They never give up: "global warming" to increase toxic bacteria

Bacteria for breakfast

You have to admire their persistence. Fairfax and AFP continually churn out stories like this, regurgitated from press releases without a shred of critical thought. Latest “we’re all gonna die” scare is an increase in toxic bacteria and algae in the sea, and note how when it suits their purpose, they revert to to the discredited term “global warming”, but when it doesn’t, it’s “climate change”…

Global warming could spur the growth of toxic algae and bacteria in the world’s seas and lakes, with an impact that could be felt in 10 years, US scientists said Saturday.

Studies have shown that shifts brought about by climate change make ocean and freshwater environments more susceptible to toxic algae blooms and allow harmful microbes and bacteria to proliferate, according to researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In one study, NOAA scientists modeled [ah, the wonderful GIGO computer model comes to the rescue – Ed] future ocean and weather patterns to predict the effect on blooms of Alexandrium catenella, or the toxic “red tide,” which can accumulate in shellfish and cause severe symptoms, including paralysis, in humans who eat the contaminated seafood.

“Our projections indicate that by the end of the 21st century, blooms may begin up to two months earlier in the year and persist for one month later compared to the present-day time period of July to October,” said Stephanie Moore, one of the scientists who worked on the study.

But the impact could be felt well before the end of this century — as early as 2040, she said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

“Changes in the harmful algal bloom season appear to be imminent. We expect a significant increase in Puget Sound (off the coast of Washington state where the study was conducted) and similar at-risk environments within 30 years, possibly by the next decade,” said Moore. (source)

There never seems to be any regard for the self-regulating processes that happen in nature. Just remember the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which pumped billions of litres of toxic oil into the sea. The eco-tards were predicting an environmental catastrophe (natch), but what happened?

The BP spill offered an “accidental experiment” that showed particular bacteria with an all-methane diet multiplied quickly as the methane spread with the underwater plume from the broken well. Peak consumption of methane probably came in late July and early August, Valentine said.

Other organisms dealt with other hydrocarbons, including ethane and propane emitted in the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. The methane-eating bacteria were the last to the hydrocarbon banquet, and based on past observation, the scientists questioned whether they could do the job. (source)