It feels like the Ice Age and not Global Warming

by MsDucky 51 Replies latest jw friends

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  SixofNine

  Oh the irony.
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  Nathan Natas

  Anyone who believes that politicians are our best and brightest will find it easy to believe in such politically-motivated "science."

  The old Soviet Union had scientists of this caliber, who insisted that they could force corn to grow in salt water. How're those fritters working out for you, Comrade?
• 

  villabolo

  Welcome newbies. My name is villabolo and I try to do my best in explaining Climate Change.

  First, for some basic semantics. Global Warming simply refers to the fact that the overall statistical average temperature has been increasing, by seemingly small amounts, but definitely increasing (about 1.5 degrees in the past hundred years). Climate however is more complicated than mere temperature for it consists of temperature as well as precipitation (snow or rain) wind, albedo (reflectivity of land and ocean), the small but significant cycles of the sun and the complicated interactions of all of these factors. Simply put Global Warming, temperature rise, leads to climate Change.

  Yes, it is possible for a small amount (from our point of view) of temperature rise to trigger a wide range of weather changes, some of which may be counterintuitive. This past decade, for example, has been the warmest in a century even when you include this winter in the averages. For instance:

  • Ice shelves the size of Rhode Island breaking off from Antarctica.
  • The dramatic shrinkage and thinning of the Arctic ice cap which will have major significance to the whole Northern Hemishpere as it continues to melt and expose open water. The ice cap, because of its white color, reflects the sun's heat keeping itself frozen. It's shrinkage exposes ocean water whose blue color absorbs heat from the sun, thereby raising its own temperature, which helps to melt the remaining ice. This newly exposed area also increases the amount of evaporation because the ice used to cover it and prevent evaporation. Also, warmer water evaporates more than cooler water. This increased evaporation goes up into the sky and increases the amount of rainfall or snowfall (depending on the season) that the Northern Hemisphere will get. It may be a warmer or colder winter that receives this precipitation depending on other factors.
  • 35,000 people died in a record setting heat wave in Europe in 2003. Normal heat waves would occasionally come, rise to the 90s (fahrenheit) and then lower to the 70s at night causing minor discomfort. This one rose to the 100s and of far more importance did not cool off at night below the low 90s. Since previous heat waves where not that dangerous there were no airconditioners to give relief. Many elderly people, who would have done fine previously with a fan instead of an A/C died as a result. This event traumatized the countries that were affected much more than what we are suffering now.
  • The sun. It goes through cycles that produce sunspots which cycles make it a little cooler if there are no sunspots or just plain average when it has the usual amount of sunspots. Usually, it goes through these cycles every 11 years with little effect on our weather but it currently is going through one of its extended phases and astrophysicists predict that this phase, the one without sunspots, may last a while. This implies a cooling effect that may, temporarily, cancel out the effects of Global Warming.

  I hope this helps to explain the complexity of the situation. I believe, though this may be overly simplistic, that our current situation is a result of two things in particular. The Arctic Ocean is partially exposed leading to increase in precipitation and the sun is slightly cooler aggravating the situation.

  Villabolo
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  mrsjones5

  Ya'll should move to California

  Roseville Weather

  TODAY	TOMORROW	TUE	WED	THU	6-10 DAY
  AM Fog/PM Sun	Mostly Cloudy	Rain	Showers	Partly Cloudy	Extended Forecast
  High: 52° Low: 40°	High: 54° Low: 46°	High: 50° Low: 45°	High: 54° Low: 37°	High: 55° Low: 39°
• 

  SacrificialLoon

  Are the ice caps still melting?

  It's still warmer than average up there.

  http://nsidc.org/images/arcticseaicenews/20100105_Figure4.png
• 

  restrangled

  Yes its cold! Last night the bird bath and fountain froze solid.... "central Florida"...we are expecting the same yet again tonight.

  As predicted, my heating bill is now at 500.00 and there are still 3 more weeks of power consumption to add to that. All lights off, and thermometer set at 68 during the day, 65 at night.....I wear a coat all day.

  What the hell? Or should I ask, is this hell freezing over?

  r.
• 

  MsDucky

  MrsJones, that's just not right for California!

  Restrangled, the same for Florida! WTH? That's cold!
• 

  MsDucky

  Villabolo, it sounds like the "Butterfly Effect". You just can't predict the weather.
• 

  dinah

  It's cold as a north-bound witch's tit in Bama.
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  OUTLAW

  ................................... ...OUTLAW