Firms Start to See Climate Change as Barrier to Profit - Juliet Eilperin - washingtonpost.com
2007 alarmist claims: [What does the above real-world observation mean for the "runaway ice-albedo feedback" theory?]
As the real-world impacts of climate change begin to materialize and regulation of greenhouse gases appears more likely, corporate America has begun to grapple with a challenging question: How do you quantify the risks associated with climate change?[After dip in 2007, Arctic sea ice extent recovers: Now all the way back up to 2005 levels]
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"Climate is top of mind for our customers right now," said Jim Hanna, Starbucks's director of environmental impact, who added that the company is aware that its workers are also eyeing its business practices and public policy positions. "For us to attract the best talent coming out of college, and for us to retain that talent over time, we've got to operate that way."
2007 alarmist claims: [What does the above real-world observation mean for the "runaway ice-albedo feedback" theory?]
This process of a little warming causing more warming is called the ice-albedo feedback and it is one reason that the Arctic is very sensitive to changes in temperature. The ice-albedo feedback can turn a small climate change into a big climate change. The sea ice is melting rapidly in the Arctic Ocean. In about the past three decades the amount of ice covering the Arctic Ocean has dropped about a million square kilometers (about the size of Alaska). According to climate models that pace of ice melt will continue to quicken so much that that there may be no more summer sea ice within the next few decades.
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1 comment:
I never fail to giggle when someone reminds me there was more ice at the north pole 30 years ago. DUH! Yes, that's right, 1979 was the year "scientists" were sure we were entering a new ice age (I'm fairly sure there was a "consensus"). These great minds suggested dumping coal dust and soot on the arctic ice in hopes of melting the cap and inducing warming to "save" us from certain death. This is why caution and perspective are important when considering "global" solutions. I would like to know how much ice there is now when compared to the 1930's, this would be much more interesting than the all too often trotted out 1970's comparison.
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