GLOBAL WARNING IS COOL, AND COOLING IS THE NEW WARMING
December 30th 2007 01:08
On Friday MediaBlab published an item about a report by scientist David Whitehouse in the New Statesman claiming that warming has stopped globally.
Whitehouse wrote, “The fact is that the global temperature of 2007 is statistically the same as 2006 as well as every other year since 2001. Global warming has, temporarily or permanently, ceased.”
It has since been pointed out to MediaBlab that global warming can also mean cooling, according to a Canadian Greenpeace representative who in 2005 explained “global warming can mean colder, it can mean drier, it can mean wetter.”
But, according to the Washington Times, cooling global warming is definitely taking place: “Al Gore says global warming is a planetary emergency. It is difficult to see how this can be so when record low temperatures are being set all over the world.
”Since the mid-19th century, the mean global temperature has increased by 0.7 degrees Celsius. This slight warming is not unusual, and lies well within the range of natural variation. Carbon dioxide continues to build in the atmosphere, but the mean planetary temperature hasn't increased significantly for nearly nine years.
“Antarctica is getting colder.
“Neither the intensity nor the frequency of hurricanes has increased. The 2007 season was the third-quietest since 1966. In 2006 not a single hurricane made landfall in the U.S.
”South America this year experienced one of its coldest winters in decades, and unexpected bitter cold swept the entire Southern Hemisphere in 2007. Johannesburg, South Africa, had the first significant snowfall in 26 years. Australia experienced the coldest June ever. In north-eastern Australia, the city of Townsville underwent the longest period of continuously cold weather since 1941. In New Zealand, the weather turned so cold that vineyards were endangered.”
- From MediaBlab
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Comment by Ahmed
Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks
I've givenup trying to reason with people who think they're scientists.
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Slightly off topic, but I think the only misunderstanding here is to scoff at the situation the world is in environmentally.
Global warming here doesn't stand for a massive rise or fall either, but stands for many other things, including dying birds(happening now as a consequence of temperatures?), dying fish, dying people (see China and India), floating garbage in the pacific now engulfing Hawaii and so on and so on ... basically all pointing to us choking on our own consumer excrement.
Splitting hairs over half a degree and Al Gore's income portfolio is immaterial in the grand scheme of things, here... and it is wise to remember that scientists are hired by all sorts of people with all sorts of agenda's, and have been known to say all sorts of things too.
However, global cooling is as trecherous to the balance as warming, and I thought I read somehwere that warming is often evidenced (and balanced by the planet) with extreme cooling in equal and opposite ends of the globe? It is a very delicately balanced system, after all.
ONLY a 6 Degree drop, was enough to trigger the last ice age (1,000 year ago one)... and I notice on the charts, that it rose dramatically just before that plunge. Anyway, to quote science,
I think today's generic term 'Global Warming,' does indeed include all swings in climate from both extremes ... and that is the point ... as it swings further out, each side each year as you have documented in the cold extremes which have come on the tail of previous heat waves, drought and bush fire seasons unrivaled in Australian history too ... so, warmer, or cooler is again, immaterial as the planet uses this mechanism to compensate whilst in 'Ice House' mode. Perhaps they should say Global Swinging and can we survive the "swings" as they become wider?
And what happens when the poles have all melted, as they are doing as we type away?
So again I volunteer, that it is only a matter of degrees, but each one is very important, up or down, and Whitehouse is quite correct, but for God's sake take it in context of the big picture.
You can click this linkto watch the world temperature yourself and see where a year takes it?
I have been watching for eight months now, and I can assure you the median earth temperature is on the rise ... no doubts in believing my eyes here.
Lilla ...
Comment by Peter Olszewski
What's that saying ...keep your friends close but your enemies closer.
Plus nothing like a bit of provocation to get the debate flowing.
Plus my view is what if there is another factor at play AS WELL as climate change.
For example, there is the simple premise that the globe is simply becoming over populated!
How is that to be addressed; or is nature itself already beginning to address that
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
I appreciate your post, that is why I commented, because I also know that in that debate, my response will be read too. I know how important it is to stimulate both sides of the argument and that is why I have countered. To close our eyes and ears is bad news, on any topic...
*laughs* as to population, yes, agreed - way overdue for a cleansing, I think any thinking person will have come to that same conclusion.
I am curious as to how it will be dealt with myself and (since it was based on scientific fact from the 'Ice House' modality) would not rule out a " Day After Tomorrow" scenario at all as the 'swing' increases.
It is interesting to note that our fragile life only exists within a 143 degree margin.
We live in interesting times, do we not?
Lilla ...
Comment by JJ McRoach
Watching the Media