Space Exploration and Climate Change

[A_Wanderer]

Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet's recent climate changes have a natural—and not a human- induced—cause, according to one scientist's controversial theory.

Earth is currently experiencing rapid warming, which the vast majority of climate scientists says is due to humans pumping huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Mars, too, appears to be enjoying more mild and balmy temperatures.

In 2005 data from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey missions revealed that the carbon dioxide "ice caps" near Mars's south pole had been diminishing for three summers in a row.

Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of the St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun.

"The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars," he said. Abdussamatov believes that changes in the sun's heat output can account for almost all the climate changes we see on both planets.

link

Read the whole thing, the rotational effects seem to be the forcing mechanism.

 

[INDY500]

GMTV 22 Feb 07

Global warming concerns are keeping children awake at night
Half of young children are anxious about the effects of global warming, often losing sleep because of their concern, according to a new report today.

A survey of 1,150 youngsters aged between seven and 11 found that one in four blamed politicians for the problems of climate change.

Are you doing enough?

One in seven of those questioned by supermarket giant Somerfield said their own parents were not doing enough to improve the environment.

The most feared consequences of global warming included poor health, the possible submergence of entire countries and the welfare of animals.

"While many adults may look the other way, this study should show that global warming is not only hurting the children of the future, it's affecting the welfare of kids now.

"By raising awareness amongst today's young, hopefully we are improving our chances of reaching a solution.''

For the sake of "the children", stop muddying the issue. The debate is over. Global-warming, I mean climate change, is caused by man. Computer animation proves it. Leonardo DiCaprio has certified the science. What more do you "deniers" want?

Variances in the Sun's energy output may result in observable temperature changes throughout the solar system--- that's just crazy-talk.

 

[Irvine511]

Variances in the Sun's energy output may result in observable temperature changes throughout the solar system--- that's just crazy-talk.

so is looking for an excuse-ready, monocausal explanation for a complex system that has a variety of influencing factors not least of which is the well documented, indisputable effect that the burning of fossil fuels has on the climate, and the disasterous effects to follow if people continue to peruse Drudge headlines for any semblance of a non-manmade cause for global warming in order to excuse their behavior.

 

[LemonMelon]

 

[MaxFisher]

so is looking for an excuse-ready, monocausal explanation for a complex system that has a variety of influencing factors not least of which is the well documented, indisputable effect that the burning of fossil fuels has on the climate, and the disasterous effects to follow if people continue to peruse Drudge headlines for any semblance of a non-manmade cause for global warming in order to excuse their behavior.

half the topics on this forum originate from articles posted on Drudge.

 

[Angela Harlem]

"one scientist's controversial theory"

 

[financeguy]

I will try to read the article over the weekend.

One point I would make in passing is that even if global warming is not caused by carbon emissions, reducing emissions from motor vehicles is surely a good objective to pursue regardless, given the health problems they cause.

 

[trevster2k]

I wonder if they will consider banning drive thrus as a method of reducing carbon emissions. Cars spend a lot of time sitting in long lines waiting for a coffee.

I never use drive thrus myself, it's a small thing but I think it reduces my footprint.

 

[Irvine511]

half the topics on this forum originate from articles posted on Drudge.

yes, nearly always the denialists.

hasn't anyone noticed the pattern? Drudge pulls up anything -- and i mean ANYTHING -- that might give someone, somewhere, an excuse to continue to drive a guilt-free SUV.

 

[Zoots]

It may be true but that doesn't mean people can't be more environmentally conscious!

 

[A_Wanderer]

yes, nearly always the denialists.

hasn't anyone noticed the pattern? Drudge pulls up anything -- and i mean ANYTHING -- that might give someone, somewhere, an excuse to continue to drive a guilt-free SUV.

The minute size of my personal carbon footprint regardless of what I do in my lifetime is more than enough to ameliorate quasi-religious eco-guilt.

 

[Billy Rotten]

I will try to read the article over the weekend.

One point I would make in passing is that even if global warming is not caused by carbon emissions, reducing emissions from motor vehicles is surely a good objective to pursue regardless, given the health problems they cause.

Hear Hear

 

[INDY500]

Misty Harris, CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, March 06, 2007

You've heard of green cars, green tourism and green weddings. Now Canadians should ready themselves for green sex.

The famed adult store Good Vibrations announced last week they would no longer sell sex toys containing phthalates, controversial chemical plasticizers believed by some to be hazardous to humans and the environment alike."It feels like people are just waking up to the fact the planet is suffering under our uses of it," says Rebecca Denk.

"We have to look at every piece of our lives, including our sexuality, and ask: How is this healthy for me, and how is this healthy for the planet?" says Denk. "Hopefully, we're all becoming better global citizens."

Other ways of "greenwashing" the bedroom, as outlined by TreeHugger and Greenpeace, include turning out the lights, not buying PVC or vinyl accoutrements, ensuring S&M paddles are made from sustainably harvested timber, using organic massage oils, showering together, using bamboo bed sheets (they come from a rapidly renewable resource and are said to be "super sexy"), and wearing lingerie made with renewable fibres such as hemp (Enamore), bamboo (Butta) and other organic goodness (GreenKnickers, Buenostyle, Peau Ethique).

Camille Labchuk, speaking on behalf of the Green Party of Canada, gives the movement two green thumbs-up.

Anybody out there wanna brag about the carbon footprint of their dildo?

 

[Irvine511]

Anybody out there wanna brag about the carbon footprint of their dildo?

interesting how this was a Drudge link this morning, but nothing on the Libby verdict?

but i do love Drudge's desperate attempts to toss out anything, ANYTHING, for a denialist to hold on to. like, today, because it happened to snow a little bit this morning in DC (after being nearly 60 degrees last weekend), here's one of the scremaing, blaring, whoo-whoo-whoo headlines:

[q]NOT AGAIN! DC 'Snow Advisory' Issued on Day of Congressional Global Warming Hearing...
[/q]

oh no! snow! in early March! in the northeast! NOT AGAIN!!!!!!!

and where were the alarmist headlines in January when it was in the mid-50s?

 

[INDY500]

and where were the alarmist headlines in January when it was in the mid-50s?

Why, crowded out by all the alarmist stories from your POV.

By BILL BLAKEMORE

Jan. 6, 2007 — It was expected to reach into the 70s today in New York City. Cherry blossoms were blooming in Washington, D.C.

Is there a connection between the January heat wave that is sweeping the East Coast and man-made global warming?


Scientists say yes — in this way: What they know for sure is the warm winter fits the pattern, exactly, that has long been predicted for manmade global warming of more and more frequent unseasonable warm spells.

Or this really captures it

By Joel Achenbach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 7, 2007; D01


Never has good weather felt so bad. Never have flowers inspired so much fear. Never has the warm caress of a sunbeam seemed so ominous. The weather is sublime, it's glorious, it's the end of the world.

January is the new March. The daffodils are busting out everywhere. It's porch weather. Put on a T-shirt and shorts, fire up the grill, blast "Rastaman Vibration" into the back yard. Everyone out for volleyball! The normal high for this time of year is 43 degrees; yesterday's high at Reagan National was a record-breaking 73. And yet it's all a guilty pleasure. Weather is both a physical and a psychological phenomenon. Meteorology, meet eschatology. We've read the articles, we've seen the Gore movie, we've calculated our carbon footprint, and we're just not intellectually capable anymore of fully enjoying warm winter weather. Just ain't right. Ain't natural. Cherry blossoms during the NFL playoffs? Run for your lives.

"Amazing, but it makes me think we might not be here too much longer, because of global warming," said Laura Ingoldsby, a grad student getting ready for a jog on the towpath at Fletcher's Boathouse.

"I think it's a bit scary. It's too warm," said Ellie Motazedi of Bethesda as she paused during a bike ride.

"Days like this, I worry about global warming, and we're not doing anything about it," said Coby Dolan, an attorney basking in the sunshine on the porch of the clubhouse at the Hains Point golf course. Let the record reflect that he did not appear to be suffering.

 

[Irvine511]

Why, crowded out by all the alarmist stories from your POV.



Or this really captures it

what's funny is pointing a nearly unanimous scientific consensus as a "POV" -- reminds me of presenting "alternative theories" like creationism and intelligent design.

i will agree that both "sides" -- if we must make the dichotomy, though, to me, that lends too much credibility to denialists -- can be quick to make casual correlations between weather abberations and the state of the planet. but this doesn't change the fact that there's overwhelming evidence supporting my "side" and a freak snowstorm in China doesn't do a thing about that.

and this also lets us see how website-based news, while able to present an amazing amount of information, also lets us filter what we do and do not what to hear.

 

[INDY500]

what's funny is pointing a nearly unanimous scientific consensus as a "POV" -- reminds me of presenting "alternative theories" like creationism and intelligent design.

i will agree that both "sides" -- if we must make the dichotomy, though, to me, that lends too much credibility to denialists -- can be quick to make casual correlations between weather abberations and the state of the planet. but this doesn't change the fact that there's overwhelming evidence supporting my "side" and a freak snowstorm in China doesn't do a thing about that.

and this also lets us see how website-based news, while able to present an amazing amount of information, also lets us filter what we do and do not what to hear.

I say hyperbo-lic
and you say catastrop-hic
I say burdensome expenses
and you day scientific consensus
hyperbolic
catastrophic
expenses
consensus

Let's call the whole thing off.

 

[Irvine511]

I say hyperbo-lic
and you say catastrop-hic
I say burdensome expenses
and you day scientific consensus
hyperbolic
catastrophic
expenses
consensus

Let's call the whole thing off.

well done.

 

[A_Wanderer]

what's funny is pointing a nearly unanimous scientific consensus as a "POV" -- reminds me of presenting "alternative theories" like creationism and intelligent design.

i will agree that both "sides" -- if we must make the dichotomy, though, to me, that lends too much credibility to denialists -- can be quick to make casual correlations between weather abberations and the state of the planet. but this doesn't change the fact that there's overwhelming evidence supporting my "side" and a freak snowstorm in China doesn't do a thing about that.

and this also lets us see how website-based news, while able to present an amazing amount of information, also lets us filter what we do and do not what to hear.

But your using political language in your view; denialist has so many nasty connotations and it presents it as an issue of two sides when there is a spectrum of hypothesis for every variable many of which are yet to be settled.

Overall anthropogenic climate change has a strong level of confidence but the mechanisms and the effects are often unknown or ambiguous. The groups demanding to control everybodies lives because of global warming have an agenda, the groups demanding that subsidies to oil companies continue have an agenda - the material world itself doesn't have one.