"It is nearly impossible for us as humans in our everyday world to 
imagine that > 1.8 average global degrees can lead to any devastation 
anyplace."

Yes, I can imagine it. The annual average temp on this island has 
increased by almost 1°C over the past 100 years. Concomitant with that 
is a reduction of average rainfall by ~22%. We are now so desperately 
short of water, we have to resort to desalination, which means burning 
oil to provide the energy (potentially a positive feedback situation on 
a minor scale). See http://www.cypenv.org/Files/climate_change.htm for 
20th c. curves. Since 2000, we have had 3 winters of very bad rainfall, 
1 of average, 2 of slightly above average. 2000 - 2007 averaged is ~385 
mm which would bring the blue line lower than ever. Apart from the human 
issue of water consumption, there are increased areas of barrenness on 
the island and a wetland area a few km from us is drying out (looked at, 
as I pass in the car, I would guess that half of the area covered by 
reeds 8 years ago is now brown, with the reeds broken flat along the 
ground, no vegetation).

Look at the Swiss Alps. At Saas Fee, for example, the glaciers have 
retreated up the valley over 1 km (250 m altitude) in 35 years. There 
are only ~2 km of 2 of the glaciers left, and these provide the Saastal 
region with water, as the main source of the Saas river. The 
hydroelectric dams filled to excess over the past years, but the 
seasonal influx is dropping and it is estimated that the major dams will 
no longer provide more than 80% of their former capacity in 20 years, if 
the trend continues, simmply because there is less glacier ice to melt.

OK, these may be relatively extreme examples, but similar stories can be 
heard world wide of loss of habitat, water shortages, loss of biotopes 
etc. and that is with less than 1°C increase.

Yes, I can imagine it.

Brian

MA/NY DDave wrote:
> Hi Joe, Brian, EnviroNetrs,
> 
> If CNN is right, I like the report already and it is going to create controversy 
> and mucho opportunities for nay sayers both scientists, politicans, and 
> journalists. Nay sayers making money off the deal in the short term, yet money 
> just the same. The only hope is that tick by tick predictions come true.
> 
> It is nearly impossible for us as humans in our everyday world to imagine that 
> 1.8 average global degrees can lead to any devastation anyplace. As an 
> example of common thinking and experience, I walk from my kitchen to my 
> study and I experience a greater temperature change than 1.8 (about 3 to 6 
> in my case), so how can 1.8 create devastation would be a question in my 
> average mind. And Joe, we have wider swings of temperature between winter 
> and summer than 1.8.
> 
> SO, How the public will be convinced to do something and vote that 
> something, will be interesting.
> 
> 
> Yours in Engineering, Dave
> YiEngr, MA/NY DDave
> 
> 
> P.S. My argument for Global Warming, that I have written before, is quite 
> simply mathematical equation writing.  2.2 Billion people existed on this planet 
> when I was young. Those people have advanced in stature a bit more beyond 
> animals than their ancestors and consume resources and generate energy. In 
> addition we are now, in 2007, far beyond 2.2 Billion humans. As far as I know 
> nothing has balanced the equation in the demoninator to offset human 
> population growth. SO We have to be warming the room or bed we are sitting 
> in by pure mathematics.
>