The Global Warming Megathread

[Mathom]

I heard somewhere that 50% of the worlds population still live something 20miles from the sea, so simply by having rising sea's, alot of people are going to be affected.

 

Makes you wonder that if sea levels have risen in the past, then alot of the past civilisations are under sea rather than underground ?

 

Z

 

What about the myth of Atlantis? It seems to have been common across a lot of cultures in different forms, which suggests that many civilisations or indeed, maybe one great one, have been lost to the sea.

 

In the UK we are very complacent, but it is only around 200 years since low lying places in Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Lancashire were 'reclaimed' by drainage of natural fenland; such places have already seen flooding during storms and would simply disappear were the sea to rise even by a tiny amount. The London tidal barrier will be obsolete in a few years time. We also have a history of lost towns - Dunwich on the east Coast, and a town somewhere beneath Cardigan Bay. Places which are not that low lying may suffer too, as seen in Boscastle.

 

The warning signs are already there with massive reductions in certain seabird populations from our coasts. The process could begin today.

[Crayfish]

It has risen slightly and could be expected to do so a lot more as the ice melts. Probably take a while though.

 

Talking of fens - I found this interesting

 

http://www.yaxleypc.org.uk/holmepost.JPG

 

They sunk this post into the surface of Holme Fen in 1851 (Whittlesey Mere area) when they started draining it, so that only the tip was sticking out. Drained so much that the surface is now 8 meters lower.

 

Sheffield being hilly and more or less bang in the middle of the country is quite well placed though!

[Zafar]

What about the myth of Atlantis? It seems to have been common across a lot of cultures in different forms, which suggests that many civilisations or indeed, maybe one great one, have been lost to the sea.

 

In the UK we are very complacent, but it is only around 200 years since low lying places in Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Lancashire were 'reclaimed' by drainage of natural fenland; such places have already seen flooding during storms and would simply disappear were the sea to rise even by a tiny amount. The London tidal barrier will be obsolete in a few years time. We also have a history of lost towns - Dunwich on the east Coast, and a town somewhere beneath Cardigan Bay. Places which are not that low lying may suffer too, as seen in Boscastle.

 

The warning signs are already there with massive reductions in certain seabird populations from our coasts. The process could begin today.

 

A couple of years ago they found one of the oldest cities off the west coast of India, so I suppose Atlantis is probably off some coast somewhere.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1345150.stm

 

I guess we'll be quite safe in the Yorkshire, atleast from the rising sea levels.

 

Z

[carter101]

On Friday 12th May, the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill will return to the House of Commons for the third time.

 

"A bill to make provision about the reduction of the emissions of greenhouse gases, the alleviation of fuel poverty, the promotion of microgeneration and the introduction for a renewable heat obligation."

 

It can then pass to the House of Lords for consideration.

 

If there are less than 100 MPs present, the bill cannot be closed (if necessary), causing delays to any implementation.

 

Many MPs do not stay in the House of a friday. I'm emailing my MP, asking her to stay for the debate.

 

I thought I'd include the text of my email and a list of Sheffield MP email addresses in case anyone else wanted to do the same.

 

Sheffield Central (Rt Hon Richard Caborn, Labour)

cabornr@parliament.uk

Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr Clive Betts, Labour)

bettsc@parliament.uk

Sheffield, Brightside (Rt Hon David Blunkett, Labour)

(couldn't find email address)

 

Palatine Chambers

Pinstone Street

Sheffield

S1 2HN

 

Sheffield, Hallam (Mr Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat) nickclegg@sheffieldhallam.org.uk

Sheffield, Heeley (Meg Munn, Labour)

munnm@parliament.uk

Sheffield, Hillsborough (Ms Angela C. Smith, Labour)

angela.smith@sheffieldlabourparty.co.uk

 

 

Email I'm sending:

 

"To Meg Munn MP,

 

On Friday 12th May the Cimate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill will return to the House of Commons for the final time before moving to the House of Lords.

 

I am emailing to ask if you could be present at this debate to represent the views of your constituents on such a major issue. I realise that if at least 100 MPs are not present the debate cannot be closed if necessary, causing further delays."

[weenireeni]

brilliant idea!

 

i live at tinsley - so can anyone tell me who my MP is?!

[carter101]

Check out

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/aristotle/

 

for contact details for MPs

[TheTwirler]

There's no proof whatsoever that global warming is actually caused by human emissions.

[smartie]

Where is the proof that global warming isn't caused by human emissions?

 

Tinsley comes under Sheffield Attercliffe IIRC, so Clive Betts MP should be the man, weenireeni.

 

Looking at his website http://www.clivebetts.labour.co.uk/ he must have attended the Cherie Booth School of Smiling!

 

Charley

http://www.gmroads.co.uk

[AstroKath]

There's no proof whatsoever that global warming is actually caused by human emissions.

 

Really? You're more of an expert than these guys?

The scientific opinion on climate change, as expressed in the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Third Assessment Report in 2001 and explicitly endorsed by the national science academies of the G8 nations April 2005, is that the average global temperature has risen 0.6 ± 0.2 °C since the late 19th century, and that it is likely that "most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities" [1]

 

It's certainly possible that factors beyond our control are an important contributing factor - e.g. the increase in Solar activity - but what we do as a society can certainly influence the outcome as well. Just because the climate is in no way under our control doesn't mean we should continue to act in a manner which ACCELERATES the warming process!

 

But even if you do doubt the research, look at it this way. Does the kind of action being suggested actually cause any harm? Compare that with the high possibility of loss of life. livelihood and living space across broad swathes of the planet. Those scenarios may not affect the UK as directly as other countries, but the economic repercussions would be faced by all of us.

 

 

Anyway, I've sent Meg an e-mail as well.

[TheTwirler]

"Its likely that..."

 

It was LIKELY that the Earth was flat.

 

The Earth warms up and cools down all the time. FACT. Earth has been getting warmer since the Ice Ages.

 

We've only been taking temprature measurements for about 100 years, how the hell do we know how much Earth will warm up and how fast?

 

I know cutting emmisions wont do any harm, it will even help with some health problems, i was just pointing out a fact that nobody can be sure what emissions do the the Temprature and Atmosphere..