Saturday, April 07, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
Global Warming, Mars Style
I've noticed lately that we're ALMOST breaking new temperature records. We tied the latest date in Central Pennsylvania for the latest recorded snowfall. We had some record-high (at least tying them) temperatures in January. Funny thing is, for most of the dates where records were set or met, the date of the last time it was that warm or dry - was in 1890.
More than 100 years ago, we had a warm, dry winter. How about that?
Then we skip ahead a few years, we had drought through the US. The dustbowl became a problem as the midwest and southwest grew dryer and dryer in the 1930s. At that point, it was blamed on poor farming practices. And no doubt, that was a large part of it. But the droughts did not go away when the farmers quit ripping up the land.
One report today suggests that the dust bowl of the 1930's is soon to be repeated. An excerpt follows:
This week, even today in particular, the news networks are all abuzz on the latest scientific panel findings on global warming. It seems everyone has jumped into the global warming wagon, and naysayers are falling by the wayside. I even heard one scientist say that the future looks like Revelations - dire things are coming... But that we humans have time to fix the errors of our ways, because if we caused the warming, then we can reverse the trends.
Sometimes I think that when all the politicians are on the same page, all the managers, all the scientists, agreeing on ONE thing, instead of disputing each others findings, then it seems they are all barking up the wrong tree. Really, look at the world around you.... A few years ago, after 9-11, nobody could stop the "War on Terror". Nobody tried. We were right, they were wrong. The end. There were dissenting opinions of course, but they were shouted out by the masses.
Back to the subject at hand, did I say everyone has jumped on the Global Warming bandwagon? Not everyone. Everyone recognizes that it's happening, but what about the root cause?
Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, points out that Mars has been undergoing dramatic climate change in recent years as well. Global Warming. It's true. It has. Even the doubters cannot dispute that. Although the cause for Mars' global warming might not be humanity's fault.
According to Abdussamatov, "The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars."
"Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance," Abdussamatov said.
"The solar irradiance began to drop in the 1990s, and a minimum will be reached by approximately 2040," Abdussamatov said. "It will cause a steep cooling of the climate on Earth in 15 to 20 years."
The full story may be read here: Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says
I for one, am not a naysayer to Global Warming... But I think that when all the people of a specific group agree on one thing, something that is popular in public opinion, it's a sign that something's wrong. I HOPE Dr. Abdussamatov is right, and everyone else is wrong. My own observations are that it was exceedingly warm in the 1890's, and again in the 1930's. It almost seems like we're overdue for something like that again...... It would be nice to see it cooling off again in 10 to 15 years, though.
But hopefully, no matter who is right or wrong, the very real issues of pollution, and even overpopulation, will be addressed by the powers that be, instead of disregarded as trivial non-issues while the world stagnates into a future that no one will want to see.
Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says: "'Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance,' Abdussamatov said."
More than 100 years ago, we had a warm, dry winter. How about that?
Then we skip ahead a few years, we had drought through the US. The dustbowl became a problem as the midwest and southwest grew dryer and dryer in the 1930s. At that point, it was blamed on poor farming practices. And no doubt, that was a large part of it. But the droughts did not go away when the farmers quit ripping up the land.
One report today suggests that the dust bowl of the 1930's is soon to be repeated. An excerpt follows:
The reduction in rainfall could reach levels of the 1930s Dust Bowl that ranged throughout the Midwestern United States, Seager said in a telephone interview.
That does not mean there would be dust storms like those of the 1930s, Seager said, because conditions at that time were complicated by poor agricultural practices. But he said the reduction in rainfall could be equivalent to those times when thousands of farmers abandoned their parched land and moved away in search of jobs.
This week, even today in particular, the news networks are all abuzz on the latest scientific panel findings on global warming. It seems everyone has jumped into the global warming wagon, and naysayers are falling by the wayside. I even heard one scientist say that the future looks like Revelations - dire things are coming... But that we humans have time to fix the errors of our ways, because if we caused the warming, then we can reverse the trends.
Sometimes I think that when all the politicians are on the same page, all the managers, all the scientists, agreeing on ONE thing, instead of disputing each others findings, then it seems they are all barking up the wrong tree. Really, look at the world around you.... A few years ago, after 9-11, nobody could stop the "War on Terror". Nobody tried. We were right, they were wrong. The end. There were dissenting opinions of course, but they were shouted out by the masses.
Back to the subject at hand, did I say everyone has jumped on the Global Warming bandwagon? Not everyone. Everyone recognizes that it's happening, but what about the root cause?
Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, points out that Mars has been undergoing dramatic climate change in recent years as well. Global Warming. It's true. It has. Even the doubters cannot dispute that. Although the cause for Mars' global warming might not be humanity's fault.
According to Abdussamatov, "The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars."
"Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance," Abdussamatov said.
"The solar irradiance began to drop in the 1990s, and a minimum will be reached by approximately 2040," Abdussamatov said. "It will cause a steep cooling of the climate on Earth in 15 to 20 years."
The full story may be read here: Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says
I for one, am not a naysayer to Global Warming... But I think that when all the people of a specific group agree on one thing, something that is popular in public opinion, it's a sign that something's wrong. I HOPE Dr. Abdussamatov is right, and everyone else is wrong. My own observations are that it was exceedingly warm in the 1890's, and again in the 1930's. It almost seems like we're overdue for something like that again...... It would be nice to see it cooling off again in 10 to 15 years, though.
But hopefully, no matter who is right or wrong, the very real issues of pollution, and even overpopulation, will be addressed by the powers that be, instead of disregarded as trivial non-issues while the world stagnates into a future that no one will want to see.
-------------
Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says: "'Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance,' Abdussamatov said."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)