‘Evil twin of global warming’ threatens world’s oceans

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  Fishermen venturing into the sea near Kannur. Ocean acidification is caused when the CO2 emitted by human activity, mainly burning fossil fuels, dissolves into the oceans.

  Scientists have warned that ocean acidification, which is dubbed the ‘evil twin of global warming’, caused by a rise in human emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), threatens the world’s oceans.

  “Ocean conditions are already more extreme than those experienced by marine organisms and ecosystems for millions of years,” researchers said in the latest issue of the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution (TREE). “This emphasises the urgent need to adopt policies that drastically reduce CO2 emissions,” they added. Ocean acidification, which the researchers call the ‘evil twin of global warming’, is caused when the CO2 emitted by human activity, mainly burning fossil fuels, dissolves into the oceans. It is happening independently of, but in combination with, global warming.

  “Evidence gathered by scientists around the world over the last few years suggests that ocean acidification could represent an equal -or perhaps even greater threat -to the biology of our planet than global warming,” said co-author Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and The University of Queensland. More than 30 percent of the CO2 released from burning fossil fuels, cement production, deforestation and other human activities goes straight into the oceans, turning them gradually more acidic.

  “The resulting acidification will impact many forms of sea life, especially organisms whose shells or skeletons are made from calcium carbonate, like corals and shellfish. It may interfere with the reproduction of plankton species which are a vital part of the food web on which fish and all other sea life depend,” said Professor Hoegh-Guldberg.

  The scientists say there is now persuasive evidence that mass extinctions in past Earth history, like the “Great Dying” of 251 million years ago and another wipeout 55 million years ago, were accompanied by ocean acidification, which may have delivered the deathblow to many species that were unable to cope with it.

  According to lead author, Dr. Carles Pelejero, from ICREA and the Marine Science Institute of CSIC in Barcelona, Spain, “These past periods can serve as great lessons of what we can expect in the future, if we continue to push the acidity the ocean even further.” “Given the impacts we see in the fossil record, there is no question about the need to immediately reduce the rate at which we are emitting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” he added.

  
   

2009 is fifth warmest year: WMO

A file photo of delegates looking at a giant balloon displaying the warming of the world's oceans, during the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen.

Noting that the decade 2000-2009 was warmest-ever recorded, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has said that 2009 was the fifth-warmest year since climate records began in 1850.

In a report on its 60th anniversary, the UN weather agency said the nineties were warmer than the eighties.

The report showed that the decade 2000-2009 was warmest ever recorded.

The World Meteorological Day was celebrated yesterday to commemorate the entry into force of the WMO Convention that led to creation of the Organisation in 1950.

“As we celebrate today the 60th anniversary of the World meteorological Organisation, I would like to pay tribute to the meteorological community worldwide working together continuously beyond all borders to save and protect people, their homes and their livelihoods,” said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarrud.

Even the Sun can’t save us from global warming !

A new study has determined that even if the sun commenced avery long period of low activity, it cannot put the brakes on the relentless rise of global temperatures caused by greenhouse gases.

Since the 13th century, the sun has gone through four “Grand Minima”, one of which is thought to have contributed to the anomalously low temperatures in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.

This extended cold period, known as the “Little Ice Age”, coincided with a very long period of calm on the solar surface.

Tracking sunspot numbers, astronomers noticed that from 1645 to 1715, the sun’s disk was “blank”, that is, it had few, if any, sunspots.

This period became known as the “Maunder Minimum”.

If the sun lacks spots, that means there is a reduction in magnetic energy, signifying a lower energy output, or a slight reduction in brightness, or “irradiance”.

Typically, every 11 years, the sun goes through peaks and troughs in energy output (known as solar maximum and minimum, respectively) and this abnormally long minima is largely attributed with contributing toward the Little Ice Age.

Solar minimum went on for a little longer than expected during Solar Cycle 24. Unfortunately, it didn’t help our warming climate much.

Scientists have pondered that if the sun endures another Grand Minimum, could the solar cycle slow down – or even reverse – the amplified global heating caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

“The notion that we are heading for a new Little Ice Age if the sun actually entered a Grand Minimum is wrong,” said study lead author Dr Georg Feulner of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

If greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase unchecked, global average temperatures are predicted to rise by between 3.7 degrees Celsius and 4.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century.

If the sun enters another Grand Minimum, the reduction in solar energy will slow heating by a paltry 0.3 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.

But, global warming will overwhelm any “cooling” effect caused by reduced solar output.

According to Julie Arblaster, a climate researcher at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, a reduction of 0.25 percent in solar irradiance is “on the extreme end of what we would expect for the next century.”

“This shows that any changes in the Sun, even large changes, will only have a small impact in offsetting that warming,”

 

8 million tonnes of methane seeping out from Arctic annually: Study

Methane, the second most common greenhouse gas from human activities after carbon dioxide, is bubbling out from the frozen Arctic much faster than expected and could stoke global warming, scientists have warned.

A study by researchers from the University of Fairbanks in Alaska showed that methane, trapped in the permafrost — soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years — over time and now 8 million tonnes of it is seeping out every year due to rising temperatures.

According to co-author of the study Natalia Shakhova, “Release of just a small fraction of the methane held in East Siberian Arctic Shelf sediments could trigger abrupt climate warming”.

“Subsea permafrost is losing its ability to be an impermeable cap.”

“The amount of methane currently coming out of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is comparable to the amount coming out of the entire world’s oceans,” she wrote in journal Science.

Shakhova said there was an ‘urgent need’ to monitor the region for possible future changes since permafrost traps vast amounts of methane, the Daily Mail reported.

According to Martin Heimann from the Max Planck Institute there is, however, no proof they are increasing. “These leaks could have been occurring all the time since the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago.”

The release of eight million tonnes of methane a year was “negligible” compared to global emissions of about 440 million tonnes, he said.

 

Global warming likely to impact rainfall patterns

Climate models project that the global average temperature will rise about 1 degree C by mid-century, if we continue with business as usual and emit greenhouse gases.

The global average, though, does not tell us anything about what will happen to regional climates.

Analysing global model warming projections in models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a team headed by meteorologist Shang-Ping Xie at the University of Hawaii finds that ocean temperature patterns in the tropics and sub-tropics will change in ways that will significantly alter rainfall patterns.

Scientists have mostly assumed that the surfaces of oceans will warm rather evenly in the tropics. This assumption has led to “wetter-gets-wetter” and “drier-gets-drier” regional rainfall projections.

Xie’s team has gathered evidence that, although ocean surface temperatures can be expected to increase mostly everywhere by mid-century, the increase may differ by up to 1.5degreesC depending upon the region.

“Compared to the mean projected rise of 1degreesC, such differences are fairly large and can have a pronounced impact on tropical and subtropical climate by altering atmospheric heating patterns and therefore rainfall,” explains Xie.

“Our results broadly indicate that regions of peak sea surface temperature will get wetter, and those relatively cool will get drier,” adds Xie, according to the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

The study is slated for publication in the Journal of Climate this month.

We have only ONE home, and it is EARTH

This is the most accurate, highest resolution true color image of planet Earth to date.

ONE EARTH, BILLIONS OF US LIVING, LET US BE ONE TO SAVE OUR ONLY HOME AND ONLY MOTHER EARTH.

WE live in a planet which getting sick day by day, Our Earth, our only home and our only hope for our survival and for our better future. We need to take care and do everything we can to save our Mother. We must be one to save the future generation.

One Earth, One Home and a Mother to billions of people.
All of us love to decorate our houses, keep it clean and beautiful, and when thieves steal our valuables and destroy some of the items in our house, what do we do? We call every police in town and have ’em behind bars as soon as possible. Well, that’s what we do, after all we love our house and we don’t want anyone stealing and ruining our homes.
Well, Earth is OUR HOME, if we can care so much about our man-made houses, why not our natural Earth, which is a Home to billions of us. We all are culprits here, taking away anything we get and leaving it blank. Houses can be replaced again and again, but NOT EARTH.
There was a time, when our ancestors didn’t knew anything about Climate change or Global warming, because it didn’t existed. They lived under the blanket of fresh air, beside the green forest as far as our eyes could see, and amongst the wild life, where it was easy to get their daily prey. Everyone slept eagerly to wake up for the better and more beautiful morning, cleaner air, more laughter and to wake and find their loved ones sleeping peacefully with lots of hope for a better tomorrow. But, today, so called Modern World, only half or maybe three fourth of the population of the world know about this, and the rest? Well, the news haven’t even reached there and some people know about this, but either don’t believe it or don’t care about it.

People now-a-days, sleep with fear in their heart. With questions, in their mind -Will I wake up tomorrow to see my family? Will I be able to go through the day without bombs destroying my house? Yet again, another man’s anger destroying another innocent’s life and Nature’s life as well. Just another man’s anger and wanting for more.
What more do you want?? When all of us has been gifted with everything in life. Due to our addiction for more, we are taking an innocent’s life, Our Earth. We are shredding her gown of green, her blanket of air, we keep on digging her body of soil, so fragile. 
It feels like a Fairy Tale, now. Every beautiful things used to be there, in the golden days.
Everyone needs to be informed, everyone needs to know and needs to be shown the proof of dying Mother Earth. 
Snow’s melting, trees which used to be as tall as the Amazon is fading slowly, the ocean full of wild-life is drying faster, the horror of famine is growing and so are the anger of a men, which follows war at the core of his anger.
The ultimate result? Been there done that. Need more proof?
1st World War, 2nd world war, the wars, which ruined everything, didn’t even leave our Earth untouched.
Our main concern is today and tomorrow, it is late but BETTER LATE THEN NEVER. Let us act now to save our Home, OUr Mother Earth.
If we can do so many things to beautify and save our houses, leave alone houses, we’ll do anything to save our rented apartments, than why not our Earth?
Repent before it’s too late, inspire everyone to save our Sick Earth, let the light shine, let the air become pure and fresh, let the trees grow wild, let the animals run free, let the children of tomorrow be Proud of us, for what we have done Today.
We have taken enough form OUR EARTH, NOT IT’S TIME WE GIVE SOMETHING BACK, HER LIFE.
When someone helps us, we return the favor in so many ways, so why not return the favor to our Earth?
THE FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS.
Let us be one, let the billions and billions become one to save our ONE AND ONLY ONE EARTH, OUR HOME AND OUR MOTHER PLANET.
Together we can do it. Together we can save the future of millions and biggest of all, we can save OUR EARTH.
TOGETHER WE CAN!

I thank you to all the Gentlemen and Gentlewomen who are doing everything they can to help save the Earth.

THANK YOU!

Urban green spaces may actually contribute to global warming

WASHINGTON: In a new research, scientists have found that urban green spaces may actually contribute to global warming, than curb it down.
Turfgrass lawns help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it as organic carbon in soil, making them important “carbon sinks.” 

However, greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer production, mowing, leaf blowing and other lawn management practices are four times greater than the amount of carbon stored by ornamental grass in parks, the study from UC Irvine researchers has shown. These emissions include nitrous oxide released from soil after fertilization. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that’s 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, the Earth’s most problematic climate warmer. 

“Lawns look great – they’re nice and green and healthy, and they’re photosynthesizing a lot of organic carbon. But the carbon-storing benefits of lawns are counteracted by fuel consumption,”said Amy Townsend-Small, Earth system science postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the study. Turfgrass is increasingly widespread in urban areas and covers 1.9 percent of land in the continental US, making it the most common irrigated crop. In the study, Townsend-Small and colleague Claudia Czimczik analyzed grass in four parks near Irvine, California. 

Each park contained two types of turf: ornamental lawns (picnic areas) that are largely undisturbed, and athletic fields (soccer and baseball) that are trampled and replanted and aerated frequently. 
The researchers evaluated soil samples over time to ascertain carbon storage, or sequestration, and they determined nitrous oxide emissions by sampling air above the turf. 
Then, they calculated carbon dioxide emissions resulting from fuel consumption, irrigation and fertilizer production using information about lawn upkeep from park officials and contractors.

The study showed that nitrous oxide emissions from lawns were comparable to those found in agricultural farms, which are among the largest emitters of nitrous oxide globally. In ornamental lawns, nitrous oxide emissions from fertilization offset just 10 percent to 30 percent of carbon sequestration. But, fossil fuel consumption for management, the researchers calculated, released about four times more carbon dioxide than the plots could take up. ”It’s impossible for these lawns to be net greenhouse gas sinks because too much fuel is used to maintain them,” Townsend-Small concluded. 

The research results are important to greenhouse gas legislation being negotiated. ”We need this kind of carbon accounting to help reduce global warming,” Townsend-Small said. ”The current trend is to count the carbon sinks and forget about the greenhouse gas emissions, but it clearly isn’t enough,” she added.

Corals reef in danger of being wiped off the face of the Earth

If reports are anything to go by, then coral reefs are in danger of being wiped off the face of the Earth, all due to global warming. 

Corals get most of their energy from microscopic algae that live in their tissue. These algae are colourful and are what gives corals their vivid hue. 

When environmental factors go out of the range that corals are used to (such as warming water), the symbiosis between the coral and the algae breaks down and corals effectively expel the algae and turn white. 

The coral is then deprived of its source of energy, and dies. 

According to NSERC-funded researcher Dr. Simon Donner, an assistant professor in the department of geography at the University of British Columbia, mass coral bleaching events were thought to be extremely rare as far back as 30 years ago. 

“Even if we froze emissions today, the planet still has some warming left in it. That’s enough to make bleaching dangerously frequent in reefs worldwide,” he said. 

Given the hundreds of millions of people living in the tropics who depend on coral reefs for food, income, tourism and shoreline protection, the loss of reefs is a serious issue.
“Obviously, there’s an aesthetic concern because people see Finding Nemo and they’re worried about what’s going to happen to the world’s coral reefs, but the key thing is that there are hundreds of millions of people who depend on them for their livelihood,” said Dr. Donner. 

However, the outlook isn’t completely bleak. 
Dr. Donner said that no one is predicting that coral reefs will go extinct; they will continue to survive, but only in certain habitats, such as shaded areas. 
The reality is a general loss of coral cover and a breakdown of the physical structure of reefs. 

In order to see what the future of reefs might be, Dr. Donner is pursuing fieldwork in the central equatorial Pacific, because the islands and reefs in that area are affected by repeated El Nino events.

Because of this, they’ve experienced higher year-to-year temperature variability than other areas on the planet. 
Dr. Donner is studying the corals in these areas to understand how the reefs are biologically different, and how that has allowed them to persist through warm water events that would kill coral in other areas of the planet. 
“It’s a natural model for the future,” he said.