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The Two Degrees Show: Climate Science Recap

Climate Radio | 03.07.2008 12:01 | Analysis | Climate Chaos | Ecology | World

The campaigning climate change programme The Two Degrees Show returns after more than a years absence from the airwaves with a timely recap of some of the recent science.

We recap some of the key findings of last years IPCC report and look at recent data which suggests that the north pole may be ice free as early as this summer. Does this mean the computer climate models are underestimating the rate of change now being observed? This weeks guests have both acted as expert reviewers for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Produced by Phil England for Climate Radio.

If you broadcast the programme, it'd be great if you could drop me a line to let me know. If you broadcast the series - even better!

Climate Radio
- e-mail: phil@switch-off.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.climateradio.co.uk/

Additions

This week's programme

03.07.2008 13:49

To start, we revisit some of the results and implications of last year's IPCC Report as well as looking at the recent observations from the Arctic. Our guides this week are two scientists who have acted as expert reviewers for the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - Joanna Haigh, Professor of Atmospheric Physics at Imperial College London and Dr Stuart Parkinson, Exectuive Director of Scientists for Global Responsibility.

Key findings

a.. None of the IPCC scenarios keep us within a 2C global average temperature rise (compared to pre-industrial times) which has been defined by the EU as a dangerous level that must not be exceeded

b.. The climate computer models used by the IPCC have been underestimating Arctic ice loss - recent observations suggest that there is now a 50% chance that the north pole may be ice-free this summer How to listen...

Listen to the live webstream at  http://www.resonancefm.com/ on Thursdays at 7:30-8pm and repeated on Tuesdays at 1-1:30pm.

Listen to the live broadcast in central London by Resonance104.4FM (same times as above).

Listen at a time of your choosing online at  http://www.climateradio.co.uk/ - please note the latest programme will go live in a day or two.

We hope to make the new shows available throught the podcast feed at  http://feeds.feedburner.com/climateradio and iTunes (search for "Climate Radio") in the near future.

Sources and references for this week's programme

IPCC Fourth Assessment Report Working Group I Summary for Policy Makers
 http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-spm.pdf

IPCC Fourth Assessment Report Working Group II Summary for Policy Makers
 http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg2/ar4-wg2-spm.pdf

Independent - North Pole Could Be Ice Free This Summer
 http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-no-ice-at-the-north-pole-855406.html

BBC - IPCC Models Underestimate Rate of Arctic Ice Melt
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6610125.stm

James Hansen on Arctic Ice Melt
 http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2007/2007_Hansen_etal_2.pdf

Rajendra Pachauri

IPCC Chair, Rajendra Pachauri (November 2007):

If there's no action before 2012, that's too late. What we do in the next two or three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment.

What's coming up?

Later in the series we will be covering the 2008 Camp for Climate Action and looking at the calls for moratoriums on biofuels and new coal developments. There'll be a new show every week for at least the next three months and we currently have more ideas than shows...

Phil England