions, and mass migrations. Most vulnerable are the Arctic, sub-Saharan Africa, small islands, and Asian river deltas, but the report also predicts flash floods for Europe and heat waves for North America. "It's the poorest of the poor in the world, and this includes poor people even in prosperous societies, who are going to be the worst hit," said IPCC Chair Rajendra Pachauri. The report was written by hundreds of scientists and reviewed by government officials; negotiations over the final wording got heated during an all-nighter last night (though you'd think they could've just scrawled "apocalypse" on some scratch paper and been done with it). Several scientists accused government negotiators of watering down the report, making it, in the words of one, "much less quantified and much vaguer and much less striking than it could have been." We're plenty struck, thanks.


How might U.S. national security be threatened by all those mega-droughts, coastal floods, killer hurricanes, food shortages, and other calamities likely to result from climate change? No one knows, but Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) think it's time to find out. Last week, they introduced a bill that would require federal intelligence agencies to produce a National Intelligence Estimate on the security challenges presented by global warming. The timing couldn't be better, as Muckraker reports.

Why Ask Why? Try Everything Dry

American Southwest soon will face permanent drought, says study

Tired of depressing climatic news? Too bad, here's more! A new study in Science predicts that as early as 2021, global warming could create Dust Bowl-like conditions in the American Southwest. Much of the region has been severely dry since 2000, and researchers say 18 of the 19 computer models studied predict a permanent drought setting in before mid-century. "There are going to be some tough decisions on how to allocate water. Is it going to be the cities, or is it going to be agriculture?" says lead author Richard Seager, referring particularly to the rapidly urbanizing areas fed by the dwindling Colorado River. The Southwest currently directs 85 percent of water to irrigation. In an attempt to address shortages, the region is putting at least $2.5 billion into new water projects, and who-gets-what arguments between states are in full swing. Meanwhile, conditions in Australia may herald what's to come: "water police" patrol the streets and slap fines on residents who hose down cars or water lawns more than twice a week.


David James Duncan believes storytelling needs to be part of the don't-you-dare-call-it-environmental movement. But what else would you expect from a bestselling author? As InterActivist this week, Duncan provoked questions from literary fans, fishing foes, and old guitar buddies. In answering, he writes about his campaign to save salmon, the evil nature of teleprompters, and his inside knowledge of Edward Abbey's reincarnation.

Brakes on a Plane

Flight ads should carry health warnings, says U.K. group

Advertisements for flights should include a health warning, tobacco-style, to remind people of their contribution to climate change, a U.K. think tank said this week. (So creative, those Brits!) "The evidence that aviation damages the atmosphere is just as clear as the evidence that smoking kills," says Simon Retallack of the Institute for Public Policy Research. Airlines' contribution to climate change is predicted to double or triple in coming years as the industry takes off (har har). Alongside "flying causes climate change," IPPR suggests that ads calculate emissions per passenger and, if possible, compare that number to a less-pollutey transportation option. The group also calls for carbon offsets to be automatically included in flight prices and for increased aviation taxes to fund improved rail transport. We're into the label, but why stop at planes? We suggest labeling every pork chop, incandescent light bulb, and cow butt the same way.