New climate change projections surpass previous estimates and threaten 187 million

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/07/new-climate-change-projections-surpass-previous-estimates-and-threaten-187-million/



New climate change projections surpass previous estimates and threaten 187 million
By Stephen C. Webster
Monday, January 7, 2013 14:58 EST

A new study published in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change estimates that at its worst, sea level rise attributed to the melting of Earth’s polar ice caps and glaciers may displace up to 187 million people within the next 100 years.

An assessment of expert opinion published Sunday finds that most leading climate scientists are divided on how rapidly the planet’s glaciers and ice caps will deteriorate, leading to a wide divergence of opinion on how much that melting will contribute to sea levels between present day and 2100.

After charting detailed responses from 26 leading experts, researchers came back with a median estimate of projected sea level rise at just 29 centimeters. The worst estimate is 84 centimeters.

The results are significantly worse than the last projection (PDF) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007, which suggested that at best the world would see 18 centimeters of sea level rise, and at worst 59 centimeters.

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[stuntcat]

2. k,r

[Old Codger]

3. possibly

I don't know how excited anyone can get over 11 inches to 2.76 foot rise over the next hundred years. I am sure it is bad for a lot of places but they need to come up with an explanation that can be applied by the average person reading it to situations that may affect them....I know it doesn't have much to do with my life or most reading it as it is more than likely going to happen after they are gone from this world...Also a lot of us live in areas that won't be affected at all by a sea level rise.

Not trying to minimize this at all as I know a lot of coastal areas will be affected but they need to use the change in weather patterns and severity along with this to really emphasize the overall effect...

[NoOneMan]

4. This is the unfortunate emphasis on sea level rise

Perhaps this is meant to shock some people, but to many, it means nothing.

But everyone will have to face food supply problems from ocean acidification and crop failures. Famine will spread, forests will burn, and the geographical tensions will rise. Climate change will mean starvation, displacement, disease, more deforestation, floods, droughts, wars and more.

[Old Codger]

5. Yup

They need to put forth a comprehensive, more inclusive forecast on all of the ramifications of this stuff a few inches of sea rise is not going to get through to most people...