Disaster at sea: global warming hits UK birds

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the impact of global warming on seabird populations in the UK, particularly in relation to breeding failures observed in species such as guillemots, arctic terns, and kittiwakes. Participants explore the potential causes of these changes, including environmental factors and human activities.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Martin Heubeck reports unprecedented breeding failures among guillemots in Europe, with significant declines in other seabird species in Shetland and Orkney.
  • Some participants suggest a correlation between rising sea temperatures and declining sand eel populations, which may affect seabird breeding success.
  • Others argue that the observed warming trends may be due to natural weather pattern variations rather than human-induced climate change, citing studies by Andrew Masterman.
  • There is a claim that the argument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to cool UK and North Sea temperatures is based on misconceptions and propaganda.
  • One participant questions the validity of using a short time frame of six years to establish environmental trends, suggesting it leads to unreliable conclusions.
  • Another participant expresses confusion regarding the relevance of the discussion to the extinction of sand eels.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the causes of seabird population declines, with some attributing it to global warming and others to natural variability. The discussion remains unresolved, with differing opinions on the interpretation of data and the implications of environmental changes.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the reliance on short-term data to assess long-term trends, and the ongoing debate about the role of human activity versus natural variability in climate change.

Ivan Seeking
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...Martin Heubeck of Aberdeen University, who has monitored Shetland seabirds for 30 years, said: "The breeding failure of the guillemots is unprecedented in Europe." More than 6,800 pairs of great skuas were recorded in Shetland in the same census; this year they have produced a handful of chicks - perhaps fewer than 10 - while the arctic skuas (1,120 pairs in the census) have failed to produce any surviving young.

The 24,000 pairs of arctic terns, and the 16,700 pairs of Shetland kittiwakes - small gulls - have "probably suffered complete failure", said Mr Ellis.

In Orkney the picture is very similar, although detailed figures are not yet available. "It looks very bad," said the RSPB's warden on Orkney mainland, Andy Knight. "Very few of the birds have raised any chicks at all." [continued]

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=546138
 
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Okay, there we go again.

Most certainly disturbing data on breeding sea bird populations in the North Sea and the correlation between higher sea temps and lower sand eel populations with the secundary effect on bird populations seems sound

But is this a result of Man's burning of fossil fuels? The studies of Andrew Masterman of the UK climate clearly show that the UK warmth since 1988 is the result of persistent warm weather patterns giving above average temps with a small contribution from higher northern hemisphere temps. The higher North Sea temps are caused by the same factors.

So what causes natural variability in UK climate?' Really it's nothing else than variations in weather patterns! That same variation that is cooling South America and South-East Africa for instance And there is little doubt trends will reverse when natural variability favors colder weather patterns across the UK and West Europe.

The specious argument that what is required to cool UK & North Sea temps is greenhouse gas emission reductions is just persisting myth forming and Kyoto propaganda.

BTW The http://archive.greenpeace.org/comms/cbio/hoover.html in the North Sea (they grind them up to make fertiliser, pig-feed etc) was and continues to be a drect attempt to get those species extinct. What a immense hoax to blame global warming. But everything can be explained with global warming, can't it. Let's open our eyes please.
 
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You would use six years of data to determine a trend? In environmental terms this is nothing short of wild guessing.

First you argue that there is no global warming, then there is, no was, but it was caused by the sun, but it is now stopping. What about all of the incorrect ice core samples that you have argued about? I thought this was the error that implied that global warming was real, when it wasn't, but now was.

Your arguments betray the significance of the events at hand.
 
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I have no clue what you're talking about. What has this to do with driving sandeels extinct?