Temperatures are on course to rise at least 4 degrees by the end of the century, according to research that finds earlier climate models projecting smaller increases are likely to be wrong.
The research, by a team led by the University of NSW, says a 4-degree rise in temperature would be potentially catastrophic for agriculture in warm regions of the world, including Australia.
It cracks open one of the biggest problems in climate science

Forecasts in many climate models for lower temperature rises were based on assumptions that clouds might help limit temperature increases.

But the team claims to have found the key to predicting cloud behaviour, and forecasts that clouds will not be nearly as helpful as thought in many models.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/climate-change-planet-to-warm-by-4-degrees-by-2100-20131231-304nw.html#ixzz2pBlFCLa6

Rider wrote on Jan 2^nd, 2014 at 8:42am:


Perhaps you could explain something to me which has confused me on the issue:

1) Why is a ship stuck in ice news?  Hundred get stuck every year.
2) Why is it suprising that a ship travelling in an ice sheet can get temporarily trapped as the ice sheet ebs and flows around it.
3) How does a ship deliberately travelling in an ice sheet prove or disprove global warming.
4) Why is anyone on that ship, doing scientific research for the betterment of mankind, a numpty?


All it proves to me is how stupid and desperate the deniers are.  If I go driving in my car in mud, I bound to get bogged at some point. Mud is caused by rain, rain is weather, weather is linked to climate. If I got bogged, would the right wing conga line have a w@nk session at my expense, or what ?

Did you know the Sun is actually dying?

What's going to happen when the sun burns out, the oceans dry up and vegetation dies???

What are we doing about this???

I blame Tony Abbott. We need a Sun Tax. Everyone knows the entire planet rests on what 20 million people on a land mass the other side of the world do.

 

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 2^nd, 2014 at 8:51am:


And here people we have the greatest problem.

It's all about

The 1st Generation to think exclusively about itself & not improving the lot for their children & future generations.

In fact actively ignoring warnings/predictions based solely on the fact that they may curtail their excess.

2 daughters I believe Andrei, why don't you ask them or your grandchildren.

Do you understand anything Greens?????

aquascoot wrote on Jan 2^nd, 2014 at 8:56am:


Kevin was correct in his call of "greatest moral challenge", but in his defense he is only a politicians, and politicians must yield to the will of the people, and the people of 2008 werent united behind action.

The vast majority of co2 poluting industries are locked up in government providers or government contracts. Serious action must come from the governments of the world.

Australia's coal expansion risks stranded assets with global warming


Australia's headlong expansion of coal mining for export carries substantial investment risks of stranding assets says a new report from Oxford University. Previous warnings regarding potential risks of a carbon bubble have been made by Carbon Tracker, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and International Energy Agency (IEA).

During December 2013 the Abbott Federal Government gave approval for massive coal port expansion in Queensland at Abbot Point and expansion of coal seam gas (CSG) facilities in Gladstone. It also approved the third coal mine to operate in the Galilee basin 450km from the coast. Environmental approval processes were also passed to the authority of State Governments to streamline further mining approvals, as well as Federal funding immediately cut to Environmental Defenders Offices in each state.

In the conclusion of the report on the risk of stranded assets, Ben Caldecott, James Tilbury and Yuge Ma state:

"It is clear that China’s coal demand patterns are changing as a result of environment-related factors and consequently less coal will be consumed than is currently expected by many owners and operators of coal assets. Given China’s growing role as the price setter in global and regional coal markets; falling demand will, all things being equal, reduce coal prices. This would result in coal assets under development becoming stranded, or operating mines only covering their marginal costs and subsequently failing to provide a sufficient return on investment."

Coal and Carbon bubble asset risks and China

The decisions to expand coal production ignore the long term climate impacts of the coal and gas being exported and burnt producing carbon emissions. The approval process also fails to take into account the increasing investment risks of substantial fossil fuel development at a time when scientists say most unexploited fossil fuels need to stay in the ground to avoid dangerous levels of climate change exceeding of 2 degrees Celsius as agreed at the 2009 Copenhagen climate talks.

The new report - Stranded Down Under? Environment-related factors changing China’s demand for coal and what this means for Australian coal assets - was published on 16th December. Authored by Ben Caldecott, James Tilbury and Yuge Ma from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, it provides a detailed warning that Australian coal infrastructure assets face a substantial risk of becoming stranded.

http://indymedia.org.au/2013/12/27/australias-coal-expansion-risks-stranded-asse...


More catastrophic climate change economics from the economic illiterate cons.


It is time that super funds are banned from coal investments so to protect the longterm security of these funds.