Slashdot Mirror
1981 Paper's Predictions for Global Temperatures Spot-On
Layzej writes "The Register reports on a paper published in Science in 1981 projecting global mean temperatures up to the year 2100. 'When the 1981 paper was written, temperatures in the northern hemispheres were declining, and global mean temperatures were below their 1940 levels. Despite those facts, the paper's authors confidently predicted a rise in temperature due to increasing CO2 emissions.' The prediction turns out to be remarkably accurate — even a bit optimistic. The article concludes that the 1981 paper is 'a nice example of a statement based on theory that could be falsified and up to now has withstood the test.'"
well... y'know what? even brownian motion gets it right if there's enough molecules. the trick is in being able to spot the one molecule that pops out at the right place at the right time, and this is no different, really.
out of hundreds of articles on climate theory predictions, at least _one_ of them had to get it right. the problem is this, however: that correctness could only be spotted in retrospect, and so doesn't actually help us *unless* the article goes on to predict a bit further into the future, and even then it *still* doesn't really help us to solve the problem (which is that action needs to be taken) because, once again, people really won't listen until it's yet *again* too late.
all of which goes to just highlight that the problem is not the predictions, but that nothing's been done *about* those predictions. so that just leaves it to us to DO something, as individuals. which is why i'm actually doing something, in two areas that i am interested in: cars - http://lkcl.net/ev - and computers - http://rhombus-tech.net./ what are _you_ doing, slashdot reader?