[extropy-chat] Ice cores show warming 'natural' (or not)

[Alfio Puglisi]

On 1/7/06, spike <spike66 at comcast.net> wrote:
> > It has been generally accepted for quite some time that the warming is
> > faster at the poles with respect to the rest of the planet. The reason
> > seems difficult to find.
> >
> > Alfio
>
>
> So that kind of global warming is a good thing, right?  spike

Who knows? If you want to avoid sea rise, Antarctica is a bad place to
warm (tropical warming wouldn't melt much ice...), but apart from that
and a few more big icebergs there shouldn't be many other
consequences. Warming up the Arctic doesn't raise sea levels, but
raises concerns about the increase in fresh water in the North
Atlantic and the consequences on the Gulf Stream.

People living in Canada, North Europe and Siberia might enjoy the
milder climate and be able to grow more food, but the ones living on
the permafrost will be pissed when it melts and everything turns to
mud. If the theories about the Gulf Stream shutting down are right,
that's a major disaster. It's unclear if it takes 10 or 1000 years, or
if it happens at all.

Alfio