Slashdot Mirror
150th Anniversary of Greenhouse Climate Theory
An anonymous reader writes "It was 150 years ago that John Tyndall, one of history's truly great physicists, published a scientific paper with the far-from-snappy title On the Absorption and Radiation of Heat by Gases and Vapours, and on the Physical Connexion of Radiation, Absorption, and Conduction. The BBC has an article on John Tyndall and his contributions 150 years ago to the physics behind the study of climate change."
What truly makes me sad when I see things like this, is that it ultimately makes me think that a bit of science has been lying around for 150 years - and there are still people who try to disclaim it, pretend it simply isn't true and make all manner of excuses as to why it doesn't mean what it clearly states. All to either keep making money, keep doing what they have been doing or because it is simply easier to not have to change the way things are done.
Moved to http://soylentnews.org/. You are invited to join us too!
"Historical records have had the average temperature warmer than now"
That may be true in another world of the many-worlds multiverse. Not this one.
Not globally, not even for the Northern Hemisphere, not for any climatically meaningful interpretation of "now".
Really, people, this is not hard. Google for Spencer Weart, read his website, then google Skeptical Science and read John Cook's web site.
"the ice caps . . . just three years ago, people were claiming they'd be gone in six [years]..."
Aha. I see the problem: reading comprehension. It was not ice caps but Arctic sea ice that was exercising the imaginations of bloggers. Cryosphere researchers expect the ice caps to last thousands of years -- tens of thousands of years, in the case of the Antarctic ice cap.
using words like truther and denier just brings in stupid partisan bullshit in what SHOULD be a healthy debate
This would be much more convincing if the rest of your post weren't exactly the kind of ignorant, paranoid rant that causes people to be labeled deniers in the first place.
I would have said that it would be more convincing if "Al Gore" wasn't always preceded with "Reverend". Unless I'm mistaken, he's not a priest.
Well first of all I think using words like truther and denier just brings in stupid partisan bullshit in what SHOULD be a healthy debate.
I agree, but that's the sort of thing that happens when it's long past the time that "healthy debate" should have ended. Suppose every test indicates you've got cancer, and every doctor you've seen says you've got cancer. Locking into the position that you don't have cancer is not "healthy debate". It's very unhealthy debate, especially when the tumor is visible on your skin.
Now here is what I personally have against the whole climate change, which make up your damned mind is it global warming or global cooling?
Strawman and beside the point. global cooling was never a widely accepted theory
Climate change is a cop out, the climate has been changing for all of recorded history!
Also beside the point. Climate is changing at an unprecedented rate. This change is dues to human CO2 emissions.
The ONLY "solution" we have been offered is carbon credits
Beside the point, and entirely untrue. It's beside the point because you're using your displeasure for the solution as evidence the problem doesn't exists. Carbon credits were chosen by politicians as the only solution that would satisfy conservatives. Many other solutions were offered. They were all rejected because they weren't "market based". Frankly, a revenue neutral carbon tax is a better solution, but conservatives wouldn't go for it because it has the word "tax" in it. But, even if the solution was free donuts, I'm guessing you would oppose it.
Support SETI@home