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China's Coal Power Plants Mask Climate Change
Hugh Pickens writes "The Guardian reports on new research revealing that the huge increase in coal-fired power stations in China, up from just over 10 gigawatts (GW) in 2002 to over 80GW in 2006, has masked the impact of global warming in the last decade because of the cooling effect of their sulphur emissions. But scientists warn that rapid warming is likely to resume when the short-lived sulphur pollution – which also causes acid rain – is cleaned up and the full heating effect of long-lived carbon dioxide is felt. 'Reductions in carbon emissions will be more important as China installs scrubbers [on its coal-fired power stations], which reduce sulphur emissions,' says Dr. Robert Kaufman. 'This, and solar insolation increasing as part of the normal solar cycle, [will mean] temperature is likely to increase faster.' The effect also explains the lack of global temperature rise seen between 1940 and 1970 as the effect of the sulphur emissions from increased coal burning outpaced that of carbon emissions, until acid rain controls were introduced, after which temperature rose quickly. 'Warming due to the CO2 released by Chinese industrialization has been partially masked by cooling due to reflection of solar radiation by sulphur emissions,' says Prof Joanna Haigh. 'On longer timescales, with cleaner emissions, the warming effect will be more marked.'"
This will be caused by the impact of Global Warming. When there are large migrations due to climate changes, and much international strife, the fact that we ignored the warning signs will look incredibly stupid.
People will be looking for someone to blame. All the footage of Republicans denying a problem exists will be found, and they will become the symbol of our stupid policies. Even though many share the blame, they will be so identified with bad judgment that the party will have to change it's name due to the bad connotation.
Personally, I think this language change will be greatly deserved.
Why is Snark Required?
Parent misses point that end of the world fear mongering "the world is burning" is pure bullshit.
The heat is missing. Cant be found - see climategate emails. Study attempts to blame the very emissions that are supposed to cause warming.
Its circular logic. If you believe this crap, shame on you..
The effect also explains the lack of global temperature rise seen between 1940 and 1970
When the evidence doesn't fit the model, just come up with an excuse to dismiss the evidence. That's the grant-whoring scientific method at its finest.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
These 'scientists' really make me laugh...
Because they are all the time revising their models and theories in order to make them more acurate? What a stupid thing for a scientist to do!
The stupid thing they do, is not gather climate data and theorize on it, but use their gathered data to come up with ridiculous insane social engineering / economic failures / central govt neo-catholic original sin control via guilt.
Let me provide the Standard /. Car Analogy:
My 14 year old car engine has a leaky valve cover gasket that drips out about a tablespoon of oil per month.
Denier #1: No one can prove the oil on the floor comes from my car. Could be someone elses car, or a enviroterrorist dumping oil trying to make me look bad.
Fearmonger #1: At present rate, the world will fill with dripped oil and we will all drown. Vote for me!
Denier #2: Oil stain on garage floor could be stains from greasy mcdonalds food.
Scientist #1: Clearly, the evidence of leaking oil proves the only solution is for the "workers of the world unite, you only have your chains to lose!" If hugo chavez's government owned the factory that built my car, surely it would never have dripped oil.
Denier #3: You have less than 14 years of garage floor data. How certain are you its not a natural crude oil seep underneath the garage?
Scientist #2: Perhaps the best way to prevent the world from filling with dripped oil, drowning us all, would be to genocide 90% of the population. After all, people = cars = dripped oil, unless you're an illiterate heathen from flyover country who would argue with math and equations. Because everyone who whines about overpopulation is a coward, I as a scientist, scientifically suggest that the 90% to be disappeared be from "not my family" and "not my culture/ethnic group" and "not my country".
Scummy financial industry economist type #1 (is there any other kind?): Hmm, maybe I can make some dough off a futures market of the rate increase of the oil drip rate from VLMs car. I could get insider information, or I could front run the retail investors trades, or maybe implement some high freq trading voodoo.
Denier #4: Used motor oil is mostly hydrocarbons. Sometimes, some people, occasionally, like hydrocarbons on their floors, either for temporary comic relief, or the closely related, yet entirely different situation of hydrocarbon based floor waxes and wood floor finishes and floor paints. Therefore all spilled oil is desired by all people all the time.
Scummy financial industry economist type #2 (but I repeat myself...): maybe I could convince VLM to pay me twice for the oil, once when he pours it in, and once when it drips out. We'll call it a "tax" because americans always roll over and play dead whenever someone increases their taxes; they think it inevitable that their middle class be destroyed and that taxes MUST always increase, so calling it a carbon tax is excellent marketing.
Scientist #3: I'm really proud of how we talked about this all day and wrote papers about cars that drip oil, which from a middle management perspective is equally effective as actually doing something. Excuse me, while I commute back to my ivory tower in my Prius.
Denier #5: My holy book does not discuss "cars" or "motor oil", and my holy book is all I need to get into heaven, therefore I'm sticking my fingers in my ears. These scientists should have been studying my holy book in sunday school, not learning all this calculus stuff, especially since calculus, and learning in general, is tool of the devil. Would you like to hear a hymn, or perhaps a completely out of context quote from my holy book?
Scientist #4: I'll say anything for money. Anyone who denies will never get any money again. What a happy coincidence for me that that I am a trustworthy supporter of popular groupthink! Now that I've said that, where's my grant money to study these oil drippy "car" things?
The problem is my parodies above are all completely accurate, all the players are morons not worth listening to.
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
Yeah it's a classic example of post hoc rationalization. Current data has departed from the predicted doomsday scenario, so scapegoats are looked for to explain why the original theory is inaccurate - instead of accepting that perhaps the original theory was BS to start with. Best yet is that now the end of the world has been delayed, but somehow it's going to be worse. Send more dollars please!
Funny, where were all these self proclaimed climate change experts before "An Inconvenient Truth" was written?
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.