Warmer Oceans linked to Stronger Hurricanes

linguizic writes "According to Scientific American, global warming could be creating stronger hurricanes: 'Since the 1970s, ocean surface temperatures around the globe have been on the rise--from one half to one degree Fahrenheit, depending on the region. Last summer, two studies linked this temperature rise to stronger and more frequent hurricanes. Skeptics called other factors into account, such as natural variability, but a new statistical analysis shows that only this sea surface temperature increase explains this trend.'"

Comments

Kyoto

[Beuno]

I wonder how many huracane disasters it will take the US to adopt the Kyoto Protocol they have rejected...

Re:Kyoto

[rapierian]

I do have fairly good evidence for my assertions, but I'm too lazy to look it up. Suffice it to say I'm basing my assumptions on a couple of things: For my first assertion: We'd need to reduce a LOT more carbon emission levels than Kyoto to notice any significant change worldwide. For my second assertion: As long as the birthrate is more than 2 kids per family, the market is going to continue to grow, which means that mankind is going to continue to consume resources, and produce pollution. Trying to limit the growth won't do anything besides delay the inevitible, but trying to foster new growth in more environmentally healthy areas can mitigate and even reverse environmental damage.

So my responses would be:

1. Sort of. It's only really a negative force for the country buying those emissions, isn't it? Not to mention that the whole devloping nations clause messes up the entire situation so that it's really just a way to shuffle money to said nations, and doesn't do much for emissions as a whole. That being said, if you want to introduce either negative or positive forces on the market for pollution, there are simpler, more direct, and more effective ways to do so.

2. Most countries, and certainly the U.S. have these measures in place already. That being the case, if this was all Kyoto was doing, sure, lets sign a treaty saying everyone needs to pay attention to how much pollution we already put out, because we already do and it'd be nice to have other people do so as well.

3. America is and has been concerned about pollution, which is why we've led so many other environmental initiatives. The argument that Kyoto is worth political brownie points is at this point certainly true, since that's all anyone seems to think about regarding the environment nowadays, but, and here's where we probably will always disagree and I won't try and argue to change your mind: those political brownie points are not worth the negative effects the rest of the treaty causes.

Normal Cycle

[blackdragon7777]

This is the normal cycle of hurricanes. Many scientists have studied past hurricanes (dating all the way back to ancient China) and have concluded that this is a normal cycle of increasing hurricane activity and strength. There is little to no effect from global warming. The words global warming are now just used for political gain and have little scientific merit.

Re:Sick of schools brainwashing lil kids with theo

[Hogwash McFly]

I can't believe somebody like you even exists.

Wow, you are a living, breathing human, yet you managed to type and submit such bollocks? I hope you are either a kid or mentally retarded, because if you are a normal adult then I fear for humanity.

And of course

[kilodelta]

The Bush Administration is blindly or willfully ignorant of the fact. So what if we lose New Orleans, so long as Crawford, TX and Camp David aren't hit it ain't no big thing.

Right now I'm starting to read "The Republican War on Science" by Chris Mooney. Yep, just pull info out of your ass and propagate it as sound policy. That's the M.O. of this administration.

Sorry for the political rant.

More religious zealotry

[mrmeval]

More religious zealotry in the guise of science. I've heard the opposite of that from another source. Can this be moved to the religion section please.