climate change (Page 134)

Could hasten climate change – An iceberg the size of a small European country has broken off from a glacier in Antarctica after being rammed by another giant iceberg. This could effect the circulation of the jet stream in the ocean, which would in turn affect climate change. It could also be lead to starvation for the local penguins.

The area is an important zone for the creation of dense, salty water that is a key driver of global ocean circulation. In Reuters UK, David Fogarty quotes researcher Rob Massom as saying, “The calving itself hasn’t been directly linked to climate change but it is related to the natural processes occurring on the ice sheet.”
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Not yet – Before coastal cities around the world shore up their banks, we need to take action. One suggestion is to connect flood plains to rivers so that overflow is no longer a problem. And while, over time, global warming can cause melting glaciers that lead to rising sea levels, scientists in Israel think we’ll be able to cope: The sea level in Israel has been rising and falling regularly for the past 2,500 years.
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But scientists don’t know why not – It’s hotter than ever, and we may have to choose between reducing global warming and solving the problems of the recession. Scientists predict more drought in the Southwest as temperatures rise, but they also can’t figure out why things aren’t as bad right now as their predictions said they would be.
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Measures being proposed at the Copenhagen conference to curb greenhouse gas emissions are unlikely to affect potential long-term economic growth in the United States.

Economist Martin Ross says that adopting climate legislation would only cause slight changes in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. A study which assessed the impacts of the plan being put forth found that measures being proposed would cost the average American household $57, $89, and $269 in 2015, 2020, and 2030, respectively. Over the same time period, household consumption, a measure of household purchasing power, is expected to rise by around 70%, while emissions are being reduced.
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