InterAcademy Council Calls for Beefed-Up IPCC

In light of recent bluffs by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the InterAcademy Council representing the world's science academies, is recommending the Panel beefs-up its management infrastructure as well as add various reforms for reviewing science, managing potential conflicts of interest and injecting fresh blood into their operations.

The recommendation, which is being made in an effort to re-affirm the integrity and validity of the IPCC's work while recognizing areas for improvement, is sighted in a report presented to the Panel and calls for the development of rigorous conflict of interest policy. If the recommendation is accepted and implemented, the future IPCC would be overseen by a new executive committee, which will include oversight from outside the IPCC, including an executive director serving a limited one six-year term.

Learn more here.

Return to home

CESM: New Community Earth System Climate Model

The National Center for Atmospheric Research's (NCAR) new Community Earth System Model (CESM) is now able to study climate change in far more detail, and it will soon be employed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to assess the state of so called "global warming."

One of about a dozen climate models worldwide that can be used to simulate the many components of Earth's climate system, CESM should help answer some critical questions regarding the state of the climate, including:

• What impact will warming temperatures have on the massive ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica?
• How will patterns in the ocean and atmosphere affect regional climate in coming decades?
• How will climate change influence the severity and frequency of tropical cyclones, including hurricanes?
• What are the effects of tiny airborne particles, known as aerosols, on clouds and temperatures?
  

So how does it work?

The CESM builds on the original Community Climate System Model and enables scientists to gain a broader picture of Earth's climate system by incorporating more influences. Using the CESM, researchers can now:

• Simulate the interaction of marine ecosystems with greenhouse gases
• Assess the climatic influence of ozone, dust, and other atmospheric chemicals
• Gain a better understanding of the cycling of carbon through the atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces
• Review the influence of greenhouse gases on the upper atmosphere
• Pursue a much wider variety of applications, including studies of air quality and biogeochemical feedback mechanisms

Return to home

Himalayan Glaciers Stickin’ Around a Lil’ Longer

I find it interesting that after blogging a couple days ago about the creation of the Himalayan Mountain chain; a story hit the news about Himalayan glaciers.

Apparently some leaders on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made a boo-boo when they said Himalayan glaciers would disappear by 2035. A poorly substantiated claim that also misstates the total land area covered by these glaciers, was considered “extremely embarrassing and damaging." Uhmm duh, of course it was -- in a time when a majority of people across the globe don’t believe in global warming or think it’s a hoax; you just can’t make these mistakes!

A professor from the University of Arizona who is also a subject matter expert on the issue said the IPCC had such a stellar reputation that people view it as an authority -- as indeed they should -- and so they see a bullet that says Himalayan glaciers will disappear by 2035 and they take that as a fact.

Well, after reading more into the subject this morning it seems there is some blame game back-and-forth going on. Who wrote this? Who reviewed it? Who sent it? Blah, blah blah… who cares?

Fact! The Himalayan glaciers are reportedly going to be around for 15 more years, estimated to disappear by 2350, not 2035.

So enjoy them… I guess!?!?