----- Original Message -----
From: "Alastair McDonald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Newsgroups: gmane.science.general.global-change
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 5:38 AM
Subject: [Global Change: 582] Re: "Tipping points" again
> Damned if we do and damned if we don't, so why bother?
Shouldn't that be "Damned if we do and exterminated if we don't."
Many species will be exterminated, especially if they lack the knowledge or
ability to build climate-controlled enclosures. Doubtful that our species
would be exterminated, however, our way of life probably would be.
> (Hint: what CC commitment level avoids 60 meter sea level rise by 6000
> AD?)
Hint: without the ice the Earth's albedo is greatly reduced causing global
warming
well in excess of that induced by a doubling of CO2. Think of the Eocene
for
similar levels of greenhouse gases and ice.
Right, maintaining ice caps is a good motivator, but what level of
atmospheric CO2 stabilization is sufficient to avoid melting the ice caps?
440? 380? Less?
I don't think any of the SRES/TAR scenarios include methane emissions from
melted permafrost or oceanic caltrhates, do they?
If melting the ice caps cannot be avoided by any imaginable emissions
reduction scenario, then I say launch the aerosol parasol! (But don't over
do it.)
-dl
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