7. Gore stated that Global Warming produced Hurricane Katrina. The Judge found no evidence.
8. Polar bears were drowning, swimming distances of up to 60 miles in search of ice. Judge Justice Burton indicates that a total of 4 bears had drowned, that in a storm.
9. Coral reefs were bleaching because of global warming and other factors. Burton "It is not possible to separate global warming from other causes, particularly, over-fishing."
We may review some of the fundamentals of global warming, and the cause of the warming, the Greenhouse Effect. The "Greenhouse Effect" is the warming that happens when gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat. These gases let in light but prevent some of the heat from escaping; the more Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the more heat that is trapped. Levels of Greenhouse gases have gone up and down over the Earth's history, but they have been fairly constant for the past few thousand years. Global average temperatures have stayed fairly constant over that time as well, until recently. Now we are told that, through the burning of fossil fuels and other emissions, humans are enhancing the Greenhouse Effect, and warming our Earth. Strange to report, just a few short years ago the rising level of Greenhouse gases was blamed on and their related flatulence. Prior to that the blame went to aerosol products, specifically, spray deodorants. It's a strange world. So, now the culprit is burning fossil fuel and other emissions. May I be so bold as to suggest that the reference is to automobile emissions and the heated smoke from industrial smokestacks from foundries and mills?
The difference between average global temperatures today and during the ice ages is only about 9 degrees Fahrenheit, and these swings happen slowly, over hundreds of thousands of years. The problem is that now these "swings" are occurring at a much accelerated rate. The Earth's average temperature has warmed about 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1880 and is now warmer than it has been in the past 400 years. Many prominent scientists predict that average global temperatures are likely to rise somewhere between 2 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. Many agree that we are indeed facing a crisis, a crisis of greenhouse gases.
In mitigation one might point out that when the ocean currents change, the polar weather warms and the glaciers melt, there is a corresponding and countering effect. The large floating ice-blocks enter the adjoining ocean waters, travel south to a degree, and act much as the ice cubes in our lemonade, cooling the waters. The waters cool, the air is cooled, and the global warming is thwarted — all very self-contained.
Article comments
1 - Dr Dreadful
A critique of Justice Burton's "nine errors".
"In mitigation one might point out that when the ocean currents change, the polar weather warms and the glaciers melt, there is a corresponding and countering effect. The large floating ice-blocks enter the adjoining ocean waters, travel south to a degree, and act much as the ice cubes in our lemonade, cooling the waters. The waters cool, the air is cooled, and the global warming is thwarted " all very self-contained."
And we all lived happily ever after. Nice analogy up to a point, but what happens, John, if you let your iced lemonade sit for a while? Does it remain cool?
Your best point is the one about natural selection. We're a conservative species, and it's hard to look past our natural instinct to save what we know. The Earth will survive and thrive with or without us, that's for sure.
Lastly, your viewpoint "from the BBC" is actually that of a skeptical scientist (a petroleum geologist, to be precise) who happened to be writing on the BBC's website. He's not an employee of the Corporation. I may appear to be quibbling, but your sourcing needs to be more robust if your arguments are to have credibility.
2 - Christine
I wondered about this when I saw this video...
Daring to Question Al Gore
3 - John Lake
Thanks for your comments!
Dr. Dreadful is a perceptive and precise reader. That's unusual these day's.
As to Christine, I look forward to watching the video, but am not at the moment set up for sound.
Have a great day.
John Lake
4 - John Lake
A tiny correction:
Strange to report, just a few short years ago the rising level of Greenhouse gases was blamed on cattle and their related flatulence