Bush refused to sign in March 2001, which could have helped start U.S. on a path of dealing with a century+ nightmare. Five years ago it would have made a difference!

Trade winds weaken with global warming
Trade winds that sweep around half the globe are weakening as global warming disrupts normal atmospheric circulation, scientists report today.

The winds, which bring rains to the west and churn up the oceans, turning surface waters into rich feeding grounds, cover 20,000km to drive weather conditions around the world.

Scientists fear that as the winds lose their puff, weather patterns will become less predictable and marine organisms will suffer, as fewer vital nutrients are forced up to the surface from the ocean depths.

Article continues
Gabriel Vecchi, a climate scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in New Jersey, used air pressure records, including measurements from the Royal Navy dating back to the 1860s, to work out how a major air current, known as the Walker circulation, had changed with time, particularly since the Industrial Revolution.

The air current drives the Pacific Ocean's trade winds from the western coast of South America to Indonesia. Along the way, the winds pick up moisture from the warm waters, which falls as rain as the air rises over Indonesia.

But the winds have another feature that directly affects the marine ecosystems of the Pacific. As the wind passes over the ocean surface, it pushes the water and sets up ocean currents. In the tropical region of the Walker current, the ocean flow causes cool, nutrient-rich water from the depths of the Pacific to circle up to the surface, where it provides vital nourishment for marine life.

Dr Vecchi found that since the mid-1800s, the Walker current had weakened by 3.5% and was expected to fall by 10% by the year 2100. Any drop in the strength of winds has a larger effect on ocean currents, and calculations show that the flow of the ocean has dropped by 7.5% because of the slacking trade wind. The study appears in the journal Nature today.

The weakening of the Walker current is one of the most consistent predictions of climate change models. "One of the most robust predictions of climate change is that this Walker circulation should slow down, so we wanted to test that prediction to see how good the models are. Right now they are the only thing we have to guide us into the future," said Dr Vecchi.

In follow-on experiments, the researchers teased apart the contribution to the current's slowing of natural climate variability and that caused by human activity, such as greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. They used different simulations to predict what would happen to the Walker circulation with and without the hike in greenhouse gas emissions. The simulations showed that the Walker current only weakened when recent increases in greenhouse gas emissions were taken into account. "Nearly all of this is down to increases in greenhouse gas emissions," said Dr Vecchi.

"We know this air current has an influence on weather in many regions, so we can expect there to be changes locally. Ecosystems are complex, but our concern would be that this could also affect biological productivity over a large part of the Pacific," he added.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatecha...767125,00.html



http://www.motherearth.org/bushwanted/laws.php

Kyoto was and is CRAP.

The United States LEADS the world in environmental improvements.

There is no reason to further shackle the United States to a bunch of heavily polluting two-bit countries that want nothing more than to divert attention away from their own smog and pollution.

Take a look at what Kyoto really is and does. Once again, it's CRAP. Yet another multi-million dollar waste of money and oxygen.

The United States LEADS the world in pollution, which is probably why it leads in environmental improvements (out of necessity).

The Kyoto aggrement was good enough for EVERY fucking country in the world except the USA.

The only reason we didn't go along with it is because the industrial lobbyists might as well own the white house. Just slap a EXXON sign on the damn thing already.

But of coarse you don't provide facts or evidence...
*Pictures little country kid in overalls carrying a hudge ass cross with a megaphone yelling about the ultra-liberal left-wing conspiracy*

The USA is the world's biggest polluter
http://www.vexen.co.uk/USA/pollution.html#Pollution

Oil, Pollution and the Kyoto Protocol
http://www.vexen.co.uk/USA/pollution.html

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/supportus

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/

Help us predict global warming
Make your computer do some real work for a change!
http://www.greenpeace.org/internatio...global-warming

The WORLD IS COUNTING ON YOU!

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When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent. ~ Isaac Asimov

Just another example of how George Bush puts money before anything else.

Drive around Russia (known for its black snow) and pay attention to the diesel trucks.

Drive around ANY Latin American country (been there, done that) and pay attention to the diesel trucks.

Ride your bike around China and pay attention to the diesel trucks.

Then drive around the USA and pay attention to the diesel trucks.


Enough said.

Pay attention to the fact that we are the leader of the world when it comes to pollution.

Tough commute to work tonight? Next on NBC news.... *CLICK*

The USA is NOT the largest polluter in the world. That's absolute BS. You conveniently ignore EVERYTHING that doesn't fit into your blind little agenda.

...and I don't commute to work. I live 2 minutes from where I work.

Arguably the principal source of air pollutants worldwide is motor vehicle emissions. While the U.S. has adopted stringent emissions controls, the EU has not been as assertive in this field; nevertheless, the U.S. is still the leading contributor to mobile source air emissions merely due to the very high number of vehicle miles travelled per capita.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollution