Arctic Thaw May Be at ‘Tipping Point’

by Alister Doyle for Reuters

OSLO - A record melt of Arctic summer sea ice this month may be a sign that global warming is reaching a critical trigger point that could accelerate the northern thaw, some scientists say.0928 06

“The reason so much (of the Arctic ice) went suddenly is that it is hitting a tipping point that we have been warning about for the past few years,” James Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, told Reuters.

The Arctic summer sea ice shrank by more than 20 percent below the previous 2005 record low in mid-September to 4.13 million sq km (1.6 million sq miles), according to a 30-year satellite record. It has now frozen out to 4.2 million sq km.

The idea of climate tipping points — like a see-saw that suddenly flips over when enough weight gets onto one side — is controversial because it is little understood and dismissed by some as scaremongering about runaway effects.

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Refiners Dismiss Ethanol Coalition Claims as Ludicrous Attempt at Damage Control

"A summer full of unfavorable studies and criticism may be enough for ACE to invest in Beltway public relations damage control, but the facts about ethanol's drawbacks cannot be disputed, and policymakers should be aware of the significant consequences American consumers and the environment could face should they increase the federal mandate and subsidies for biofuels."

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NPRA, the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, Executive Vice President Charles T. Drevna today dismissed baseless claims made by the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) that oil companies are "discouraging ethanol use by not passing along the cost-benefits to consumers."

"ACE's statement is absolutely ludicrous given the facts," Drevna said. "According to a number of studies, there are very few cost benefits to be 'passed down.' A FarmEcon.com study said only last week that '(i)n total, the costs of ethanol paid by taxpayers, fuel purchasers and the food system is about $31 billion in 2007, or about $4.40 per gallon of ethanol produced. Corrected for the energy content of ethanol relative to gasoline, this is equivalent to a wholesale gasoline price of $6.67 per gallon. Ethanol is not a cheap source of energy, it is about 3 times as expensive as gasoline.' The study also stated that '(t)he ethanol subsidy program is now increasing the cost of food production though side effects on major crop prices and plantings. The cost increases are already starting to show up in the prices of meat, poultry, dairy, bread, cereals and many other products made from grains and soybeans.'(1)

"A summer full of unfavorable studies and criticism from economists and environmentalists alike may be enough for ACE to invest in Beltway public relations damage control, but the facts about ethanol's drawbacks cannot be disputed, and policymakers should be aware of the significant consequences American consumers and the environment could face should they increase the federal mandate and subsidies for biofuels."

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Global Warming Impact Like ‘Nuclear War’

By Jeremy Lovell for Reuters

London - Climate change could have global security implications on a par with nuclear war unless urgent action is taken, a report said on Wednesday.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) security think-tank said global warming would hit crop yields and water availability everywhere, causing great human suffering and leading to regional strife

While everyone had now started to recognize the threat posed by climate change, no one was taking effective leadership to tackle it and no one could tell precisely when and where it would hit hardest, it added.

“The most recent international moves towards combating global warming represent a recognition … that if the emission of greenhouse gases … is allowed to continue unchecked, the effects will be catastrophic — on the level of nuclear war,” the IISS report said.

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