Midwest is screwed, screwed!!

[Danke]

Projected rise in average temperatures in the Midwest

Rising temps could change landscape of Midwest

http://www.startribune.com/local/186891992.html?refer=y

http://www.minnesotansforglobalwarming.com/

Algae blooms on Lake Superior, the disappearance of birch trees from Minnesota and more heat-related complications for human health are all likely without significant action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the warmer climate they are causing.

Those are among the conclusions of a new national report from the U.S. Global Change Research Project that is expected to help shape federal climate policy over the coming decade.

The Midwest, where Minnesota and other states saw their warmest year on record in 2012, could see average temperatures rise 4.9 degrees by mid-century, the report said. That's on top of the 3-degree rise in the past 30 years. It also cites links between continued warming and increased Midwest flooding.

"Minnesotans are already beginning to notice climate change. Really beginning to notice," said J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director of Fresh Energy, a group that advocates alternatives to fossil-based energy. "These will be unpleasant quality-of-life changes we're talking about."

University of Minnesota Extension climatologist Mark Seeley said the report was well-timed given recent election results.

"The change in political leadership allows for, shall we say, a fuller and open vetting of what climate change means to us," Seeley said. "I think we have people who are more willing to listen and engage on this topic," Seeley said.

The assessment could serve to bring about "a bipartisan agreement on a long-term energy vision for the country, and Minnesota," said Rolf Nordstrom, executive director of the Minneapolis-based Great Plains Institute. He was one of 240 authors of the U.S. Global Change Research Project report, most of whom were from government agencies and universities. The institute is a nonprofit agency that gets interested parties together to resolve energy controversies; it's currently working on issues surrounding the state's ethanol mandate.

The report was assembled to meet a 1990 federal requirement that such a study be completed every four years. The first report was written in 2000. No report was issued while George W. Bush was president. The next one came out in 2009. This report, paid for by the federal government, is still a draft and not officially a government report yet.

The report is scheduled to go to Obama in March 2014, after a public comment period and administration policymakers sign off on its conclusions.

It includes assessments of impacts for eight U.S. regions. Among the potential impacts listed for the Midwest are:

• Longer growing seasons, which might be offset by impacts of heat waves, droughts and floods.

• A 90-mile northward shift of forest habitats, with maple, birch and spruce being replaced by oak.

• A decline in the region's ability to store carbon, with tree loss due to insect outbreaks and drought.

• An increase in demand for air conditioning that would increase greenhouse gas emissions and require $6 billion in infrastructure improvements.

• A 7-degree rise in the water temperature of Lake Superior by 2050, with similar warming bringing invasive species and harming beaches and fish populations on all the Great Lakes.

Nationally, impacts would include costly damages from severe weather, sea level rise, impaired water quality and water supplies.

The report also notes, however, that the Midwest is in position to contribute to widespread reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by developing low-carbon or no-carbon energy sources such as wind, solar and biomass. Nordstrom noted that most Midwestern states, including Minnesota, have adopted goals for renewable energy. Minnesota's requires most utilities to produce 25 percent of their electricity by 2025.

"I think the Midwest is making genuine progress," he said.

Bill McAuliffe • 612-673-7646

© 2011 Star Tribune

[Matt Collins]

The Midwest, where Minnesota and other states saw their warmest year on record in 2012,

I was there last year for the Campaign and I'm very greatful it wasn't a "normal" winter.

[angelatc]

Oh my God. Not a longer growing season! The horrors!!!

And I love how the demand for AC is a terrible tragedy, but reducing the demand for heat isn't even mentioned.

[sparebulb]

I've been wanting to grow palm trees to line my driveway. The warming better hurry up because it was only +6 F yesterday morning.

[loveableteddybear]

Why is warmer bad? Maybe it will increase crop yields in the midwest, canada, and russia which is not coincidentally the largest continuous land mass on earth.

[tod evans]

The sky is falling.........

[oyarde]

Danke , have you picked yourself out some Lime and Lemon trees yet ?

[LibertyEagle]

I was there last year for the Campaign and I'm very greatful it wasn't a "normal" winter.

Were you grateful too? /s

[chudrockz]

I was there last year for the Campaign and I'm very greatful it wasn't a "normal" winter.

Yeah, last winter was EXTREMELY odd. I never had to shovel once. Not one time. The winter before we had to have snow hauled out of our backyard to make room for more shoveling. Also, last winter the temps were very, very mild.

This winter again (so far in my neck of the woods) we have had almost no snow at all. The temperatures however are starting to be a little more normal... cold. Boo.

[BAllen]

The Earth is cyclic. There are warm years. There are cold years. Some years have more rain. Some years have less rain.
You have to speak to environmental nuts like you would a child. Short, slow sentences. Their damaged brains can't handle the truth all at once.

[Matt Collins]

Were you grateful too? /s

No, not at first I was angry that the PCC sent me to MN. But after I got there I realized they have some of the best people in the country up there. I made some really good friends, had some really great times, and lifelong memories.

[Matt Collins]

Yeah, last winter was EXTREMELY odd. I never had to shovel once. Not one time. The winter before we had to have snow hauled out of our backyard to make room for more shoveling. Also, last winter the temps were very, very mild.

This winter again (so far in my neck of the woods) we have had almost no snow at all. The temperatures however are starting to be a little more normal... cold. Boo.

Some of my friends who do snowplowing up there got hit really hard with a lack of work last year. Oh well, broken window fallacy

[Seraphim]

Get used to it. There was tropical climate all the way up to the northern parts of Alberta, Manitoba etc...

The Earth (and solar system) is fresh out of an ICE AGE. Warming up is NORMAL.

The Earth is still mostly COLDER than it usually is. Warmer climate **drum roll** due to normal solar activity.

[chudrockz]

Some of my friends who do snowplowing up there got hit really hard with a lack of work last year. Oh well, broken window fallacy

Yeah, I have a friend who plows for a side-job, he's been relatively side-job free for the past couple of years now.

Wonder if Paul Krugman can make it snow more here? Just a few blizzards, maybe six feet or so total, would do wonders for the local economy.

[Confederate]

I was there last year for the Campaign and I'm very greatful it wasn't a "normal" winter.

Even your spelling mistakes are narcissistic.

[green73]

Even your spelling mistakes are narcissistic.

lmao

[mczerone]

... heat-related complications ... are all likely without significant action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the warmer climate they are causing.

So are they less likely with $1M of spending? $1B? $1T? How much less likely? What impact could be made with $10 Trillion dollars to throw at the problem? Is that a big enough difference to convince people to voluntarily give $10 Trillion to the effort?

These questions aren't asked. But they're the only ones that matter.

[green73]

Relevant:

Late Friday, a draft of the third US National Climate Assessment was released.

According to Mother Jones:

The report describes, among other things, a future of disappearing coastlines, a staggering rise in average temperatures of up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (~6 C) this century, and more frequent heat waves and weather extremes. What's more, it bluntly states that our modest efforts thus far are "not sufficient" to avert these devastating futures

How serious should this report be taken? It may be wise to consider the warning of the Nobel prize winning scientist, Richard Feynman. In the clip below, he warns about the pseudo-science going on that pretends to be more accurate and correct than it actually is. [...]

http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com...-third-us.html

[ClydeCoulter]

I'm gonna say it.................wait......................stop chemtrailing around here !

[BAllen]

All bull$#@!! If they were really believed that crap, they'd start with China's pollution!!

[Bruno]

10 degrees? What bull$#@!.

Great for fear mongering, though.