Global Warming Fungus 'Wiping Out Frogs'

Scientist paints grim picture of climate change

MELISSA SIIG
SPECIAL TO TRUCKEE TODAY
Posted: 10/10/2006


In 2002, a glacier that had been stable for 11,000 years broke up in 35 days. Polar bears, which can swim for 60 to 70 miles, are drowning because of a disappearing ice pack. By July of this year, a record had already been set for the number of wildfires in the western United States.

As scientist Robert Christopherson told the audience at the Resort at Squaw Creek last Wednesday evening, "Something is going on here."

Christopherson, a professor emeritus of geography at American River College, presented his findings on climate change on Oct. 4 as part of the Squaw Valley Institute's speaker series. Having recently returned from his sixth polar expedition, Christopherson used his research and mainstream scientific literature to issue a dire warning about the impacts of global warming.

Christopherson began his lecture by trying to dispel the notion that there is a debate about whether global warming exists and its cause. He noted that in a recent study of 928 climate change papers in peer-reviewed scientific publications, none disagreed with the position that human activity is heating the Earth's atmosphere.

"Politicians, economists and journalists may have an impression of confusion, but that is incorrect," said Christopherson, who blamed the spread of misinformation on people hired by the oil companies.

In terms of climate change, 2005 set a number of records. Both air and water temperatures were the highest in 800,000 years. As a result, last year was a record year for the number of tropical storms in the Atlantic and Caribbean. In 2005, there were 27 named storms; 10 is the average.

Due to warmer water temperatures, the power of tropical storms has more than doubled since 1970, Christopherson said. Hurricane Katrina, for example, passed over water in the Gulf of Mexico that was 92 degrees Fahrenheit. Hurricanes have also started hitting areas that have never experienced tropical storms before. In the last two years, both Brazil and Spain have been hit by hurricanes for the first time.

"Oil company spokespeople would say this is part of a nature up-cycle of hurricanes," Christopherson said, "but scientists would say, 'yes, we're in an up-cycle, but every storm is more intense.'"

The Earth is giving us signs that global warming is having a dangerous effect. We are currently in the planet's sixth major extinction period, Christopherson said, but this is the first one caused by one of its own organisms. For example, 67 percent of the 110 species of harlequin frogs have gone extinct in the last 30 years due to temperature changes.

"The frogs are sending an alarm call," said Christopherson. "This little frog is our warning system. We need to see this on TV."

Another alarm is being set off by the two polar regions, which are impacted by global warming at double the rate of the rest of the planet. Since 1970, the Arctic ice pack has decreased by 50 percent, and Greenland is losing 3 feet of its ice sheet per year.

"It's our canaries in the coal mine," Christopherson said.

The U.S. bears a large responsibility for global warming. It produces 24 percent of the world's carbon dioxide per year with less than 5 percent of the population, making it the Earth's biggest polluter.

While Christopherson noted that this information could be disheartening, he encouraged audience members to look at it as empowering instead. Armed with this data, people are better equipped to start making changes. But, he said, it's too late to reverse the impacts of climate change. All we can do is hold off the eventual effects long enough to allow species to learn new survival techniques.

"We're not going to stop it. We're talking about buying adaptation time," he said, "giving the polar bears an extra 40 years to learn to adapt."

Christopherson urged people to act now.

"The bears are waiting, the 23,000 that are left."

[link to news.rgj.com]

Hey, maybe we will get rid of those lizzies now...lol

But bad news for our frogs and such.damn

ribbit

I'm sure Australia will be happy to provide some to anyone who wishes.. rabbits as well.

Since the amphibians are dying we have crossed the line



it will worsen from here on out-our chances for survivability will decrease as well...they are directly proportional...before you guffaw, watch the stats and see it isn't very funny. In fact it is a big precursor to much more radical changes that will threaten our very basic survival




Sterility levels for everyone the world over will increase dramatically

In 30 yrs we have had 300,000 acres of arctic ice melt...


it will worsen logarithmically

i looked first and thought it said wiping out fags

nope... youre safe

next come the flies...

Thread: WOW! For years they blamed declining frog populations on Global Warming… but now we find out the problem was a fungus being spread by researchers

UPDATE:


Thread: WOW! For years they blamed declining frog populations on Global Warming… but now we find out the problem was a fungus being spread by researchers

That's Messed Up

global warming cannot kill anything since it does not exist