Our media yesterday were chock full of stories of the exploits of galloping greenies like Harpo holding forth on the need for urgent action to combat the greatest threat to mankind and other such blather. I guess they were just too high on environmental narcissism to bother with the latest GWW or Global Warming Warning released yesterday by the United Nations.
The UN's 238-page Global Outlook for Ice and Snow contains the latest assessment of the state of earth's icepacks, glaciers and permafrost. The news, in case you can't guess, isn't good.
One geopolitical time bomb the report identified are the retreating glaciers in Asia which will impact on 40% of the world's population. These glaciers, particularly in the Himalayas, are vital to river systems and vital irrigation in both India and China.
The report did have some good news. The permafrost in Siberia isn't thawing as quickly as thought. On the other hand the amount of methane being released from that permafrost is now thought to be five times greater than expected.
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