Do Disturbed Snails Have Panic Attacks?

Whilst researching some applications of the laws of thermodynamics to the biochemical processes in living things, I came across some very intriguing facts about snails. 

Living things react to changes of heat in the environment in two broad ways: through  thermoregulation or through thermoconformity.  Thermoconformers are constrained to follow the temperature of their immediate environments.  Thermoregulators adjust their temperatures within a range which may lie within, or overlap, the environmental temperature range.

Climate Shift Causes Problems In China And Tibet


Record temperatures and severe drought in China

The worst drought in 60 years that has left millions of people in Yunnan province lacking drinking water has also fueled forest fires and threatened local energy supplies.

A local official said late Sunday the drought has inflicted a direct agricultural economic loss of 6.5 billion yuan ($952 million) in Yunnan.

The province has earmarked 389 million yuan ($57 million) for drought relief, said Zhou Yunlong, head of the provincial water resources bureau.

The Price Of Arctic Ice

Putting an economic value on the loss of the Arctic's climate regulating abilities

A report by the Pew Environment Group entitled An Initial Estimate of the Cost of Lost Climate Regulation Services Due to Changes in the Arctic Cryosphere is an attempt by scientists to put a dollar value on the climate regulating services of the Arctic Cryosphere.

The report states:

In economic terms, estimated costs in 2010 from the decline in albedo and increase in methane emissions range from $61 billion to $371 billion.  By 2050, this number rises to a cumulative range of $2.4 trillion to $24.1 trillion.

From the Pew Trusts Newsroom:

Arctic Melt 2010 Is Faster Than Models Predicted

The National Snow And Ice Data Center - NSISC - reports:

Despite cool temperatures over most of the Arctic Ocean in January, Arctic sea ice extent continued to track below normal. By the end of January, ice extent dropped below the extent observed in January 2007.
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While temperatures over much of the central Arctic Ocean were 1 to 3 degrees Celsius (2 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit) below normal, temperatures in the Kara and Barents seas were 3 to 5 degrees Celsius (5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than normal. Ice extent was far below normal in the Kara and Barents seas, keeping the total Arctic sea ice extent below average.
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