Global Something

Data from a deep ice core drilled out of the Antarctic permafrost reveals a shocking rate of change in carbon dioxide concentrations. The core, stretching through layers dating back 800,000 years, contains tiny bubbles of ancient air that can be analysed.

Scientists who studied the samples found that they left no doubt as to the extent of the build-up of greenhouse gases. For most of the past 800,000 years, carbon dioxide levels had remained at between 180 and 300 parts per million (ppm) of air. Today they were at 380 ppm.

Many experts recognise a "tipping point" of 440 ppm of carbon dioxide, after which climate change starts to run out of control.

And, with the current rate of increase over the past 40 years (1.3 a year), that’ll happen way into the future, around 2052. Or four and a half decades. Those in their late 20’s now will be 70ish by the time we reach that point of no return.

But let’s be practical, it’s going to take 768,941 years for the entire atmosphere to be carbon dioxide and nothing else. And it’ll be around 384,326 years for half the atmosphere to be CO2.

In 172 years, atmospheric CO2 will be twice as high as any other time in the past 800,000 years.

But never fear, there are movies containing presentations and neat graphics which will effectively preach to the converted, coming to a theatre near you. It will convince those already convinced, to be slightly more convinced. If possible.

But fret not, for the powers that be are having meetings about it. Conferences, if you will. And we can all be certain that in these conferences they will be dealing with the issues that need to be addressed in order for mankind to continue to exist on this planet.

We have nothing to fear, for they know the seriousness and dire consequences of inaction. We can trust them.

In fact, just last night there was a government-sponsored climate change conference dinner in the Old Parliament House, Canberra. The “social highlight of the 17th Australian New Zealand Climate Change Forum.

The three-day event at the Australian National University was sponsored by
the Bureau of Rural Sciences at the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Forestry and the Australian Greenhouse Office, an arm of the federal
Department of the Environment and Heritage.

The Australian Research Council Research Network for Earth System Science (an
education and government networking organisation) and the Managing Climate
Variability R&D Program also sponsored the event.

Behind the closed doors of our system, the levers are being pulled, and the gears turned. But there’s just one problem…

Outraged scientists stormed out… after female entertainers stripped down to their underwear as part of a burlesque show. And one of the performers, who was covered in balloons, walked around the venue inviting scientists to burst parts of her costume.

"They stripped down to their underwear - it was huge bras and panties," she said. "I wasn't really paying attention but it looked like a woman dressed as a cowgirl, one dressed as a schoolgirl and one dressed as a sheriff who did a little dance."

Okay, be alarmed.