* Cairn buys 9.99 pct stake in Greenland-based Capricorn
* Sheds interests in Mediterranean
* Seen as commitment to Greenland drilling
(Adds detail, analyst)
LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Britain's Cairn Energy (CNE.L) boosted its focus on the North Atlantic on Monday, taking full control of its exploration subsidiary Capricorn, which owns large oil blocks in Greenland, and shedding interests in the Mediterranean.
Cairn said in a statement it would buy a 9.99 pct stake in Capricorn owned by Dyas BV, part of the family-owned Dutch group SHV, for $95 million, to be paid in Cairn shares.
As part of the transaction, Capricorn will also give Dyas 15 percent of its interests in Tunisia and Albania.
"This highlights Cairn's commitment to its exploration programme in Greenland. The first well is to be drilled in 2011," Colin Smith, oil analyst at ICAP, said.
Source:reuters.com/
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Greenland ice cap melting faster than thought: study
WASHINGTON — Greenland's ice sheet has melted faster than previously thought, according to the results of a two-year study published by the US journal Science.
Scientists reported that warmer than usual summers accelerated ice loss to 273 cubic kilometers (65 cubic miles) of a year between 2006 and 2008, amounting to a 0.75 millimeter (0.02 inch) rise in global sea levels per year.
"It is clear from these results that mass loss from Greenland has been accelerating since the late 1990s and the underlying causes suggest this trend is likely to continue in the near future," said researcher Jonathan Bamber, one of the authors of the study, released Thursday.
The study analyzed satellite data using a new computer model.
"We have produced agreement between two totally independent estimates, giving us a lot of confidence in the numbers and our inferences about the processes," Bamber said.
Greenland's ice cap contains enough water to cause, if it became fluid, a global sea level rise of seven meters (23 feet).
According to the study, since 2000 the ice sheet has lost around 1500 cubic kilometers (360 cubic miles) of water, which amounts to an average global sea level rise of five millimeters (0.19 inches).
Researchers said that increased snowfall on the ice sheet has masked a melting increase since 1996, and the refreezing of meltwater also has moderated the effects of ice sheet loss.
Without these two moderating effects the study said the overall loss would have been double that observed since 1996.
In a landmark report in 2007, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted oceans would rise by 18-59 centimeters (7.2 and 23.6 inches) by 2100.
The increase would depend on warming, estimated at between 1.1 and 6.4 degrees Celsius (1.98-11.52 degrees Fahrenheit) this century, which in turn depends on how much man-made greenhouse gases are poured into the atmosphere.
Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i2REMdby0cDKES3Xi_YAkxqhg6Zw
Greenland residents can tour building acquired by town
GREENLAND — Residents are invited to tour the Piscataqua Transportation building at 583 Portsmouth Ave. following the public visioning session Saturday to view the structure before a public comment session regarding the property's future is held at the selectmen's Monday, Dec. 7 meeting.
Selectmen voted in June to acquire the property near the police station for $320,000. As discussions continue on reuse of the property, selectmen seek public input on how to proceed.
"Opening the building to residents on Saturday should give them a sense of what is inside the building, what condition it is in and give them a chance to ask questions about the available options before the public comment session Monday," said Selectman Charlie Cummings.
Cummings said the building will be open at 1 p.m. and should remain open for at least an hour.
The public visioning session is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Greenland Central School to gauge community interest and generate ideas about a proposed downtown village district ordinance along Route 33. Boundaries of the proposed district, running from the Greenland Crossings plaza to the Post Office, will be discussed along with potential permitted uses within the district.
Residents can also participate in small-group sessions. Five village district roundtables covering the areas of streetscapes, transportation systems and options, generic architectural and site design guidelines, mixed uses, and public spaces and amenities will be set up with a Planning Board member at each table. Groups will visit each table for 20 minutes and can ask questions regarding each aspect of the proposed district and provide suggestions and ideas.
Source:seacoastonline.com/
Selectmen voted in June to acquire the property near the police station for $320,000. As discussions continue on reuse of the property, selectmen seek public input on how to proceed.
"Opening the building to residents on Saturday should give them a sense of what is inside the building, what condition it is in and give them a chance to ask questions about the available options before the public comment session Monday," said Selectman Charlie Cummings.
Cummings said the building will be open at 1 p.m. and should remain open for at least an hour.
The public visioning session is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Greenland Central School to gauge community interest and generate ideas about a proposed downtown village district ordinance along Route 33. Boundaries of the proposed district, running from the Greenland Crossings plaza to the Post Office, will be discussed along with potential permitted uses within the district.
Residents can also participate in small-group sessions. Five village district roundtables covering the areas of streetscapes, transportation systems and options, generic architectural and site design guidelines, mixed uses, and public spaces and amenities will be set up with a Planning Board member at each table. Groups will visit each table for 20 minutes and can ask questions regarding each aspect of the proposed district and provide suggestions and ideas.
Source:seacoastonline.com/
Paper And Plastick sign Greenland Is Melting
Paper And Plastick recently added Gainesville, Florida country punks Greenland Is Melting to their roster.
According to the label's Web site:
We at Paper + Plastick have once again dipped our hands into the fine pool of musicians in Gainesville, Florida to bring to you Greenland Is Melting. Built on a solid foundation of folk music and combined with a shared love of harmonies and a DIY attitude, the trio dishes out their brand of honest, accessible, and singable tunes to the public.
The band's album, Our Hearts Are Gold, Our Grass Is Blue, is available to download for free here. A vinyl version is set to be issued sometime in early 2010.
Source:altpress.com/
Mont., Wyo. scientists study Greenland ice sheet
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - Researchers at the University of Montana and University of Wyoming are undertaking a study to better understand how water affects movement of the Greenland ice sheet.
Starting next June, they plan to use a hot-water drill to plant multiple sensors below the ice mass.
UM geoscientist Joel Harper is the lead investigator on the project. He says the drilling will take place over three annual seasons.
Harper says the sensors will provide data about the mechanics of how the ice moves over the bedrock below.
He says the research may provide insights into how quickly the ice sheet responds to climate change.
The research is funded by $1.1 million from the National Science Foundation and about $2 million from a Swedish, Finnish and Canadian consortium.
Source:localnews8.com/
Starting next June, they plan to use a hot-water drill to plant multiple sensors below the ice mass.
UM geoscientist Joel Harper is the lead investigator on the project. He says the drilling will take place over three annual seasons.
Harper says the sensors will provide data about the mechanics of how the ice moves over the bedrock below.
He says the research may provide insights into how quickly the ice sheet responds to climate change.
The research is funded by $1.1 million from the National Science Foundation and about $2 million from a Swedish, Finnish and Canadian consortium.
Source:localnews8.com/
Greenland ice loss responsible for a sixth of global sea-level rise
London: In a long term research, scientists have found that Greenland lost 1500 cubic kilometres of ice between 2000 and 2008, making it responsible for one-sixth of global sea-level rise.
According to a report in New Scientist, Michiel van den Broeke of Utrecht University in the Netherlands and colleagues began by modelling the difference in annual snowfall and snowmelt in Greenland between 2003 and 2008 to reveal the net ice loss for each year.
They then compared each year's loss with that calculated from readings by the GRACE satellite, which "weighs" the ice sheet by measuring its gravity.
The team found that results from the two methods roughly matched and showed that Greenland is losing enough ice to contribute on average 0.46 millimetres per year to global sea-level rise.
The loss may be accelerating: since 2006, warm summers have caused levels to rise by 0.75 millimetres per year, though van den Broeke says that they can't be sure whether this trend will continue.
Sea levels are rising globally by 3 millimetres on average.
Half the ice was lost through melting and half through glaciers sliding faster into the oceans, according to the team.
"The study gives us a really good handle on how to approximate how much ice Greenland is going to lose in the coming century," said Ted Scambos of the US National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.
Source:dnaindia.com/
According to a report in New Scientist, Michiel van den Broeke of Utrecht University in the Netherlands and colleagues began by modelling the difference in annual snowfall and snowmelt in Greenland between 2003 and 2008 to reveal the net ice loss for each year.
They then compared each year's loss with that calculated from readings by the GRACE satellite, which "weighs" the ice sheet by measuring its gravity.
The team found that results from the two methods roughly matched and showed that Greenland is losing enough ice to contribute on average 0.46 millimetres per year to global sea-level rise.
The loss may be accelerating: since 2006, warm summers have caused levels to rise by 0.75 millimetres per year, though van den Broeke says that they can't be sure whether this trend will continue.
Sea levels are rising globally by 3 millimetres on average.
Half the ice was lost through melting and half through glaciers sliding faster into the oceans, according to the team.
"The study gives us a really good handle on how to approximate how much ice Greenland is going to lose in the coming century," said Ted Scambos of the US National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.
Source:dnaindia.com/
Girl critically injured after being struck by pickup truck in Greenland
GREENLAND — The 11-year-old daughter of state Rep. Pamela Tucker was critically injured Tuesday night after being struck by a pickup truck on Post Road.
Police and paramedics were called to the area of Post Road just before Greenland Central School around 4:30 p.m. for reports of a pedestrian and motor vehicle accident.
According to emergency communication, the child was unconscious, unresponsive and was believed to have suffered injuries to her head and pelvis. Fire Chief Ralph Cresta confirmed a child had been struck and was immediately transported to Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
Shortly after 9 p.m. a Portsmouth hospital spokeswoman said the girl was in critical condition and was being stabilized to be transferred to Children's Hospital in Boston.
The vehicle involved in the accident — a blue GMC Canyon pickup truck — appeared to have sustained significant damage to its front grille.
Police were on scene for much of the evening doing accident reconstruction. Several markers were scattered throughout the roadway, including one positioned next to a shoe.
A resident of 22 Post Road, who wished to remain anonymous, said she heard a crash and when she went outside to investigate discovered the little girl lying in the road.
The woman was one of several passersby who confirmed the child was Katie Tucker, daughter of Greenland resident and state Rep. Pamela Tucker. Several witnesses said Tucker was in the process of dropping her daughter off to play with neighborhood children and the accident occurred as Katie was attempting to cross the roadway.
Only hours after the accident news of the victim began to circulate on the Internet.
Several Facebook messages posted during the hours following the accident also indicated the victim was Katie Tucker.
One post read, "We are thinking of you Katie T. We are sending positive thoughts and prayers to you and your family... xoxo"
Police were forced to reroute traffic around the section of Post Road, also known as Route 151, as the reconstruction team investigated the accident for much of the evening.
Source:fosters.com/
Paper and Plastick signs Greenland Is Melting
Paper and Plastick has signed Gainesville, Florida's Greenland is Melting. Described as a "folk/bluegrass trio" akin to The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, and Langhorne Slim, the band had this to say about the signing:
We are super stoked and honored to be joining the Paper + Plastick roster. Being from Gainesville, it's hard to not be influenced by the punk music that started here (Against Me!, Hot Water Music) and I would definitely say that our music has a bit of a punk shine to it.
The band will make their full length vinyl debut for the label in 2010, but in the meantime is giving away the album digitally, Our Hearts are Gold, Our Grass is Blue .
Source:punknews.org/
We are super stoked and honored to be joining the Paper + Plastick roster. Being from Gainesville, it's hard to not be influenced by the punk music that started here (Against Me!, Hot Water Music) and I would definitely say that our music has a bit of a punk shine to it.
The band will make their full length vinyl debut for the label in 2010, but in the meantime is giving away the album digitally, Our Hearts are Gold, Our Grass is Blue .
Source:punknews.org/
Greenland family credits hospital staff for helping save life of daughter struck by pickup
GREENLAND — The parents of a young girl struck by a pickup truck on Nov. 24 say their daughter's condition is improving and are crediting the staff at Portsmouth Regional Hospital with helping to save her life.
John Tucker — the father of 11-year-old Katie Tucker — said his daughter is still recovering in Boston's Children's Hospital.
"Katie is continuing to improve and her injuries are no longer considered life threatening. Even with this said, she has a long road to go in her attempt to recover from this horrific accident," Tucker said in an e-mail sent to Foster's Daily Democrat.
Tucker, the daughter of state Rep. Pamela Tucker, R-Greenland, was seriously injured after being struck by a blue GMC Canyon pickup truck around 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 24.
The girl was initially listed as being in critical condition following the accident, but as of Tuesday officials from Boston's Children's Hospital had her listed as being in fair condition in the intensive care unit.
Police have said the driver was "very upset" and cooperative following the accident and speed, alcohol or drugs do not appear to have been factors. Authorities say the investigation continues, but they do not expect filing charges against the unidentified driver.
A student at Greenland Central School, Katie was struck by the pickup truck while trying to cross Post Road (Route 151).
John Tucker said his daughter is getting "the best care she can possibly receive" at the Boston hospital.
"We still maintain hope that she will have a full recovery and resume her life as a normal 11-year-old girl," Tucker said.
The family said they want to thank the staff at Portsmouth Regional Hospital for the care they provided Katie before she was transported to Boston's Children's Hospital.
"The actions of their team directly saved my daughter's life. Not only were they professional, but they showed incredible compassion and understanding for what we were going through," Tucker said.
The family said they want to thank the staff at Portsmouth Regional Hospital for the care they provided Katie before she was transported to Boston's Children's Hospital.
"The actions of their team directly saved my daughter's life. Not only were they professional, but they showed incredible compassion and understanding for what we were going through," Tucker said.
Tucker said his family has been "overwhelmed" by the outpouring of support that has come from the community through their church, friends and Katie's school.
"It is hard to express in words the outpouring of love and support we have received from people and groups too numerous to name," Tucker said.
The father said the sixth and seventh grades at Greenland Central School made large wall posters for Katie with cards also being provided by every child in the girl's school.
The family received support from their church in the way of food for their family remaining at home and they received help with their pets and from baby-sitters who are assisting them.
Source:fosters.com/
John Tucker — the father of 11-year-old Katie Tucker — said his daughter is still recovering in Boston's Children's Hospital.
"Katie is continuing to improve and her injuries are no longer considered life threatening. Even with this said, she has a long road to go in her attempt to recover from this horrific accident," Tucker said in an e-mail sent to Foster's Daily Democrat.
Tucker, the daughter of state Rep. Pamela Tucker, R-Greenland, was seriously injured after being struck by a blue GMC Canyon pickup truck around 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 24.
The girl was initially listed as being in critical condition following the accident, but as of Tuesday officials from Boston's Children's Hospital had her listed as being in fair condition in the intensive care unit.
Police have said the driver was "very upset" and cooperative following the accident and speed, alcohol or drugs do not appear to have been factors. Authorities say the investigation continues, but they do not expect filing charges against the unidentified driver.
A student at Greenland Central School, Katie was struck by the pickup truck while trying to cross Post Road (Route 151).
John Tucker said his daughter is getting "the best care she can possibly receive" at the Boston hospital.
"We still maintain hope that she will have a full recovery and resume her life as a normal 11-year-old girl," Tucker said.
The family said they want to thank the staff at Portsmouth Regional Hospital for the care they provided Katie before she was transported to Boston's Children's Hospital.
"The actions of their team directly saved my daughter's life. Not only were they professional, but they showed incredible compassion and understanding for what we were going through," Tucker said.
The family said they want to thank the staff at Portsmouth Regional Hospital for the care they provided Katie before she was transported to Boston's Children's Hospital.
"The actions of their team directly saved my daughter's life. Not only were they professional, but they showed incredible compassion and understanding for what we were going through," Tucker said.
Tucker said his family has been "overwhelmed" by the outpouring of support that has come from the community through their church, friends and Katie's school.
"It is hard to express in words the outpouring of love and support we have received from people and groups too numerous to name," Tucker said.
The father said the sixth and seventh grades at Greenland Central School made large wall posters for Katie with cards also being provided by every child in the girl's school.
The family received support from their church in the way of food for their family remaining at home and they received help with their pets and from baby-sitters who are assisting them.
Source:fosters.com/
Greenland Is Melting Sign To Paper + Plastick, Give Album Away For Free
Paper + Plastick is proud to announce the addition of Gainesville's folk/bluegrass trio Greenland Is Melting to its growing roster. With the band's P+P debut set for release on vinyl early next year, the label is giving away the new album "Our Hearts are Gold, Our Grass is Blue" for free.
"We are super stoked and honored to be joining the Paper + Plastick roster," says banjo player Karl Seltzer. Though the bands sound is more akin to The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, and Langhorne Slim, they are punks at heart.
"Being from Gainesville, it's hard to not be influenced by the punk music that started here (Against Me!, Hot Water Music) and I would definitely say that our music has a bit of a punk shine to it. Also, P+P has Coffee Project, who are some of the best dudes I know, and they have a heavy folk side to their music as well, so, we're not alone."
The band formed in early 2007 with Seltzer (banjo), Shaun Pereira (acoustic guitar), Will Dueease (upright bass, suitcase kick drum) all sharing vocal duties. After self-releasing a full length in 2008, the band embarked on a number of regional tours and shared the stage with bands such as Look Mexico and Coffee Project before settling down to record "Our Hearts are Gold." Greenland Is Melting recorded the album in their hometown of Gainesville, FL at Goldentone Studios with Rob McGregor (Against Me!, Hot Water Music, Whiskey and Co.). The band is playing a number of Southeast shows this winter before they hit the road early next year to melt more hearts and snow.
Tour dates are as follow:
Dec 11 - Gainesville, FL @ Durty Nelly's
Dec 30 - Orlando, FL @ Stardust
Dec 31 - Tallahassee, FL @ Coolifornia
Jan 2 - Valdosta, GA @ Blue Pub
Jan 3 - Gainesville, FL @ Heck Yeah House
May 14 - Wilmington, NC @ Rad Fest
May 15 - Wilmington, NC @ Rad Fest
Source:pluginmusic.com/
Greenland Losing Glaciers at Increasing Rates
In spite of looking like a giant stretch of ice in the Northern Pacific, Greenland fulfills a number of functions in the region, not the least important of them being the fact that it helps keep the North Pole cool. The way it manages to accomplish that is by being large and white, in the purest of senses. Light coming in from the Sun simply bounces off the large, white glaciers, and is redirected back into the atmosphere, without reaching the ice shelves in the Arctic. But the fact that the glaciers on the island are currently melting at an increasingly faster rate is nothing but bad news.
In addition to keeping the Arctic cool, Greenland's ices also help keep more water out of the ocean. If all the ices on the island melted, then the level of the world's oceans would increase considerably, affecting millions around the world. Such a catastrophe would also ignite a vicious circle, in which the lack of ice would allow more sunlight at the North Pole, accelerating the melting process at that location as well. Already, the situation is tense, because warming water does the same thing. But in a war from two sides – warm water and more sunlight –, floating ice sheets cannot win.
Unlike Antarctica, where huge amounts of land ice rest on a continent larger than Europe, the Arctic has all its ices resting on nothing more than the surface of the ocean. Therefore, if the waters warm, they “attack” from all sides, relentlessly. Current estimates show that, if the current state of affairs persists, then the North Pole could lose all its ices during summertime in as little as 30 years, maybe even less. It therefore stands to reason that a lot hangs on Greenland keeping its ices. But the island appears to be losing them faster every year, the BBC News reports.
“Since 2000, there's clearly been an accelerating loss of mass [from the ice sheet]. But we've had three very warm summers, and that's enhanced the melt considerably. If this is going to continue, I cannot tell – but we do of course expect the climate to become warmer in the future,” Michiel van den Broeke says. He is the lead researcher on a new study detailing the situation of the island's glaciers, and also an expert at the Utrecht University, in the Netherlands. The paper appears in the latest issue of the top journal Science.
“I think it's a very significant paper; the results in it are certainly very significant and new. It does show that the [ice loss] trend has accelerated, and the reported contribution to sea level rise also shows a significant acceleration – so if you multiply these numbers up it puts us well beyond the IPCC estimates for 2100,” University of Colorado in Boulder (UCB) World Data Center for Glaciology Director Roger Barry says. The expert was also an editor on the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on global warming, for the section covering the polar regions.
Source:softpedia.com/
State lawmaker's daughter from Greenland upgraded to fair condition
GREENLAND — Physicians at Boston Children's Hospital upgraded 11-year-old Katie Tucker's status to fair condition Thursday, two days after she was struck by a pickup truck on Post Road.
A hospital spokesperson confirmed late Thursday that the sixth grader remained in the intensive care unit, but had been upgraded from serious to fair condition.
Tucker, the daughter of State Rep. Pamela Tucker, R-Greenland, was seriously injured after being struck by a blue GMC Canyon pickup truck around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police have said the driver was "very upset" and cooperative following the accident and speed, alcohol or drugs do not appear to have been factors. Authorities say the investigation continues, but they do not expect filing charges against the unidentified driver.
A student at Greenland Central School, Tucker has been in the Boston hospital's intensive care unit since Tuesday evening. Her condition has improved steadily.
Witness reports indicate Tucker was struck by the pickup truck while trying to cross Post Road, also known as Route 151.
Source:fosters.com/
A hospital spokesperson confirmed late Thursday that the sixth grader remained in the intensive care unit, but had been upgraded from serious to fair condition.
Tucker, the daughter of State Rep. Pamela Tucker, R-Greenland, was seriously injured after being struck by a blue GMC Canyon pickup truck around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police have said the driver was "very upset" and cooperative following the accident and speed, alcohol or drugs do not appear to have been factors. Authorities say the investigation continues, but they do not expect filing charges against the unidentified driver.
A student at Greenland Central School, Tucker has been in the Boston hospital's intensive care unit since Tuesday evening. Her condition has improved steadily.
Witness reports indicate Tucker was struck by the pickup truck while trying to cross Post Road, also known as Route 151.
Source:fosters.com/
Could global warming solve Greenland's problems?
Melting icecaps could turn Manhattan's streets and avenues into canals someday, but why focus on the negative? This could be a real perk for the 57,000 people who live in Greenland. For now, the Inuit are stuck hunting seals and freezing most of the year. As the permafrost recedes, though -- thoroughly screwing up their environment -- the locals are finding oil and mineral resources. So, the hunting trips are getting more dangerous, literally putting the Inuit on thin ice at times, but at least they can make some real cash!
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, more than 18 billion barrels of oil and natural gas can be found under the sea between Greenland and Canada, with another 31 billion barrels off the coast of Greenland itself. The same situation exists in the North Sea, and Norway hasn't been shy about tapping into it to make a fortune.
For Greenland, which is at best quasi-independent from Denmark, finding some natural resources could help it sever the $680 million-a-year umbilical cord that connects it to the mother ship. But, we're not there yet. So far, no oil has been found in the waters around Greenland, and the optimists don't see that happening for at least another 10 years. It will take time to develop the infrastructure, but that's only part of the problem.
Greenland still has to pierce the ice.
Eighty percent of Greenland is covered by a sheet of ice that can be up to 2 miles thick, effectively preventing oil and mineral exploration. This is where global warming comes into the equation. As we pump out our fossil fuels and change the climate, we're helping Greenland melt that slick coat of ice and access its key to financial independence. Again, the heavily populated coastal cities of the United States may get screwed, but we'll be able to access oil and minerals in Greenland.
In all seriousness, Greenland has struggled with economic growth. Mostly hunters and fishermen, they lack the skilled resources needed to kickstart just about any operation. Alcoa is thinking about building an aluminum smelter and two hydroelectric plants, but it would need to import construction workers from Europe or China, because Greenland lacks the appropriate labor. Engineers would have to come from other countries, as well.
Further, the small population is continually battered by a variety of social problems. It has the world's highest suicide rate, according to the World Health Organization (100 per 100,000 residents). Residents over 15 years of age drink an average of 12 quarts of pure alcohol a year -- a bar in Tasiilaq now sells only beer, since liquor was banned. The ban has helped, according to local officials.
Is global warming really the answer? That might be a stretch, but something has to give.
Source:gadling.com/
Greenland Group buys land in Chengdu for RMB 681 mln
Nov. 23, 2009 (China Knowledge) - Greenland Group, a Shanghai-based property developer, on Thursday won the bid for a piece of land in Chenghua District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, for RMB 681 million, sources reported. The real estate developer purchased the 82.06-Mu parcel for RMB 8.3 million per Mu, a price much higher than the RMB 4-million starting price. The estimated cost of the land is R
Source:chinaknowledge.com/
Source:chinaknowledge.com/
New Data Show Ice Loss in Greenland Accelerating
New data confirm the Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate. The new calculations, based on state-of-the-art satellite observations combined with models of Greenland's changing icescape, are further evidence, scientists say, of the impact of global warming.
Greenland has lost about 1,500 gigatons of ice mass between 2000 and 2008, according to a new report, resulting in an average sea level rise of 0.46 millimeters per year. A gigaton is one billion tons. Between 2006 and 2008, the authors say the rate at which Greenland's ice sheet is shrinking due to global warming accelerated, causing ocean levels to rise 0.75 millimeters per year.
The calculations are considered the most reliable to date because they combine data from the twin Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellites, known as GRACE, with computer models of Greenland's changing icescape.
GRACE detects alterations in gravity caused by reductions in the ice sheet. But the calculations do not tell scientists what is causing the ice cap to shrink, says Michiel van den Broeke, a professor of polar meteorology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
Van den Broeke says some observations indicate sea levels are rising as the ice mass that makes up 80 percent of Greenland melts, resulting in a run-off of liquid water into the sea. Other studies suggest that rising ocean levels are caused by glacial ice that breaks off into the sea along Greenland's coast and forms icebergs.
Van den Broeke and colleagues created a model he says indicates the formation of icebergs and melting ice play equal roles in reducing the size of the Greenland Ice Sheet. "It turns out that both increased iceberg production, because these glaciers have started to flow faster in the last 10 years, and increased melting," said Michiel van den Broeke. "They have both contributed about equally to the recent mass loss."
The study by van den Broeke and colleagues traces the beginning of Greenland's ice loss to 1996. Some experts believe if current trends continue, global sea levels will rise by a meter or more by the end of the century.
Steve Nerem, a professor of aerospace engineering sciences at the University of Colorado in Boulder says that is why it is important to refine predictions of what the Greenland Ice Sheet is going to do.
If the entire Greenland ice sheet were to melt, Nerem says it contains enough water to cause a global sea-level rise of seven meters. For low-lying countries to prepare, Nerem says, scientists need to know how quickly the Greenland ice mass is melting. "If the meter in sea level rise were to happen very rapidly, say in 50 years, it will be very hard to build the infrastructure, you know the dykes -- and the other things to hold back the water -- quickly enough to prevent the inundation that would occur with a meter of sea-level rise," he said. "If it were to take hundreds of years, then that would probably be enough time for populated areas to build the protections that they need to combat this."
New measurements of sea level rise and ice loss in Greenland are published in the journal "Science."
Source:chosun.com/
Good News/Bad News - Amazon Deforestation Reaches Record Low, But Greenland Ice Melt Accelerating
A mixed bag in climate change news this morning: Satellite imagery reveals that Amazon deforestation has dropped to the lowest rate since Brazil began monitoring efforts, President Inácio Lula da Silva announced yesterday afternoon. Woo hoo! But a new article in the journal Science shows that the Greenland Ice Sheet is losing mass an accelerating rate. D'oh!
Seven Meters of Sea Level Rise if Greenland Ice Sheet Melts
The Greenland observation was independently confirmed by two sources, satellite observation as well as a state-of-the-art regional atmospheric model.
This mass loss is equally distributed between increased iceberg production, driven by acceleration of Greenland's fast-flowing outlet glaciers, and increased meltwater production at the ice sheet surface. Recent warm summers further accelerated the mass loss to 273 Gt per year (1 Gt is the mass of 1 cubic kilometre of water), in the period 2006-2008, which represents 0.75 mm of global sea level rise per year. (Science Codex)
Remember that if the whole of the Greenland Ice Sheet melts, there's enough water contained within it to cause seven meters of sea level rise. Since 2000, this melting has contributed in total 5mm, so not a huge effect yet -- but this is the biggie; maybe not this century, but if current emission levels continue upward, certainly in the future.
Deforestation Hits Lowest Levels Since 1988
The much better news is that from August 2008 to July 2009, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped 45.7%, according to data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (abbreviated INPE in Portuguese) -- slightly over 7,000 square kilometers were cleared in that time period, the lowest level since monitoring began two decades ago.
Brazil is attributing the decline in deforestation to its Action Plan for Deforestation Control and Prevention in the Amazon program (PPCDAM is probably easier...). The program, launched in 2004, increased the use of satellite monitoring; increased law enforcement inspection operations by 32%; established environmental criteria as pre-requisites for loans for farmers and ranchers; and, increased the land under federal and state protection by 50 million hectares.
If that sounds familiar, it's because similar data was trotted out by Brazil a few months back. This latest announcement seems to confirm earlier reports, and extends the record low from 2004, back to 1998. PR spin or scientific adjustment?
Source:treehugger.com/
Greenland considers downtown village
A flyer hangs on the door of the Dunkin' Donuts in Greenland informing locals about a Community Workshop to discuss the vision of a village district on December 5, 8:00 a.m to 1 p.m. at the Central School. Rich Beauchesne photo
Rich Beauchesne/rbeauchesne@seacoastonline.com
By Joshua Clark
GREENLAND — Town planners are considering whether to create a downtown village district.
A public workshop to gauge community interest and generate ideas is set for 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 at Greenland Central School.
Michele Gagne, of the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, finalized the agenda for the upcoming workshop and determined what topics will be discussed at a Planning Board meeting on Nov. 19. Gagne and UNH students are collaboratively researching the potential district.
Boundaries of the potential district, running from the intersection of Routes 33 and 151 and ending at the post office, will be discussed, as well as potential permitted uses. Residents will have the chance to participate in small-group sessions.
Five village district roundtables will cover streetscapes, transportation systems and options, generic architectural and site design guidelines, mixed uses, and public spaces and amenities will be set up with a Planning Board member at each table. Groups will visit each of the tables for 20 minutes and can pose questions regarding each aspect of the proposed district and provide suggestions and ideas.
Summaries of the meetings will be given by board members focusing on popular themes, trends, questions and suggestions brought about by the sessions.
"This meeting should give us an opportunity to see whether our vision is in alignment with the people of Greenland," said board member Rich Winsor.
"If they don't want to do it, we're not going to pursue this," said Stu Gerome of the board.
Chairman John McDevitt said there are currently no design plans, money set aside or projects lined up for the proposed district.
Citizens will also have the chance to weigh in and learn more about proposed zoning changes to Route 33.
Source:seacoastonline.com/
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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Greenland (Danish: Grønland; Kalaallisut: Kalaallit Nunaat, meaning "Land of the people" ) is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically associated with Europe (specifically Denmark) since the 18th century.
In 1979, Denmark granted home rule to Greenland, with a relationship known in Danish as Rigsfællesskabet, and in 2008 Greenland voted to transfer more competencies to the local government. This became effective the following year, with the Danish royal government remaining in charge only of foreign affairs, security and financial policy, and providing a subsidy of DKK 3.4 billion ($633m), or approximately US$11,300 per Greenlander, annually.
Greenland is, by area, the world's largest island that is not a continent, as well as the least densely populated country in the world. However, since the 1950s, scientists have hypothesized that the ice cap covering the country may actually conceal three separate island land masses that have been bridged by glacier
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