Global Warming News

Archive for the ‘Global Warming’ Category

According to The London Times:

The university at the center of the climate change scandal over stolen e-mails broke the law by refusing to hand over its raw data for public scrutiny.

The University of East Anglia breached Britain’s Freedom of Information Act by refusing to comply with requests for data concerning claims by its scientists that man-made emissions were causing global warming.

The Information Commissioner’s Office decided that UEA failed in its duties under the act but said that it could not prosecute those involved because the complaint was made too late, The Times of London has learned. The ICO is now seeking to change the law to allow prosecutions if a complaint is made more than six months after a breach.

The stolen e-mails, revealed on the eve of the Copenhagen summit, showed how the university’s Climatic Research Unit attempted to thwart requests for scientific data and other information, and suggest that senior figures at the university were involved in decisions to refuse the requests. It is not known who stole the e-mails.

Professor Phil Jones, the unit’s director, stood down while an inquiry took place. The ICO’s decision could make it difficult for him to resume his post.

Details of the breach emerged the day after John Beddington, the Chief Scientific Adviser, warned that there was an urgent need for more honesty about the uncertainty of some predictions. His intervention followed admissions from scientists that the rate of glacial melt in the Himalayas had been grossly exaggerated.

In one e-mail, Professor Jones asked a colleague to delete e-mails relating to the 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

By Brian H Campbell

There is some global warming from vast amounts of anthropogenic or man made pollution. The industrial age brought about a lot of negative changes in the environment that are indisputable. Hot gasses entering the atmosphere for over a 100 years has caused a limited amount of climate change. Global cooling is a thorn in the side of those who want to pass Cap and Trade legislation.

Sounds like I am totally in the global warming camp. Not so! People look at one side and do not give any credence to the other side of the debate. The Farmers Almanac has been predicting weather for a long time and they look at solar patterns, including sunspot activity as some of its major sources for their predicting model. Also, scientists from around the world are dissenting from the global warming side. Why? At least in part because there is convincing proof we are entering into a global cooling period. This global cooling period could last for ten years.

One of the strongest arguments given by climate change proponents is that ice cap melting and shrinking icebergs is solely the result of CO2 or other pollutants. If this were the only way ice melts than how come we are still not in the Ice Age? Natural cyclical weather changes is the answer. This proves that when we hear of icebergs melting or polar bears floating on ice it is not necessarily global warming that caused it. When the Ice Age ended the ice melted, therefore polar bears or other animals died in the process? Polar bear numbers are increasing in some parts of the world now and icebergs growing. In other areas they’re decreasing. This is how the cycles of weather have performed for centuries.

Is it possible global climate change could make icebergs melt faster? Yes, it is possible but why think icebergs never melted until now? This in a sense is what you are saying when cyclical weather changes are not considered when icebergs melt. Global warming is blamed for almost everything without taking other facts into account. Cyclical weather changes is an indisputable fact while global warming needs much more study.

So what should we do about global warming and climate change when there are so many differing opinions? Do not over react by destroying jobs but make sensible concessions. And get much more data. Remember we are entering a global cooling period now according to many prestigious scientists

http://www.globalfreezing.com

By Shampa Dey

The heat caused by infrared radiation from the sun which escapes from the Earth’s outer surface, is absorbed by “greenhouse gases” which trap the heat forming a kind of blanket of warm air that surround the planet. This occurrence is called the “green house effect”. It is suggested that the temperature on average would have been much lower compared to what is now. Survival of the ecosystem would have been difficult in such extreme condition.

UNDERSTANDING THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

In the natural greenhouse effect, the type of topograpyh the sunlight falls plays a key role. Different types of surfaces absorb or radiate heat differently. For example, white glaciers reflect maximum sunlight resulting in minimum heating of the surface and the lower atmosphere. On the other hand, sunlight is absorbed the maximum by dark desert soil causing more heating of the surface and the lower atmosphere. Clouds that cover the sky reduce the amount of solar radiation penetrating onto the earth’s surface and also reduce the amount of radiation emitted into space.

BASIC MECHANISM

About 50% of the solar radiation is absorbed by the earth’s surface and the rest is emitted as infrared radiation by the surface of earth. Green house gases absorb most of the infrared radiation and pass on to the other atmospheric gases by molecular interaction. The greenhouse gases too radiate some heat. Heat is radiated both upwards and downwards with some escaping into the space and some getting back to the earth surface. The earth surface and the lower atmosphere is thus aiding to the survival of life on earth.

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide etc. are molecules formed by two atoms which are loosely bound and are thereby easily excited by solar radiation. The loose atoms then pass on the heat to other gases by molecular interaction. Major components of the atmosphere such as oxygen and nitrogen are formed my tightly bound atoms which are not easily excited and thus do not absorb heat.

EFFECTS ON GLOBAL WARMING

Though greenhouse effect is an essential environmental phenomenon, the trouble begins when human activities disturb or accelerate the natural process by creating more of the green house gases necessary for the optimum warming of the earth surface and thus raising the surface temperature above ideal one.

Higher the concentration of the green house gases more is the heat radiation towards the earth. The emission of green house gas such as carbon dioxide is mainly due to burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, petrol, kerosene etc.
Higher concentration of such man-made greenhouse gas causes considerable warming of the earth and the sea resulting in Global Warming.

HUMAN CONTRIBUTION

• Level of carbon dioxide is increased by burning of natural gas, coal, oil, petrol etc.
• Some agricultural and land-use methods increase the level of methane and nitrous oxide in atmosphere.
• Industrial wastes and gases contribute substantially to the green house effect and thus adding to global warming.
• Deforestation is one of the major causes of global warming today.
• Population explosion is another prime factor contributing towards global warming.

By Harold Baldwin

While most people accept global warming as a fact, some still deny that humans play a significant role. Unfortunately politics are often involved, and while I don’t intent to try to change anyone’s mind, it’s worthwhile to look at some statistical facts. These come from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 2007 working group assessment report, which is available for free online. The IPCC is a scientific panel under the United Nations.

The average surface temperature of the planet has increased 1.33 degrees Fahrenheit between 1905 and 2005.

Over the last fifty years, the warming trend is almost twice that of the previous fifty years, so the rate of temperature rise is increasing.

Eleven of the past twelve years are among the twelve warmest years since 1850. This is a shocking fact!

Also, the Environmental Protection Agency reports that the sea level along the Gulf and Mid Atlantic has risen five to six inches more than the average in the last century. Glaciers and snow cover are decreasing on both sides on the equator.

Clearly the earth is warming and with this warming, snow and ice are melting and the seas are rising. Yes, the earth has cooled and warmed many times before there were humans, and one may even argue that humans alone are not to blame, as though blame matters anyways. Humans and our activities are contributing to the rapid rise in temperature, and the only questions that remain is how serious is it and how should we react.

I for one am no alarmist, but it’s tough to argue with the facts presented above. I’m trying to do my part to help combat global warming and suggest everyone else do what they can as well.

Harry Baldwin writes on many topics including green issues and photography. Visit Canon Photo Printer and Canon Selphy Printers to see his latest.

Harry has started riding his bike to work and to run errands as well. What are you doing?