Comments on: Springtime in the Rockies

By: Jean

Jean — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:11:18 +0000

rummuser,
Yes, I’m well aware of that.

By: rummuser

rummuser — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:19:26 +0000

Yes Jean, you also drive on the wrong side of the road! You are the only ones still using Imperial measures!! rummusers last blog post..My Friends Are Convinced That I am Over The Hill.

By: Jean

Jean — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:29:14 +0000

Evan,
It’s going to be interesting (to say the least) to see what happens. Exponential growth is scary!

rummuser,
It seems to me I read from time to time that the US should switch to the metric system and join the rest of the world. But it would be an expensive switch. In physics, of course, we mostly use the metric system.

Mike,
I don’t pay much attention to what the popular media says about climate change. I do read the articles in Science Magazine.

By: Mike Goad

Mike Goad — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:21:16 +0000

Jean - I'm skeptical of the media reports of arctic ice melt and of "Chicken Little" predictions, in general. However, there are sites on-line that show the daily progress, as measured by satellites, of the extent of polar ice, so the reality of sea ice extent and change is readily available. Polar ice goes through an annual cycle where it covers more in the colder months and recedes in the warmer months, so the curves tend to look like a sine wave. Another page I look at daily is AMSRE-A Sea Ice Extent. It has 6 1/2 years of history. The sea arctic sea ice extent currently is higher than any of the other years at this point in the annual cycle AMSRE-A : Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System. Responsible agency: National Space Development Agency of Japan "Monitoring of sea-ice parameters, such as ice concentration, type, and extent, is necessary to understand how this frozen blanket over the ocean affects the larger climate system. Sea ice has the ability to insulate the water against heat loss to the frigid atmosphere above it, and at the same time the ability to reflect sunlight that would otherwise warm the ocean. AMSR-E measurements will allow the derivation of sea ice concentrations in both polar regions, through taking advantage of the marked contrast in microwave emissions of sea ice and liquid water." The Antarctic season, of course, is opposite of the Arctic, and the sea ice extent there is increasing as it gets colder. Mike Goads last blog post..Eyes of the Great Depression 027

By: rummuser

rummuser — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 07:18:55 +0000

Yes Mike, I knew that you would take it hook, line and sinker. Just to get some traffic going for Jean here who tries so hard to keep peace between us. bikehikebabe, it is just a matter of degrees! We call it Celsius rather than centigrade now a days. Like we have kilo meters rather than miles, liters rather than gallons and so on and so forth. We are snobs. Evan, I have just accepted your invitation and have sent you a message. I strongly recommend 'Prisoners of Our thoughts' by Alex Pattakos. rummusers last blog post..I Love This Doctor.

By: Evan

Evan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 05:25:52 +0000

Hi Jean,
Very much agree re population growth. Roll on education for women and old age pensions!

Have you seen the book Cradle to Cradle? It’s a quantum leap ahead of the usual approach to sustainability.

By: Jean

Jean — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:40:18 +0000

rummser,
I sympathize. I wilt in hot, humid weather too. That’s one reason we live where we do. 39 sounds hot enough to me. 41 would turn me into a basket case if it were humid.

One expected result of global warming is more and more extreme weather.

Mike,
Are you skeptical of the stories about the melting Arctic ice? I had thought that was well documented.

bikehikebabe,
I agree, having 0 degrees for freezing makes more sense to me.

Evan,
I agree, no matter what is causing it, we’re going to have to deal with it. I personally think things will be grim if we can’t slow down population growth.

By: Evan

Evan — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:36:05 +0000

On climate change. I don’t think there is the slightest doubt that the evidence says that it is happening.

A good blog about the denialists’ antics is: http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/

Don’t be sidetracked by the debate about whether it is human caused. Finally it doesn’t matter. We need to stop people drowning. We need to find ways to grow crops so people don’t starve. I am convinced that all these things are possible (though not without change), but it means dealing with what is going on.

By: bikehikebabe

bikehikebabe — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:01:32 +0000

If you’re just a drop-in, rummuser is talking about (39 degrees) CENEGRADE. ( & in India) That makes more sense. Freezing should be 0–not 32.

By: Mike Goad

Mike Goad — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:29:44 +0000

Ramana – Yes, the climate is changing. That’s what a chaotic system does — it changes, ALL of the time, for a lot of different reasons. I read new material on climate change nearly every day and, the more I read, the more skeptical I am of most of climate change stories I see in the media. Of course, I could go on and on on this topic, but I’ll save it for a post next week or so on my blog, On Climate.

However, what each of us are commenting on — what we are seeing locally — is weather variation on a local scale, which may or may not be because of climate change.

Here’s an interesting graph that I check regularlyArctic Sea Ice Status, along with several other climate indicators.

(And, of course, Ramana, you knew I wouldn’t even try to resist the bait. )

Mike Goads last blog post..Eyes of the Great Depression 027