From Mark @ BoingBoing.net:
Al Gore is showing animation of the Arctic Ice cap. Over the last 25 years the permanent ice has diminished. A massive amount of frozen carbon is being released. In some shallow lakes in Alaska, methane is bubbling out of the water. He plays a video of a woman igniting methane coming out of an ice hole in a lake.
Ice in West Antarctica and Himalayas are rapidly melting.
California seeing a 40% decline in Sierra snow pack. Leading to dramatic increase in fires.
Ocean dead zones are growing.
Deforestation, coal, and oil are the main causes of global warming. Says there’s no such thing as “clean coal” — it’s one of the main causes of global warming.
UPDATE (TED2009 video is online):