Forget Polar Bears — Warming Will Hit the Tropics First

[xchrom]

http://www.livescience.com/40294-climate-change-tropics-first.html

Amber-eyed jaguars could soon boot out polar bears as king of adorable, furry species nearing extinction because of global warming.

In the next 10 years, the tropics will suffer "unprecedented" climate change effects, long before the Arctic and its polar bears see big shifts, according to an analysis of global warming trends published today (Oct. 9) in the journal Nature.

But the study goes far beyond simply highlighting the plight of tropical plants and animals. For the first time, researchers have pinpointed individual tipping points, the years when each of the world's capitals will see climate extremes become the norm. New York City is fated to flip over to hotter temperatures in 2047, give or take five years, if carbon dioxide emissions continue at current levels, researchers say.

"The coldest year in the future will be hotter than the hottest year in the past [150 years]," said Camilo Mora, lead study author and a geographer at the University of Hawaii, Manoa.

[KurtNYC]

1. I wish they would stop pretending this isn't happening NOW.

I think a lot of people hear the gloom and doom and see stuff about 2047 and they tune out.

The effects of climate change have been observed for at least 15 years now -- stronger hurricanes, more north-south pattern in jet streams, warming and rising ocean, ocean acidification.

7 years ago:
http://grist.org/article/hurricanes-are-getting-stronger-thanks-to-global-warming/

And we are doing NOTHING to reverse course. We are a deer in the headlights.

[pscot]

2. Gee, I wonder where all those people will go

when it gets too warm to live in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Ten years, they say? I guess we'll find out.

[CRH]

3. How much more needs to be said than this, ...

"By 2050, between 1 [billion] and 5 billion people, depending on carbon mitigation scenarios, will live in areas undergoing unprecedented climate change," said Ryan Longman, a study co-author and graduate student at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. "The countries most impacted are ones with the least ability to respond."

We are talking a bit more than a generation. Mean while, in the next ten years, the tropics, will suffer 'unprecedented' climate effects.

This world will change around us, ... faster than we can socially, politically, economically, and physically, adapt.

[Kablooie]

4. I wonder if we get a solid Democratic Congress that something will begin to be done.

I don't have a lot of hope though.
The corporations that don't want to spend money to fix their emissions don't have Republicans to toady for them they'll start putting all that pressure on the Dems.

I read that if the issue was seriously attacked today by the whole world, in 20 years it might begin to have some effect.
It will take that long for anything to start working at this point and it's unlikely we will get any serious emission restrictions any time soon.