A glacier with an area of 3,000 square meters, known as "the largest floating thing in the world right now", is making its way to Antarctica, and may threaten the lives of tens of thousands of penguin chicks * 2004 continues the trend of global warming, which has been going on for about 15 years. The scientists predict the continuation of the extreme changes in the weather
These true-color images were taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) camera aboard the TERRA satellite on December 13 (top), November 9, 2004 (bottom left), and November 7, 2003 (bottom right).
The picture shows the impact of Glacier B-15A on McMurdo Sound. Remnants of the largest glacier ever recorded are blocking the McMurdo Sound area, starving tens of thousands of penguin chicks and cutting supply lines to three scientific stations. The area of the glacier is about 3,000 square kilometers, says Lo London, director of the government scientific agency Antarctica in New Zealand.
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The AP news agency reports that a large glacier with an area of 3,000 square kilometers, named B15A, is making its way to the feeding areas in Antarctica, and this could be devastating, as it threatens tens of thousands of penguin chicks who may die of starvation, and also depend on the access routes of their parents.
Lou Sanson, director of the government science agency Antarctica - New Zealand, added that the iceberg could even block the maritime supply route to three research stations during the summer months in the southern hemisphere and said that the iceberg is "the biggest floating thing in the world right now".
Researchers estimate that there is an amount of fresh water in the glacier that may be enough for the entire Nile region in Egypt for eighty years. Thousands of pairs of Adele penguins at Cape Royds in Antarctica are now expected to make a long journey of 80 kilometers in order to bring food to their chicks.
The penguin is a sea fowl of the penguin family (Spheniscidae). There are 17 different species of penguin belonging to different genera. Its height is about half a meter; His back is black and his belly is white. Its structure is adapted to life in water, swimming and diving. Its lifespan ranges from 15 to 20 years. He spends most of his time in the water where he gets his food: fish, squid and crabs.
He ascends to land to perform courtship, mating and nesting rituals. The period of stay on land may last for a hundred days or more in certain species. During this period the penguin does not eat, but feeds on the layer of fat that it stored earlier. Some species make intermediate forays into the sea during the period in order to obtain food.
2004 - the fourth hottest year in history
Global warming: precisely on one of the coldest days of the year, UN environmental researchers publish data according to which the outgoing year, 2004, was ranked fourth in the list of the hottest years in history. This is a trend of warming that has been supported for more than a decade. Another serious figure shows that in the last 14 years, the 10 hottest years ever were recorded.
The data also shows that the month of October was the hottest on record, since accurate records of heat degrees began in 1861. And it's not just the heat that causes concern. The data shows that the last year - with four intense hurricanes in the Caribbean and deadly typhoons in Asia - was also the most expensive in the field of industrial insurance in dealing with natural disasters.
In a report on MSNBC, it is stated that the report of the World Meteorological Organization is being published on the occasion of a UN conference on global weather in Buenos Aires, in which environmental ministers from about 80 countries are participating. At the conference, the participants will discuss ways to reduce the "greenhouse effect", which some believe increases global warming.
Scientists believe that the increase in temperatures is expected to continue, along with the extreme changes in the weather, including the continuation of severe storms, and at the same time the drying of lands and the rise of the sea level.
Michael Jaraud, Secretary General of the Meteorological Organization, said that the warming and intense storms cannot be attributed to a specific factor. The researchers found that in the last century there has been an average increase of one degree, and the rate of changes in the weather has accelerated since 1976.
This year - a record in the amount of damages from natural disasters
2004 will be recorded as a record year in terms of the amount of damage caused as a result of the natural disasters that occurred in various countries around the world. This is according to updated data distributed among the participants of the "World Conference on Climate Change" on behalf of the United Nations, which is currently taking place in Buenos Aires.
According to the data included in the report, typhoons, hurricanes and other natural disasters that occurred in the first 10 months of 2004 caused damage to the land and people's property at an estimated rate of 90 billion dollars - this is compared to damages amounting to 65 billion dollars in 2003. The report also states that the volume of payments that insurance companies had to pay as compensation for the damages of the natural disasters that occurred from January to October 2004 amounted to 35 billion dollars, compared to 16 billion dollars in 2003.
The countries that suffered the greatest damages from natural disasters this year are mostly small and developing countries. The report mentions the hurricane that hit Grenada and the natural disaster that hit the island of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean - two disasters that caused enormous damage to the local economy and economy. "The major losses following this year's natural disasters were caused by people and entities that were not insured," the report claims.
The conference in Buenos Aires, which is the tenth conference held by the United Nations Climate Change Organization since its founding, is intended to summarize the results of measures and measures set forth in the organization's founding scroll with the aim of preventing global warming, which is accepted as a major factor in the increase in the number of deadly storms and natural disasters in the world.
The CEO of the organization, Jock Waller-Hunter, said that in the last 10 years, important scientific achievements have been made in the field of forecasting and early warning of emerging natural disasters such as droughts, floods and hurricanes. However, in the main discussion as part of the conference, experts warned that the world community must do more to prevent "disasters on a biblical scale caused by global warming as a result of human actions".
The representative of the United Nations Environment Program, Klaus Toepfer, said at the conference that the effect of the strong winds and heavy rains in many developing countries is intensifying and causing heavy damages and losses as a result of various reasons, including the uprooting of trees in the forests until or the absence of coercive measures of construction laws.
The US objected, and the Climate Conference did not make a decision on continuing the fight against global warming after 2012
The "World Conference on Climate Change" on behalf of the United Nations ended yesterday in Buenos Aires. Despite decisions on some measures that would advance the fight against global warming, the US, the oil producers and the developing countries managed to curb the desire of the representatives of the European Union to take more drastic measures.
The European Union agreed to the US proposal to hold one meeting in May, which will last several days. The meeting will take place in Germany and will "promote an informal exchange of information" on the subject of reducing harmful emissions and adapting to climate change, according to the draft agreement.
Although the talks ended in an agreement, the European Union admits that it was not successful in its main struggle - to determine the continuation of the fight against global warming after 2012 - the expiration date of the "Kyoto Protocol". The protocol obliges the signatory countries to reduce the emission of six greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, by at least 5.2% by the year 2012 - this compared to the emission levels from 1990.
BBC News reported that the differences between the European Union and the United States focused on the issue of talks to reduce emissions after 2012, the date set by the Kyoto Protocol. The Europeans insisted on holding a series of informal meetings. The US, which withdrew in 2001 from its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, has so far resisted any discussion of long-term activity after 2012. "It's a game of give and take, and in general we are very satisfied with the result," said the issue and the senior American donor, Harlan Watson. The subject and giver on behalf of the European Union, Yvo de Barre, said that the deal is good for everyone.
The Europeans sought to involve the USA, and new central economies such as China and India, in an agreement for the period after the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Not all developing countries opposed the draft agreement. South Africa and a number of smaller countries supported the EU's position yesterday. Island countries that are at risk due to the rise in sea levels want to speed up the treatment of the issue of global warming. Martin Futa Topinga, the Minister of the Environment of the Kiribati group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, said: "I'm talking about survival here, we need to make significant progress."
From updated data distributed among the participants of the conference, it appears that 2004 will be recorded as a record year in the scope of damages caused by natural disasters in various countries around the world. Typhoons, hurricanes and other natural disasters that occurred in the first 10 months of 2004 caused land and property damage estimated at $90 billion. In 2003, for comparison, damages were caused in the amount of 65 billion dollars. Due to the natural damage in 2004, insurance companies had to pay compensations for natural disaster damages amounting to 35 billion dollars - compared to 16 billion dollars in 2003.
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