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Thread: UN on climate

  1. #1
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
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    UN on climate

    I think this just says it all (from this article on M&G)

    "The systematic destruction of the Earth's natural and nature-based resources has reached a point where the economic viability of economies is being challenged -- and where the bill we hand on to our children may prove impossible to pay,"
    Just take a minute to think about that, "the economic viability of economies is being challenged."

    This is not about polar bears or whales. This is about you and me. What will happen to you if our (or any other) economy is no longer viable? Can you and your children afford that? Can you afford to change right now?
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    Silver Member Graeme's Avatar
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    Sunspot - sigh of relief

    A sunspot has just appeared on the sun and many people are breathing a sigh of relief. Why?

    The sun has a well-known 11-year cycle, during which it moves from Solar Max to Solar Min; this means from a state of many sunspots, or solar storms, to a few.

    Sunspot data has been collected since 1749, and 100 or more ’spots’ can occur during a single month of the maximum portion of the cycle. We have just been through Solar Min, and the return of sunspots is late. During the last few months, there have been virtually no spots, and a month with no spots is at all is very rare.

    It has been found that there is a direct correlation between the number of sunspots and global warming, and, consequently, the state of the climate. The last time the sun was as quiet as it is now was 400 years ago, and that signalled the onset of a period of global cooling, the coldest point of which is known as the Maunder Minimum. At that time New York harbour froze to such a degree that people could walk from Manhattan island over to the island on which the Statue of Liberty stands today.

    There has been no global warming since 1998; in fact, there has been a slight cooling. In 2005 Russian astronomer Khabilullo Abdusamatov predicted that the state of the sun could trigger a rapid cooling if it stayed this way. So it is with relief that the current sunspot has made its appearance - maybe more will follow.

    Dr Timothy Patterson, director of the Geosciences Centre at Carleton University, has found “excellent correlations” between the solar fluctuations and global temperature, whereas he says that there are no such correlations with the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere.

    Research has revealed that the temperature of the planet is related to how much cloud cover there is. Fewer clouds mean a warmer planet, since sunlight strikes the earth and warms it up. More clouds mean that the tops of the clouds reflect the sun’s heat back into outer space.

    The amount of cloud cover is related to the quantity of cosmic rays coming into the atmosphere. (a whole page describing the reason for this is omitted here because of space considerations)

    When there are many sunspots, a stronger magnetic field develops around the earth, and this shields the planet from cloud-forming cosmic rays. A quiet sun, as we have now, results in more clouds covering the earth, and so a cooler climate results.

    Dr Kenneth Tapping, a solar researcher at Canada’s National Research Council, has said that if we do not get some sunspots soon, we could be heading for an extended chilly period.

    (See full article in Creamer’s Engineering News: October 10-16, 2008)

  3. #3
    Email problem Superscenic's Avatar
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    I still think milions of cars are the problem.

    Combustion engines...I hate them.

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    Silver Member Loman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Superscenic View Post
    Combustion engines...I hate them.
    If only Hybrids were cheaper.
    The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch

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    Silver Member Loman's Avatar
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    I've read that Tata's has a minivan that will soon be available. It runs on compressed air.

    I wonder how much the petrol stations are going to charge us for air
    The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch

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