NASA Climate Scientist Says "We're Toast"

Two Decades After His First Warning, Global Warming Expert Says Situation Has Worsened

(AP)  Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world's only hope is drastic action.

James Hansen told Congress on Monday that the world has long passed the "dangerous level" for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and needs to get back to 1988 levels. He said Earth's atmosphere can only stay this loaded with man-made carbon dioxide for a couple more decades without changes such as mass extinction, ecosystem collapse and dramatic sea level rises.

"We're toast if we don't get on a very different path," Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences who is sometimes called the godfather of global warming science, told The Associated Press. "This is the last chance."

Hansen brought global warming home to the public in June 1988 during a Washington heat wave, telling a Senate hearing that global warming was already here. To mark the anniversary, he testified before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming where he was called a prophet, and addressed a luncheon at the National Press Club where he was called a hero by former Sen. Tim Wirth, D-Colo., who headed the 1988 hearing.

To cut emissions, Hansen said coal-fired power plants that don't capture carbon dioxide emissions shouldn't be used in the United States after 2025, and should be eliminated in the rest of the world by 2030. That carbon capture technology is still being developed and not yet cost efficient for power plants.

Burning fossil fuels like coal is the chief cause of man-made greenhouse gases. Hansen said the Earth's atmosphere has got to get back to a level of 350 parts of carbon dioxide per million. Last month, it was 10 percent higher: 386.7 parts per million.

Hansen said he'll testify on behalf of British protesters against new coal-fired power plants. Protesters have chained themselves to gates and equipment at sites of several proposed coal plants in England.

"The thing that I think is most important is to block coal-fired power plants," Hansen told the luncheon. "I'm not yet at the point of chaining myself but we somehow have to draw attention to this."

Frank Maisano, a spokesman for many U.S. utilities, including those trying to build new coal plants, said while Hansen has shown foresight as a scientist, his "stop them all approach is very simplistic" and shows that he is beyond his level of expertise.

The year of Hansen's original testimony was the world's hottest year on record. Since then, 14 years have been hotter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Two decades later, Hansen spent his time on the question of whether it's too late to do anything about it. His answer: There's still time to stop the worst, but not much time.

"We see a tipping point occurring right before our eyes," Hansen told the AP before the luncheon. "The Arctic is the first tipping point and it's occurring exactly the way we said it would."

Hansen, echoing work by other scientists, said that in five to 10 years, the Arctic will be free of sea ice in the summer.

Longtime global warming skeptic Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., citing a recent poll, said in a statement, "Hansen, (former Vice President) Gore and the media have been trumpeting man-made climate doom since the 1980s. But Americans are not buying it."

But Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., committee chairman, said, "Dr. Hansen was right. Twenty years later, we recognize him as a climate prophet."

[smurfcrusher]

Much appreciated, the74blaster.

What shocks me the most is that the stakes are so huge, but the Republicans treat it like some weekend poker game. Maybe they think they live in a different world, or that droughts, storms, and disease aren''t things that can impact them? It''s baffling.

To your point about cherry-picking information - I''ve seen them use the same tactic to oppose universal healthcare. They use the most poorly-implemented examples and try to convince people that we will have the same system. Well I''m sorry, if I were putting together a universal healthcare plan for my nation, I would model it after the most beneficial examples!

Again, it''s baffling. Maybe health providers are paying them? I don''t get it.

Personally, I''m interested in one thing: that which IS.
The truth matters. Even if it isn''t what I want to hear. Because truth remains even if I try to deny it, so what''s the point?

Have a pleasant evening.

[the74blaster]

Global warming does NOT mean the entire globe is warming. It means that on average, the temperature is increasing. Put another way, if 10% of the Earth is getting colder and 90% of the Earth is warming by the same number of degrees, that IS global warming because the average temperature of the globe is increasing.

Posted by Smurfcrusher,

Excellent point. The opponents of global warming are using the old tactic of cherry picking information to support an arguement they may or may not know anything about. Their rational is very much the same tactic the Bush administration used to justify Operation Iraqi freedom. I wonder if they are having any second thoughts about whether they should have invaded Iraq?

However, you cannot blame them if they do not have knowledge of statistical methods and make uniformed statements in regards to global warming. The blame for that needs to be placed on the Rush Limbaughs, George Bushs and other GOP leaders who are not acting in the best interests of mankind.

That is their primary responsibility and they have failed in that task.

In this country it is supposed to be WE THE PEOPLE, but I am begining to believe GOP stands for Government Of the Priviledged.

[smurfcrusher]

hhusted, your facts are wrong. And yes, plenty of people don''t think.
This problem is best solved by careful, deliberate effort. if we let it solve itself, nature just might take care of our pesky overpopulation problem in a very brutal manner. We shouldn''t go there.


The ''30s were NOT as hot as we have it now. Show your sources.
The 20 Hottest
Years on Record*
Rank
Year
1 2005 TIE
1 1998 TIE
3 2002
4 2003
5 2004
6 2001
7 1997
8 1990
9 1995
10 1999
11 2000
12 1991
13 1987
14 1988
15 1994
16 1983
17 1996
18 1944
19 1989
20 1993

* Source:
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~karowe/UCS%20global%20warming%20fact%20sheet%20January%202006.pdf


Global warming does NOT mean the entire globe is warming. It means that on average, the temperature is increasing. Put another way, if 10% of the Earth is getting colder and 90% of the Earth is warming by the same number of degrees, that IS global warming because the average temperature of the globe is increasing.

The sun has been at a solar minimum for years (very few flares and spots) yet many of the record temperatures have still been reached. Again, show your sources if you say otherwise.
http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/where-have-all-the-sunspots-gone/

[louiville2]

Silly sheep.
"For example Richard S. Lindzen, in his paper at the 2005 Yale Center for Globalization conference clearly points to one particular pro-hoax web site calling itself "Real Climate" which tells us that it is all about "climate science from climate scientists", featuring among others, the now universally discredited work of Michael Mann and others who were too quick to become his overnight followers. The site isn''t actually run by "scientists", it''s actually run by Environmental Media Services, which specializes in spreading environmental junk science on behalf of numerous clients who stand to financially benefit from scare tactics through environmental fear mongering. Lindzen says, "This website appears to constitute a support center for global warming believers, wherein any criticism of global warming is given an answer that, however implausible, is then repeated by the reassured believers. A collection of stock responses for believers is also featured on Gristmill, where the Popular Journalists and mainstream media can quickly obtain a handbook for perpetuating the scam, and become instant experts on the spot."
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/110

[smurfcrusher]

The sun is at a solar minimum, so Mars is warming from other causes. Have a look...

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sciencetech/homepage/article_1643955.php


"Friday, April 6, 2007
Global warming on Mars
Causes of planet''s heating believed to be different from those on Earth."

"Global warming has hit Mars, but the shifting winds and swirling dust that scientists theorize power climate changes there bear no relation to the heat-trapping gases that concern the people of Earth."

[smurfcrusher]

Actually that reasoning doesn''t follow.

1. IF Al Gore made a small percentage of errors (like most humans), that does not mean that all his statements are inaccurate.

2. More likely, multi-million $ misinformation campaigns funded by oil and gas companies to spread doubt, are inaccurate.

3. Similarly, if one or two facts accidentally slips into a misinformation campaign, that does not make the entire misinformation campaign accurate.

4. I don''t concede that Al Gore made errors and good luck with that. I suspect he did just a little more research than you. (or perhaps myself, for that matter).

5. Global warming is much bigger than Al Gore. If Gore were to go insane and kiss and make up with Big Oil, and say their misinformation campaign is 100% truthful, Global Warming would continue unabated.

[rwm2_2000]

He may be right but I think it''s propaganda from our Gov''t...He and no one else has explained why the other planets are warming up to! There are no cars there and no industry! Could it be that the gov''t is just trying to charge us all more tax to give to the Bilderberg Group! Keep UR eyes on the internet for UR news...ALL TV STATIONS AND BIG NEWSPAPERS ARE OWNED BY THE BILDERBERG GROUP SO UR NEWS IS FILTERED BEFORE U GET IT...AND EVEN SOME OF THE INTERNET STORIES ARE PLANTS BY THE BILDERBERG GROUP!

[louiville2]

"Recently, several NASA scientists have resigned in protest of the bureaucrats who run the agency supporting Junk Science in order to secure more funding for climate-related satellite systems and other "research". And scientists who speak out too loudly against the hoax have actually been fired for crossing paths with the politicians promoting Junk Science, as recently happened to University of Washington climate scientist Mark Albright, who was dismissed from his position as associate state climatologist, just weeks after exposing false claims of shrinking glaciers in the Cascade Mountains. Seems Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels claimed the Cascade glaciers were melting, and Albright, in charge of the glacier studies, said they weren''t. Nickels had enough clout to get Albright bounced from his job."

[gdw666]

hmm. So by your reasoning if Al Gore is simply wrong and fabricating, his word is to be taken as gospel.

By anything you want to. A few actual truths would help.

[smurfcrusher]

hmmm.... so by your reasoning, if Al Gore makes a mistake, global warming is impossible.

OK! I feel so much better now! Where can I buy some coal?