What is meant by talking about the “urgent” (as soon as
possible) need for U.S. policy to slow global warming in order to try our best
to avoid a global warming tipping point?
A
tipping point means a time after which human efforts/policies will no longer be
the primary factor in increasing (global) warming. In other words, when a
tipping point is reached, the rate of warming will increase primarily due to the
effects of feedback loops, and such warming can be catastrophically rapid.
Catastrophically rapid?
Recent research studies* have substantiated that global warming in the
past has increased catastrophically rapidly – causing a sea level rise of 6.5
to 10 feet within a span of 50 to 100 years or causing a sudden mini-ice age in perhaps 10 years .
When climate change occurs in such short periods of time, the ability of human
communities to adapt without great harm is severely limited.
* Refer to: Coral Fossils Suggest That Sea Level Can Rise Rapidly, New York Times, April 15, 2009
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