SEA ICE LOSS STUNS SCIENTISTS
Press Release, 26 June 2010
The Arctic sea ice acts as a giant mirror to reflect sunlight back
into space and cool the Earth. It has been retreating far faster than
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted only
three years ago. But, after the record retreat in September 2007, many
scientists revised there predictions for the date of a seasonally ice
free Arctic Ocean from beyond the end of century to beyond 2030. Only
a few scientists predicted this event for the coming decade, and they
were ridiculed.
However seasonal ice is currently at the lowest level ever for this
time of year and is retreating faster than ever before. If the retreat
continues at this pace, the sea ice area at the end of summer 2010
will be at a new record low. Should this happen the sea ice will
probably continue its retreat year by year until within 20-30 years,
or fewer, it will be completely lost in every summer.
Loss of sea ice causes Arctic warming to accelerate, resulting in
increased discharge of methane from vast quantities trapped in
permafrost. The methane, as a potent greenhouse gas, could exacerbate
global warming to provoke further discharge, triggering long term and
very severe disruption to the Earth's climate. We may now be at the
brink of a climate emergency.
We suggest that the current situation should be treated as a warning
for us all. The world community must rethink its attitude to fighting
global warming by cutting greenhouse gas emissions sharply. However,
even if emissions could be cut to zero, the existing CO2 in the
atmosphere would continue to warm the planet for many decades.
Geoengineering now appears the only means to cool the Arctic quickly
enough. A geoengineering project of the intensity of the Manhattan
Project is urgently needed to guard against a global catastrophe.
Signatories:
John Nissen (MA (Cantab) Natural Sciences)
John Gorman (MA, Chartered Engineer MIMechE, MIET - UK)
Veli Albert Kallio (FRGS, FIPC Co-Ordinator, Greenland Ice Stability
Project)
Sam Carana
Professor Stephen Salter (Emeritus Professor of Engineering, Edinburgh
University)
Professor Peter Wadhams (Head, Polar Ocean Physics Group, Cambridge
University)
Correspondence:
John Nissen,
College House,
Chiswick Mall
London W4 2PR
Tel: 020 8742 3170
For images, see:
http://geo-engineering.blogspot.com/2010/06/sea-ice-loss-stuns-scientists.html