This change, combined with increased melting, suggests that existing estimates of future sea level rise are too low.

At 1.7 million square km (656,000 square miles), up to 3 km (nearly two miles) thick and a little smaller than Mexico, the Greenland Ice Sheet would raise global sea level by about 7 meters (22 feet) if it melted completely.

The implications are global. We are not talking about walking along the sea front on a nice summer day, we are talking of the worst storm settings, the biggest storm surges . . . you are upping the probability major storms will take place.

This is a young conference as a whole. In the future, there's a lot of parody now, but I see us as only a year a way from being a super powerhouse conference like the Big East.

Hopes of a change after the likely election in September, the stock markets and the global economy are all contributing to what is a significant increase.

I'm very optimistic about our future. But, it is a future full of change and surprise.