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Global Dimming

Posted by michael on from the keeping-skynet-down dept.

wiredog writes "The Guardian reports on research which shows that the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface has decreased by 10% in 30 years. This has implications for global warming models and, especially, agricultural output."

2 of 637 comments (clear)

  1. weird by ikoleverhate · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Quite weird - there was an elderly farmer saying much the same thing this morning on my bus to work.

    I'm pretty sure he wasn't a guardian reader, it's just something he'd noticed over the years.

    At the time, I thought he was talking crazy talk...

  2. Re:Well of course by rrkap · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Although you probably meant this as a joke, it might be. The amount of light people recieve affects lots of physical things. Chronically light deprived people (such as those who work night shifts) are heavier on average than those who don't. Lack of sufficient light also affects alertness and mood, and not only in those who have seasonal affective disorder.

    That being said, I don't think a 10% reduction in light would cause a significant increase in obesity, but it might be an interesting experiment.

    --
    I like my beverages with warning labels!