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Where the Global Warming Data Is
Several readers noted the latest fallout from the Climate Research Unit's Climategate: the admission by the University of East Anglia that the raw data behind important climate research was discarded in the 1980s, "a time when climate change was seen as a less pressing issue" according to the Times (UK) article. The Telegraph quotes Phil Jones, beleagured head of the CRU: "Our global temperature series tallies with those of other, completely independent, groups of scientists working for NASA and the National Climate Data Centre in the United States, among others. Even if you were to ignore our findings, theirs show the same results. The facts speak for themselves; there is no need for anyone to manipulate them." Some of the data behind these other results can likely be found in a new resource that jamie located up at the Real Climate site: a compilation of links to a wide variety of raw data about climate. From the former link: "In the aftermath of the CRU email hack, many people have come to believe that scientists are unfairly restricting access to the raw data relating to the global rise in temperature. ... We have set up a page of data links to sources of temperature and other climate data, codes to process it, model outputs, model codes, reconstructions, paleo-records, the codes involved in reconstructions etc."
So we're supposed to trust these guys now? Back in the 60's-70's it was going to be Global Ice Age as a result of CFCs. Now it's Global Warming. The fact is, we can't predict a hurricane track or weather a week in advance with current methods. Assuming they're even telling us the truth about the data, we have no idea what it means for the future because the variables involved are so varied and poorly understood that the accuracy of the data is virtually meaningless.
Our species will either adapt to climate changes, or we won't. Douglas Adams said it better than I ever could:
"Far out, in the uncharted backwaters at the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy, lies a small unregarded yellow sun. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly 92 million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended lifeforms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea."
It just doesn't matter one way or the other. The human ego simply can't grasp the idea that the universe doesn't give a damn whether we exist or not. Our futile scratchings at the crust and atmosphere of this planet are insignificant on the galactic scale. I say "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!"
Even I think the same. AcaiCleanse
Lack of citations does not make a troll. It simply means that the info in the post is less reliable. The proper response would be to respond WITH citations. Christ, moderation sucks when Slashdot touches on political issues.