If you want to promote geoeng, then it would be a very positive move to get bodies and groups such as this to support your proposals.
A 2008/12/5 John Nissen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > Here's another reason to use geoengineering to save the Arctic sea ice. The > situation is far worse than they say, because the Arctic sea ice "decline by > 40%" has already happened! We could even have "decline by 100%" in a few > years. They have probably taken IPCC figures as gospel - figures based on > modelling which didn't account for the sea ice record retreat in 2005, let > alone 2007. And BTW, 2008 probably had a record low volume of sea ice, > which could be more important than extent. > > There is no way that CO2 emission cuts can save the Arctic sea ice, when the > decline is so fast! The Center for Biological Diversity needs to look to us > geoengineers to cool the region!! > > ------ > > > Administration Hauled to Court for Sake of Pacific Walrus > > After almost 10 months with no response to our petition to protect the > Pacific walrus under the Endangered Species Act, the Center for Biological > Diversity this week filed suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service > and Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. The Arctic-dwelling walrus, > whose scientific name entertainingly translates to "tooth-walking sea > horse," is dependent on sea ice for mussel-foraging, resting, nursing, and > other life activities -- but the rapid melting of that sea ice, caused by > global warming, is forcing the species into a land-based existence it can't > deal with. Making matters worse, the species' most important foraging > grounds are being auctioned off to oil companies. > > The Pacific walrus's winter sea-ice habitat is projected to decline by 40 > percent by mid-century if current greenhouse gas emissions continue. This > magnificent pinniped needs federal protection if it's going to survive. > > Get more from the Associated Press. > > > ------ > > Associated Press, December 4, 2008 > > Conservation group sues for walrus protection > By Dan Joling > > ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A conservation group is going to court to force the > federal government to consider adding the Pacific walrus to the list of > threatened species. > > The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service > and Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne on Wednesday for failing to act on a > petition seeking protection for walruses under the Endangered Species Act. > > Walruses are threatened by global warming that melts Arctic sea ice, > according to the group, one of the parties that successfully petitioned to > list polar bears as threatened. The group also has filed petitions to > protect Arctic seals. > > The walrus petition was filed in February. The Fish and Wildlife Service was > required by law to decide by May 8 whether the petition had merit, which > would trigger a more thorough review and a preliminary decision after 12 > months. The agency missed the deadline. > > Rebecca Noblin, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said > the delay would harm walruses. > > "Every day that goes by without protecting the walrus, we're emitting more > greenhouse gases, accelerating the ice melt," Noblin said. > > "In addition to the climate change, the other main threat is oil and gas > development that continues to go forward without any consultation regarding > walrus," she said. > > Fish and Wildlife spokesman Bruce Woods said Wednesday the agency > anticipates making a decision on the petition soon but has limited > resources. Decisions on endangered species listings are driven by > litigation, he said, forcing the agency to rank actions by court order > rather than species need. > > Global warming is blamed for Arctic sea ice shrinking to record low levels. > > The National Snow and Ice Data Center said summer sea ice in 2008 reached > the second lowest level, 1.74 million square miles, since satellite > monitoring began in 1979. The loss was exceeded only by the 1.65 million > square miles in 2007. > > Like polar bears, listed as a threatened species in May, walruses depend on > sea ice to breed and forage. > > Walruses dive from ice over the shallow outer continental shelf in search of > clams and other benthic creatures. Females and their young traditionally use > ice as a moving diving platform, riding it north as it recedes in spring and > summer, first in the northern Bering Sea, then into the Chukchi Sea off > Alaska's northwest coast. > > Sea ice in the Chukchi Sea, shared with the Russian Far East, for the last > two years receded well beyond the outer continental shelf over water too > deep for walruses to dive to reach clams. In the fall of 2007, herds > congregated on Alaska and Siberia shores until ice re-formed. > > According to the Center for Biological Diversity, warming sea temperatures > and sea ice loss may also be reducing walrus prey at the bottom of the > ocean. > > The group hopes a listing could slow plans for offshore petroleum > development. Oil companies in February bid on 2.7 million acres in the > Chukchi Sea. Other lease sales are planned. > > The Fish and Wildlife Service, along with its Russian counterparts, has > nearly completed a comprehensive population count of walruses. The numbers > are anticipated in the coming weeks, possibly by the end of the year, Woods > said. > > On the Net: > > Center for Biological Diversity: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org > U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska region: http://alaska.fws.gov > > > ------ > > Cheers from Chiswick, > > John > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
