Global Warming

The faster melting rates are also changing the balance of freshwater and saltwater in the oceans, affecting both ocean circulation and global weather in unknown ways, according to findings published Friday in Science Advances.

The study focused on two Antarctic glaciers — which collectively hold enough water to raise global sea levels by 5 feet.

Scientists have long known that Antarctica’s Denman glacier — like many across the once-vast icelands of the polar regions — was melting from beneath.

“We are committed to helping Pacific Islands manage both sudden-onset impacts of climate change, such as major storms, and slow-onset impacts such as sea-level rise,” states the Office of the Spokesperson, U.S. Department of State. “To date, USAID has helped Pacific Islands countries unlock more than $500 million from international organizations such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Adaptation Fund, and the Global Environment Facility.”

The dangerous weather left tourists stranded, including several who canceled wedding plans, and some of the islands' most iconic beaches barren as the threat of dangerous flash floods, landslides and crashing tree limbs persisted. It also brought as much as 8 inches of snow atop some of the state's highest summits. The conditions forced Gov. David Ige to issue a state of emergency for all of the state’s islands Monday night.

The 2015 Paris Agreement commits countries to limit the global average temperature rise to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels, and to aim for 1.5C.

Scientists have said crossing the 1.5C threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate change effects on people, wildlife and ecosystems.

Preventing it requires almost halving global CO2 emissions by 2030 from 2010 levels and cutting them to net-zero by 2050 - an ambitious task that scientists, financiers, negotiators and activists at COP26 are debating how to achieve and pay for.

It assesses a 20 percent chance the threshold will be broken in one year before 2024 and a 70 percent chance it will be broken in one or more months in those five years.

Scientists say it shows the tough task of controlling climate change levels.

The 2015 Paris accord had tasked world leaders with certain goals.

It committed them to pursue efforts to try to keep the world from warming by more than 1.5C this century.

Institute of National Affairs (INA) Director Paul Barker says Papua New Guinea and other Pacific Island nations should act responsibly and use evidence of the impacts of global warming to drive the agenda forward.

Barker made reference to the recent United Nations Oceans Conference in New York, from 5-9 June 2017, which was partly driven by Pacific Island nations.

The UN Conference is aimed to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for development.

With record temperatures sweeping over continents year after year, it is easy to overlook that the ocean has absorbed some 90% of the heat trapped by the carbon dioxide dumped into the atmosphere since the industrial revolution; and how much of that CO2 has dissolved into seawater as carbonic acid, altering its basic chemistry.
 
The UN meeting follows on the heels of a new secretary general report that investigates the impacts of these changes and the findings are concerning, to say the least.
 

Attempting to stop coral bleaching through any other method will not be sufficient, according to scientists.

The research, published in the journal Nature, said bleaching events should no longer be studied individually, but as threats to the reef's survival.

The bleaching - or loss of algae - in 2016 was the worst on record.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said: “As part of this, it is essential that funding be streamlined to enable climate change projects to be rolled out around the country.”

He said an important focus for current GCF engagement is to work with Pacific countries to develop project proposals before submitting to the GCF Board for deliberation.

“The process of identifying and developing projects is driven by individual countries and ensures that projects are developed that are specific to the dangers faced by our people.

He pledged to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which leading nations signed in April, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Donald Trump doesn't believe global warming is a real threat to the USA.

He tweeted his opinions on the matter in 2012 and 2014, although later denied his tweets, when challenged by Hillary Clinton.