'It is now virtually certain a child born in 1979 will not reach 50 years of age before the Arctic is ice-free in the summer. That is a rapid change on a planetary scale, with far-reaching consequences that scientists are just beginning to understand.' Stephen Leahy, Inter Press Service
"In 2009, the scientific literature caught up with what top climate scientists have been saying privately for a few years now:
* Many of the predicted impacts of human-caused climate change are occurring much faster than anybody expected - particularly ice melt, everywhere you look on the planet.
* If we stay anywhere near our current emissions path, we are facing incalculable catastrophes by century's end, including rapid sea level rise, massive wildfires, widespread Dust-Bowlification, large oceanic dead zones, and 9°F warming - much of which could be all but irreversible for centuries. And that's not the worst-case scenario!
* The consequences for human health and well being would be extreme.
That's no surprise to anybody who has talked to leading climate scientists in recent years, read my book Hell and High Water (or a number of other books), or followed this blog. Still, it is a scientific reality that I don't think more than 2 people in 100 fully grasp, so I'm going to review here the past year in climate science. I'll focus primarily on the peer-reviewed literature, but also look at some major summary reports."
Roll over headlines to view top news summaries:
Making Skinny Worms Fat and Fat Worms Skinny
'Exploratory' Butterflies Genetically Different
Spiders Target Insects' Mate-Luring Signals
Huge Natural Arch Found In Afghanistan
Warm Water For Cold Winters in Northeast
Ocean and River Water for Electricity
Blood-Testing Device Can Spot Cancer, HIV
Continuing Winter Ice Loss in Arctic Sea
Plants Optimize Before Spinning Off New Species
Hidden Code Reveals Brain Activity