I was told about an Australian news item that I just couldn't believe was real. I looked it up, and sure enough, it was real all right!
Dr Tim Flannery is a scientist - and 2007 Australian of the Year!
He is quoted by AAP, and therefore news all around the world, as having stated in a public address at Australia's Parliament House that drastic measures are needed to curb global warming, including adding sulphur to plane fuel so that sulphur could be dispersed into the atmosphere and create cloud cover, and setting up an eBay style carbon trading scheme.
I know, I didn't believe it either. Check out the 19 May 2008 story "Tim Flannery's Radical Climate Change "Solution"" at news.com.au.
And he admits to having no idea what adding sulphur to the atmosphere would do to the planet!
Is this scientific statement as responsible as others that have been published?
Showing posts with label Greenhouse Gases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greenhouse Gases. Show all posts
Friday, January 2, 2009
Slowing of Coral Growth in Great Barrier Reef
Today's newspaper articles on a paper published in Science state that the scientists attribute the declining rate of growth of a particular type of coral to climate change and increasing acidity in the ocean due to greater absorption of CO2.
The abstract of the article Declining Coral Calcification on the Great Barrier Reef states:
The scientists Glenn De'ath, Janice M. Lough, Katharina E. Fabricius of the Australian Institute of Marine Science report that their data suggests that the decrease in calcification of 14.2% since 1990 is unprecedented in the past 400 years.
Aragonite is CaCO3 - a form of calcium carbonate. It makes sense that this is important to coral growth. But what might be reducing the saturation of aragonite in seawater around the Great Barrier Reef? On further research I found that CO2 reacts with H2O and CaCO3 to make Ca and H2CO3 - carbonic acid! Aha - so that is why the oceans are becoming more acidic.
So what happened to corals much more than 400 years ago? The Earth was at least as warm, some say warmer, in the Medieval times. Coral was around then, so how did it cope? Maybe the answer is in slower growth, not killing. The coral is growing more slowly, but will recover again when the temperatures reduce with the next Little Ice Age. What is happening with coral in other locations around the world?
What will happen/ has happened to coral when the planet cools?
Coral seems to be pretty resilient. It has survived Crown of Thorns plagues, bleaching episodes and massive quantities of superphosphate washing out of Queensland rivers. I would like to see more studies of what has happened to corals over time with other unfavourable events.
As for the scientists claim that this is due to global warming from man-made CO2 (as at least one stated on camera), I didn't see any reference to their proof that CO2 is increasing in the atmosphere due to man made causes, nor that this is causing global warming.
All that can be concluded is (possibly) that the rate of growth of one type of coral in the Great Barrier Reef has been slower recently than it has in the past.
Am I correct in understanding that the coral is STILL GROWING, just 14.2% more slowly?
The abstract of the article Declining Coral Calcification on the Great Barrier Reef states:
The causes of the decline remain unknown; however, this study suggests that increasing temperature stress and a declining saturation state of seawater aragonite may be diminishing the ability of GBR corals to deposit calcium carbonate.
The scientists Glenn De'ath, Janice M. Lough, Katharina E. Fabricius of the Australian Institute of Marine Science report that their data suggests that the decrease in calcification of 14.2% since 1990 is unprecedented in the past 400 years.
Aragonite is CaCO3 - a form of calcium carbonate. It makes sense that this is important to coral growth. But what might be reducing the saturation of aragonite in seawater around the Great Barrier Reef? On further research I found that CO2 reacts with H2O and CaCO3 to make Ca and H2CO3 - carbonic acid! Aha - so that is why the oceans are becoming more acidic.
So what happened to corals much more than 400 years ago? The Earth was at least as warm, some say warmer, in the Medieval times. Coral was around then, so how did it cope? Maybe the answer is in slower growth, not killing. The coral is growing more slowly, but will recover again when the temperatures reduce with the next Little Ice Age. What is happening with coral in other locations around the world?
What will happen/ has happened to coral when the planet cools?
Coral seems to be pretty resilient. It has survived Crown of Thorns plagues, bleaching episodes and massive quantities of superphosphate washing out of Queensland rivers. I would like to see more studies of what has happened to corals over time with other unfavourable events.
As for the scientists claim that this is due to global warming from man-made CO2 (as at least one stated on camera), I didn't see any reference to their proof that CO2 is increasing in the atmosphere due to man made causes, nor that this is causing global warming.
All that can be concluded is (possibly) that the rate of growth of one type of coral in the Great Barrier Reef has been slower recently than it has in the past.
Am I correct in understanding that the coral is STILL GROWING, just 14.2% more slowly?
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
US to announce War Against Global Warming?
Reuters has just posted news that US President elect Obama has filled his new administration with AGW proponents.
Just great! From the country that brought us the war in IRAQ, the global financial collapse, ENRON and other startling failures, they are now going to inflict on us the perpetuation of the man made CO2 is bad for us myth.
Or is this just wishful thinking by the AGW proponents?
At least they didn't mention an emissions trading scheme, or is that what they mean by a "law to limit greenhouse gas emissions"?
Policy to protect the environment is good, but only if it is directed at the real causes and takes action that is going to make a real difference.
President-elect Barack Obama's new "green dream team" is committed to battling climate change and ready to push for big policy reforms, in stark contrast with the Bush administration, environmental advocates said on Monday.
"If this team can't advance strong national policy on global warming, then no one can," said Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists, referring to Obama's picks for the top energy and environment jobs in his administration, which takes office on January 20.
Just great! From the country that brought us the war in IRAQ, the global financial collapse, ENRON and other startling failures, they are now going to inflict on us the perpetuation of the man made CO2 is bad for us myth.
... Karpinski said that with Obama's "great new green dream team" and more members in the U.S. Congress who support action to curb climate change, a law to limit greenhouse gas emissions is more likely, as is a global agreement to succeed the current phase of the carbon-capping Kyoto Protocol.
Or is this just wishful thinking by the AGW proponents?
At least they didn't mention an emissions trading scheme, or is that what they mean by a "law to limit greenhouse gas emissions"?
Policy to protect the environment is good, but only if it is directed at the real causes and takes action that is going to make a real difference.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Greenhouse Gases? What rubbish!
Thought for the day -Why use high faluting words to describe a basic concept? Greenhouse gases are stuff we put into the air that some say shouldn't be there. So why not just call it, hmmm, let's see, ummm, I know - pollution!
This word has been around a lot longer than greenhouse gases.
If this doesn't sound technical enough, why not try atmospheric pollution?
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