Southern Ocean already losing ability to absorb CO2 – earth – 17 May 2007 – New Scientist Environment — This doesn’t sound good.
One of the world’s largest carbon sinks has stopped soaking up the carbon dioxide that humans are pumping into the atmosphere, according to a new study.
Global warming has caused the Southern Ocean to become windier, churning up the waters so that they are unable to absorb CO2 at the rate we produce it, the researchers say.
The implications are far-reaching, and once more imply that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s projections are conservative: temperatures are likely to rise higher than predicted.
“This is serious,” says Le Quéré. “All climate models predict that this kind of feedback will continue and intensify during this century.”
The Earth’s carbon sinks absorb about half of all human-produced carbon emissions. The Southern Ocean is one of the biggest sinks, absorbing 15% of CO2 emissions. The gas dissolves into the ocean’s surface waters and is stored at cool depths where it is retained far longer than it would be at the warmer surface.
found by TJ Geezer
Whoever the phuk Richard P. Feyman is. I would have thought that quote would more aptly apply to religion.
Ahem.
Anyone who’d say “Whoever the phuk Henry Ford is,” has instantly proven that any “opinions” they may have regarding the automotive industry aren’t worth Jack Shit. Likewise, any (allegedly) educated Westerner who thinks himself sufficiently knowlegeable to offer up opinions on science and doesn’t know who Feynman was would really do well to STFU and go learn something. Science will survive his absence from the conversation.
“And another thing, who’s this Einstein character they keep bringing up? I thought that was the guy who invented bagels.”
#30 – Shubee,
Feynman had an excellent sense of humor. I suspect you may be taking a joke of his as a serious statement, possibly deliberately.
MikeN,
Maybe I’m just not getting your point at all. Apparently, you believe that the Saudi economy will be unaffected if the world really does significantly reduce oil use. The currently get 96% of the money in their country from oil. I fail to see how a reduction in use and price of oil could not affect them.
Apparently you believe that China will be making money by reducing their coal burning. I’m not sure of your logic here. Perhaps you think they’ll be selling their unused Kyoto credits. Well, good. That’s the intent.
As for China both reducing their emissions and surpassing the U.S., one is older news than the other. It is old news that they will surpass our emissions. They have recently announced some major initiatives. We will have to wait to see if they succeed. But, they are doing far more than we are. If I said otherwise above, I apologize for my misstatement.
Mr. Fusion,
You’re right about that quote, I expect that is was humor, as I stated above. However, I suspect also that you have not read many books on physics. That probably won’t hurt you in a debate about global warming. However, there’s some really interesting stuff going on in the field at the moment and a lot of interesting books for an educated but general audience. You might enjoy reading some of them. Perhaps A Brief History of Time would be a good start.
Lauren,
Didn’t Einstein invent the Beer Stein? Or was it the bialy? Or, perhaps it was something about the universe being shaped like a bialy.
M Scott –
J’ever notice how a tokamak looks just like a bagel without the lox & cream cheese?
Merely a coïncidence? …or something else? [cue theremin music]
Did anyone actually read the article? Did anyone actually apply even a single brain cell to the conclusions mentioned and try to relate them the method of study? Eleven air samplers? Wind churning up the ocean depths?
This paper is pure bullshit!!