Climate change

[Eperous]

Perhaps an odd topic after NYC just experienced once of its worst snowstorms ever, but NASA & NOAA just issued a report on climate change and ongoing, longterm trends: http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/news/20160120/

Ed

[drlogik]

An alternative view published in The Wall Street Journal:

http://on.wsj.com/1KyBsmQ

[bassman]

This is probably the most contentious topic of the day and basically, "Only time will tell". I tend to go with the global warming consensus of major science sources. I also see the increase of "crazy" weather patterns all part of what was predicted several years ago. China and Japan are experiencing record lows and cold including one area seeing snow for the first time in 115 years. The blizzards and snow pack that normally feeds lower elevations with a gradual and steady spring/summer feed of clean water now is melting much faster and causing more flooding than normal. Higher overall temps were predicted to bring worse tornado/blizzard/ and Polar Vortex conditions. I don't understand the science but need only watch the weather channel to see this coming about. In Oklahoma in January a short time ago we had tornadoes on the ground in the southeast corner of the state while blizzard conditions were sweeping into the southwest corner. Same in TX.

Yes, the weather is in constant flux and I won't be around long enough to see who is going to come out on top of this argument but I only hope our grandkids and down from there can contend with what the earth throws at them. Those like me who were born in the 40s and 50s have been lucky to have lived in what was all in all some pretty decent times but I don't really see that as going on for many more generations.

[Eperous]

Doc,

There are many opinions on this topic for sure, but it seems folks--- including American businesses now--- are moving into one corner of the room.

NYC DEP is concerned about, and did an independent study on how it effects their Catskill water supply reservoirs. Read about that here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 4/abstract

And the folks at USGS have been studying weather patterns in the Catskills for years now, and here what they said: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3003&hilit=USGS

I'm concerned about longterm trends here; the stakes are high on this on, IMO.

Ed

[drlogik]

You all are correct in that this is a hotly contested subject.

[redietz]

You all are correct in that this is a hotly contested subject.

It's not hotly contested among scientists at all.

[drlogik]

Point well taken.

[quashnet]

The WSJ piece was written by Patrick Michaels, who is employed by the Cato Institute. The Cato Institute was founded and initially funded by Charles G. Koch who, with his brother David, spends heavily to stir up doubt about climate change, using the Heritage Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, and the Manhattan Institute, as well as the Cato Institute.

The first two paragraphs of the WSJ piece utilize the red herring of confusing weather (first paragraph) with climate (second paragraph). The rest of the article throws a lot of unrelated factoids at the reader to make it seem like climate issues are just too complex and science-y for anyone to draw a conclusion about climate. It's merely a weak attempt at obfuscation.

[Eperous]

The WSJ piece was written by Patrick Michaels, who is employed by the Cato Institute. The Cato Institute was founded and initially funded by Charles G. Koch who, with his brother David, spends heavily to stir up doubt about climate change, using the Heritage Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, and the Manhattan Institute, as well as the Cato Institute.

The first two paragraphs of the WSJ piece utilize the red herring of confusing weather (first paragraph) with climate (second paragraph). The rest of the article throws a lot of unrelated factoids at the reader to make it seem like climate issues are just too complex and science-y for anyone to draw a conclusion about climate. It's merely a weak attempt at obfuscation.

Very interesting!

And, based upon what I heard TODAY, on the Weather Channel... I'll tie this into the massive snow storm that raced through DC, PA, & NYC among other places... and discussed in another thread in this category...

Ed

[stokes]

Thank god for global warming.Its been around since the ice age.If not for global warming we'd still be living in igloos,eating frozen poontang