Some of you may be saying, "oh great, another list from 2009...".  And that's what we thought when it was sent our way too - but there's a lot of interesting information to look at here.  Especially given the contentious way the climate change debate progressed or regressed towards the end of the year.  What follows (after the jump) is a list from the Environmental Defense Fund of, "the 10 most startling global warming facts we learned in 2009."  And either before or after you read through the list, have a read through an excerpt from NASA scientist James Hansen's newest book, "Storms of My Grandchildren." The excerpt appaeread semi-recently in The Nation magazine and was titled simply enough, "How to Solve the Climate Problem."  Here's an excerpt of the excerpt:

Our goal is a global phaseout of fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions. We have shown, quantitatively, that the only practical way to achieve an acceptable carbon dioxide level is to disallow the use of coal and unconventional fossil fuels (such as tar sands and oil shale) unless the resulting carbon is captured and stored. We realize that remaining, readily available pools of oil and gas will be used during the transition to a post-fossil-fuel world. But a rising carbon price surely will make it economically senseless to go after every last drop of oil and gas--even though use of those fuels with carbon capture and storage may be technically feasible and permissible.

Global phaseout of fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions is a stringent requirement. Proposed government policies, consisting of an improved Kyoto Protocol approach with more ambitious targets, do not have a prayer of achieving that result. Our governments are deceiving us, and perhaps conveniently deceiving themselves, when they say that it is possible to reduce emissions 80 percent by 2050 with such an approach.

And now without further ado: The 10 most startling global warming facts we learned in 2009.

1. Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are higher today than at any time in measurable history.

A study published in the journal Science reports that the current level of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere — about 390 parts per million — is higher today than at any time in measurable history — at least the last 2.1 million years. Previous peaks of CO₂ were never more than 300 ppm over the past 800,000 years, and the concentration is rising by around 2 ppm each year.

2. 2000-2009 was the hottest decade.

The World Meterological Organization reported that 2000-2009 was the hottest decade on record, with 8 of the hottest 10 years having occurred since 2000.

3. 2009 will end up as one of the 5 hottest years.

2009 will end up as one of the 5 hottest years since 1850 and the U.K.'s Met Office predicts that, with a moderate El Niño, 2010 will likely break the record.

4. Arctic ice cover – already perilously thin – is vulnerable to further melting.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that while a bit more summer Arctic sea ice appeared in 2009 than the record breaking lows of the last two years, it was still well below normal levels. Given that the Arctic ice cover remains perilously thin, it is vulnerable to further melting, posing an ever-increasing threat to Arctic wildlife, including polar bears.

5. The Arctic summer could be ice-free by mid-century — sooner than scientists expected.

The Arctic summer could be ice-free by mid-century, not at the end of the century as previously expected, according to a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

6. The East Antarctica ice sheet – thought to be colder and more stable that the West – is also shrinking.

Recent observations published in the highly respected Nature Geosciences indicate that the East Antarctica ice sheet has been shrinking. This surprised researchers, who expected that only the West Antarctic ice sheet would shrink in the near future because the East Antarctic ice sheet is colder and more stable.

7. Climate changes are already observed in the United States and are projected to grow.

The U.S. Global Change Research Program completed an assessment of what is known about climate change impacts in the U.S. and reported that, "Climate changes are already observed in the United States and...are projected to grow." These changes include "increases in heavy downpours, rising temperature and sea level, rapidly retreating glaciers, thawing permafrost, lengthening ice-free seasons in the ocean and on lakes and rivers, earlier snowmelt, and alterations in river flows."

8. Slight changes in the climate may trigger abrupt threats to ecosystems.

According to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey, slight changes in the climate may trigger abrupt threats to ecosystems that are not easily reversible or adaptable, such as insect outbreaks, wildfire, and forest dieback. "More vulnerable ecosystems, such as those that already face stressors other than climate change, will almost certainly reach their threshold for abrupt change sooner." An example of such an abrupt threat is the outbreak of spruce bark beetles throughout the western U.S. caused by increased winter temperatures that allow more beetles to survive.

9. Coastal wetlands from New York to North Carolina could be lost.

The EPA, USGS and NOAA issued a joint report warning that most mid-Atlantic coastal wetlands from New York to North Carolina will be lost with a sea level rise of 1 meter or more.

10. U.S. production of corn, soybeans and cotton could decrease as much as 82%.

If we do not reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the century, some of the main fruit and nut tree crops currently grown in California may no longer be economically viable, as there will be a lack of the winter chilling they require. And, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S. production of corn, soybeans and cotton could decrease as much as 82%.

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