Global Warming Effects Here Now

By Ed Joyce / Reporter, KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published September 16, 2008 at 1:43 PM PDT

This story was published more than 15 years ago.

UC San Diego scientists say it's too late to stop the effects of global warming. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has details.

UC San Diego scientists say it's too late to stop the effects of global warming. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has details.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography researchers say irreversible warming will melt glaciers and cause the extinction of plants and animals.

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Even if greenhouse gas emissions are fixed at 2005 levels, the UCSD analysis shows damage has already been done.

Climate Scientist V. Ramanathan says the earth will warm about 4.3 degrees farenheit above pre-industrial levels.

He says current proposals to cut greenhouse gas emissions won't help reverse the negative effects on nature.

Ramanthan: Most of the policies discussed even by our two presidential candidates who are talking about reducing the emissions by 50%. Although that looks large enough, the gases will still keep building up in the air. It's not enough to stop this warming.

He says scientists and engineers must mount a massive effort and develop solutions for adapting to climate change and for offsetting it.

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Ed Joyce, KPBS News.

Ed Joyce

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Ed Joyce was the environment reporter and afternoon news anchor for KPBS-FM. Before joining KPBS, he worked as an editor/columnist with Copley News Service in San Diego. Ed has an extensive background in newspaper, radio, web and TV journalism. After graduating with a B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington in Seattle, Ed began a career in broadcast journalism. His work has included stints in public broadcasting, commercial broadcasting and education -- working as an affiliate professor of communication and reporter at the University of Idaho and Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. During the past 20 years he has worked in radio, TV and print as a news reporter, anchor, writer, editor and producer. Along the way he has won numerous awards for general news reporting, newswriting, feature and issue reporting and breaking news reporting from The Associated Press, The Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Press Club and other organizations. During the mid-1990s, while working for Oregon Public Broadcasting, he was a frequent contributor to National Public Radio, including a feature report on the memorial service for 14 U.S. Forest Service "hotshots" who died fighting a wildfire in Colorado (the crew was based in a central Oregon town). He’s also filed reports with Marketplace, KQED’s California Report and Climate Watch and with national and regional networks throughout the United States. At KPBS, Ed continues his contributions to National Public Radio and other national and regional news organizations. He has won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and San Diego Press Club for his environmental reporting at KPBS-FM-TV and for producing and anchoring radio newscasts. In 2007 he was selected a National Press Foundation fellow for Understanding Violent Weather II program. The seminars were held at the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla. In 2008 he spoke at a UC San Diego conference on U.S. National Security as part of the school’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. Ed led a discussion with the 18 foreign government officials and academics about the political debate over climate change. In 2010, Ed was elected to a three-year term on the board of the San Diego Press Club.

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