An ongoing migration of plant and animal species towards the poles is not keeping up with the global heating from greenhouse gases (GHG) generated by man's use of fossil fuels, according to a new study announced today by NASA. NASA - NASA Study Finds World Warmth Edging Ancient Levels
The authors of the study cautioned that the rising global temperatures of the last three decades are approaching the levels associated with destructive planetary changes. According to the announcement: "During the warmest interglacial periods the Earth was reasonably similar to today. But if further global warming reaches 2 or 3 degrees Celsius, we will likely see changes that make Earth a different planet than the one we know. The last time it was that warm was in the middle Pliocene, about three million years ago, when sea level was estimated to have been about 25 meters (80 feet) higher than today.”
Among the "plant and animal species" that would be forced to migrate toward the poles and to higher ground as sea levels rise are tens of millions of humans presently living in coastal regions around the world who will seek land presently occupied by tens of millions of other humans.
Posted by dougsimpson at September 25, 2006 08:47 PM