[LINK] Scientists offered cash to dispute climate study

Stewart Fist stewart_fist at optusnet.com.au
Mon Feb 5 14:50:30 AEDT 2007


We need to be careful with terminology in this discussion, because misuse of
words is often distorting real scientific objections. There's still plenty
of room for scientific disputes.

€ Climate change doesn't just mean global warming. It has many different
aspects.
1. Temperature - warming, cooling, or staying the same
2. Stability - is the climate change of the kind we can adapt to, or does it
change month by month
3. Predictable -  does the current trend predict the future
4. Rainfall - do higher temperatures mean greater or less rainfall, and
where.
5. Ocean levels.  

Most climatologists would say that, despite the current trend to warming,
that cooling had the potential for the greatest impact.

Stability is also disputed: the Vikings in small open boats made their
greatest voyages during a period of 4 degrees of global warmth.

Rainfall. Some scientist still appear to be saying that (provided the
Antarctic continent remains well below freezing) that extra warmth in the
tropics will increase evaporation and result in greater snow deposits in
Antarctica. Others say it will be less.

 And remember that the loss of floating ice makes no difference to sea
levels

The main risk appears to be the potential for changing the flow of the Gulf
Stream which would seriously effect North Europe (it probably caused the
Little Ice Ages)


€ Global Warming doesn't mean Greenhouse.
The Greenhouse effect is clearly one factor, but the consensus still appears
to be that one-third or so comes from other sources. They can't agree on
what, or how, as far as I can see.  Over the last few thousand years before
CO2 became a major factor we've had changes of temperature upwards by about
4 degrees C, and down by about the same amount.


I think we've always got to be careful about uncritically accepting ideas
that are currently fashionable.  But I also believe strongly in the
precautionary principle.


-- 
Stewart Fist, writer, journalist, film-maker
70 Middle Harbour Road, LINDFIELD, 2070, NSW, Australia
Ph +61 (2) 9416 7458





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