[Vision2020] Record Warm Temps In Edmonton

[Ted Moffett]

You mention the impacts on "our grandchildren" of fossil fuel use.  And
given I am reading NASA climate scientist James Hansen's new book "Storms of
My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our
Last Chance to Save Humanity," (http://www.stormsofmygrandchildren.com/ ),
which I highly recommend, where Hansen discusses anthropogenic climate
warming impacts on snowfall, discussed in this thread, his comments are
relevant.

I would offer a few direct quotes, but I don't have the book with me... But
I recall very well some of his main points on this issue, so I will
paraphrase.  Hansen is adamant that climate computer models are not the
primary evidence nor basis for scientific theory regarding the physics of
climate.  He points out that some of the computer climate models predict
lower sea level (not higher, as we hear often as an future impact) from
anthropogenic warming, because though there will be increased ice mass loss
on the edges of Greenland and Antarctica (the primary sources of potential
sea level rise) from melting due to higher temperatures, the very much
increased snowfall resulting from anthropogenic warming will cause the
interior ice sheets to grow so much higher, water in total will be removed
from the ocean and stored as ice, lowering sea level.  Hansen states that we
know this will not happen because of the evidence from paleoclimate data,
which he believes is the primary empirical evidence to understand the
climate forcing of human CO2 emissions.

One of the most startling errors made based on climate computer models was
the fact they failed to predict the rapid decline in Arctic sea ice in
recent years.  In this respect, the IPCC erred on the side of less climate
impacts, not more.  Arctic sea ice has recovered some from the record low of
2006, but despite the exaggerated claims of some who question anthropogenic
warming, the recovery does not indicate the planet is not continuing to warm
from continuing human impacts, but is merely responding to natural variables
that will result in year to year climate variability, given the Arctic sea
ice still remains below the 1979-2000 average, and the long term trend still
indicates Arctic sea ice decline, as the following NSIDC (National Snow Ice
Data Center) data reveals:(
http://nsidc.org/images/arcticseaicenews/20100303_Figure3.png )

Year to year precise seasonal climate variability is usually difficult to
predict exactly, of course.  In some cases, such as massive volcanic
activity or an asteroid strike, the climate forcing is so powerful that
short term predictions in these cases can be more reliable.
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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
On Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 9:56 AM, Garrett Clevenger <garrettmc at verizon.net>wrote:

>    Paul writes:
>
>
> "Did anyone predict the massive snowfall seen in the rest of the world?"
>
>
>
>
> It's called "climate change" for a reason. So in the sense that more
> unpredictable anomalies are predicted, then I suppose the massive snowfall
> was predicted, though not as specifically as some would like.
>
>
>
> Those who claim that massive snowfall proves "global warming" wrong lack an
> understanding of climate dynamics and greenhouse gas theory.
>
>
>
> Afterall, with greater temperature differentials due to a warming equator
> comes increased storm intensity.  Warmer temperatures also increase
> evaporation that will eventually precipitate.  If it's cold enough, that
> precip will be as snow.  That snow will be historically massive.
>
>
>
> It doesn't seem rational to think that all the pollution were spewing out
> there would have no effect on climate.
>
>
>
> It also isn't rational to believe the real conspiracy is from "warm
> mongers" and not from those who are raking in enormous sums of money
> peddling their green house gasses.
>
>
>
> Industry has a lot to lose if people start accepting the fact that our
> gluttony and overuse of fossil fuels is slowly making this planet
> uninhabitable for our grandchildren.  They will fight changing the status
> quo with whatever weapons they can.
>
>
>
> But it's probably too much for me to assume humans are rational because by
> and large most people are irrational.
>
>
>
> That's why humans are their own (and every other living creature's) worst
> enemy.
>
>
>
> Garrett Clevenger
>
>
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