'Greenhouse Gases highest for 800,000 years'
Go to: Forums > Science & Nature: Climate Change
There are 21 postings to this topic on our Member website and this page runs 7 days behind our Member website. For the full topic click to sign up to OUTeverywhere.
A topic from Science & Nature: Climate Change
#172290Sun 18/05/08 16:41 |
|
By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent, Reuters
OSLO (Reuters) - Greenhouse gases are at higher levels in the atmosphere than at any time in at least 800,000 years, according to a study of Antarctic ice on Wednesday that extends evidence that mankind is disrupting the climate.
Carbon dioxide and methane trapped in tiny bubbles of air in ancient ice down to 3,200 meters (10,500 ft) below the surface of Antarctica add 150,000 years of data to climate records stretching back 650,000 years from shallower ice drilling.
"We can firmly say that today's concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane are 28 and 124 percent higher respectively than at any time during the last 800,000 years," said Thomas Stocker, an author of the report at the University of Berne.
Before the Industrial Revolution, levels of greenhouse gases were guided mainly by long-term shifts in the earth's orbit around the sun that have plunged the planet into ice ages and back again eight times in the past 800,000 years.
The U.N. Climate Panel last year blamed human activities, led by burning of fossil fuels that release heat-trapping gases, for modern global warming that may disrupt water and food supplies with ever more droughts, floods and heatwaves.
"The driving forces now are very much different from the driving forces in the past when there was only natural variation," Stocker told Reuters of the study in the journal Nature by scientists in Switzerland, France and Germany.
The experts, working on the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica, drilled down almost to bedrock in Antarctica. They recovered layers of ice formed by compressed snow, which can be counted much like the rings on trees.
Continued...
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL1440399320080514
more info at
newscientist.com climate change mini site
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change |
There are 20 more postings on this topic on our Member website. For the full topic click to sign up to OUTeverywhere right now.
Enjoy chatting with our members
Imagine joining a social network of people from all around the country and see how you'll feel a year from today. You're increasing your circle of friends. You're doing more of the stuff you enjoy. You're having a great time meeting new people in your area. You're seeing all the benefits of becoming a member of OUTeverywhere. It still feels great making new friends and every day you're hearing more and more about the stuff that everyone's doing. You're joining in. Now, that was easy, wasn't it?
We make meeting people easy. Click to sign up to OUTeverywhere and get up and do something different!
PLEASE NOTE: Events are listed on this website on behalf of organisers in accordance with the Terms of Membership of OUTeverywhere and only if they have chosen broad publicity when adding their event to the Member Events calendar. As such, events are not necessarily affiliated to or endorsed by OUTeverywhere and may not be organised by the person who has listed the event: the person listing this event may simply be attending an event organised by another person or organisation and may wish to meet other people sharing their interest in the event. The mention or appearance of any person or organisation featured on these pages is not to be taken as any indication of sexual, social or political orientation of such persons or organisations. We cannot guarantee that the information is accurate and recommend that you always seek to contact the organiser directly to confirm full details of any event. Under no circumstances will we be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on, use or misuse of, the information on this website.
Our Vision | Our Team | Privacy Policy | Identity Theft Protection | Terms of Membership
Chat and Meet People
Enter one or two words to tell us something you enjoy:
Or enter a postcode or the name of a place:
Latest Shout OUT
Broadcast to the gay world with our public Shout OUTs service! Post on our member website or from your mobile phone and raise your profile.
Sean J (avrumj) from Coundon in Coventry in United Kingdom shouts OUT: "does anyone not watch big brother?"
Events Calendar
Discover GMEET
Add all your web profiles to the new GMEET.com website profiles directory service. Supports Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Bebo, LinkedIn and dozens more. For social and business networking, web personals and online dating.
Contact us
OUTeverywhere is created and managed by Up and Doing Ltd. Copyright © 1995-2009. All rights reserved. Contact us by email to hello@outeverywhere.com.