Monday, November 08, 2004

Permafrost of the brain

A report commissioned by the United States, Canada, Russia, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Finland concluded that global warming is heating the Arctic almost twice as quickly as the rest of the planet. Over the next 100 years, global warming could increase Arctic annual average temperatures 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit over land and up to 13 degrees over water. Warmer temperatures could raise global sea levels by as much as 3 feet. Such a change would threaten coastal cities, change growing patterns for vegetation and destroy habitats for some wildlife, perhaps making them extinct.

The US's response? "Yeah, but it also means we can access oil and gas reserves where there used to be permafrost!"

They just don't get it, do they?

1 comment:

Kai said...

Typical of the U.S. to care about the oil.....