ENVIRONMENTAL REFUGEES

 04 April 2011 – Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation

The Greenhouse 2011 conference has been told that Environmental Refugees is an issue that will need to be dealt with in the 21^st century. Dr John Church, the research team leader for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s Wealth from Oceans Flagship said this in an interview with SIBC’s Rozalee Nongebatu following his presentation on Sea Level Rise and the Earth’s Warming at the conference.

He said as the ocean is getting warmer, ongoing sea level rise will also be certain during the 21^st century and beyond, adding that there are long term changes that we are now initiating.The research scientist also spoke of the main contributing factors of the observed sea level rise in the last forty years.

“The two largest contributions to sea level rise in at least the last forty years are the thermal expansion of the ocean, contributing at least 40% to the observed sea level rise since 1970, and the other equally important contribution is the melting of glaciers and ice caps in Patagonia, Alaska, Europe, and Atlanta also contributing 40% of the observed sea level rise” said Dr Church.

He said the other three contributions to the rise of sea level are from the Greenland and Antarctica sheets, they’re  both are contributing small amounts and both the ice sheet contributions and also the glacier and ice cap contributions have also increased since the 1970.

“And for the ice sheets, it has increased particularly from the 1990s up to present.”

Dr Church said over the total period the contribution from the ice sheets is only about 20 percent of the total but it’s increasing over the recent years.

Meanwhile Dr Church says greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have got long time frames, the ocean also has very long time frame to respond to greenhouse gas concentrations and the ice sheets have got very long time frames, so this means sea level rise will continue for many centuries.He said if the worst case sea level rise scenarios are to be avoided, we need to reduce our emissions drastically and urgently.

“However we will not be able to stop all sea level rise, we’ve already seen some this century, we know the climate system is out of balance right now so we’re committed to some sea level rise even if we stopped emissions today.” said Dr Church.

“So sea level rise will continue and it will impact people from your own area, people in the pacific islands and elsewhere in the world where vast numbers of people live near the coast.”

The Research Scientist said it is inevitable there will be migration from these areas at least to some extent.

“We can take various adaptation measures to live with sea level rise in various ways and we can protect various areas, but I feel it is unlikely we will be able to protect every area and this will place people at the risk and people will want to choose to live in a much safer environment” said Dr Church.He also explained that for the pacific, the impacts of sea level rise will be felt most acutely through extreme events, strong surges, the El Nino and La Nina cycles, cyclones, tides.

“These things put together will increase the risk of major impacts on island nations so I think some of these island nations will be at risk”, said Dr Church.

The above photo of Dr. John Church was obtained from the CSIRO website.
Coverage of the GreenHouse2011 conference in Cairns written by Rozalee Nongebatu of the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation.

Ocean depth and ice no longer a barrier to Climate change

04 April 2011 – PACNEWS

A climate change science programme generating unprecedented   volumes of data is about to venture deeper and into previously hidden corners of the world oceans to confirm rising ocean temperatures, a climate change conference, Greenhouse 2011 was told

Most excess heat being absorbed by the earth is stored in the oceans, and half of this excess heat has gone into warming the southern hemisphere oceans.

“Within a decade, scientists will be receiving a three dimensional view of the ocean from the surface to the seafloor and beneath expanding and retreating sea ice from a new generation of sensor equipped robots,” says U.S Oceanographer Dr Dean Roemmich.

Dr Roemmich from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography was speaking at the Science of climate change conference, GreenHouse 2011 in Cairns, Australia

 “In the past 10 years scientists have constructed a 30 nation comprehensive observing systems that has altered what we know of the oceans from the surface layer down to 2000 m and the major influences they exert on the global climate change. 

“Below those surface layers the scientific ‘dots’ have been sparse but we Are now looking at the opportunity to join them together and expand our knowledge of all the ocean processes – their deepwater circulation patterns, temperatures and salinity  and the manner in which they can store away carbon and  other greenhouse gases.

“Because 90 percent of the excess heat being absorbed by our planet is stored in the oceans with comprehensive measurements of ocean temperature we are now able to describe the global pattern of climate warming.

“Moreover, a finding from our data is that over half of this excess heat has gone into warming the southern hemisphere oceans between 30S and 60S,” Dr Roemmich said

Dr Roemmich said with each robotic profiler reporting every 10 days, and some having done so for the past seven or more years, scientists now have access to an unprecedented bank of ocean data that will expand as new censors are tested and installed in new deployments of profilers.

For example, he said additional oxygen sensors will indicate sub-surface change that has implication for ocean productivity and the security of food supplied by the oceans.

“We now have a 140 year historical record of ocean temperatures, from the first purely oceanographic voyage by the Challenger in the 1870s through to today with ocean profilers below the surface and satellites generating constant surface information.

“It is beneath the ice and those deeper corners of the ocean where we need to be now focusing our attention as engineers and oceanographers,” Dr Roemmich said.

PACNEWS coverage of the Science of Climate Change, GreenHouse 2011 conference in Cairns, Australia is made possible with funding assistance from CSIRO Australia under the Pacific Climate Change Programme.

 

Australian government committed in tackling climate change: Combet

04 April 2011 – PACNEWS

By Pita Ligaiula, in Cairns Australia

The Australian Minister for Climate Change says the Australian Government is committed to addressing climate change and reducing Australia’s carbon pollution.

Greg Combet, while opening the Science of Climate Change, GreenHouse 2011 meeting underway in Cairns says human activity is causing carbon pollution which is leading to climate change.

He warned that if action is not taken to reduce emissions, climate is likely to change in ways that present grave risks to our economy, our environment, and our way of life. 

He said the Australian Government recognise the contribution that scientists are making in progressing their understanding of climate change.“Robust science is vital to understanding, and therefore appropriately managing, the impacts of climate change.

“Communicating climate change science accurately and effectively is equally important. “We must move beyond the baseless attacks on the science of climate change, and enable this fundamental issue to be better understood across our community, he said.

He said uncertainty about the specific nature of future impacts does not undermine certainty about the fundamental conclusions of the climate science, or the need to take action. To borrow a line from Professor Will Steffen, “The scientific basis and imperative for rapid and vigorous action to reduce emissions is overwhelming”.

“Unfortunately though, the confusion in the community has in part been fuelled by a small number of scientists and commentators – few of whom have relevant credentials – continuing to question the climate change science, even as evidence to the contrary grows in strength”

He said the Australian Government has established the Climate Commission to provide expert independent advice and information on climate change to the Australian community. “I also extend the invitation to all scientists to help build community consensus on climate change, Combet said.

“In the current circumstances it is perhaps more important than ever that scientists are actively engaged in the public discussion on climate change, by injecting fact-based, rational arguments into the debate. “I also recognise the frustration that these attempts are often met with. I would like to call on every one of you to continue in your efforts and to communicate climate change science at every opportunity, to refute misinformation and baseless remarks in the popular media.

Combet said an open and fact-based public debate is critical to building the consensus needed to support strong action on climate change.

The above photo of the Minister of Climate Change & Energy Efficiency was sourced from the Australian Government website.

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/minister/greg-combet/2011/media-releases/May/20110504.aspx

Dr Roemich – Scripps Institution of Oceanography

04 April 2011 – Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation

The Greenhouse 2011 Conference has been told that a climate change research program is about to venture deeper into the previously hidden corners of the world’s ocean to confirm rising ocean temperatures.

In his presentation this morning Doctor Dean Roemich of Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the United States says the most excess heat absorbed by earth is stored in the oceans and half of this excess heat warms the Southern Hemisphere.

Dr Roemich says within a decade, scientists will begin receiving a three dimensional view of the ocean from the surface to the seafloor and beneath expanding and retreating sea ice from a new generation of sensor equipped robots.

He says in the past 10 years scientists have constructed a 30 nation comprehensive observing system that has altered what we know of the oceans from the surface layer down to 2000 metres and the major influences they exert on the global climate system.

The visiting US Oceanographer says because 90% of the excess heat being absorbed by our planet is stored in the oceans, with comprehensive measurements of ocean temperature, they are now able to describe the global pattern of climate warming.

He says their findings is that more than a half of this excess heat has gone into warming the Southern Hemisphere oceans between about 30S and 60S.

Dr Roemich jointly leads the robotic research program called Argo with an Oceanographer from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Program’s Wealth from Oceans Flagshi , Dr Susan Wijffels.

Coverage of the GreenHouse2011 conference in Cairns written by Rozalee Nongebatu of the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation.