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Global Warming News and Views

Category : Science & History

Type: Public Membership
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Founded: Oct 8, 2007 7:44 AM
Location: Grand Junction
Colorado-US
Member(s): 70
Group Leader:
Myspace Global Warming News and Views
is for discussing science and news.
Please leave the hype from liberal "Think Tanks"
and the spin from conservative "Think Tanks" at home.


Climate change skeptics:
Read my responses to the common arguments often heard by global warming deniers. Please do this before reposting the same thing.



What is global warming?

Source
Global warming occurs when the average global surface temperature increases. Anthropogenic global warming happens when mankind's behaviors are responsible for the change.

Since the turn of the last century, the average global temperature has risen by about 0.8°C (about 1.4°F). Most of this increase has come within the last thirty years.

What is the greenhouse effect?
Once sunlight warms the planet, it is then reflected off Earth and back towards space in the form of longwave energy, or infrared light. Greenhouse gases are able to absorb energy at infrared frequencies. These molecules will then radiate the captured infrared energy as heat.[1] See my slightly more detailed explanation, found here.

Yeah, but how do we really know that greenhouse gases can absorb infrared energy?
This question goes way beyond my expertise. It involves Planck's law, infrared spectroscopy, Beer-Lambert-Bouguer law, quantum mechanics, and lots of physics that is beyond me:

I, myself, am going to have to trust the scientists on this one. Perhaps a group member could explain it better? I think that these guys have done a good job.

What will be the likely effects of climate change?

Click on picture for links.

Please remember that we are not just talking about 0.8°C here. Due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the average global temperature is expected to rise by another 1.1 to 6.4°C by 2100.[2] The most likely increase will be between 1.7 and 4.4°C. If humanity decreases the amount of CO2 emissions that are released into the atmosphere, then the temperature change will be smaller, if the amount of emissions increase, then the temperature rise will also increase. Most climatologists remain optimistic because if humanity acts soon, then the most harmful of possible effects may be avoided.

Are any of the likely effects occurring today?
Climate change is evident worldwide: in melting Artic Sea ice, world-wide glacial retreat, Antarctica snowmelt, changing ocean currents, changing ocean chemistry[3] [4], spread of tropical disease, altered patterns of agriculture, etc...

COMMON ARGUMENTS, Click on the links:
Global Warming is a Hoax.

Global warming is caused by the sun.

95% the Greenhouse effect is produced by water vapor.

Scientists were predicting global cooling during the 1970's.

There is no scientific consensus on anthropogenic Global Warming.

There is no scientific basis for anthropogenic Global Warming.

But CO2 lagged temperature change in the past.

But climate change has always been occurring. This is nothing new.

Climate skeptics are being censured.

They can't predict the weather for next week; forget about predicting the climate 100 years from now.

Why Should I worry About Climate Change?

Natural sources of CO2 are much larger than anthropogenic (manmade) sources.

England used to be full of Grapes.

We are just emerging from "the Little Ice Age."

The climate models suck.

Portions of the ice sheet in Antarctica are actually growing. Global warming is not uniform.

Global Warming is occurring on Mars.

How do we know that the increase in atmospheric CO2 is due to human activities?

You can't trust the scientists. Even NASA has admitted to making mistakes.




























So what can be done about anthropogenic global warming?
Group members… please help to build a reference library on the following topics:


Solar PowerWind EnergyTidal and Wave EnergyGeothermal EnergyHydrogenAlternative Energy
Electric and Hybrid CarsTransportationBatteriesAlternative Fuels and EnergyEnergy Conservation
Click on the pictures above for more information.








Recommended Links:
Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS)
The National Center for Atmospheric Research
NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
Blogs:
Real Climate
Grist
DeSmogBlog
Skeptical Science
News:
BBC Science/Nature page
Nature.com
The Weather Channel
Science Daily
Environmental Health News
Miscellaneous
Source Watch
2007 Atlantic hurricane season
Let me know please if you know of other good sources.



musicforrelief.org

"The worst stuff is not going to happen; ... Not that I think the projections aren't that good, but because we can't be that stupid." -- James McCarthy, Harvard University oceanographer who studies how climate change affects marine life. "Never before has man had such capacity to control his own environment, to end thirst & hunger, to conquer poverty & disease, to banish illiteracy & massive human misery. We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world or to make it the last."--John F. Kennedy
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