Part 1: Two degree Celsius Global Temperature Rise is Highly Dangerous // Published on Jul 23, 2015.
My first of a series of videos examine highlights of Hansen et al., a landmark 66 page paper with 16 authors titled:
“Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise and Superstorms: Evidence from Paleoclimate Data, Climate Modeling, and Modern Observations that 2 oC Global Warming is Highly Dangerous“. This was also popularly featured in Slate Magazine, in, ‘Earth’s Most Famous Climate Scientist Issues Bombshell Sea Level Warning‘.
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My filming of the Self-Videos (Selfio’s, my term)
I was truly inspired to film this series of videos, after reading/studying Hansen’s paper about 5 times over two days. Believe it or not, all 9 videos in this series were filmed over the space of a few hours on a beautiful sunny afternoon in Ottawa, as I made my way from the Glebe Area downtown, along the Rideau Canal. I could provide latitude/longitude coordinates but that would be too geeky.
Part 1 was filmed in my backyard, while Part 2 was filmed in Central Park. It took me a long time to get to the university that day. I wasn’t planning on doing all 9 that afternoon, or even that there would be 9. Part 3 was filmed next to the inlet from the canal that passes First Avenue School where my kids all went. There was this guy with his beautiful German Sheppard dog, so I went up to this complete stranger and asked him if I could do a quick movie sitting next to his dog. He said great, and away we went.
I do not remember the dog’s name, but it is in the video. I got this nice gentleman’s name and emailed him the link after I uploaded the movie. I only had time to upload the first 4 movies on the evening of filming day. As I walked north along the west side of the Rideau Canal I stopped across from an interesting U. of Ottawa building which appears to have a face on the side of it, across the canal. This was my location for Part 5.
Further north, under the bridge crossing the canal I filmed Part 6. Then I finally made it to the university but I had more to do. I needed a good set, so I went into the foyer of the new Social Sciences building and sat in front of the 5 story enormous green wall, and filmed Part 7. Next, I went to the new garden/green space just east of the Simard geography building and put the iPhone on the ground pointing at an angle upwards to an interesting art piece with a globe that looked like the Earth.
With this strange angle I filmed Part 8, and for Part 9 I just shifted location next to some flower beds in that same greenspace. It was a very fun and productive few hours on a very nice summer day in downtown Ottawa.
‘My first of a series of videos examine highlights of Hansen et al., a landmark 66 page paper with 16 authors titled “Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise and Superstorms: Evidence from Paleoclimate Data, Climate Modeling, and Modern Observations that 2 oC Global Warming is Highly Dangerous”.’
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Part 2: Humanity at a Crossroads. Today… // Published on Jul 23, 2015
‘In the classic movie “A Christmas Carol” miser Scrooge was visited by 3 ghosts, of past, present and future. Humanity is Scrooge, and Paleoclimate is the past ghost, while extreme weather events increasing in frequency, severity and duration, extensive fires, methane emissions and ocean acidification are the parent ghost. The ghost of the future that will be if we continue our present fossil fuel combustion pathway is very dire…’
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Part 3: Sea Level 5 to 9 meters Higher Than Now // Published on Jul 23, 2015
‘In the last warm interval on Earth (called the Eemian), global temperatures were likely only +0.2 or +0.3 degrees Celsius warmer than today (+1 degrees maximum), and sea level was +5 to +9 meters higher. Are we rapidly heading there NOW?’
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Part 4: An Ocean Full of 30 meter Tall Waves. // Published on Jul 23, 2015
‘Near the end of the previous warm period (Late-Eemian) when the sea level was +5 to +9 meters higher than today, persistent long period long wavelength waves 30 meters high battered the Bahamas coastline. Will we see these massive storm generated waves soon? No ship could survive this…’
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Part 5: Evidence for Ocean Circulation Disruption // Published on Jul 24, 2015
‘North Atlantic Ocean sediment cores from the sea floor provide age information on ocean temperature, ocean circulation and ice sheet destabilization inferred from ice rafted debris (IRD – rocks carried by icebergs then dropped to sea floor when ice melts). Following Hansen et al. I discuss the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) and the SMOC (Southern Meridional Overturning Circulation) changes and connections.’
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Part 6: Climate Simulations for Ice Sheet Melt Water into Oceans // Published on Jul 24, 2015
‘I discuss Hansen et al. climate modelling methods and results. Main results show that ice cap melt on Greenland and/or Antarctica injects fresh water into oceans near respective continents causing rapid sea level rise and shuts down AMOC and/or SMOC leading to enormous global climate disruption, including massive storms.’
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Part 7: Earth Energy Imbalance and Southern Ocean Controls // Published on Jul 24, 2015
‘Earth system Energy Imbalance causes warming when more heat is trapped than released. Forcing from orbital changes, albedo changes and greenhouse gas changes are discussed per Hansen et al. The vital role of the Southern Oceans on CO2 and temperature, as well as subsurface ocean temperature and ice sheet destabilization leading to rapid nonlinear sea level rise is also discussed.’
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Part 8: Modern Evidence of Abrupt Melt in Greenland and Antarctica and Ocean Changes // Published on Jul 24, 2015
‘Modern data on ocean circulation changes in AMOC-Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, and SMOC-Southern MOC are examined. Abrupt changes are occurring today.’
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Part 9: Summary: Ice Cap Melt and Sea Level Rise in our Anthropocene // Published on Jul 24, 2015
‘With BAU (Business As Usual) humanity faces a very abrupt future of misery; including rapid 5 to 9 meter sea level rise taking out coastal cities around the planet. I analyze findings from the landmark Hansen et al. paper titled “Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise and Superstorms: Evidence from Paleoclimate Data, Climate Modeling, and Modern Observations that 2 degree Celsius Global Warming is Highly Dangerous”.’
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Paul Beckwith, Climate System Scientist 