Rate of Climate Change Outpacing Predictions

 NASAearth1_jpg An article in The Washington Post over the weekend Scientists: Pace of Climate Change Exceeds Estimates highlighted that climate change may happen at a faster pace than predicted.Global greenhouse gas emissions are exceeding predictions and higher temperatures are creating dangerous feedback mechanisms that trigger the release of more carbon into the atmosphere from natural systems. For example, arctic permafrost holds 1 trillion tons of carbon and is beginning to thaw from higher temperatures.

Also, natural systems may not be able to remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as earlier estimates indicated.

The best thing to address climate change will be to pass global warming and energy legislation in 2009 that includes a cap on carbon emissions. This will also be the next essential step toward advancing a clean energy economy that will sustain America’s long term economic health.

Go to National Wildlife Federation's Climate Policy Solutions page to learn what you can do.

Larry Schweiger

Published: February 17, 2009