Greenland has joined the ranks of the alarmists by hysterically overreacting to global warming.
Look, Greenland's an advocate. I respect that. We just can't expect it to to accurately reflect the science. Frankly, it lacks credibility.
Greenland goes dirty hippie
Overreacts to global warming 15
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Posted 11:54 PM on 15 Jan 2007
by David Roberts -
Posted in
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David Roberts is staff writer for Grist. You can follow his Twitter feed at twitter.com/drgrist.
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Zarkov Posted 6:05 pm
15 Jan 2007
>> "This phenomenon -- of an island all of a sudden appearing out of nowhere and the ice melting around it -- is a real common phenomenon now." >>
This gives an idea of the pace of the climate change, however this is just the beginning of a sharply upward oscillation of the pendulum, so the next round of changes will be even more extreme.
If you look to the tropics, you will not detect such a degree of climate change.
Now carbon dioxide is atmospheric, and it is diffuse over the entire atmosphere, so the so called greenhouse global warming effects should be happening in all places. Sadly they are not, sadly I say because a carbon dioxide problem is negligible, we could fix it tomorrow. Just stop polluting and accept survival.
However the indications are that an overpressure of carbon dioxide can not account for the climatic changes and very very sadly all indications point to the climatic changes that would be expected from a world wide micro layer of petroleum oil on the surface of the seas, oceans, lakes etc.
The expected changes are happening before our eye.
If action is not taken NOW the consequences may become terminal.
This talk of an overpressure of carbon dioxide has diverted your attention from the real issue, which is something that is invisible, insidious and can be terminal for higher life forms on this planet.
A micro layer of oil on water inhibits evaporation of the water. Quite thin invisible layers of oil inhibit the water evaporation rate, and this loss of evaporated water (worldwide) to the atmosphere reduces cloud cover. The removal of cloud allows more sunshine which increases the day's maximum temperature... =warming both day and night.
But (as to falsifiabilty) the temperature range value should be changing to some new equilibrium value.
The temperature range is the difference in degrees between the maximum temperature minus the minimum temperature.
TEST
This value should be getting larger as the spread to desert conditions takes hold. A rising temperature range value is an indication of a drier environment.
Th value should be falling if the climatic changes are caused by an overpressure of carbon dioxide. An expected falling value is because the worldwide atmosphere should become more humid, which moderates day and night air temperatures. This is because the water in the air stores heat.
All observed climatic changes support oil on the seas as the underlying cause of current climatic changes, as well as an observed widening of the temperature range in any area.
To remove this layer of oil will take a whole world co-ordinated effort. But I suppose we could start at home by filters on exhausts, removal of stray oil leaks, yea
but this has to be treated in the serious category of invasion (of our own making) nevertheless this has the potential to throw this world into a massive ice age and it may already be past the point in time when we could have done something about it.
We better get it right, mate.
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JMG Posted 12:59 am
16 Jan 2007
As this story illustrates, we need to recognize that it's global heating, not "warming," and we seem determined to pursue the runaway version.
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caniscandida Posted 1:57 am
16 Jan 2007
It pays to revisit this. Who invented the term "global warming"? And what were the circumstances?
Chickens are our cousins!
So are other sensitive animals!
Enough is enough!
No more factory farms!
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Tom Philpott Posted 2:08 am
16 Jan 2007
Victual Reality
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sunflower Posted 2:11 am
16 Jan 2007
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Steve Bloom Posted 3:11 am
16 Jan 2007
Back on the issue of the speed, the most notable aspect of the article was the quote from Greenland ice expert Richard Alley that a foot or two of sea level rise in the next few decades is distinctly possible. Such an outcome falls into the category of abrupt and very much dangerous climate change.
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Trebuchet Posted 3:24 am
16 Jan 2007
That way it encompasses the crazy snowfalls in Colorado without anyone using them as a counter-argument to global warming/heating/frying/sizzling since the presense of so much snow makes it seem cold, even though it's actually warmer than usual, but still below freezing but there's a lot more moisture in the air due to the planet's heating up.
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GreenEngineer Posted 3:31 am
16 Jan 2007
It's scary without being blantantly alarmist (change is scary to most people).
It's more accurate.
"Global warming" characterizes a relatively small rise in average worldwide temperatures. But the scary part is that this small change in the average reflects a much larger change in standard deviation of the temperature curve. It's relatively easy for a skeptic to dismiss a temperature increase of a couple of degrees. It's much scarier to be confronted with a world climate that produces more dramatic extremes in temperature, rainfall, etc. Especially because of the implications that has for our ability to feed ourselves. We're seeing this in California right now: after a very unseasonably warm and dry winter, we're set to lose more than half our citrus crop to this crazy freeze.
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mihan Posted 4:02 am
16 Jan 2007
I don't know exactly who started using the term, but "warming" and "cooling" are just general terms used by climate scientists; e.g. "clouds have an overall cooling effect."
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JDB1 Posted 4:12 am
16 Jan 2007
These changes are being felt all around the world now and most noteably near the north and south poles. I pose a question to you: If the coastline of America were under a state of change so abrupt and so immense what do you think your reaction would be?
I would expect comments such as yours posted somewhere on a website such as exxon.com but not here. I find your comments utterly irresponsible as an environmental writer. I believe that Exxon is hiring, they could use a journalist of your caliber.
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David Roberts Posted 4:29 am
16 Jan 2007
www.grist.org
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caniscandida Posted 4:41 am
16 Jan 2007
Apologies to the "global warming" scientist, for accusing him/her of being intentionally mealy-mouthed.
Chickens are our cousins!
So are other sensitive animals!
Enough is enough!
No more factory farms!
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Zarkov Posted 6:21 am
16 Jan 2007
You talk of warming, heating, frying etc.... this is meaningless to most people
BUT if you talk of global drought you may get a glimmer of universal understanding about the severity of global climate change.
Talk of increased food prices, maybe even no food
then the ears will pick up
I talk to people and they love the hot summer, and the not quite so hot winter.... but then they see that the price of milk has increased 50% and reality strikes home. They can make a connection and bring the problem to a personal level.
They see their farmland is worthless without water, and they see corporations trying to corner the water market... and alarm bells go off even for the relatively thick population.
Push the correct and accurate buttons, do accurate assessments of the consequences and people will listen, they live in this world too.
But play it as per Exxon-Mobil and their eyes glaze over. There definitely is an argumentative element that deliberately befuddles people when it comes to science and its principles. Rational discussion is not allowed..... anywhere on the net.
This is very curious.
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redjenny Posted 7:22 am
16 Jan 2007
However, I like "planetary fever" because it expresses the fact that we're making the planet sick. You know when you have a fever, sometimes you get chills, sometimes you get hot, and boy it sure is unpleasant.
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amazingdrx Posted 8:35 am
16 Jan 2007
When all the crops freeze, not just the California citrus crop. All food prices will soar like citrus is about to. Watch and extrapolate the effect on the humans who need food in order to live.
Ice storm and millions without power for weeks. A common story now.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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