Smc Newsletter February 06

The document discusses several key points regarding climate change: 1) The scientific consensus is that Earth's climate is changing due to human activities like burning fossil fuels, and effects could include more extreme weather events and sea level rise. 2) Past climate records show the climate can change abruptly, and warming oceans and melting permafrost could trigger the release of large stores of greenhouse gases like methane, further accelerating climate change. 3) Recent observations and data suggest climate change may be happening faster than expected, as melting Siberian permafrost and reduced ocean plankton populations weaken natural sinks for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.