Tuesday, May 02, 2006

China says global warming melting Tibetan glaciers

China's Xinhua news agency reported today that the Qinghia-Tibet plateau glaciers are melting by 7 percent annually because of global warming.

The region, known as the roof of the world has been monitored by 681 weather stations over four decades.

Scientists are worried that the meltdown will intensify problems with desertification in China which is responisible for increasingly severe sandstorms.

Although Beijing has tried to stem the problem with revegetation of grasslands, it may be a drop in the bucket if nothing is done to stop global warming.

In other news, researchers from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday that greenhouse gases were continuing to accumulate in the atmosphere. Most of the increase came from carbon dioxide which accounts for the bulk of greenhouse gas warming.


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