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Comments 14301 to 14350:

14301. villabolo at 04:19 AM on 28 June 2018
       Trump should inspire us all, but not in the way you might guess
       

       I'm glad this topic came up. I have a website - globalwarmingbasics.org - that I could use some feedback on. I've tried to make the topics as simple and short as possible. I'll be open to any constructive criticism.

14302. RMH at 22:55 PM on 27 June 2018
       Explainer: How scientists estimate ‘climate sensitivity’
       

       Zeke, thank you. Lucid overview of an issue that cuts to the heart of model accuracy. As you likely are aware, the current science driven policy position against more aggressive action on CO2 abatement relies heavily on model uncertainty. I think of your central points is that, amidst the uncertainty of how future feedback may (or may not) amplify ECS, the 'mean' of the models places net warming above 2 degrees C. 

14303. nigelj at 07:57 AM on 27 June 2018
       30 years later, deniers are still lying about Hansen’s amazing global warming prediction
       

       Oortcloud, since 1980 arctic amplification has been attributed mainly to burning fossil fuels causing warming and a reinforcing feedback from melting ice. Changes in global circulation as such (hadley cells, ocean processes) are not major factors, as explained in this skepticalscience.com article.

14304. michael sweet at 06:19 AM on 27 June 2018
       30 years later, deniers are still lying about Hansen’s amazing global warming prediction
       

       Oortcloud,

       The graph starts at 1988 not 1998.  Temperatures have not returned to the "pause level", 2017 was the second hottest year on record.  Only 5C warming separates Chicago from having 1 km of ice on top of it, 1C in 30 years seems like a lot to me.  Natural variability, including the "LIA" and "RMP" is only 0.2C.  

       Perhaps your comments would make sense if you read the OP before you comment.

14305. Oortcloud at 01:12 AM on 27 June 2018
       30 years later, deniers are still lying about Hansen’s amazing global warming prediction
       

       Patrick Michaels is not the only one presenting false information. Here (https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/enso/mei/) is the NOAA ENSO record. YThe author cherry-picked his start date so as to eliminate the 1998 El Nino event. Since 1999 there has been 0ne lengthy La Nina immediately following the 1998 El Nino event. All 5 of the others have been short and weak. What the author has failed to mention is that the period he chose is the period of the pause in warming. The 2015 El Nino upped temperatures tremendously, but the latest La Nina and current neutral period has dropped temps down to pause level again.

       Hansen made no "prediction" about the warming rate in arctic. "Arctic amplification" is a known effect of the Hadley circulation and had been known well before Hansen's testimony.

       We have not seen "dramatic" warming as the author puts it. Warming has been less than 1C and is well within natural variability as shown by paleo reconstruction of the LIA and RWP.

       Moderator Response:

       [DB]  "Warming has been less than 1C and is well within natural variability as shown by paleo reconstruction of the LIA and RWP."

       That's actually not the case, once the full context of the paleo record is used:

       

       Please note that this venue is based on credible evidence for claims and the usage of good principles of the scientific method.  This puts the onus on the person making assertions running counter to accepted science (you, in this instance) to be able to provide citations to credible sources to back up your claims.  Further, threads at Skeptical Science hew closely to the topic found in the OP of each thread.  If what you wish to discuss does not match that topic, use the Search function found in the UL corner of every page here to find a more suitable thread.  Thousands exist.

       Please note that posting comments here at SkS is a privilege, not a right.  This privilege can and will be rescinded if the posting individual continues to treat adherence to the Comments Policy as optional, rather than the mandatory condition of participating in this online forum.

       Moderating this site is a tiresome chore, particularly when commentators repeatedly submit offensive or off-topic posts. We really appreciate people's cooperation in abiding by the Comments Policy, which is largely responsible for the quality of this site. 
        
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       Please take the time to review the policy and ensure future comments are in full compliance with it.  Thanks for your understanding and compliance in this matter.

14306. One Planet Only Forever at 01:01 AM on 27 June 2018
       30 years later, deniers are still lying about Hansen’s amazing global warming prediction
       

       nigelj,

       I like that quote highlighting the unjustified popularity of claims made in stories like Atlas Shrugged.

       Real world evidence of Bad thinkers who are fans of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman beliefs in the 'magic of people being freer to believe what they want and do as they please' is Alan Greenspan's statement/excuse for his lack of effort to prevent the actions that developed the 2008 financial crisis. He essentially declared that he was unaware that any executive or board member of a financial institution would put short-term self-interest ahead of the objective of sustainably developing a better future.

       The other real world examples of that Bad Thinking by Winners is the type of people that have been 'invited' by Congress to talk to Congress about Climate Science (and the type of people who do that type of Bad Inviting usually have a history of a diversity of Bad Thinking based actions - acting in opposition to the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals, not just the climate change goals).

14307. nigelj at 16:00 PM on 26 June 2018
       30 years later, deniers are still lying about Hansen’s amazing global warming prediction
       

       The Koch Brothers fund the best junk science money can buy. I think their motives are greed, but perhaps that word is too blunt. Regarding their "libertarianism", there is a famous quote I came across:

       "There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."

       Attributed to the writer John Rogers.

14308. One Planet Only Forever at 14:42 PM on 26 June 2018
       30 years later, deniers are still lying about Hansen’s amazing global warming prediction
       

       I do not think the concluding statements are the most accurate presentation of what is going on, but they may be the more politically correct thing to say (quoted below).

       "Michaels and Maue want us to bet the future of all life on Earth. They want us to put all our chips on black – a bet that burning billions of barrels of oil and billions of tons of coal every year won’t cause dangerous climate change. They want us to make that bet even though their arguments are based on unsupported lies, whilst they cash paychecks from the Koch brothers.

       We would have to be incredible suckers to take their bet."

       It is more likely that Michaels and Maue expect a lot of people to be easily tempted to like their claim because it excuses their pursuit of a better present for themselves at the expense of others, especially at the expense of future generations (including the future challenges like extinctions and other environmental impacts, such as water contamination, due to the impacts of fossil fuel extraction, processing, transportation and burning).

       It is very likely that deliberate misleading marketing is developed and presented by the likes of Micheals and Maue because they understand that competitions for popularity and profitability have been repeatedly proven to be won, at least temporarily (all that matters to a selfish person), by abusing the temptation to like misleading marketing.

       And being tempted to like getting away with more personal benefit at the expense of others is not being a sucker - it is far worse that that and should be called what it is (remember that future generations are Others - they do not benefit just because the current generation benefits. Yet may economic evaluations pretend that the people benefiting today are the ones suffering challenges and consequences in the future). Something like the following is more accurate:
       "What Michaels and Maue have done is the expected result of Despicably Deliberately Unethical Bad Thinking by the likes of the Koch Brothers - which is mostly, if not totally, legal because Bad Laws have been created by undeserving Winners and Bad Law Enforcement has happened for the benefit of those Winners - with popular support obtained from lazy/bad thinking people (easily tempted to be greedy - without caring about potential negative consequences to others) by Opinion Pieces that are allowed to be presented without the correction/clarification of the misstatements made presented to everyone who reads the Opinion piece 'Before they read the Opinion Piece'".

       What Michaels and Maue have presented is not 'An Opinion', it is a piece of false advertising paid for by the Koch Brothers.

       However, the lazy/bad thinkers will not be tempted to change their mind by having the unacceptability of their beliefs exposed too clearly. They would likely react by entering the flight or fight mode - most likely the fight mode - rather than start to seriously properly think about understanding things. Mind you, getting them thinking may not change their mind because when a person senses that better understanding an issue will not be to their personal advantage they will also often enter fight mode to protect their developed desired interests.

       That is why I suggest that the solution requires the wealthiest and most powerful to be held to standards of ethics and 'helpfulness to the future of humanity' (achieving and improving the Sustainable Development Goals) that are 'Above the Law - to a higher standard of ethical helpful behaviour than is required by law'.

       The games of popularity and profitability that developed the damaging unsustainable activity have also developed a powerful resistance to being corrected (Bad Selfish Thinking Winning resulting in Bad Laws and Bad Law Enforcement).

       It comes back to one of my favourite quotes of John Stuart Mill in "On Liberty" - "“If society lets a considerable number of its members grow up mere children, incapable of being acted on by rational consideration of distant motives, society has itself to blame for the consequences.”

       And that quote ties into a quote from the 1987 UN Report "Our Common Future" with distant motives being understood to be consideration of others especially of future generations (altruistic).

       "25. Many present efforts to guard and maintain human progress, to meet human needs, and to realize human ambitions are simply unsustainable - in both the rich and poor nations. They draw too heavily, too quickly, on already overdrawn environmental resource accounts to be affordable far into the future without bankrupting those accounts. They may show profit on the balance sheets of our generation, but our children will inherit the losses. We borrow environmental capital from future generations with no intention or prospect of repaying. They may damn us for our spendthrift ways, but they can never collect on our debt to them. We act as we do because we can get away with it: future generations do not vote; they have no political or financial power; they cannot challenge our decisions.
       26. But the results of the present profligacy are rapidly closing the options for future generations. Most of today's decision makers will be dead before the planet feels; the heavier effects of acid precipitation, global warming, ozone depletion, or widespread desertification and species loss. Most of the young voters of today will still be alive. In the Commission's hearings it was the young, those who have the most to lose, who were the harshest critics of the planet's present management."

       Unless global humanity can effectively hold the winners (anywhere and everywhere) to the highest standard of ethics and helpfulness, the future of humanity suffers the consequences.

       I appreciate that brevity is more powerful. At the moment the closest I can get to a concise statement of what is required is "Think about the Global Future - Be as aware and understanding as possible - Act Locally Now to help develop a sustainable better future". That statement applies to all of the Sustainable Development Goals, with action on climate change being one of the most significant goals. But that statement is too wordy to be a winner, and even that over-long statement does not expose the requirement to correct what has already developed popularity and profitability, and the need to change the system so that it produces sustainable good results rather than a string of results of 'Bad Thinking temporarily winning regional popularity for unjustified actions through misleading marketing appeals to greed and intolerance'.

14309. Bob Loblaw at 11:43 AM on 26 June 2018
       30 years later, deniers are still lying about Hansen’s amazing global warming prediction
       

       I will make the same comment here that did over at AndThenTheresPhysics:

        

       …discounting the larger-than-usual El Niño of 2015-16”

       That is a specific case of the “discounting all the evidence that doesn’t fit our narrative” argument. Of course, they also “discount the effect the 1998 El Nino had on temperatures”. Don’t like what you see? Apply a discount!

       Discounting the money they want, my local car dealer is giving away cars for free!

14310. nigelj at 07:41 AM on 26 June 2018
       30 years later, deniers are still lying about Hansen’s amazing global warming prediction
       

       Michaels is using a straw man comparison, because scenario A emissions were always at the outer extreme, and emissions have been lower in reality and close to scenario B, possibly due to the 2008 gfc? Scenario B is what Hansen should be judged against.

       Also If Michael's thinks the "unusually intense" 2015 el nino should be ignored presumably he is happy to ignore the "unusually intense" 1998 el nino and the "global cooling since 1998 myth?".
       
       

14311. RedBaron at 20:00 PM on 25 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       Michael,

       There is well proven technology to remove large enough quantities of bulk CO2 to be significant. It is organic agricultural technology and there are many multiple examples depending on which crop we are discussing. Not only is this technology cheap enough to afford at scale, it actually would yield a net profit over conventional agriculture.

       I discuss it in detail here:

       Can we reverse global warming?

       You are not clear where the carbon would be stored? Lets be clear. There is more carbon missing from our agricultural soils worldwide than extra in the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial error. We have more than enough room to store this carbon in the soil.

       As for costs? Higher SOC leads to higher yields and profitability for farmers. There is no cost to pay, only increased net profits to receive.

       So it is clearly big enough. But is it fast enough? Just because the soil sink is by far large enough and couldn't possibly ever get saturated worldwide before running out of CO2 excess, that doesn't mean it would necessarily sequester the carbon at a fast enough rate.

       Back of the envelope calculations for the rate at which we reach "break even" vs current emissions rates gives us 8 tonnes CO2e/ha/yr as the break even average if these new carbon farming methods were applied to all arable land worldwide. Real world at scale measured 10 yr case studies of working farms measured 5-20 tonnes CO2e/ha/yr increases in SOC. 8 tonnes CO2e/ha/yr is squarely in the range of 5-20 tonnes CO2e/ha/yr. So it is possible.

       This means we have a working model that can ideed fix this problem. Now as far as your exhortation to immediately install renewable energy systems. I actually agree with that 100%.

       Just because the soil sink is large enough and the rate of sequestration fast enough, doesn't mean it won't be a logistical nightmare accomplishing the training and monitoring required to 100% convert agriculture worldwide to these new more modern production systems. And that's even with an eager and motivated farming community. But add the factor that many farmers are resistant to change.......it is almost certain there will be holdouts to antiquated "green revolution" industrialized systems.

       So the real solution won't be keeping emissions the same and sequestering CO2, but rather in reducing emissions a % and improving agriculture a complementary %. Reduce emissions 50% then sequester more carbon 50%. Reduce emissions 80%, then increase sequestration 20%.  Whatever can be done right now as long as both combined = >100%. Then we would be in drawdown. And instead of a negative side effects drawdown into the ocean, we have a beneficial drawdown into our soils. We have working solar, wind, and hydro systems to reduce emissions while still providing the energy we need and we have working agricultural systems to increase sequestration while still providing all the food we need.

       Lets not get all wrapped up in trying to do this all one certain way or all another way. Combined it becomes relatively easy.

       Moderator Response:

       [DB] That is off-topic here.  Any wishing to respond may do so, at the link given.

14312. nigelj at 07:04 AM on 25 June 2018
       2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #25
       

       J Hansen deserves a medal for his work, and his tremendous commitment. His scenario B predictions have been well substantiated by real world temperatures, and are accurate enough to provide compelling evidence of the increasing greenhouse effect. He himself thought scenario B level emissions was the most likely.  It disgusts me the way people try and falsely distort his predictions, to make them look as weak as possible.

       Fossil fuel interests and libertarian ideologies have indeed dominated and influenced politics and have combined with a strongly emergent and destructive, vicious tribalism. At this rate America will divide into two separate warring countries, the red states and the blue states.

       The ranked choice voting system is compelling, and sounds similar to the single transferable vote system which is used in the Australian Senate, Ireland and Canada. NZ has mixed member proportional representation, which has lead to less partisan divisions and extremes of policy than America, but it can sometimes lead to very small parties having excessive power. STV is a more optimal system, but takes some effort to get your head around it.

       It seems to me like confrontational party political systems are all rather old fashioned and from a time when there was a huge and legitimate battle for workers basic rights. Surely we have moved beyond this? We should be electing parties less on partisan ideology and gut instincts, and more like a board of directors, so parties who have the best qualified people, and a rich diversity of ideas and a real commitment to everyone. Thats all you really need.

       The other problem is money in politics. Wealthy campaign donors, business groups and lobby groups have disproportionate influence. These various sources of influence do not balance out, and imho it looks like extremists particulary of business interests and wealthy libertarian ideologues dominate. The public good is not given proper representation, so the system is flawed.

       Campaign spending should be funded out of taxes, and it would cost nothing in the greater scheme of things, or at least it should be capped. There's nothing in Americas Constitution that forbids this. The first amendment has been invoked to justify private funding of election campaigns, but this seems absurd to me. But the bottom line is the entire political system and its methods of funding is obviously broken, and this is being ignored.

14313. michael sweet at 06:46 AM on 25 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       OPOF and Nigelj,

       I think that we basically agree.  I prefer not to post more on this topic.

14314. One Planet Only Forever at 02:33 AM on 25 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       nigelj and michael sweet,

       I agree that rapidly reducing the burning of fossil fuels is the required action.

       And the consequences of that activity that are not reversible make it clear that what has already been done is unacceptable. A target limit like 1.5 C impact is understandably still going to produce unacceptable consequences. Actions to further correct the harm that has been done to the future generations should be understood to be required.

       Some examples of other consequences that are not reversible are:

       • collapsed structures of over-drawn aquifers. Some aquifer have been drawn down so much that the geological structures they occupied have collapsed, meaning they can not be recharged to their previous capacities.
       • Contamination of ground water/aquifers by leaked liquid fossil fuels. This can be very difficult to 'completely clean up'.

       And CO2 removal can be understood to be required because even 1.5 C impact will result in understandably harmful consequences that the future generations of humanity will have to try to correct or live with.

       And the required actions, including the removal of CO2, undeniably require the richest, most powerful and most fortunate to 'behave the best - be real leaders of development in the required direction', behave better than anyone less successful than they are. The required corrective actions can clearly be understood to be 'at the expense of their potential opportunity for more personal benefit', and they have to be required to 'like that'.

       Getting away with behaving less ethically undeniably results in a competitive advantage. The temptation to win that way will always exist. Effective means to correct people tempted to behave that way is clearly required, the sooner the better.

       And that correction of attitudes will undeniably be required to achieve the required corrections of what has developed and sustainable future development. That correction will require the biggest winners be the most ethical and most helpful. There needs to be effective limits on their ability to abuse excuses like 'what they did cannot be proven to be illegal' (particularly because their winning can lead to bad laws being written and bad law enforcement occurring in their favour)

       Anyone not wanting to lead the pursuit of sustainable development for the future of humanity is welcome to step down from any unjustified higher position in society they may have mistakenly achieved, the sooner the better, until they learn the importance of being better.

14315. nigelj at 18:37 PM on 24 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       M Sweet, there actually is technology to suck CO2 out of the air, and costs are cheaper than were thought, according to an article in Nature Journal.  This is a very recent article you might not have come across. I have also seen studies showing there are enough porous rock formations and old oil wells for a huge volume of CO2 storage.

       Having said that, I'm distinctly 'sceptical' and I include it just for information, and in my view it is last resort material. It also seems like it would have enormous political difficulties, because it would require considerable subsidies. We all know what the correct solutions are.

14316. michael sweet at 18:09 PM on 24 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       OPOF,

       There is currently no technology for removing CO2 from the atmosphere in bulk.  If technology existed the job is far beyond immense.  It is not clear where the CO2 could be stored.  How could you pay the cost?

       Until I see answers to these questions I see no reason to discuss the effects of removing CO2 from the atmposphere.  The projected cost is so high that I see no reason to think any significant amount will be sequestered. 

       It is worth doing research to see if a technology for CO2 removal can be found.

       Since the ocean is not saturated with CO2, if emissions were to cease the ocean would absorb a lot of CO2 and atmospheric levels would decrease.  That would be bad for the ocean but temperatures would be less of a problem.

       I agree that the future should not be saddled with this problem.  The sooner action is taken the smaller the problem will be.  Installing renewable energy ASAP will lower CO2 emissions.

14317. One Planet Only Forever at 08:52 AM on 24 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       michael sweet,

       I am trying to develop a better understanding as a basis to present a brief statement about the negative impacts of increased CO2 that potentially will not be corrected/reversed by a future reduction of the already created impacts, and the impacts that would take a very long time to correct/reverse.

       I may have been incorrect in believing that the negative impacts on shellfish and corals will eventually be reversed. The increase of CO2 could lead to extinctions of many of these organisms, and extinction is not reversible.

       Instead of my comment@7 stating: "However, removing the excess atmospheric CO2 will not reverse all of the damage done. A lot of the CO2 is absorbed in the ocean where it reacts to change the acidity of the oceans, which will not be reversed by removing the human increase of the CO2 from the atmosphere."

       I would now say something like: "However, removing the excess atmospheric CO2 will not reverse all of the damage done. A large percentage of the excess CO2 created by burning fossil fuels is absorbed in the ocean where most of it chemically reacts resulting in a change of the acidity of the oceans (and that CO2 will start coming back into the atmosphere as the atmospheric CO2 levels are reduced). Many of the impacts of the increased CO2 changes to ocean chemistry - such as extinctions of coral, shellfish and other carbonate life forms - will not be reversed by removing the human increase of the CO2 from the atmosphere. Many other impacts will be very slow to be corrected by removal of the excess CO2. Even a rapid reduction of CO2 back down to 280ppm (or at least down to 350 ppm) would need a continued CO2 removal as the ocean slowly 'gives back' CO2 that had been rapidly absorbed."

       And even that statement does not briefly address everything that is related to this incredibly harmful global geoengineering 'experiment' that 'future generations have to try to live with or correct' that is created by current and prior generations not caring to responsibly limit their ability to enjoy 'their lives', choosing to create problems that caring responsible current day and future humans have to try to correct (rather than correcting their understandably unsustainable and damaging 'Pursuits of Happiness', and fighting against any effort to 'limit/correct their behaviour' as an unfair limit of their freedom to believe what they want to excuse doing what they want to do).

14318. william5331 at 06:43 AM on 24 June 2018
       Video: Hansen’s Global Warming Prediction at 30. How did He Do?
       

       I wonder how the present air pollution, largely from Asia compares with the amount of polution that Pinatubo put into the atmosphere.  Hence what will be the effect when Asia cleans up her atmospheric pollution a her populations are beginning to demand.

14319. william5331 at 06:26 AM on 24 June 2018
       New research, June 11-17, 2018
       

       Overcoming public resistance to carbon tax

       The methods suggested are ways to hoodwink the public, to pull the wool over their eyes.  The solution is far more simple.  Adopt Tax and Dividend as proposed by Jim Hansen.  Resistance evaporates and the public gets a fair deal.

14320. SirCharles at 00:34 AM on 24 June 2018
       97% of Climate Scientists Really Do Agree
       

       97% is outdated.

       

       => The Consensus on Anthropogenic Global Warming Matters

14321. nigelj at 16:54 PM on 23 June 2018
       Video: Hansen’s Global Warming Prediction at 30. How did He Do?
       

       Hansen did rather well, and a lot better than these hilariously wrong sceptics.

14322. Eclectic at 16:11 PM on 23 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       Nigelj @ 13 ,

       Harrumph . . . my apologies for my poor communication, if it gave you the impression that the Iron Mountain Report qualifies as "interesting".

       The Report can certainly be described as droll satire . . . but (as the old saying goes) --> Brevity is the soul of wit.   And the Report's wit is far from briefly executed: it counts as exceedingly droll, for it is exceedingly long for its purpose.   In comparison: Mr Blair's masterpiece "1984" is not a particularly short novel, but it contains several themes, all masterfully executed and disturbingly relevant to our times.   Very little drollness to be found, apart from the irony (in today's health views) of ordinary Party members using saccharin while their bosses use sugar.  (It brings to mind that recent wonderful comment by a refugee/migrant hoping to go to live in the USA because "I want to live in a country where poor people are fat.")

       And my apologies for digressing.

14323. nigelj at 14:11 PM on 23 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       Phil, we call you deniers because you get so many things wrong, and remember all this nonsense you write is easily googled and checked, and so why wouldn't we lose patience with you?

       One example "the earth was 3-5 degrees f warmer than today and co2 was ten to 12 times higher also according to ice core data,,,"

       I have no idea where you get that from. Ice core data only goes back a million years and C02 concentrations were about 300ppm compared to about 400 ppm currently.

       Go back further and using other evidence and the PETM ( paleo eocence thermal maximum) 65 million years ago was 14 degrees celsius warmer than currently and had CO2 concentrations of around 1000 ppm, so less than 3 times more than today. This shows you just how much trouble we are getting into.

       Your claims about the sun are merely suggestions, so without much merit and have been refuted with hard data if you look at the "climate myths" list on this website, and falsely calling qualified people pseudo scientists is particularly ironic given your own rhetoric, but I doubt you would grasp this.

       I have no idea what the mountain report is about, but if Eclectic says its interesting I better have a look!

14324. Eclectic at 13:47 PM on 23 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       Phil @ 11 ,

       your mention of the Iron Mountain Report is quite refreshing!   What a delightful spoof  --  a piece of exceedingly droll satire.   Though on the whole, it builds on the original ideas of Orwell's "1984" which were really more masterfully created by Orwell himself.

       But I have wandered off-topic from climate science.

       To return : Phil, it is time you made the effort to "be serious".   Please learn some science, and you will cease with the Flat Earth views you have expressed.

14325. phil16746 at 10:18 AM on 23 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       why am I a denier if in 1100 ad, Eric the red discovered Greenland and it was green ?   the earth was 3-5 degrees f warmer than today and co2 was ten to 12 times higher also according to ice core data,,,,obviously it was not from mankind as fossil fuel burning did not occur until industrial revolution around 1700 ad,,,,,,,I suggest solar activity is the driver ,,,we just came out of a mini ice age and thats why it seemed like the  north pole was melting away ,,,but lets be serious and not succumb to fear pandering by psuedo scientists,,,,it goes very deep ,but I will refrain from the politics starting with the 1967 iron mtn report

14326. One Planet Only Forever at 23:59 PM on 22 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       michael sweet,

       I am aware of that eventual correction. But that is a much long time being corrected, a massive length of time compared to a typical human lifetime, unlike the rate of temperature and climate correction that will occur with a rapid correction of atmospheric CO2 levels. And the damage to shellfish and coral will take even longer to correct.

       I could have added that understanding, but where do you stop, because the details and amount of ocean damage and the duration of correction then needs to be added, and then more about all related impacts due to the ocean damage ....

14327. michael sweet at 23:50 PM on 22 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       OPOF:

       If humans reduced the CO2 in the atmosphere the excess CO2 in the oceans would outgas and the oceans would return to normal pH.  That means that to reduce atmospheric CO2 we have to remove essentially all of the CO2 we have emitted, rather than just the amount remaining in the atmposphere.  A big job.

14328. JohnSeers at 23:50 PM on 22 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       @dudo39

       The podcast does not imply you have to "believe".

       It does not imply all the crude oil is burnt.

       It does not say anything about removing "all" the CO2. 

       Are you sure you are not letting your preconceived and confirmatory biases affect your listening skills? Perhaps you should listen a little harder and with a more receptive open mind to what others are saying, even if you do not agree with them. 

14329. One Planet Only Forever at 14:22 PM on 22 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       dudo39,

       You can become more aware of all of the observations and evaluations and understanding that have been expanding and constantly improving since Arrhenius (and before Arhenius in the 1800's), fairly accurately estabished the fundamentals of what the excess CO2 from burning fossil fuels would do (review the SkS History of Climate Science here - or go to the Resource tab at the top of the page and choose Climate History). 'Belief' is not required when awareness and understanding are possible, which are possible regarding the unacceptabable impacts of the ultimately dead-end pursuit of benefit from the burning of fossil fuels.

       As for removal of all the CO2, that can easily be understood to be the removal of all the excess CO2 that has been created by the burning of fossil fuels, returning CO2 levels to 280 ppm (currently over 400 ppm and rising - see the NOAA history of CO2 levels here). However, removing the excess atmospheric CO2 will not reverse all of the damage done. A lot of the CO2 is absorbed in the ocean where it reacts to change the acidity of the oceans, which will not be reversed by removing the human increase of the CO2 from the atmosphere.

14330. One Planet Only Forever at 14:04 PM on 22 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       The point Wallace Broecker makes about the companies and investors who own the buried fossil fuel resources being very determined to profit from those resources being burned is not limited to companies and investors.

       The promotion and defense of exploiting the Oil Sands of Alberta are the result of lots of Deliberate Bad Thinking by more than the corporate executives and investors. The current Federal Leaders and many of the Provincial Leaders defend/promote the undeniably unacceptable desire. In March of 2017, PM Trudeau stated “No country would find 173 billion barrels of oil and just leave it in the ground. The resource will be developed. Our job is to ensure this is done responsibly, safely and sustainably.” That is populist misleading claim-making, done for very Bad Reasons. And in spite of being undeniably Bad, it is liked by a significant portion of the Canadian population.

       I have provided more information related to this "Bad Thinking" in a comment on the OP "The legal fight to leave the dirtiest fossil fuels in the ground" Posted on 14 June 2018 by John Abraham.

14331. Trevor_S at 13:19 PM on 21 June 2018
       2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #24
       

       The bit by Carlone Lucas is very good and apparently The Greens are the whacky ones ?

14332. BaerbelW at 05:39 AM on 21 June 2018
       Life after PhD
       

       Congratulations on your PhD, Kaitlin!

14333. rocketeer at 04:12 AM on 21 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       Thanks for sharing this with us.  Your grandfather is a personal hero of mine and I am proud that Chicago can call him our own.  Best wishes to both of you.

14334. dudo39 at 02:08 AM on 21 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       A somewhat biased set of statements based on recent (say, last 200 ytears or so) data and knowledge, and ignoring the aparent fact that there aere just too many unknowns on the subject.

       It is also disconcerting, to me, that too many opinions are stated as facts.

       The statement "people don't have to believe...." implies to me that it is necessary to believe in such theories, even if not fully understood: this to me is tantamount to brain washing or indoctrination, since, to me, believing does not explain a thing in science.

       It is implied that all crude oil is burnt, when in fact only about 70 % is burnt.

       Towards the end, something is stated about "removing all of the CO2 from the atmosphere": this could for sure result in the mass extinction of most vegetation and of most living beings on the continents and islands....

14335. nigelj at 17:47 PM on 20 June 2018
       Should we be worried about surging Antarctic ice melt and sea level rise?
       

       William, you are very well informed, but I'm a bit unclear on that. My understanding is warm oceans are melting the ice shelf that sits around the edge of the glaciers, and this would cause glaciers to move more quickly towards the oceans. Are you saying with the ice shelf gone,  even if the oceans were cold, this would cause the face of the glaciers to retreat? Or what?

14336. Daniel Bailey at 09:22 AM on 20 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       "perhaps we will be beginning to take global warming seriously"

       Every science body on the planet and the research from the petroleum extraction companies all take AGW seriously. 

       Perhaps you refer to the jaded and wrong public opinion developed due to years of paid lobbying on behalf of fossil fuel interests and wholly-owned politicians voting against the welfare of their constituents...

14337. calyptorhynchus at 09:13 AM on 20 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       Wallace Broecker is a hero and when scientists and others like him begin to get the recognition they derserve then perhaps we will be beginning to take global warming seriously.

14338. nigelj at 07:28 AM on 20 June 2018
       Wally Broeker: Father of “Global Warming”, in a Warning to his Granddaughter
       

       Excellent video that simplifies the issues down to the essentials and very heartfelt.

       Most climate scientists make a huge effort when speaking in public, but they are not trained in public speaking and rhetorical debate, and in my experience they sometimes lack clarity and confidence. Science is often presented as a series of arguments with the conclusion at the end. I have heard one scientist run out of interview time before he even get to the important points.

       But many perfectly good books have already been written on the climate issue and there are many good structured video presentations. It's not as if theres a magical way of packaging the message that "CO2 is causing global warming" that will suddenly change the denialists minds.

14339. scaddenp at 06:50 AM on 20 June 2018
       How much does animal agriculture and eating meat contribute to global warming?
       

       The IPCC reports do account for effects of land use change in terms of carbon cover lost and change of albedo. Carbon losses from soil are not so well accounted for but note that deep prairie soils under grazing hold more carbon than forest. Farming in way that increases soil OC rather than deplete it is the challenge.

14340. william5331 at 06:15 AM on 20 June 2018
       Should we be worried about surging Antarctic ice melt and sea level rise?
       

       The main problem could be a simple physical fact.  At pressure the melting point of ice is depressed.  At present, the deep, circumpolar water is flowing down the retrograde slopes of Gaciers such as Pine Island and Thwaites and melting ice at the grounding line.  This water is warmer than it used to be.  However, even if we managed to halt this process and the circumpolar water went back to its pre industrial temperature, the suppression of the melting point of ice at the grounding line would likely cause the retreat of these glaciers to continue.  The water, which is a mix of the salty water flowing down the slope and melted ice, flows up the ice ceiling and is super cooled with respect to the shallower depths.  Ice is deposited on the underside of the floating ice but this ice is lost to the ocean every year or so.  Since we are extremely unlikely to reverse our output of CO₂ any time soon, we are in double trouble as the circumpolar deep water keeps getting warmer.

14341. sauerj at 23:24 PM on 19 June 2018
       Should we be worried about surging Antarctic ice melt and sea level rise?
       

       Very interesting article; very concerning.
       Quick question: If I add up the individual contributors (data since 2012), I don't get the total, what is the missing component? Or are my numbers wrong?
       Contributors: Warming (1.3mm), Glaciers (0.75), Greenland (0.78), Antarctica (0.6) ... Sum of contributors (3.43mm) ... Total given in article (4.5mm).  ... Thanks!

14342. Apeshift at 22:20 PM on 19 June 2018
       How much does animal agriculture and eating meat contribute to global warming?
       

       Thanks for a very informative post. 

       Is it not also worth considering the net GHG effect of animal agriculture? I.e. not just the basic carbon and methane emissions, but also the loss of potential carbon sequestration from the deforestation necessary to maintain the system?

       .  

       If we look at various types of human land use change, it seems that the majority is for animal agriculture in 2 major forms; the largest being pasture land for grazing cattle, and sheep, etc. and the next largest being the amount of cropland farmed specifically as animal-feed for chicken, pigs and grain-fed factory farm cattle, etc.

       Hence if we could end animal agriculture, restore pastures to forest for greater carbon sequestration, and use the cropland solely to feed the human vegan population, then would it not rank higher as a significant impact on reducing GHG's?

       Certainly higher than energy and transport sectors, which have comparitively little deforestation footprints.

       Just a thought..

14343. sailrick at 15:25 PM on 19 June 2018
       2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #24
       

       The Pope is also advised by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, with 80 members, appointed for life, and which has been following climate science since about 1980.

14344. nigelj at 14:13 PM on 19 June 2018
       Should we be worried about surging Antarctic ice melt and sea level rise?
       

       Scaddenp @4 yes there's not as much area of ice now in N America or continental Europe,  but about half of the sea level rise of mwp 1a appears to be from Antarctica,  and that area hasn't changed much.

       It just looks like theres the potential for breakup of Antarctica to add more to sea level rise than we thought. It looks like Antarctica added 2M per century during mwp 1a, so even if we assumed it added only half that to  current global estimates, that would still be huge.

       J Hansen proposes that much higher numbers are possible, and must have his reasons but I confess I haven't read the details of what he says.

14345. scaddenp at 12:09 PM on 19 June 2018
       Should we be worried about surging Antarctic ice melt and sea level rise?
       

       Hmm, while accelarating sealevel rise is undoubtedly a worry, it is also worth noting that at time of meltwater pulse a1, there was a great deal more ice to contribute to it and it was in higher latitudes. On other hand, rate of warming is much higher. Still, say 5cm of ice melting off a millions of sq km of ice is probably still a lot more water than 20cm of melt from a thousands of sq km. The higher latitude also means the albedo feedback is more significant.

14346. DrivingBy at 11:54 AM on 19 June 2018
       Should we be worried about surging Antarctic ice melt and sea level rise?
       

       10 meters would flood New York City and most of Florida. 

       (scratches chin)

       Is there some way to speed this up?   

14347. nigelj at 08:40 AM on 19 June 2018
       Should we be worried about surging Antarctic ice melt and sea level rise?
       

       Related material: Flooding from sea level rise threatens over 300,000 US coastal homes – study. Climate change study predicts ‘staggering impact’ of swelling oceans on coastal communities within next 30 years.

14348. nigelj at 08:10 AM on 19 June 2018
       Should we be worried about surging Antarctic ice melt and sea level rise?
       

       Great video. So meltwater pulse 1a caused approximately 20 metres total sea level rise over approx. 500 years, that is approx. 4 metres per century! J Hansen is rightly screaming at us to pay attention to this. People would have to be asleep not to see the urgent significance.

       It's associated with a period of abrupt warming of approximately 5 degrees celsius, that happened somewhere over a period of a few decades to a couple of centuries. 

       There are two competing theories of the origins of the meltwater. Firstly its could have been caused by ice sheet collapse over North America, and theres good evidence for this, but this only accounts for about half of sea level rise. Secondly theres very good evidence collapse of ice sheets in the Antarctic accounts for at least the other half, which would be approx. 2 metres per century. So imho maybe its a combination of both events.

       So the bottom line is theres virtually no doubt that sea level rise has been rapid in the past, so ice sheets can destabilise quickly.

       Modern warming is rapid, and could hit 5 degrees celsius by 2100 so is not dissimilar to rates during mwp 1a. We already have recent evidence that melting is accelerating in the antarctic. It just all suggests 2 metres sea level rise by 2100 is very plausible, and probably likely, and you could not rule out more. I don't think it would be exponential acceleration but it would be getting close. This would be devastating, and would totally reshape the planet's coast lines, and would clearly go on for centuries.

14349. jardenblack26 at 00:28 AM on 19 June 2018
       2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #24
       

       Pope Francis taking climate change seriously, and having some mathematical insight, may relate to the fact he attended a technical secondary school and graduated with a chemical technicians diploma (according to wikipedia, I checked out of curiosity).

       Moderator Response:

       [JH] Copying and pasting someone else's post is not acceptable.

14350. nigelj at 06:25 AM on 18 June 2018
       2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #24
       

       Pope  Francis taking climate change seriously, and having some mathematical insight, may relate to the fact he attended a technical secondary school and graduated with a chemical technicians diploma (according to wikipedia, I checked out of curiosity).

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