Today the Arctic Methane Emergency Group has released the following statement. Please circulate widely:
Governments must put two and two together, and pull out all stops to save the Arctic sea ice or we will starve.
Arctic sea ice
Next week, the White House will hear evidence from Australian scientist, Carlos Duarte, that the Arctic sea ice is on such a downward spiral that we may see a dramatic decline of sea ice over the next two years [1]. Evidence was given to the UK government last year from British scientists, Peter Wadhams and John Nissen, that we could see minimal sea ice by September 2015, simply extrapolating the sea ice volume trend [2]. Evidence from recent satellite images suggests that a record melt is in progress this year. The plight of the Arctic was highlighted to MPs and the Met Office in a recent showing of the film “Chasing Ice” at the House of Commons, London [3]. The Arctic has recently become an issue in the European Parliament [4].
Weather extremes and food security
Research from US scientist, Jennifer Francis, suggests that the retreat of sea ice is causing a disruption of jet stream behaviour, producing weather extremes [5]. Evidence was given to the UK government last year that the weather extremes being experienced in the UK and elsewhere could be due to this disruption of weather systems as the Arctic warms relative to the tropics. This evidence was reported by Robin McKie in the Observer, on 7th April in an article entitled: “Why our turbulent weather is getting harder to predict” [6]. The weather extremes from last year are causing real problems for farmers, not only in the UK, but in US and many grain-producing countries. World food production can be expected to decline, with mass starvation inevitable. The price of food will rise inexorably, producing global unrest and making food security even more of an issue [7].
Action required
Putting these two strands of evidence together, it is obvious that we face an ever worsening food crisis unless something dramatic is done straightaway to cool the Arctic and save the Arctic sea ice. This sounds impossible, but can be done. Our best chance of success in cooling the Arctic quickly involves cloud cooling techniques, such as being developed by engineers Stephen Salter in the UK and Aaron Franklin in New Zealand. Franklin’s technique could be deployed almost immediately.
Rapid collaborative action is common-sense logic and therefore the morally and legally correct thing to do in protecting citizens, see UNFCCC, Article 3 [8]. It also presents a golden opportunity for reconciliation between all peoples and all communities through working together towards a common purpose: to save our planet for enjoyment by future generations. There is no time to lose.
References
[1] http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/16886947/professor-joins-fight-to-save-arctic/
[2] http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmenvaud/c1739-ii/c173901.htm
[3] http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/a-night-of-exploration/episodes/chasing-ice/
[5] http://e360.yale.edu/feature/linking_weird_weather_to_rapid_warming_of_the_arctic/2501/
[6] http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/apr/07/science-behind-britain-coldest-easter?INTCMP=SRCH
[8] http://unfccc.int/essential_background/convention/background/items/1355.php
I was rather less than impressed by The Guardian story, which after carefully explaining the physics behind the Jet Stream, only then to comment with “Most scientists believe …” . Well I do believe most scientists believe the Earth to be roughly spherical, but most scientists I imagine have no beliefs about the intricacies of a field they do not work in. This kind of slack reporting only goes to undermine a serious public debate on an issue.
However the atmospheric physicists and glaciologists a represented by AMEG are adamant there is a link between Arctic ice loss and crazy weather. My suggestion to them is that they widen their campaign to target Norway, home of the Nobel prize committee and a rich and important Arctic country and likewise Russia and also China where the supposed inertia of the “democratic” system with frequent contested elections does not apply.