In the Rush to Help - Global Warming

[NiceTom]

Global warming-not a big deal. Totally fixable.

How to Cool the Globe - New York Times

Maybe not totally crazy as a last resort.

[TeeZet]

Originally Posted by NiceTom

Global warming-not a big deal. Totally fixable.

How to Cool the Globe - New York Times

Maybe not totally crazy as a last resort.

Yet not without risks, according to this:
George Monbiot: We can't reverse global warming by triggering another catastrophe | Guardian daily comment | Guardian Unlimited

[NiceTom]

It would seem crazy to counteract global warming by deliberately polluting the air.

The one thing that I noticed about your article was the reason for the '70-'80s famine mentioned. Sulfite pollution from Europe and North America, caused cooling in that region in Africa, which in turn caused less rainfall. In later decades, as the sulfite pollution was lessened, that area warmed back up, and rainfall returned to normal. Makes me wonder how much the heavier pollution of that era might have been masking any early signs of global warming. It all seems to be a very tricky business-slightly too cold, slightly too hot spells catastrophy for someone.

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by TeeZet

Speaking of rushing to help (kinda):



Here's a short vid of the Nuna4 in action:



To get a better look at the "car", and the specifics, click here: Nuon Solar Team

Very cool! Great demonstration on their website...over 80MPH!

[TeeZet]

Originally Posted by Jacko

Very cool! Great demonstration on their website...over 80MPH!

Pretty impressive, huh?
To think that the vehicle was designed by students, and sponsored by our national biggest power company... I just keep hoping that the environmental future won't be as bad as it may seem to be, due to these kinds of efforts.

[ryberg]

Greenland's ice sheet melts as temperatures rise

• Greenland's ice melt area increased 30% in 30 years, one scientist says
• The island is now losing more ice each year than it gains from new snow
• This melting ice is causing sea levels to rise around the world
• Scientists fear low-lying areas could be flooded if seas continue to rise

The fear is that melting ice from Greenland and other Arctic areas could cause sea levels to rise enough to flood low-lying cities, such as Shanghai, China, and New York City, displacing millions of people in the process . . .

Dr. Patrick Michaels, a climatologist, is part of a small group of climate change skeptics. He said Greenland's warm past didn't cause the ice sheet to disappear. "Well, this happened for 50 years in the early 20th century, and it happened for a millennium after the end of the last ice age," he said. "And the ice didn't shed off it."

But Dr. Jay Zwally, a climate scientist with NASA, said he thinks the latest trend is different. "The current warming trend in Greenland is very extensive and is not likely to be explained by natural variability alone," he said. Zwally said the warming is consistent with scientific predictions about the effects of man-made greenhouse gases.

Last year, satellite data collected by NASA scientists revealed Greenland is losing 100 billion tons of ice each year, more than it is gaining from snowfall in the interior. Steffen and others have also detected a new, faster movement of the ice sheet, causing the glaciers to dump more ice into the ocean, where it melts and contributes to sea-level rise . . .

[MikeW]

Anyone catch the article about the White House editing the CDC's report on Global Warming and health affects? AP Article It was cut from about 15 pages to 4 pages by the White House, ended up being about 6 pages in the end. Included in the cuts, was scientific backup of their conclusions. This report was given to the Senate for hearing (Senate not knowing about the changes). Head of the CDC was questioned by the Senate and dodged around questions, but did answer many questions by Senators even though those same subjects had been cut by the White House.

I love it when politics and faith trump science

[MWC]

Big oops -- I hand't scrolled to the top of the page before adding this --
Sorry, Tom & Tony !


One suggestion from the "Pandora's Box" school of unintended consequences ...

An op-ed in the NYTimes a couple of days ago suggested that the stratosphere be laced with sulphate particles to copy the cooling effects encountered after Mt Pinabatou (sp?) erupted in the early 90's, spewing volcanic ash into the stratosphere.

Can we say acid rain? Crop disruption?

And it was a scientist making the suggestion!

[ryberg]

Originally Posted by MikeW

Anyone catch the article about the White House editing the CDC's report on Global Warming and health affects? It was cut from about 15 pages to 4 pages by the White House, ended up being about 6 pages in the end. Included in the cuts, was scientific backup of their conclusions. . . .

You have some kind of issue with that, I take it?



Steve

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by MikeW

Anyone catch the article about the White House editing the CDC's report on Global Warming and health affects? AP Article It was cut from about 15 pages to 4 pages by the White House, ended up being about 6 pages in the end. Included in the cuts, was scientific backup of their conclusions. This report was given to the Senate for hearing (Senate not knowing about the changes). Head of the CDC was questioned by the Senate and dodged around questions, but did answer many questions by Senators even though those same subjects had been cut by the White House.

I love it when politics and faith trump science

Hey Mike...it's so funny that you brought this up today of all days...I just watched The Fifth Estate last night (Canadian news show), it was called The Denial Machine
Global Warming Debate : The Denial Machine : the fifth estate : CBC News
And that report was talked about in the show too.

[Just Lucky]

Originally Posted by Rissask

Hey Mike...it's so funny that you brought this up today of all days...I just watched The Fifth Estate last night (Canadian news show), it was called The Denial Machine
Global Warming Debate : The Denial Machine : the fifth estate : CBC News
And that report was talked about in the show too.

So what did you think of the show Riss? Looked to me like a bunch of folks from the C(ommie)BC who should call their show the Fifth Column instead of the Fifth Estate. Why do they want to deny little ol' Texas oil companies a little fair profit?

Seriously, I actually got enough speed out of my connection to watch the show. Was the material in the not well known in Canada in a general sort of way? I thought the show was well done. I disagree with the last statement in the show. I think everything in life is about politics whether we are aware of it or not.

[Rissask]

I saw the new intro they did last night, when they mentioned the Nobel prize, but the rest I saw back in November 2006 when it was first aired.

hee hee "C(ommie) BC" You make a good point there.
I tend to take a lot of what is said on that show with a few grains of salt, their material is slanted pretty far to the left.
You know, your typical bunch of bitter baby boomer academics.


Was the material well known...oh yeah, like I said it was aired originally a year ago almost now.
Nothing seems to have changed much, except maybe the debate and the gulf between the two ends of the spectrum has grown even more in the US, and it's of course the same up here too. *shrug*

I disagree with the last statement in the show.

I can't recall, what was that? We didn't watch the end of it last night because we'd seen it before.

[Just Lucky]

Originally Posted by Rissask

I saw the new intro they did last night, when they mentioned the Nobel prize, but the rest I saw back in November 2006 when it was first aired.

hee hee "C(ommie) BC" You make a good point there.
I tend to take a lot of what is said on that show with a few grains of salt, their material is slanted pretty far to the left.
You know, your typical bunch of bitter baby boomer academics.


Was the material well known...oh yeah, like I said it was aired originally a year ago almost now.
Nothing seems to have changed much, except maybe the debate and the gulf between the two ends of the spectrum has grown even more in the US, and it's of course the same up here too. *shrug*



I can't recall, what was that? We didn't watch the end of it last night because we'd seen it before.

Oh sorry. The last statement was from the Republican PR guy who helped frame the debate. He said something along the lines of we should take the science more seriously, work towards solutions and that "not everything in life is about politics".

[melliedee]

Originally Posted by NiceTom

Global warming-not a big deal. Totally fixable.

How to Cool the Globe - New York Times

Maybe not totally crazy as a last resort.

May I suggest the Earth try these in her stratosphere first?

[Rissask]

Originally Posted by Just Lucky

Oh sorry. The last statement was from the Republican PR guy who helped frame the debate. He said something along the lines of we should take the science more seriously, work towards solutions and that "not everything in life is about politics".

Ah...I agree with you, then...everything in life is about politics!

(Which is why I always think it's funny when people say they 'never talk about politics'.)