Is It Getting Warmer?

WSJ.com – June 26, 2007

This is very believable.  The scientists in this article were able to do a lab study of poison ivy plants in a very controlled environment.  They compared the reaction of poison ivy in a control atmosphere of “normal” carbon dioxide in the 1950s to today’s CO2 levels.  The result was a more aggressive ivy with greater hardiness, size and allergenic properties.

The study doesn’t mention other plants that have received this CO2 boost but it is plausible that we will see this.  Interesting conclusion is that the greater growth rates of plants may mean that the CO2 will sink out of the atmosphere more quickly.  This is purely conjecture on my part.  Read more... (411 words, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

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Filed under: Greenhouse gas

Plenty Magazine – May 23, 2007

This is a sad article if it is true. Evidently several species of frogs have become extinct and some scientists believe that this extinction was caused by global warming. While I am well aware that certain amphibians (esp. frogs) are very susceptible to changes in their environment, I am concerned that this article does not live up to the burden of proof.

A few of my concerns:  Read more... (545 words, estimated 2:11 mins reading time)

• Global warming should be more accurately termed “Northern Hemisphere Warming” since much of the measured increase was in the northern half of the planet. Costa Rica is very close to the equator – what was the increase in temperature for Costa Rica in the last 50 years? We really do not need to worry about average global temperatures if we are discussing the effect on a species that is very local.

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Filed under: Getting warmer

This is a totally different type of article and I hope you will indulge me. I typically give my editorial thoughts on an article that is fairly easily referenced on the web but in this case I wanted to explain some basic mistakes of an article that I recently read and then propose my own calculations on the article. I finish this post with some observations. While I try very hard to show arguments on both sides of this complicated issue, by reading this post you will have some idea of my personal stance.

The article in question is on the Deltoid blog and is titled Corrections to the McKitrick (2002) Global Average Temperature Series. It may be valuable for you to click through to that article and read it first before continuing here. Take your time, I will wait.  Read more... (1688 words, estimated 6:45 mins reading time)

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Filed under: Not getting warmer, Weather science

The Sun – April 28, 2007

Well, I guess someone was going to write this kind of law eventually. Of course, most people that truly understand the effects of greenhouse gases understand that we need to control methane production if we find that we need to reverse the warming of the planet. As far as this law, I have nothing more to say than to mark this posting “Ridiculous.”

Euro MPs are demanding new laws to stop cows and sheep PARPING. Their call came after the UN said livestock emissions were a bigger threat to the planet than transport.

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The official EU declaration demands changes to animals’ diets, to capture gas emissions and recycle manure.

 Read more... (205 words, estimated 49 secs reading time)

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Filed under: The ridiculous!

The New York Times – May 2, 2007

So if the globe is getting warmer, it stands to reason that the most susceptible species of plants and animals would be the first to respond.  This is exactly what this article is observing. Plants that once only thrived in warmer climates are now very comfortable in the colder latitudes.  Also plants that did well in a certain area are now struggling due to too much heat. 

While this article gives little scientific evidence – primarily observation.  It is a very interesting article and worth reading.  Read more... (526 words, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)

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Filed under: Getting warmer, Greenhouse gas