This was an eye opener - cont.

[Rossini]

Network of African Science Academies
In 2007, the Network of African Science Academies submitted a joint "œstatement on sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate change" to the leaders meeting at the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany:

"œA consensus, based on current evidence, now exists within the global scientific community that human activities are the main source of climate change and that the burning of fossil fuels is largely responsible for driving this change."
"œThe IPCC should be congratulated for the contribution it has made to public understanding of the nexus that exists between energy, climate and sustainability."[21]
The thirteen signatories were the science academies of Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, as well as the African Academy of Sciences.


[edit] Royal Society of New Zealand
Having signed onto the first joint science academies' statement in 2001, the Royal Society of New Zealand released a separate statement in 2008 in order to clear up "the controversy over climate change and its causes, and possible confusion among the public":

The globe is warming because of increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Measurements show that greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are well above levels seen for many thousands of years. Further global climate changes are predicted, with impacts expected to become more costly as time progresses. Reducing future impacts of climate change will require substantial reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.[22]

[edit] Polish Academy of Sciences
In December 2007, the General Assembly of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) issued a statement endorsing the IPCC conclusions, and states:

"it is the duty of Polish science and the national government to, in a thoughtful, organized and active manner, become involved in realisation of these ideas".
"Problems of global warming, climate change, and their various negative impacts on human life and on the functioning of entire societies are one of the most dramatic challenges of modern times."
"PAS General Assembly calls on the national scientific communities and the national government to actively support Polish participation in this important endeavor."[23]

[edit] General science

[edit] American Association for the Advancement of Science
In 2006, the American Association for the Advancement of Science adopted an official statement on climate change in which they stated, "The scientific evidence is clear: global climate change caused by human activities is occurring now, and it is a growing threat to society....The pace of change and the evidence of harm have increased markedly over the last five years. The time to control greenhouse gas emissions is now."[24]


[edit] European Science Foundation
In 2007, the European Science Foundation issued a Position Paper on climate change:

There is now convincing evidence that since the industrial revolution, human activities, resulting in increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases have become a major agent of climate change. These greenhouse gases affect the global climate by retaining heat in the troposphere, thus raising the average temperature of the planet and altering global atmospheric circulation and precipitation patterns.
While on-going national and international actions to curtail and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are essential, the levels of greenhouse gases currently in the atmosphere, and their impact, are likely to persist for several decades. On-going and increased efforts to mitigate climate change through reduction in greenhouse gases are therefore crucial.[25]

[edit] National Research Council (US)
In 2001, the Committee on the Science of Climate Change of the National Research Council published Climate Change Science: An Analysis of Some Key Questions.[26] This report explicitly endorses the IPCC view of attribution of recent climate change as representing the view of the scientific community:

The changes observed over the last several decades are likely mostly due to human activities, but we cannot rule out that some significant part of these changes is also a reflection of natural variability. Human-induced warming and associated sea level rises are expected to continue through the 21st century... The IPCC's conclusion that most of the observed warming of the last 50 years is likely to have been due to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations accurately reflects the current thinking of the scientific community on this issue.[26]

 

[Rossini]

Biology and life sciences

[edit] American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians
The American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians (AAWV) has issued a position statement regarding "climate change, wildlife diseases, and wildlife health":

There is widespread scientific agreement that the world's climate is changing and that the weight of evidence demonstrates that anthropogenic factors have and will continue to contribute significantly to global warming and climate change. It is anticipated that continuing changes to the climate will have serious negative impacts on public, animal and ecosystem health due to extreme weather events, changing disease transmission dynamics, emerging and re-emerging diseases, and alterations to habitat and ecological systems that are essential to wildlife conservation. Furthermore, there is increasing recognition of the inter-relationships of human, domestic animal, wildlife, and ecosystem health as illustrated by the fact the majority of recent emerging diseases have a wildlife origin.[27]

[edit] American Society for Microbiology
In 2003, the American Society for Microbiology issued a public policy report in which they recommend "œreducing net anthropogenic CO2 emissions to the atmosphere" and "œminimizing anthropogenic disturbances of" atmospheric gasses:[28]

Carbon dioxide concentrations were relatively stable for the past 10,000 years but then began to increase rapidly about 150 years ago"¦as a result of fossil fuel consumption and land use change.[29]
Of course, changes in atmospheric composition are but one component of global change, which also includes disturbances in the physical and chemical conditions of the oceans and land surface. Although global change has been a natural process throughout Earth's history, humans are responsible for substantially accelerating present-day changes. These changes may adversely affect human health and the biosphere on which we depend.[30]
Outbreaks of a number of diseases, including Lyme disease, hantavirus infections, dengue fever, bubonic plague, and cholera, have been linked to climate change.[31]

[edit] Australian Coral Reef Society
In 2006, the Australian Coral Reef Society issued an official communique regarding the Great Barrier Reef and the "world-wide decline in coral reefs through processes such as overfishing, runoff of nutrients from the land, coral bleaching, global climate change, ocean acidification, pollution", etc.:

There is almost total consensus among experts that the earth's climate is changing as a result of the build-up of greenhouse gases. The IPCC (involving over 3,000 of the world's experts) has come out with clear conclusions as to the reality of this phenomenon. One does not have to look further than the collective academy of scientists worldwide to see the string (of) statements on this worrying change to the earth's atmosphere.
There is broad scientific consensus that coral reefs are heavily affected by the activities of man and there are significant global influences that can make reefs more vulnerable such as global warming....It is highly likely that coral bleaching has been exacerbated by global warming.[32]

[edit] Institute of Biology (UK)
The UK's Institute of Biology states "œthere is scientific agreement that the rapid global warming that has occurred in recent years is mostly anthropogenic, ie due to human activity." As a consequence of global warming, they warn that a "œrise in sea levels due to melting of ice caps is expected to occur. Rises in temperature will have complex and frequently localised effects on weather, but an overall increase in extreme weather conditions and changes in precipitation patterns are probable, resulting in flooding and drought. The spread of tropical diseases is also expected." Subsequently, the Institute of Biology advocates policies to reduce "œgreenhouse gas emissions, as we feel that the consequences of climate change are likely to be severe."[33]


[edit] Society of American Foresters
In 2008, the Society of American Foresters (SAF) issued two position statements pertaining to climate change in which they cite the IPCC and the UNFCCC:

Forests are shaped by climate....Changes in temperature and precipitation regimes therefore have the potential to dramatically affect forests nationwide. There is growing evidence that our climate is changing. The changes in temperature have been associated with increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and other GHGs in the atmosphere.[34]
Forests play a significant role in offsetting CO2 emissions, the primary anthropogenic GHG.[35]

[edit] The Wildlife Society (international)
The Wildlife Society has issued a position statement titled Global Climate Change and Wildlife:[36]

Scientists throughout the world have concluded that climate research conducted in the past two decades definitively shows that rapid worldwide climate change occurred in the 20th century, and will likely continue to occur for decades to come. Although climates have varied dramatically since the earth was formed, few scientists question the role of humans in exacerbating recent climate change through the emission of greenhouse gases. The critical issue is no longer "œif" climate change is occurring, but rather how to address its effects on wildlife and wildlife habitats.
The statement goes on to assert that "œevidence is accumulating that wildlife and wildlife habitats have been and will continue to be significantly affected by ongoing large-scale rapid climate change."

The statement concludes with a call for "œreduction in anthropogenic (human-caused) sources of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global climate change and the conservation of CO2- consuming photosynthesizers (i.e., plants)."


[edit] Earth sciences

[edit] American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) statement, [37] adopted by the society in 2003 and revised in 2007, affirms that rising levels of greenhouse gases have caused and will continue to cause the global surface temperature to be warmer:

The Earth's climate is now clearly out of balance and is warming. Many components of the climate system"”including the temperatures of the atmosphere, land and ocean, the extent of sea ice and mountain glaciers, the sea level, the distribution of precipitation, and the length of seasons"”are now changing at rates and in patterns that are not natural and are best explained by the increased atmospheric abundances of greenhouse gases and aerosols generated by human activity during the 20th century. Global average surface temperatures increased on average by about 0.6°C over the period 1956"“2006. As of 2006, eleven of the previous twelve years were warmer than any others since 1850. The observed rapid retreat of Arctic sea ice is expected to continue and lead to the disappearance of summertime ice within this century. Evidence from most oceans and all continents except Antarctica shows warming attributable to human activities. Recent changes in many physical and biological systems are linked with this regional climate change. A sustained research effort, involving many AGU members and summarized in the 2007 assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, continues to improve our scientific understanding of the climate.

[edit] European Federation of Geologists
In 2008, the European Federation of Geologists (EFG) issued the position paper Carbon Capture and geological Storage :

The EFG recognizes the work of the IPCC and other organizations, and subscribes to the major findings that climate change is happening, is predominantly caused by anthropogenic emissions of CO2, and poses a significant threat to human civilization.
It is clear that major efforts are necessary to quickly and strongly reduce CO2 emissions. The EFG strongly advocates renewable and sustainable energy production, including geothermal energy, as well as the need for increasing energy efficiency.
CCS [Carbon Capture and geological Storage] should also be regarded as a bridging technology, facilitating the move towards a carbon free economy.[38]

[edit] European Geosciences Union
In 2005, the Divisions of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) issued a position statement in support of the joint science academies' statement on global response to climate change. The statement refers to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as "the main representative of the global scientific community", and asserts that the IPCC "œrepresents the state-of-the-art of climate science supported by the major science academies around the world and by the vast majority of science researchers and investigators as documented by the peer-reviewed scientific literature."[39]

Additionally, in 2008, the EGU issued a position statement on ocean acidification which states, "Ocean acidification is already occurring today and will continue to intensify, closely tracking atmospheric CO2 increase. Given the potential threat to marine ecosystems and its ensuing impact on human society and economy, especially as it acts in conjunction with anthropogenic global warming, there is an urgent need for immediate action." The statement then advocates for strategies "to limit future release of CO2 to the atmosphere and/or enhance removal of excess CO2 from the atmosphere."[40]


[edit] Geological Society of America
In 2006, the Geological Society of America adopted a position statement on global climate change:

The Geological Society of America (GSA) supports the scientific conclusions that Earth's climate is changing; the climate changes are due in part to human activities; and the probable consequences of the climate changes will be significant and blind to geopolitical boundaries. Furthermore, the potential implications of global climate change and the time scale over which such changes will likely occur require active, effective, long-term planning.[41]

[edit] International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics
In July 2007, the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) adopted a resolution titled "œThe Urgency of Addressing Climate Change". In it, the IUGG concurs with the "œcomprehensive and widely accepted and endorsed scientific assessments carried out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and regional and national bodies, which have firmly established, on the basis of scientific evidence, that human activities are the primary cause of recent climate change." They state further that the "œcontinuing reliance on combustion of fossil fuels as the world's primary source of energy will lead to much higher atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses, which will, in turn, cause significant increases in surface temperature, sea level, ocean acidification, and their related consequences to the environment and society." [42]


[edit] National Association of Geoscience Teachers
In July 2009, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) adopted a position statement on climate change in which they assert that "Earth's climate is changing [and] "that present warming trends are largely the result of human activities":

NAGT strongly supports and will work to promote education in the science of climate change, the causes and effects of current global warming, and the immediate need for policies and actions that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.[43]

[edit] Stratigraphy Commission of the Geological Society of London
In its position paper on global warming, the Stratigraphy Commission of the Geological Society of London declares, "Global climate change is increasingly recognised as the key threat to the continued development "“ and even survival - of humanity." They refer to the IPCC as providing the "most authoritative assessment of climate change", and further state, "We find that the evidence for human-induced climate change is now persuasive, and the need for direct action compelling."[44]

 

[Rossini]

Human health

[edit] American Academy of Pediatrics
In 2007, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued the policy statement Global Climate Change and Children's Health:

There is broad scientific consensus that Earth's climate is warming rapidly and at an accelerating rate. Human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, are very likely (>90% probability) to be the main cause of this warming. Climate-sensitive changes in ecosystems are already being observed, and fundamental, potentially irreversible, ecological changes may occur in the coming decades. Conservative environmental estimates of the impact of climate changes that are already in process indicate that they will result in numerous health effects to children.

Anticipated direct health consequences of climate change include injury and death from extreme weather events and natural disasters, increases in climate-sensitive infectious diseases, increases in air pollution"“related illness, and more heat-related, potentially fatal, illness. Within all of these categories, children have increased vulnerability compared with other groups.[45]


[edit] American College of Preventive Medicine
In 2006, the American College of Preventive Medicine issued a policy statement on "œAbrupt Climate Change and Public Health Implications":

The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) accept the position that global warming and climate change is occurring, that there is potential for abrupt climate change, and that human practices that increase greenhouse gases exacerbate the problem, and that the public health consequences may be severe.[46]

[edit] American Medical Association
In 2008, the American Medical Association issued a policy statement on global climate change declaring that they:

Support the findings of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which states that the Earth is undergoing adverse global climate change and that these changes will negatively effect public health.
Support educating the medical community on the potential adverse public health effects of global climate change, including topics such as population displacement, flooding, infectious and vector-borne diseases, and healthy water supplies.[47]

[edit] American Public Health Association
In 2007, the American Public Health Association issued a policy statement titled "˜'Addressing the Urgent Threat of Global Climate Change to Public Health and the Environment'':

The long-term threat of global climate change to global health is extremely serious and the fourth IPCC report and other scientific literature demonstrate convincingly that anthropogenic GHG emissions are primarily responsible for this threat"¦.US policy makers should immediately take necessary steps to reduce US emissions of GHGs, including carbon dioxide, to avert dangerous climate change.[48]

[edit] Australian Medical Association
In 2004, the Australian Medical Association issued the position statement Climate Change and Human Health in which they recommend policies "to mitigate the possible consequential health effects of climate change through improved energy efficiency, clean energy production and other emission reduction steps."[49]

This statement was revised again in 2008:

The world's climate "“ our life-support system "“ is being altered in ways that are likely to pose significant direct and indirect challenges to health. While "˜climate change' can be due to natural forces or human activity, there is now substantial evidence to indicate that human activity "“ and specifically increased greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions "“ is a key factor in the pace and extent of global temperature increases.
Health impacts of climate change include the direct impacts of extreme events such as storms, floods, heatwaves and fires and the indirect effects of longer-term changes, such as drought, changes to the food and water supply, resource conflicts and population shifts.
Increases in average temperatures mean that alterations in the geographic range and seasonality of certain infections and diseases (including vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Ross River virus and food-borne infections such as Salmonellosis) may be among the first detectable impacts of climate change on human health.
Human health is ultimately dependent on the health of the planet and its ecosystem. The AMA believes that measures which mitigate climate change will also benefit public health. Reducing GHGs should therefore be seen as a public health priority.[50]

[edit] European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
In 2009, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) stated:

While climate variability is an ongoing process attributed to natural causes, climate change is ascribed to human activities that alter atmospheric conditions. These changes are due to anthropogenic activity such as the combustion of fossil fuels, which generates heat-trapping gases.
The impact on public health from climate change can be far reaching and include deaths and hospitalizations due to heat waves; hypothermia from blizzards; injuries and death from flooding; and the (re)emergence of hantavirus, West Nile virus, tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease, Malaria and Dengue.
Vector-borne diseases are transmitted by arthropods such as ticks (e.g. tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), Lyme disease), mosquitoes (e.g. Chikungunya fever, Dengue fever), or sandflies (e.g. visceral leishmaniasis). Climatic changes, such as hotter and longer summers, warmer winters, and/or increased annual rainfalls could enable these organisms to expand their habitats, thus introducing diseases to areas previously unfamiliar with them.[51]

[edit] World Federation of Public Health Associations
In 2001, the World Federation of Public Health Associations issued a policy resolution on global climate change:

Noting the conclusions of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other climatologists that anthropogenic greenhouse gases, which contribute to global climate change, have substantially increased in atmospheric concentration beyond natural processes and have increased by 28 percent since the industrial revolution"¦.Realizing that subsequent health effects from such perturbations in the climate system would likely include an increase in: heat-related mortality and morbidity; vector-borne infectious diseases,"¦ water-borne diseases"¦(and) malnutrition from threatened agriculture"¦.the World Federation of Public Health Associations"¦recommends precautionary primary preventive measures to avert climate change, including reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and preservation of greenhouse gas sinks through appropriate energy and land use policies, in view of the scale of potential health impacts....[52]

[edit] World Health Organization
In 2008, the United Nations' World Health Organization issued their report Protecting health from climate change:

There is now widespread agreement that the earth is warming, due to emissions of greenhouse gases caused by human activity. It is also clear that current trends in energy use, development, and population growth will lead to continuing "“ and more severe "“ climate change.
The changing climate will inevitably affect the basic requirements for maintaining health: clean air and water, sufficient food and adequate shelter. Each year, about 800,000 people die from causes attributable to urban air pollution, 1.8 million from diarrhoea resulting from lack of access to clean water supply, sanitation, and poor hygiene, 3.5 million from malnutrition and approximately 60,000 in natural disasters. A warmer and more variable climate threatens to lead to higher levels of some air pollutants, increase transmission of diseases through unclean water and through contaminated food, to compromise agricultural production in some of the least developed countries, and increase the hazards of extreme weather.[53]

 

[Rossini]

[edit] Meteorology/oceanography

[edit] American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) statement adopted by their council in 2003 said:

There is now clear evidence that the mean annual temperature at the Earth's surface, averaged over the entire globe, has been increasing in the past 200 years. There is also clear evidence that the abundance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased over the same period. In the past decade, significant progress has been made toward a better understanding of the climate system and toward improved projections of long-term climate change... Human activities have become a major source of environmental change. Of great urgency are the climate consequences of the increasing atmospheric abundance of greenhouse gases... Because greenhouse gases continue to increase, we are, in effect, conducting a global climate experiment, neither planned nor controlled, the results of which may present unprecedented challenges to our wisdom and foresight as well as have significant impacts on our natural and societal systems.[54]

[edit] Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
The Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society has issued a Statement on Climate Change, wherein they conclude, "œGlobal climate change and global warming are real and observable"¦It is highly likely that those human activities that have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have been largely responsible for the observed warming since 1950. The warming associated with increases in greenhouse gases originating from human activity is called the enhanced greenhouse effect. The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by more than 30% since the start of the industrial age and is higher now than at any time in at least the past 650,000 years. This increase is a direct result of burning fossil fuels, broad-scale deforestation and other human activity."[55]


[edit] Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences
In November 2005, the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) issued a letter to the Prime Minister of Canada stating that "We concur with the climate science assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2001 ... We endorse the conclusions of the IPCC assessment that 'There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities'. ... There is increasingly unambiguous evidence of changing climate in Canada and around the world. There will be increasing impacts of climate change on Canada's natural ecosystems and on our socio-economic activities. Advances in climate science since the 2001 IPCC Assessment have provided more evidence supporting the need for action and development of a strategy for adaptation to projected changes."[56]


[edit] Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
"CMOS endorses the process of periodic climate science assessment carried out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and supports the conclusion, in its Third Assessment Report, which states that the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate."[57]


[edit] Royal Meteorological Society (UK)
In February 2007, after the release of the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report, the Royal Meteorological Society issued an endorsement of the report. In addition to referring to the IPCC as "œworld's best climate scientists", they stated that climate change is happening as "œthe result of emissions since industrialization and we have already set in motion the next 50 years of global warming "“ what we do from now on will determine how worse it will get." [58]


[edit] World Meteorological Organization
In its Statement at the Twelfth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change presented on November 15, 2006, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirms the need to "œprevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system." The WMO concurs that "œscientific assessments have increasingly reaffirmed that human activities are indeed changing the composition of the atmosphere, in particular through the burning of fossil fuels for energy production and transportation." The WMO concurs that "œthe present atmospheric concentration of CO2 was never exceeded over the past 420,000 years;" and that the IPCC "œassessments provide the most authoritative, up-to-date scientific advice." [59]

 

[Rossini]

Paleoclimatology

[edit] American Quaternary Association
The American Quaternary Association (AMQUA) has stated, "œFew credible Scientists now doubt that humans have influenced the documented rise of global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution," citing "œthe growing body of evidence that warming of the atmosphere, especially over the past 50 years, is directly impacted by human activity." [60]


[edit] International Union for Quaternary Research
The statement on climate change issued by the International Union for Quaternary Research reiterates the conclusions of the IPCC, and urges all nations to take prompt action in line with the UNFCCC principles.

"œHuman activities are now causing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses - including carbon dioxide, methane, tropospheric ozone, and nitrous oxide - to rise well above pre-industrial levels"¦.Increases in greenhouse gasses are causing temperatures to rise"¦The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action"¦.Minimizing the amount of this carbon dioxide reaching the atmosphere presents a huge challenge but must be a global priority." [61]


[edit] Miscellaneous

[edit] American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society has endorsed the AGU statement:[62]

In endorsing the "Human Impacts on Climate" statement [issued by the American Geophysical Union], the AAS recognizes the collective expertise of the AGU in scientific subfields central to assessing and understanding global change, and acknowledges the strength of agreement among our AGU colleagues that the global climate is changing and human activities are contributing to that change.

[edit] American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society stated:

Careful and comprehensive scientific assessments have clearly demonstrated that the Earth's climate system is changing rapidly in response to growing atmospheric burdens of greenhouse gases and absorbing aerosol particles (IPCC, 2007). There is very little room for doubt that observed climate trends are due to human activities. The threats are serious and action is urgently needed to mitigate the risks of climate change.
The reality of global warming, its current serious and potentially disastrous impacts on Earth system properties, and the key role emissions from human activities play in driving these phenomena have been recognized by earlier versions of this ACS policy statement (ACS, 2004), by other major scientific societies, including the American Geophysical Union (AGU, 2003), the American Meteorological Society (AMS, 2007) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, 2007), and by the U. S. National Academies and ten other leading national academies of science (NA, 2005).[63]

[edit] American Institute of Physics
The Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics endorsed the AGU statement on human-induced climate change:[64]

The Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics has endorsed a position statement on climate change adopted by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Council in December 2003.

[edit] American Physical Society
In November 2007, the American Physical Society (APS) adopted an official statement on climate change: "Emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth's climate. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide as well as methane, nitrous oxide and other gases. They are emitted from fossil fuel combustion and a range of industrial and agricultural processes.

"The evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring. If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the Earth's physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health are likely to occur. We must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases beginning now."[65]


[edit] American Statistical Association
On November 30, 2007, the American Statistical Association Board of Directors adopted a statement on climate change:

The ASA endorses the IPCC conclusions.... Over the course of four assessment reports, a small number of statisticians have served as authors or reviewers. Although this involvement is encouraging, it does not represent the full range of statistical expertise available. ASA recommends that more statisticians should become part of the IPCC process. Such participation would be mutually beneficial to the assessment of climate change and its impacts and also to the statistical community.[66]

[edit] Engineers Australia (The Institution of Engineers Australia)
"Engineers Australia believes that Australia must act swiftly and proactively in line with global expectations to address climate change as an economic, social and environmental risk... We believe that addressing the costs of atmospheric emissions will lead to increasing our competitive advantage by minimising risks and creating new economic opportunities. Engineers Australia believes the Australian Government should ratify the Kyoto Protocol."[67]


[edit] Noncommittal statements

[edit] American Association of State Climatologists
The Association has no current statement. The previous statement, discussed below, became inoperative in 2008. A committee has been formed to develop a new statement.

The 2001 statement from the American Association of State Climatologists noted the difficulties with predicting impacts due to climate change, while acknowledging that human activities are having an effect on climate:

Climate prediction is difficult because it involves complex, nonlinear interactions among all components of the earth's environmental system.... The AASC recognizes that human activities have an influence on the climate system. Such activities, however, are not limited to greenhouse gas forcing and include changing land use and sulfate emissions, which further complicates the issue of climate prediction. Furthermore, climate predictions have not demonstrated skill in projecting future variability and changes in such important climate conditions as growing season, drought, flood-producing rainfall, heat waves, tropical cyclones and winter storms. These are the type of events that have a more significant impact on society than annual average global temperature trends. Policy responses to climate variability and change should be flexible and sensible "“ The difficulty of prediction and the impossibility of verification of predictions decades into the future are important factors that allow for competing views of the long-term climate future. Therefore, the AASC recommends that policies related to long-term climate not be based on particular predictions, but instead should focus on policy alternatives that make sense for a wide range of plausible climatic conditions regardless of future climate... Finally, ongoing political debate about global energy policy should not stand in the way of common sense action to reduce societal and environmental vulnerabilities to climate variability and change. Considerable potential exists to improve policies related to climate.[68]


[edit] American Association of Petroleum Geologists
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Position Statement on climate change states that "the AAPG membership is divided on the degree of influence that anthropogenic CO2 has on recent and potential global temperature increases ... Certain climate simulation models predict that the warming trend will continue, as reported through NAS, AGU, AAAS and AMS. AAPG respects these scientific opinions but wants to add that the current climate warming projections could fall within well-documented natural variations in past climate and observed temperature data. These data do not necessarily support the maximum case scenarios forecast in some models."[69]

Prior to the adoption of this statement in June 2007, the AAPG was the only major scientific organization that rejected the finding of significant human influence on recent climate, according to a statement by the Council of the American Quaternary Association.[70] Explaining the plan for a revision, AAPG president Lee Billingsly wrote in March 2007 that "Members have threatened to not renew their memberships... if AAPG does not alter its position on global climate change.... And I have been told of members who already have resigned in previous years because of our current global climate change position.... The current policy statement is not supported by a significant number of our members and prospective members."[71]


[edit] American Geological Institute
In 1999, the American Geological Institute (AGI) issued the position statement "˜'Global Climate Change'':

The American Geological Institute (AGI) strongly supports education concerning the scientific evidence of past climate change, the potential for future climate change due to the current building of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and the policy options available.
Understanding the interactions between the solid Earth, the oceans, the biosphere, and the atmosphere both in the present and over time is critical for accurately analyzing and predicting global climate change due to natural processes and possible human influences.[72]

[edit] American Institute of Professional Geologists
In 2009, the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) sent a statement to President Barack Obama and other US government officials:

The geological professionals in AIPG recognize that climate change is occurring and has the potential to yield catastrophic impacts if humanity is not prepared to address those impacts. It is also recognized that climate change will occur regardless of the cause. The sooner a defensible scientific understanding can be developed, the better equipped humanity will be to develop economically viable and technically effective methods to support the needs of society.[73]

[edit] Polish Academy of Sciences (Geological Committee)
In February 2009, the Committee of Geological Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences released the statement "Attitude of the Committee of Geological Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences to the question of impending of global warming"[74] which states in part

Considerable restraint is desirable if ascribing exclusive or predominant responsibility to man for increased emission of greenhouse gases. The reality of such arbitrary statement on human influence has not been demonstrated...During the last 400 thousand years "“ still without anthropogenic greenhouse influence "“ the content of carbon dioxide in the air, as indicated by ice cores from Antarctica, was repeatedly 4 times at similar or even slightly higher level than at present.
It continues

It is certain that increased content of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is connected partly with human activity. Therefore, all steps that restrain this emission and agree with principles of sustainable development should be taken, starting from a cease of extensive deforestation, especially in tropical areas. Various adapting measures that can mitigate effects of the recent trend of climate warming should be implemented by political decision makers.
The Committee on Geological Sciences is one of 90 committees of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and part of its Division of Earth and Mining Sciences.


[edit] Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences
In 2001, the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences issued the position paper Mitigating climate change: Putting our carbon dioxide back into the ground:

We contribute to the global problem of changing climate by our emissions of greenhouse gases - especially carbon dioxide "“ from industrial processes. A warming Earth has significant problems for Canada "“ instability in agricultural productivity, sinking of northern infrastructrure into melting permafrost, greater vulnerability of low-lying coastlines to storms.
While the Canadian Geoscience Council is not at this time taking a particular position specifically on the issue of global warming, the Council is establishing a position on the use of geological sinks to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly CO2.[75]

 

[Rossini]

With the release of the revised statement by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists in 2007, no remaining scientific body of national or international standing is known to reject the basic findings of human influence on recent climate change.[70]

 

[Rossini]

Do you beleive NASA?

Have a look at their position on climate change.

http://climate.nasa.gov/

 

[stugray]

Rossini,

I am not saying that I do not believe that the climate is warming.

I was only refuting your statement that " All, repeat ALL, are in agreement that the Earth has been in an excelerated warming trend."

I only need ONE study that says the opposite to prove that statement false, while you most show ALL studies to prove it right.

http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/archive/pr0310.html

Here is one scientist's point that the climate model is wrong
http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/prrl/2008-17.html

Here are books ( written by scientists ) that argue against global warming:
http://newsbusters.org/node/10495

Yes I believe NASA:
http://www.globalwarminghoax.com/news.php?extend.24


Here are a "few scientists" that dont believe either:

Dr. Edward Wegman"“former chairman of the Committee on Applied and Theoretical Statistics of the National Academy of Sciences"“demolishes the famous "œhockey stick" graph that launched the global warming panic.



Dr. David Bromwich"“president of the International Commission on Polar Meteorology"“says "œit's hard to see a global warming signal from the mainland of Antarctica right now."





Prof. Hendrik Tennekes"“director of research, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute"“states "œthere exists no sound theoretical framework for climate predictability studies" used for global warming forecasts.



Dr. Antonino Zichichi"“one of the world's foremost physicists, former president of the European Physical Society, who discovered nuclear antimatter"“calls global warming models "œincoherent and invalid."



Dr. Zbigniew Jaworowski"“world-renowned expert on the ancient ice cores used in climate research"“says the U.N. "œbased its global-warming hypothesis on arbitrary assumptions and these assumptions, it is now clear, are false."



Prof. Tom V. Segalstad"“head of the Geological Museum, University of Oslo"“says "œmost leading geologists" know the U.N.'s views "œof Earth processes are implausible."



Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu"“founding director of the International Arctic Research Center, twice named one of the "œ1,000 Most Cited Scientists," says much "œArctic warming during the last half of the last century is due to natural change."



Dr. Claude Allegre"“member, U.S. National Academy of Sciences and French Academy of Science, he was among the first to sound the alarm on the dangers of global warming. His view now: "œThe cause of this climate change is unknown."



Dr. Richard Lindzen"“Professor of Meteorology at M.I.T., member, the National Research Council Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, says global warming alarmists "œare trumpeting catastrophes that couldn't happen even if the models were right."



Dr. Habibullo Abdussamatov"“head of the space research laboratory of the Russian Academy of Science's Pulkovo Observatory and of the International Space Station's Astrometria project says "œthe common view that man's industrial activity is a deciding factor in global warming has emerged from a misinterpretation of cause and effect relations."



Dr. Richard Tol"“Principal researcher at the Institute for Environmental Studies at Vrije Universiteit, and Adjunct Professor at the Center for Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change, at Carnegie Mellon University, calls the most influential global warming report of all time "œpreposterous . . . alarmist and incompetent."



Dr. Sami Solanki"“director and scientific member at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, who argues that changes in the Sun's state, not human activity, may be the principal cause of global warming: "œThe sun has been at its strongest over the past 60 years and may now be affecting global temperatures."



Prof. Freeman Dyson"“one of the world's most eminent physicists says the models used to justify global warming alarmism are "œfull of fudge factors" and "œdo not begin to describe the real world."



Dr. Eigils Friis-Christensen"“director of the Danish National Space Centre, vice-president of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy, who argues that changes in the Sun's behavior could account for most of the warming attributed by the UN to man-made CO2.


AND - you can find "NASA scientists" that believe BOTH ways, SO.... NASA does not speak with one voice.

I just wanted to point out that NOT ALL scientists believe that global warming is something to worry about.
SOME scientists even say that the climate is NOT warming.

The only irrefutable fact is that the globe goes through warming & cooling trends. (period)

Stu

 

[birdfish]

Hi all,

I haven't read all of the thread but a few things... We just recorded the highest average world sea temps ever, in the low 60's F. Of concern because water heats up so much more slowly, and cools down so much more slowly than air. The polar ice caps are melting at rates far faster than ANY of the models suggested.
There are many articles linked on my environmental news page about the subject. We are warming, and another newly published study (shock) argues that the differences are anthropogenic. It is us. Yes volcanoes put out CO2, but the earth dealt with it just fine, until we came along and started polluting and emitting poisons on a wholesale level. It only takes a degree or two to change things on the wholesale level in a manner we can't even predict. Note the drought in Texas called exceptional by NOAA due to the movement of the subtropical highs (trees are dropping, rivers dry, due to the northward movement of the subtrop high), mirrored in the southern hemisphere and considered the cause of Australia's drought (ergo fires), are now considered to be the result of this degree or two of change we have caused. We are all connected. When one tugs at a strand in the web of life, all things are effected including us.

birdfish

 

[Nanook]

Mitch, you have a private message

 

[Rossini]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15575548#post15575548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by birdfish
Hi all,

I haven't read all of the thread but a few things... We just recorded the highest average world sea temps ever, in the low 60's F. Of concern because water heats up so much more slowly, and cools down so much more slowly than air. The polar ice caps are melting at rates far faster than ANY of the models suggested.
There are many articles linked on my environmental news page about the subject. We are warming, and another newly published study (shock) argues that the differences are anthropogenic. It is us. Yes volcanoes put out CO2, but the earth dealt with it just fine, until we came along and started polluting and emitting poisons on a wholesale level. It only takes a degree or two to change things on the wholesale level in a manner we can't even predict. Note the drought in Texas called exceptional by NOAA due to the movement of the subtropical highs (trees are dropping, rivers dry, due to the northward movement of the subtrop high), mirrored in the southern hemisphere and considered the cause of Australia's drought (ergo fires), are now considered to be the result of this degree or two of change we have caused. We are all connected. When one tugs at a strand in the web of life, all things are effected including us.

birdfish

A voice of sanity, that makes a change on here.

 

[Rossini]

stugray,

Did you not see I said "major scientific institutions", not single suspect maverick scientists. Can you not see the huge gulf of difference?! It's the overwhelming majority of scientific instutions that are in agreement about man made global wamring.

I cant beleive you are linking people to denial websites called "global warming a hoax" it's complete horse ****. when will you wake up and smell the coffee? please dont try and muddy other peoples minds with your denial.


Also the huge list I gave you is major institutions who have declared they concur completley with the IPCC and of human induced warming from GHG's. Not just the acceptance of a warming trend as you say.

Global warming deniers are gonna go to hell, I cant see god being very happy with people who work against life on earth. :eek1: :smokin:

 

[jdhuyvetter]

Rossini,

Every time I read one of your posts, you are slamming somebody. Whether it is this thread or others. You do make good points, but I hate reading your replies. I can't tell if you are being sarcastic, trying to be funny or really are that hateful. Please enlighten us.

 

[stugray]

Rossini,

"Did you not see I said "major scientific institutions", not single suspect maverick scientists."

No you said " in the past 10 years there have been over 1000 scientific journal articles published on the issue of global warming . All, repeat ALL, are in agreement that the Earth has been in an excelerated warming trend."

Read my post again.

All I was stating is that it unreasonable to make a statement like:

" All, repeat ALL, are in agreement"

I will repeat: I only need to show ONE scientist that believes otherwise to show that statement false ( of which I showed MORE THAN ONE example ).

Therefore that is a false statement.

And "please dont try and muddy other peoples minds with your denial."

Please show me anywhere that I have denied anthropogenic global warming. I have merely been playing the devil's advocate and forcing the discussion.

What I DO BELIEVE is that the climate models cannot be trusted and we should not jump to any conclusions so fast.
In fact I know of some models that show we need to make MORE greenhouse gases.


Here is another example of how we made poor assumptions about past climate change:

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Ice_Ages_Linked_To_Slight_Shifts_In_Solar_Radiation_999.html

I suppose humans are at fault for the variation in the Solar output or the tilt of Earth's axis.


Recall how I stated quite a ways back that IF WE DO NOT ACCOUNT for ALL of the inputs to the model, then the model is crap.
If the previous models did not account for the variation of the solar output ( or the effect of the earths tilt on irradiance & effective albedo ) then they are meaningless.
Until very recently scientists had assumed that the Sun's output has been constant for millions of years. The last few years of odd solar behavior has the solar scientists scratching their heads.

Stu

 

[stugray]

Here is a good quote from the link above:

"Sometime around now, scientists say, the Earth should be changing from a long interglacial period that has lasted the past 10,000 years and shifting back towards conditions that will ultimately lead to another ice age unless some other forces stop or slow it. "

Stu

 

[oldtank]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15583279#post15583279 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rossini
stugray,

Did you not see I said "major scientific institutions", not single suspect maverick scientists. Can you not see the huge gulf of difference?! It's the overwhelming majority of scientific instutions that are in agreement about man made global wamring.

I cant beleive you are linking people to denial websites called "global warming a hoax" it's complete horse ****. when will you wake up and smell the coffee? please dont try and muddy other peoples minds with your denial.


Also the huge list I gave you is major institutions who have declared they concur completley with the IPCC and of human induced warming from GHG's. Not just the acceptance of a warming trend as you say.

Global warming deniers are gonna go to hell, I cant see god being very happy with people who work against life on earth. :eek1: :smokin:

"Leaving aside hand-wringing over public ignorance of scientific fun facts (only half of people in a National Science Foundation survey knew the Earth circles the sun once every year, for example" http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2009-08-21-science-illiteracy_N.htm

 

[ScooterTDI]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15583279#post15583279 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rossini

Global warming deniers are gonna go to hell, I cant see god being very happy with people who work against life on earth. :eek1: :smokin:

The devil, Stu, and I will raise a toast to you in hell :beer:

 

[stugray]

Here's another good quote from the article above:

"In a publication to be released Friday in the journal Science, researchers from Oregon State University and other institutions conclude that the known wobbles in Earth's rotation caused global ice levels to reach their peak about 26,000 years ago, stabilize for 7,000 years and then begin melting 19,000 years ago, eventually bringing to an end the last ice age.

The melting was first caused by more solar radiation, not changes in carbon dioxide levels or ocean temperatures, as some scientists have suggested in recent years.

"Solar radiation was the trigger that started the ice melting, that's now pretty certain," said Peter Clark, a professor of geosciences at OSU. "There were also changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and ocean circulation, but those happened later and amplified a process that had already begun.""


This states that the Earth FIRST heated up THEN the CO2 levels rose 19,000 years ago!!

I guess THAT warming trend was caused by anthropogenic effects from the city of Atlantis ( they used a LOT of torches back then - it was the Really DARK ages ;-).

Stu

 

[greenbean36191]

" in the past 10 years there have been over 1000 scientific journal articles published on the issue of global warming . All, repeat ALL, are in agreement that the Earth has been in an excelerated warming trend."

I only need to show ONE scientist that believes otherwise to show that statement false ( of which I showed MORE THAN ONE example ).

You're not addressing the statement that was actually made, Stu (nor was Rossini).

The original claim was that of the 1000+ articles about global warming in scientific journals, all are in agreement that the planet is in an accelerated warming trend. Finding a list of scientists who disagree with that stance is not a refutation because it doesn't address the claim.

In any event it's a weak argument. Just like everyone else, scientists are entitled to their own opinions and comments, no matter how baseless. Just because they're scientists doesn't make their arguments scientific. As a scientist I can make an unqualified claim that satellite readings are unreliable because they violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics. I don't have any leg to stand on in making that claim, but I'm free to make it. The fact that I'm a scientists and I said it isn't a very good argument against the reliability of satellites though is it?

As for the original claim, cichlidpleco was on fairly firm ground-though a few key details were a bit twisted. Naomi Oreskes did a literature review of all ISI cataloged journals using the search term "global climate change." She found 928 results from 1993-2003. 25% of the papers dealt with past climate change or measurement techniques and didn't say whether they agreed that humans have changed the climate or not. Another 20% explicitly support the conclusion that humans are significantly affecting the climate. The other 55% addressed expectations of future change or mitigation plans. None of the papers argued that either the planet is cooling or that the observed warming could be attributed to natural forcings.

 

[greenbean36191]

Stu, after multiple very long threads, and having it pointed out to you multiple times you're STILL arguing against a point about past climate change that no one has tried to make.

Find a single scientist who has ever claimed that ALL climate change (now or in the past) has been due to humans. I think you'll be pretty hard pressed to even find any who are surprised that CO2 wasn't the original cause of warming 19,000 years ago, given that it's been known for quite a while that the CO2 didn't start climbing until well after the warming. The more important question though is how are the points your trying to make even relevant to modern warming? Once again, the fact that a different sequence of events occurred in the past is no argument about what is occurring now.