The Reality of Climate Change -- and the Keystone XL Pipeline

A little less than a week ago, the US National Academy of Sciences and the British Royal Society jointly issued a report on the causes and effects of climate change. Most of the information in this report has been available for quite a while, according to NBC News. Nevertheless, the 36-page-booklet is clear and easy to read and well worth your attention.

While the words are easy to understand, and it is well-illustrated with plenty of charts and graphs, much of the information in the report is quite painful. For instance, we learn that even if production of carbon dioxide suddenly stopped, the Earth's temperature would not return to pre-1880 levels for thousands of years.

Furthermore, on Page 19 of the report we learn:

Both theory and direct observations have confirmed that global warming is associated with greater warming over land than oceans, moistening of the atmosphere, shifts in regional precipitation patterns and increases in extreme weather events, ocean acidification, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels (which increases the risk of coastal inundation and storm surge). Already, record high temperatures are on average significantly outpacing record low temperatures, wet areas are becoming wetter as dry areas are becoming drier, heavy rainstorms have become heavier, and snowpacks (an important source of freshwater for many regions) are decreasing.

These impacts are expected to increase with greater warming and will threaten food production,freshwater supplies, coastal infrastructure, and especially the welfare of the huge population currently living in low-lying areas. Even though certain regions may realise some local benefit from the warming, the long-term consequences overall will be disruptive.

Yes, we've heard this before, but does that make the impact any less drastic?

Meanwhile, a study by a nonprofit group in the UK claims that the Keystone XL Pipeline would have a much greater impact on climate change than the State Department's environmental impact statement admits. Also two U.S. senators have argued that the health effects of the pipeline on people living near its path need to be studied

The State Department has yet to make a formal recommendation to President Obama on whether construction of the pipeline should be permitted. Public comment is open until this coming Friday, March 7