When will this administration ever listen to scientists? They only listen to those who are paid off by exxon/mobil to say that global warming isn't real. When sea water reaches the front steps of the white house, bush will be safely protected at his ranch in Paraguay.

Everytime something like this happens, stunned scientists say that they are shocked by the speed things are changing. I don't know how many articles this makes now.

It's too late, folks. There is no saving the Earth. Things are going to get nasty very quickly. The focus now needs to be on how to allot resources without the entire world going to war.

There is no political will to do anything because of the money interest involved. When i think about my country (Canada) going to war to spread democracy it makes me laugh in a sad way. Our countries have been hijacked by corrupt politicians for whom public opinion and needs mean nothing, beside the fact you have to throw bits and crumbs to pacify them once in a while. The thing they dont get is when the shit hits the fan, its gonna hit the fan for all of us, even them in their high-security bunkers.

This stupid ice is falling for left wing propaganda. As we have repeatedly heard from the "let's not inconvenience the rich" advocates, in spite of the fact that the changes predicted by one group of scientists are all coming true, they were non the less wrong.

We need to send the global warming non believers to Antarctica to convince the ice of the corporate sponsored truth, so that it will stop melting. This could keep them from clogging our airwaves with their corporate manure and lower the temperature between our ears a bit as well.

How many times do I have to come on and post the fact that all this melting, increased carbon emissions etc..., are going to grow EXPONENTIALLY! I have said this since 2002 after viewing satellite images from 1980 and 2002 of the melting Artic, along with Mount Kilimenjaro, yet Scientists' all seem suprised by this, go figure!

News Flash - Gulf Stream Dies - Scientists Shocked

News Flash - Global Oceans rise 27' - Scientists Shocked

News Flash - 100 million ecological refugees - Scientists Shocked

News Flash - Global economic collapse of Nation/States - Scientists Shocked

News Flash - 2.4 billion, largest human die-back in history - Scientists Shocked.

As long as you haven't missed a meal, its all just words.

If you have, then its different.

This and the Banks Island ice shelf comming appart this winter in the Arctic (its NE of Alaska). The arctic will be free of ice this September(some 30 years ahead of the most dire predictions), which will be a great surprise to the science community as well.
I don't blame the scientists for this, I know it takes months/years to build a good model of a natural phenomenon. The problem is that what JPBREEZE refered to above as an exponetial rate increase resulting from feedback is happening faster than we humans can even write the computer code to simulate that phenomenon.

Hell in a hand-basket, as they say. Hell in a hand basket.

The entire solar system, not just the Earth, are going through energetic changes. Volcanism is the most likely cause for the rapid melting of the polar ice, it would take MUCH longer to melt through moderate increases in air temp. Climate change happens for many reasons, the CO2 is part but by no means all of it, we could have a super volcano erupt and be plunged into an ice age tomorrow due to particulates in the atmosphere, any number of scenarios are possible.

Some guy in Florida figured out how to split sea water into hydrogen and oxygen (usually a very energy intensive process) by using a certain frequency of radio wave. We have lots of seawater. (Doesn't even have to be seawater, just has to have the right concentration of salt). I live in the far north. Looking forward to the day when I'll heat my home with a block of ice and some rock salt !

Some of us even think that global warming is a good thing. Oh the Heresy !

Charles Darwin strikes again. Even if one stipulates that human activity has no effect on the environment (hardly the case), the shrinking of the ice caps and the retreat of the glaciers is indicative of a warming of the Earth.

Political action is required not merely to address the causes, but also to address the effects that we cannot escape. When low lying areas like southern Florida, Bangladesh and various islands around the world are inundated, what becomes of the people who lived on land that is underwater? They are going to be pretty angry, and unless the rest of us have a way to help them, it's going to be very messy.

¿ Does geo the inferior qualify for a "Darwin Award" ?
Perhaps not, as it appears deliberate

Alaskamaid,
What are you smoking? Whatever it is, it should be illegal. You obviously believe everything you read that agrees with your strange world view.

it is good to remember from our high school physics- if a small flame underlies a beaker of water with ice, the temp of the water will not rise till all the ice is melted. once the ice is melted , the temp of the water in the flasks will increase rapidly.The ice in this world, as well as the oceans, constitute an enormous heat sink for the fossil fuels that are being burnt and the increased heat retention due to CO2 and, soon to come, methane.
Many climate models are based on known past observance of climate. But if a substantial component of earth's ice melts, there will be a new paradigm.(a reduced heat sink)
Additionally, climate is a high inertial system. The CO2 that is being put out will be causing heat retention for decades if not centuries, as it takes that long for the CO2 to recycle. And we will be ' surprised' once again as to how fast and how much the average global temperature has arisen.

do they really have high security bunkers? where are they? what will they do in them? will they get 'american idol'? can they ring out for takeaways? do they have doctors/medicine/food/water/air? i don't get it.
what's the point? anyway, it's a big problem and we are all (scientists included) in for a big surprise................

Vinlander is at the right end of this beast. This ice sheet crack up, to me, is the final wake up call that climate change is at the "tipping point". We now need to focus on what we are going to do about the carnage that is going to happen.

My sense is that those that have remained in low lying areas will drown or die of starvation as they try to migrate. The lack of a planned rescue for victims of global warming is like a planned genocide by the powers that be. Just less mouths to feed for the survivors of the first floods.

This lack of planning is really no different than the planned starvation of the world's poorest populations due to declines in world staple crop production. It's a planned genocide by the world's elite. Same goes for oil wars all over the planet. The civilian "collateral damage" is just another form of planned genocide. Less people using up the planet's finite resources, leaving more for the elite.

As far as I can figure out, there is no "solution" to the problem of global climate change. There is not going to be any nation, government, or other savior that will come forth to save the planet and its inhabitants. As individuals, all we can do is start now to conserve, live simply, and work toward community sovereignty in all things. We must reengage with our neighbors and our local communities to secure interdependent long term survival.

It's back to basics folks. NOW! Stop shopping! Turn off the TV. Get to know your neighbors. Form local groups that can organize the community with the will to plan for a pretty diffecult future. And by all means develop a skill that will contribute to the welfare of your community as a whole. Maybe learn how to make candles or soap from local materials. Begin by planting a home garden. Maybe learn how to raise a few chikens. Start sharing and trading with your neighbors NOW. Build the networks that will be needed.

Good luck.

Here's a small, but notable point:
Why are we only hearing about this ONE MONTH after it happened?

And secondly, HOW WERE THEY ABLE TO KEEP IT A SECRET FOR ONE MONTH?

For a viable gene pool you need four females and three males. One example: Of all the clean animals, Noah boarded seven. Only two of the unclean. You may disregard Noah, but you still need at least seven, six won't hack the program.

LOOK LISTEN CAREFULLY. All animals, including humans put out methane, termites actulally contribute the greatest amount. ___ Does anyone get it? It is almost unbelievavle the amount of methane trapped in the Artcic, which will eradicte all life, if the Arctic perma-frost thaws. ___ IT'S BEGINNING TO THAW!!!!!

The danger will not be in the Arctic alone, it will be every place, where there won't be suffecient oxygen for life, including Michigan and Costa Rica. BTW, if we have a depression, any American money you have will be useless in Costa Rica. If the perma-frost melts, no money or gold will help anyone. A biosphere will work for awhile. Our planet is a biosphere and we're killing it with excessive Co2 emitted from burning fossil fuels.

A cat probably got the bird ~CoCo~. The poor thing was probably just preparing to pee when you arrived and moved it.

The administration and other republicans are not worried about this because it's liberal propaganda. And besides even if it is true God will save us by letting us build a boat to float on until the earth naturally corrects itself. Just like Noah did. (sarcastic)

As the oceans rise an awful lot of very expensive real estate is going to be lost by some very wealthy individuals and businesses. We taxpayers should bail them out now, instead of later as will certainly be required. We should pay now to move them all to higher ground and compensate them for the abandonment of their current properties. It will be much less expensive if we bail them out now instead of later.

Start making your peace. It has begun.

kent shaw, I don't think you have to worry, I'm sure that's already been budgeted for and might be an explanation for the billions of hard cash that went AWOL from Iraq.

And just what exactly is the elevation for that Bush hideaway in Paraguay? Just wondering.

Have Native Americans been proven right about almost everything in nature, when you come down to it? (Maybe there's something to 26,000 years of continuity in one place.) When "man" destroys things around him, he destroys himself. Having come so hard, we're gonna fall hard too. The sorrow we should feel for the Earth, the animals, and people born into this future.

a good time to be getting yerself some personal adaptability skills; be lightfooted.

Rebel Farmer is right, start (or keep)doing your part and engage your neighbors in conversation and conservation.

I'll add another-move to where the fresh water is and away from flood prone areas.

Weird weather is coming-here in Madison, we just went over 100 inches of snow for the season-about twice as much as usual.

I always said to my neighbors, ''arm yourselves, the day is coming when your kids will need to hold off the bands of starving thirsty people from the south and the cities, combing the countryside searching for food and water''

I was wrong. It will be sooner than that.

Turn off the TV
buy only the necessities (locally from your neighbors if possible)
DO NOT drive ,whenever there is an option to bike bus or carpool

I fortunately have 2 sections of land well above sea level and still forested but for the 12 or so acres i farm.

The last few yrs, many wealthy Americans have been nosing around up here looking for land to buy ... makes ya wonder if they are as dumb as most think, luckily not many locals are selling there lives down the river for a quick (soon to be worthless) buck.

johnycanuck... yer gonna need more than a weapon or two to hold off the hordes. I got four more who can shoot straight and work hard who are, thanks to Countrywide's foreclosure while pretending to help policy, recently homeless and will work for food and shelter.

Rebel Farmer is right as usual.

And Stiv Whitman, Americans aren't paying attention because they don't care about anything that doesn't directly affect their lives right now. You know, sort of like infants.

Scientists will always be behind the curve because as a living organism, Earth is far more complex than humans cam understand, and scientists have only a limited understanding of the positive feedback mechanisms at work here. More surprises to come.

kathyodat

I suspect what we will have to do is create self sustaining communities that can defend ourselves against predators and somehow have access to water. I sense that down the road civilization will seriously break down. I may not be here by then, but our grandchildren and future generations are in for hard times. We have forgotten what the Bible and Native Americans have lived by; think ahead for seven generations. I think we should start doing that.

kathyodat

what about the mass production of hemp? fast growing, not water intensive, and good for the soil, doesnt need chemical fertilizers....when are people going to demand their right to this plant? when will the USA be forced to 180 their position and make another gov propaganda film ala "hemp for victory"

its going to be a bumpy ride

Rebel Farmer

"As far as I can figure out, there is no "solution" to the problem of global climate change. There is not going to be any nation, government, or other savior that will come forth to save the planet and its inhabitants. As individuals, all we can do is start now to conserve, live simply, and work toward community sovereignty in all things. We must reengage with our neighbors and our local communities to secure interdependent long term survival."

This is probably the most sensible post I've seen about what humanity is doing to the earth.

We could perhaps take heart and learn a lesson from animals, too:

=====

So long, and thanks for all the fish

No, I'm not going anywhere. But that seemed an appropriate title for this warm and fuzzy story to end all warm and fuzzy stories:

THEY famously attempted to warn mankind of the Earth's impending destruction in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, only for their behaviour to be dismissed as playful acrobatics.

But now, solid evidence has emerged of the dolphin's altruistic nature. In a act of selflessness which has astounded experts and confirmed the friendly nature of the species, a bottlenose came to the rescue of two whales stranded on a beach in New Zealand.

The dolphin – nicknamed Moko by local residents, who said it spent much of its time swimming playfully with beachgoers – helped two pygmy sperm whales, facing imminent death after becoming stranded on a sandbar, swim to safety.

Until Moko's arrival, rescuers feared the mother and calf would have to be put down to prevent them suffering a prolonged death on Mahia beach, about 300 miles north-east of Wellington.

Malcolm Smith and his team from the New Zealand Conservation Department had tried in vain to rescue the animals for an hour-and-a-half. With their effort faltering, it seemed only a matter of time before the operation was called off.

"They kept getting disoriented and stranding again," Mr Smith said yesterday. "They couldn't find their way back past (the sandbar] to the sea."

Just as it seemed all hope was lost, Moko appeared. The dolphin approached the whales, leading them 200m along the beach before navigating them out to the open sea.

Mr Smith believes the dolphin heard the whales' distress calls and came to their aid.

"It was looking like it was going to be a bad outcome for the whales ... then Moko came along and fixed it," he said. "They had arched their backs and were calling to one another, but as soon as the dolphin turned up, they submerged and followed her.

"I don't speak whale and I don't speak dolphin, but there was obviously something that went on, because the two whales changed from being quite distressed to following the dolphin willingly and directly along the beach and straight out to sea."

Another rescuer, Juanita Symes, added: "Moko came flying through the water and pushed in between us and the whales. She got them to head toward the hill, where the channel is. It was an amazing experience. The best day of my life."

Indeed.

http://brilliantatbreakfast.blogspot.com/

For those in the LA area, you might be interested in this study group starting Sunday:

http://www.studiesforglobaljustice.org/?q=convergingstorms2

Studies for Global Justice has organized this great workshop/discussions on the issues of localism, strategies for the coming climate crisis, peak oil, capitalisms central role in climate change, etc.

The question is not about the survival of the Earth. The Earth will be fine. The question really is about the survival of humanity, and what our impact will have on the millions of species we are likely to take down with us. Technology will not save us at this point.

Anney March: yes, in the coming years it's about local.
Eschew transnational corporations. We're all local, we must support local. This includes paying the absolute minimum in federal taxes as the law allows. We are near W.B. Yeats tipping point. Arab terrorists will be the least of our problems.

may i suggest a massively mirrored future

http://www.pointfocus.com

To add a few words to Rebel Farmer's excellent analysis--Articles like the one above are like turning to see a horrible collision at the point of no-return and being unable to change it and unable to keep from staring in anticipation of the tremendous impact that will occur.

As a Floridian who lives on the east coast of the state, this is more than an academic exercise. Rising sea levels will drastically redraw the boundaries of this part of the world as well as many other places.

Our choice is between reaching out to help others or continuing on the juvenile pursuit of "every man (or woman) for themselves". Personally I opt for the former rather than the latter.

Community and relationship are the keys to the survival of the most life from this irreversable disaster unfolding before our eyes.

I see two alternatives for why this is not big news. 1) There is a conspiracy to hide golbal warming. 2) This is actually no big deal and is not a precurser to gloom and doom.

Hey solarmirrors, I went to your website, clicked on the symbol in the upper left hand part of the mpostly blank page and nothing happened.

solarmirrors

I saw the website fine. Some great technology there.

We've known for how many decades now that "pollution is bad?" Long before the theory of global warming we had plenty of reasons to reduce pollution, and all along various industries have vigorously fought any attempt to force them to reduce pollution. Industry lobbyists contribute millions to our elected officials and IMO anyone who thinks it's not quid pro quo has a screw loose. We do not have time for science to prove that global warming is the cause of these things, nor can we pin too much hope of that proof having any effect on controlling pollution. We must reduce pollution now, because it is inherently bad.

Writers, reporters say the scientists are shocked. Is that what the scientists are saying? Or is that the misinterpretation of the writers? The scientific community where they have been long observing the evidence for this course of events are certainly distressed about the speed. They were hoping to buy a little more time, as we all were. Best case scenario is not to be. And on and on.

Maybe we could land Bushco on the shelf before it melts utterly away.

That rupture of the ice shelf was reported a month ago, but not on nationnal news. There is another crack in the Anarctiic ice which burst open overnight about eight weeks ago, which is wider, deeper and longer than the Grand Canyon. We may see sea levels rise by well over 30 feet within a couple of years,___ maybe less.

However, nasty as that will be, it is not the MAJOPR problem that global warming is creating for life on this unique water-world. The MAJOR problem is the THAW of the Arctic perma-frost. When those millions of TONS of methane gas, which has been trapped in the perma-frost for the past five million years escapes into our atmosphere, we won't be here typing opinions.

As it is presently going, that may occur ANY time within the next ten years, perhaps even by 2009 or 10. That's not speculation, it is already happening and at an alarming rate and as so many have noted here, shock and surprise, "Oh my, it's happening faster than we projected".

There won't be any need to plant hemp, cut back on television, reduce shopping or worry aobut anythinng else, except attempting to suck in enough oxygen to stay alive. That will be so for ALL of us and our children and their's. Sorry to sound like doomsville, but facts are difficult to alter.

Now, if I'm wrong, and I do hope that I am, then the opinions of ~BeForKids~ and ~Rebel Farmer~, are most appropriate. We may have twenty or more years, but by then there won't be a Florida, an Atlantic City, A New york City, and thousands of other shore-line cities around the globe. We have asked for it and we go it.

I've been watching the temperature at the antarctic connection all austral summer. Yesterday (four days into their autumn, mind you) it was 32 degrees Fahrenheit but sunny, so the ice was still melting underneath the surface at Palmer Station on the peninsula.

As you look at that picture, remember that those square ice barges are hundreds of feet above the sea.

The loss of sea ice means the ocean will absorb heat, which means more sea ice loss later. The heating of the Antarctic peninsula means more bare ground, which means more air heat, which again accelerates the heating.

The other state-sized chunk popping off for 2008 was the last few miles of the Pine Island glacial flow. The flow is starting to melt on its (under sea level) bottom, farther and farther back, which is lubricating the flow and accelerating the speed of the glacial flow. This glacial flow drains a reasonable part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Even if the ice sheet itself isn't melting, which it is a little bit, It's not good to see part of the plug come out.

The vanity of wishing to see world cataclysm in order to comfort the Narcissist's fear of their own deaths is now rubbing up against objectively measurable climate change.

It's starting to seem like "Science's" gift to all of those unwilling to believe in the more classic religious Apocolypse.

Some, despite their obvious intelligence, are not satisfied with mere sea-level rise and floating bear corpses, they now look forward to the "Killer Gas from the Unfrozen North", ooooh scary.

Please note that I am in no way attempting to refute any observations in regards to Methane Release or anything else, frankly I'm not interested enough to attempt it, and I doubt I'd succeed in convincing anyone including myself.

My point is simply that it is irrelevant.

--------------------------------------------------

As has been pointed out by several here, there have been a multitude of reasons to end some of the more ridiculously wasteful and destructive practices of the Industrial-Technopoly Age, yet here we are.

As has been pointed out by several here, there are many practical measures that on can take within one's community and household to begin to ADAPT to the changing climate.

But some wish to carry on like humorously impotent gods and concern themselves with the "Fate of the Wold and Humanity".

Why in the world do so many materialist-type progressives believe that people will be induced to change their behavior just because of a plausibly worked out Doomsday scenario?

Religious leaders have been yapping about that since the dawn of time and everybody STILL covets their neighbor's wife and steals and lies and kills.

Hypothetical pain just doesn't work that well as a persuasion method.

The Holy Inquisition figured this out:ya gotta actually show people the hot irons and give them an actual taste of the pain, then the survival instincts kick in.

Can people so otherwise clever really not realise this?

Or has Materialism so insulated them from any knowledge of religious history, that they have become partially blind?

Or some other answer?

------------------------------------------------

Either way itsimportant to remember that both these fears and this continued faith in scientist to solve the problem (by the public, the scientist themselves know that their process is unlikely to yeild understanding BEFORE observation, which is what the "listen to the science" types seem to hope for) are based on our inability to control the situation, which is in turn based on the ending of the Age of Control and the dawning of the Age of Co-operation.

Nothing could be a more explicit message to "Get over trying to run everything" than Global Climate Change, but the dream of Star Trek Style Total Mastery of the Material World continues.

Which just goes to show, as this view becomes more and more self-evidently irrational, that some people can't help it. These dreams were blasted into their Minds at a young age or at a tender time, they are no more able to abandon them through reason than a Mesmerist's victims.

In keeping with this kind of "screen-dream" understanding of reality, might I suggest the Tyler Durden Zen-Enlightenment technique:

If you wish to prepare for the Aquarian Age, you should "Know, don't Think, Know that some day you ARE GOING TO DIE."

--------------------------------------------

Life eats Death.

There's a whole lot of New Life on the way.

When the four Elements are out of balance, it is the task of Storm to intevene.

Storm doesn't see your silly little life only Life and Death and the Elements.

You might not be important to Storm, but you could be important to your fellow people.

It is possible that it is time to stop shouting "DANGER! DEATH! SCARYness!" and begin to get to work on a Useful Task.

-----------------------------------------------------

Of course, I could be way off, so keep doing whatever you want to.

Just make sure its actually YOU that wants to do it.

And remember to have fun, this ride is supposed to be FUN.

-matti.

Hilarious. Turns out homo sapiens are the virsus.
Jokes on us, my drouggies.

Actually, Biosphere 2 did not work anyway. Too much CO2 built up for humans to survive. Sound familiar?

And seriously, I thought that for a viable gene pool you need significant numbers. I do not remember the figure, but I thought that it was on the order of 10,000 to 100,000 or so. Could be wrong. But if the predictions are correct, we are all screwed anyway unless we start taking action now. Who will listen? Let me go ask Mr. Exxon. He wouldn't lie, would he?

Thank you to those who seemed to understand what I was trying to say. And to KEM, who I really like a lot, informing us that things are actually worse than we thought doesn't really change the way we have to approach this disaster.

I appreciate the whole mirror power generation idea and all the other technical wonders that we can use to make the transition to a very changed planet. But the fact is that we have to get beyond thinking that there is a fix, a solution, or anything else that is going to get us out of this mess. We have to collectively get beyond any hope that life can be carried on as we have know it. We have to go through the process of grieving for all the mistakes that we have made as a species. We have to get beyond the blaming, finger pointing, and despair.

It is time for us to return to the knowledge that we are no different/better than any other thing on this planet. That we have a natural place in the ecology of mother earth. Only in that place of being will we find purpose and happiness.

Humans are by nature social beings and prefer to live in "tribes" for structure and survival. Just like the other primates that we decended from. Much like wolves live their lives in packs. And the groups, tribes, or packs can only be as large as the immediate environment or territory can reasonably sustain.

So, I'm get back to my original thoughts on this matter. That is that we have to form groups within our local communities that can be sustained in a way that operates with nature and the local resources. When the whole thing comes apart, I'm sure that we can add hemp to our arsenal of crops. And the community can build whatever they want without caring about what the building codes may have been. The key is to start NOW to live the life you want. Gather around you the folks that share the same values of cooperation.

We all have a part to play in this drama. Some will just die, either figuratively or literally. Some will go mad because they can't accept living life as they have always known it. Some will be immobilized by fear and despair. Some will become murderous criminals to survive. Some will become hermits or backwoods survivalists. There will be a multitude of ways to cope, or not.

I believe that most humans are essentially good. And please don't give me any flak about how naive I am. Those that truely care about their children, grandchildren, and beyond, are the ones I am referring to. These are the folks that are going to want to create a livable future. These are the ones that are going to want to prepare for the inevitable. These are the ones that don't have to be cattle prodded into giving up an unsustainable consumptive lifestyle for something better.

If you want some insight into what local community may look like 15 or 20 years from now, pick up a copy of James Howard Kuntsler's new fiction book "World Made by Hand". It's short and very well written. It doesn't have all the technical data right, but it certainly has the human element on target. More info on this book, with a chaper excerpt at: http://www.worldmadebyhand.com/

Look folks, I certainly don't have many of the answers. I just know that I have to have hope. I have to know that my efforts are being well spent and that I'm actually doing something worthwhile for my kids and grandchildren. That means that I have to learn to actually live the way I am going to be forced to live in the not so distant future. I might as well learn how to do it really well NOW. And hopefully a lot more of my neighbors will join me in this project that will force us "Back to the Future"!

P.S. Poet: You really need to get to higher ground. And take anyone you care about with you!

Let's say that human activity -- and no other organic activity in the past 4 billion years -- has had any impact on "ordinary fluctuations" whatsoever. Then what has? And why are organic molecules somehow removed from that system?

Well ~MATTI~. I do believe you were speaking of me in your blog and that's fine if so. However, I am not one who wishes to die, nor do I wish for my children, or theirs, nor anyone elses to die, or to see the end of all life on Earth. __ I love life, especially I love my wife, women and children, beer and wine, flowers, birds, animals and neat old cars. ___ I don't like Cheney or Bush.

What I do wish to see and see very soon, is a MASSIVE, world-wide effort initiated, to greatly reduce the Co2 in our atmosphere and massive efforts made to eleminate the use of burning fossil fuels and atomic energy. For unless that is done and done soon, no matter what each and every one of us may do as individuals, the Arctic perma-frost will continue to thaw at an alarming rate.

Whether you MATTI, or anyone else wishes to believe it or not, when that happens, all life, save perhaps some deep sea creatures and bacteria on this planet will blink out almost overnight.

Now that's a fact and not my dumb opinion. It happened here some 50 million years ago. ___ ZAP, almost EVERYTHING died within a day or two. This is not some story I heard as a child and had it drilled into my head. I didn't know of it until a few short months ago.

So your cute comments may sound good to you ~MATTI~, but they don't have beans to do with the thawing Arctic perma-froat. Your words, or my words, will not cause that to stop. World leaders working together can do somethng about it, but I fear they won't, at least not in time to help the situation.

Now your suggestion to have fun I agree with totally. __ I do enjoy life and I have fun.__ Today I worked in our garden and this week we're going fishing and last weekend I had four beers with six good friends and we played our monthly poker game for eight hours. I won $87 bucks. __ Sadly, all winnings go to the local food bank.

My eye doctor told me today that my one good eye was fine, the macular degeneration has stopped and it won't get any worse. I hugged and kissed her, ___ gosh she is a beauty too.

So I love life ~Matti~. That Friggin Methane gas is the MAJOR problem for ALL of humanity and it's not a joke, or something that is "irrevelant", as you stated, with a rather sad bit of ignorance.

GOOGLE arctic methane gas. There are hundreds of articles on the subject. On the first screen is a very good one, titled ___"Methane Burps, A Ticking Time Bomb". ___ Read it, and if you disagree, argue with the highly regarded geologist who wrote it. I personally won't argue with him, I'm not smart enough to do so, ___ perhaps you are.

~PAUL K~ Thank you for an excellent bit of rather sobering information.

For any who may not know this, melting sea ice will not raise sea levels. Melting fresh water ice will. ___ The fresh water ice in Antartica holds 90% of all of the fresh water on Earth. If it melts and it is is doing so very quickly, the sea waters will rise some 200 plus feet.

Hard to fathom, that 90% of ALL of the fresh water on Earth is iced up in Anartica, when one considers the Great lakes, all of the world's great rivers, all of the other lakes, rivers, streams and hidden aquifers. Nevertheless, it is so.

We will never see the ocean's waters rise even 30 feet, for before that occurs due to global warming, the Arctic methane gas will have entered our atmosphere and the only ones who will see that disaster evolve, will be those in the space station. Sorry for the dooms-day crap, but facts are facts.