Global Warming

[Super Nova]

I have to agree with what IQ says here ^^^

OMG this is amazing. Annie agreeing with IQ. Sounds like I stand alone in my understanding of the risks.

Amazing. This forum is always full of surprises.

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This article is a year old but would be valid if the temp does go up.

Climate warming would cause loss of life

A global temperature rise of two degrees by 2050 would result in increased loss of life, a new Australian study has found.

Scientists from the Queensland University of Technology and the CSIRO say they have conducted world-first research which looks at the "years of life lost" due to climate change.

They focused on the city of Brisbane, which has a subtropical climate.

"A two-degree increase in temperature in Brisbane between now and 2050 would result in an extra 381 years of life lost per year in Brisbane," lead researcher Associate Professor Adrian Barnett, from the university's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, said in a statement.

"A two-degree increase in temperature is the figure in the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says is dangerous, but could be reached unless more aggressive measures are undertaken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Professor Barnett said an increase of more than two degrees would be catastrophic.

"A four-degree increase in temperature would result in an extra 3242 years of life lost per year in Brisbane."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/clima ... z2SouO2u3N

[annielaurie]

Well, the more I read about the issue (not just on forums but on science websites) I see things that could result in disaster if we (scientists and politicians) mess with the environment too much.

It could suddenly start to go the other way, too much loss of CO2 in the atmosphere could trigger another ice age. Of course I'm not a scientist, and I don't know all that much about it.

But there seems to be something missing in their models of the situation. I'm sorry to say that I don't have a solution, but comments here have sparked my interest and I want to study up on this more so I know what's going on.

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[Super Nova]

Well, the more I read about the issue (not just on forums but on science websites) I see things that could result in disaster if we (scientists and politicians) mess with the environment too much.

It could suddenly start to go the other way, too much loss of CO2 in the atmosphere could trigger another ice age. Of course I'm not a scientist, and I don't know all that much about it.

But there seems to be something missing in their models of the situation. I'm sorry to say that I don't have a solution, but comments here have sparked my interest and I want to study up on this more so I know what's going on.

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"I'm sorry to say that I don't have a solution, but comments here have sparked my interest and I want to study up on this more so I know what's going on"

Same here. The challenge from IQ and RS has forced me to look into it much harder than accepting the mainstream press.

I thought the main reason for the Ice Ages in the northern hemisphere was that the warm current flows stopped effecting the weather. This can be caused by reduced salt in the water because the ice caps melted.... then they build up again during ice age and the current flow again. So Ice ages are preceded by warming. A complex issue to get your head around and the scientist need to start rethinking their models... which I think they have.

However there are some risks. We should not ignore them waiting for the disaster so we have a full understanding then realising we are too late to act. We know that if we keep the planet like it is today or a 100 years ago, it is fit for our and other life's existence. Major change... is a major risk.

[annielaurie]

I thought the main reason for the Ice Ages in the northern hemisphere was that the warm current flows stopped effecting the weather. This can be caused by reduced salt in the water because the ice caps melted .... then they build up again during ice age and the current flow again ...

So Ice ages are preceded by warming. A complex issue to get your head around and the scientist need to start rethinking their models ... which I think they have ...

I think you've got this just about right, Nova. This is what I have always thought too. I would have to study up on it more, but this comes close.

We need to be very very careful in considering the natural cycles of the planet and all the factors that power the environment as we know it.

If we were to start altering something without understanding the risks, we could be in deep trouble, we could set in motion something we won't be able to reverse.

Seems that people have trouble grasping the enormously long time scales of the earth. Hard to imagine one thousand years, ten thousand, fifty and one hundred thousand, much less a million years.

Harder still to imagine one thousand million, a billion years. And the planet is four and one half times that old!

Our own lifetimes are less than one hundred years, so we cannot see the long processes that are involved when it comes to climate change and movement of the continental plates and vulcanism and plate subduction and mountain building, etc.

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[Jovial_Monk]

You need to read up on Milankovitch cycles, it is in wiki.

The CO2 content of the atmosphere is higher than for billions of years, have to go back to Cambrian and Devonian eras. No danger of a precipitous decline in CO2 levels, it hangs around forever almost.

Our temperature now is way beyond the MAWP and the CO2 content is 20 points off 400ppm when global warming becomes unstoppable. And methane clathrates in the Arctic oceans are melting and releasing the worst GHG, methane, into the atmosphere. So bad are things China is beginning to introduce carbon taxes.

Carbon taxes or an ETS like we have is the best way to reduce emissions.

[annielaurie]

You need to read up on Milankovitch cycles, it is in wiki.

The CO2 content of the atmosphere is higher than for billions of years, have to go back to Cambrian and Devonian eras. No danger of a precipitous decline in CO2 levels, it hangs around forever almost.

Okay, I'm going to look that up when I get a chance. I want to learn about it.

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[Jovial_Monk]

Also read up Sceptical Science and the Barry Brooks blog. These are sites run by scientists. Lunatics, paid mouthpieces and deniers run blogs like watsupwiththat and the JoNova blog.

[annielaurie]

Okay, sounds interesting.

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[Jovial_Monk]

I am worried tho, was my post “going in the right direction?” ya think?

[annielaurie]

Oh certainly! After all you know a lot about geology and the planet, and have knowledge of global warming findings.