Posted on 07/24/2010 8:55:01 AM PDT by IbJensen
CNSNews.com) – Speaking at a town hall-style meeting promoting climate change legislation on Thursday, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) predicted there will be “an ice-free Arctic” in "five or 10 years."
“The arctic ice is disappearing faster than was predicted,” Kerry said. “And instead of waiting until 2030 or whenever it was to have an ice-free Arctic, we’re going to have one in five or 10 years.”
However, the Web site of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says: “Using the observed 2007/2008 summer sea ice extents as a starting point, computer models predict that the Arctic could be nearly sea ice free in summertime within 30 years.”
NOAA cites as its source on Arctic sea ice a study published in the April 3, 2009 edition of Geophysical Research Letters by J.E. Overland and Muyin Wang. (Overland works for NOAA at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and Wang is at the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, in Seattle.)
In their study, Overland and Wang “predict an expected value for a nearly sea ice free Arctic in September by the year 2037.” They also note in their summary, however, that “a sea ice free Arctic in September may occur as early as the late 2020s” based on their analysis of six computer models.
Muyin Wang told CNSNews.com that she and her colleague analyzed the six models, which generated earlier and later estimates of an ice-free Arctic sea in summer months, and the median was the year 2037. The amount of ice in the Arctic sea fluctuates throughout the year – more in winter, less in summer – and Wang said there would always be ice in the Arctic sea during the winter months.
When asked about Kerry’s statement that the Arctic sea would be ice-free in five to 10 years, Wang said that time-range is an extreme case scenario.
“That’s the extreme case,” Wang said. “To me, that could be, but it’s less than a 50 percent chance.”
CNSNews.com called Sen. Kerry’s office on Thursday to ask for the source of the senator’s assertion that there will be “an ice-free Arctic” in five to ten years. The office directed CNSNews.com to contact Kerry press secretary Whitney Smith by email. Smith did not respond to repeated emails asking the source for Kerry’s assertion about the Arctic ice.
Kerry’s remarks came during the second of three panels at an event sponsored by Clean Energy Works, an environmentalist coalition that brought supporters of to Washington, D.C., to show what it called “broad support” for a “clean energy and climate bill.”
Along with Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Kerry is the sponsor of the American Power Act, a bill that would cap carbon emissions in the United States in the interest of preventing climate change.
In his talk on Thursday, Kerry said environmental degradation is happening faster than previously anticipated.
“Every single area of the science, where predictions have been made, is coming back faster – worse than was predicted,” Kerry said. “The levels of carbon dioxide that are going into the ocean is higher. The acidity is higher. It’s damaging the ecosystem of the oceans.”
“You know, all of our marine crustaceans that depend on the formation of their shells -- that acidity undoes that,” he said. “Coral reefs – the spawning grounds for fish. Run that one down and you’ll see the dangers.
Kerry further said: “Predictions of sea level rise are now 3 to 6 feet. They’re higher than were originally going to be predicted over the course of this century because nothing’s happening. But the causes and effects are cumulative.”
“The Audubon Society – not exactly, you know, an ideological entity on the right or the left or wherever in America – has reported that its members are reporting a hundred-mile swath in the United States of America where plants, shrubs, trees, flowers – things that used to grow -- don’t grow any more,” Kerry said.
Ya know, wasn’t it in the seventies or eighties that the cognoscenti prognosticated the “population bomb” would like, man, totally blow up? And humanity would perish off the earth forthwith?
Where did all those excess people go?
Lurch, have you been getting into Therraaaazzaaa’s rum Raisins again?? Um hum... she’s gonna kick your ass, bunny oompa loompa man...
John Kerry served in Vietnam, donchakno.
Not a moron, just a 2 bit con man like Gore.
““The Audubon Society – not exactly, you know, an ideological entity on the right or the left or wherever in America – has reported that its members are reporting a hundred-mile swath in the United States of America where plants, shrubs, trees, flowers – things that used to grow — don’t grow any more,” Kerry said”
Yeah, actually there are several. One is only a short distance from where I live. It’s called I-70.
I’m more worried about the 68 square miles where truth, honesty and integrity don’t grow.
they only say this in June, July & August.
How can U call the Senate’s Best (Most Successful) Gigolo a moron?
That’s a birdwatching society, you Kerry twit. You want botany, you don’t ask the birdwatchers.
The Arctic will be ice-free when Democrats become Constitution-loving standard bearers for liberty, free-market capitalism, rugged individualism, and fiscal conservatism.
I was just thinking how different this Nation would be if the electoral process was abolished and replaced with a National lottery for all positions in the Senate and House of Representatives. A National election for the President of the United States would remain however. Every Citizen at age 35 would register for service to the Congress to represent their district. The lottery would be held every two years officially but could be used at anytime in case of a death or a resignation or a disqualification. There would be a brief training period for each selected representative to insure they had the fundamental skills needed for the job (like actually reading a bill). All the checks and balances of power would still apply and protocols adhered to as provided by the laws of Our Constitution and Bill of Rights. The ballot box would still be used for local, regional, and national issues as deemed necessary by the people.
The "selected" from all walks of life and experiences would be the best to represent their constituents and to keep Our Country a free Nation. Currently, treasonous elitists represent only themselves now, who are blatantly destroying Our Nation before our eyes for the absolute purpose of power, control, and enslavement. In the eyes of these corrupt career politicians "We the People" don't exist but for tax revenue to feed upon.
Imagine the change if there were a Congressional service lottery. Career politicians would be eliminated. The Nationally elected President would have to deal directly with the People. Common sense legislation would return. Our Nations "books" would be balanced. Our tax code would be reformed. Our jobs would come home. Our enemies would have to deal directly with those from the heartland and the city, who are passionate about their homes and their children. No longer would Our enemies be able to bribe the career traitors and terrorist sympathizers who are in power now.
......oh well, it was just a thought.... but WOW wouldn't it be cool to be drafted into Office.
At least he has targeted a time frame that may include a period in which he will still be alive...and accountable for his statements.
In 5 to 10 years, I suspect there will be a Rush Limbaugh reminder of this guy’s stupidity, ala Ted Danson.
Apparently he needs a lot of ice for all the Martinis served on his pricey, new yacht. Naturally, the proles can pay.
I'm voting for Kerry! 
LOL - Kerry wants to rev up drama / panic - and Wang doesn't want to be proven wrong while still alive...
Liberals are such wusses...
They were all wiped out by the imaginary ice age they also predicted back then, dontchaknow? :D
Sounds like it will be a nice place to vacation.
What a useless, waste of skin this guy is. I bet he and his wife vomit on each other when they try to get close. What a dweeb moonbat.
computer models predict that the Arctic could be nearly sea ice free in summertime within 30 years.”
It’s been done before. 1912 the Arctic was “ice free”, Mid evil warm period “ice free” and Roman warm period “ice free”.
forty years the same type said that we would be under a mile of ice by now.
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