The Global Warming Megathread

[Lickszz]

Yes, could the doom theorists please form two orderly lines so we can see which side they're on please?

 

In the red corner, we have the Lobster-Pot Party, who say the seas will expand as a direct result of heating, causing floods of biblical proportions.

 

In the blue corner, the Ice Brigade tell us that melting polar ice will result in cold water being dumped into the gulf stream, leading to global glaciation.

 

It's very confusing you know, not knowing whether I'm supposed to boil to death or freeze. Shall I get better heating for next winter, or better air conditioning?

[noseyrosie]

We've only been studying weather patterns for 150 years. How they can go so serious on the Global Warming as though it's straight up fact is beyond me. However the pollution and factors that supposedly cause it are dangers in themselves, and things like the Kyoto treaty would do us a world of good. After all, the pollution causes asthma and acid rain among other things, so we should cut down whether global warming is real or no.

[tslogf74]

It always makes me laugh when they talk about evidence of glomal warming and say things like "this winter was the coldest for 15 years". So global warming was worse 15 years ago than it is now then? Or are you just making it up?

 

Like noseyrosie says, even if we have the coldest weather since records began, it hardly suggests that the climate is returning to how it was 10,000 years ago.

[Strix]

There was an instance of -20 degrees in this country during the war.

 

What global warming? I favour the theory about peaks and troughs in our climate temperatures brought on by our wobbly course through the universe.

 

I don't like the fact that there seems to be more UV than in the seventies. If you don't wear shades when it's sunny now, everything is too bright and washed-out looking

 

I'm happy to believe that the UV and Warming are separate issues for now - until I hear some info that actually links the two.

[Tony]

I was under the impression that the slowing of the North Atlantic Sink was a proven matter of fact?

 

If so - we really are in trouble!

[Strix]

Originally posted by Tony

I was under the impression that the slowing of the North Atlantic Sink was a proven matter of fact?

 

If so - we really are in trouble!

Okay, I'll admit to blondness on this one

[Tony]

It's the only thing that keeps us warm!

 

We are on the same latitude as Moscow, and the only thing keeping us from having the same climate is the NAS. Basically, cool salty water from the N Atlantic sinks to the bottom of the ocean off Greenland / Iceland, drawing up warm water and air currents from the equator - commonly known as the Jetstream. It's sort of like a conveyor belt, with the NAS being the engine.

 

Common belief is that global warming will cause the Greenland Ice Sheet to melt more freshwater into the N Atlantic, slowing the NAS. The theory goes that we are now close to a point of no return on the Ice Sheet melt. Once it starts, that's it. Literally!

 

So... with the ultimate irony, the effects of global warming aren't nice balmy summers, but -20 degree summers.

 

This scientific paper might be a bit scary, but it is very informative.

[Strix]

Cheers Tony. I did know the story after all, just not it's title. I got loads of cheap Canadian ski wear last time there was a problem with cold fresh water meddling with the gulf stream

[nightrider]

Originally posted by tslogf74

It always makes me laugh when they talk about evidence of glomal warming and say things like "this winter was the coldest for 15 years". So global warming was worse 15 years ago than it is now then? Or are you just making it up?

 

Like noseyrosie says, even if we have the coldest weather since records began, it hardly suggests that the climate is returning to how it was 10,000 years ago.

 

Just because locally in britain you had a cold snap does not mean the overall global temperature has not risen. Part of global warming is that overall the globe warms but in some places it will get colder, not hotter. At least that is what I understand is the jist of it.

[JonJParr]

Maybe slightly off the main question posed by the thread but none the less connected with the so-called "threat" of global warming.

 

How can polar ice melting cause the level of the oceans to rise when frozen water (ice) actually has a larger mass than liquid water? From what we know, about 90% of an iceberg's mass is hidden below the water. How then can scientists tell us that the relatively small amount above the water line melting will result in such a massive increase in the levels of our oceans? Surely an iceberg's displacement of water coupled with its larger mass would result in one effectively cancelling out the other if polar ice were to melt.