Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Global temperature swoons
The lower-troposphere satellite temperature data for May is now available, and by that yardstick, at least, a very significant change from the last peak:
But even more impressive is the change since the last big peak in global temperature of 0.594°C, giving a 16 month ∆T of -0.774°C which is equal in magnitude to the generally agreed upon “global warming signal” of the last 100 years.
If current trends continue, the planet may cool fast enough to save us from ruining our standard of living with onorous greenhouse gas regulation. The downside, of course, is a little ice age, perhaps the one thing that is definitely worse than suffering through rising temperatures with pre-industrial energy consumption.
12 Comments:
By 
randian, at
Wed Jun 04, 02:36:00 AM:
It won't save us from onerous CO2 regulation because the moonbats who are pushing it argue that the cooling is a temporary phenomenon (on what evidence they don't say), that we should ignore the failure of their climate models to predict it, therefore we should ignore it and continue with great haste to implement their regulatory demands.
By 
, at
Wed Jun 04, 05:53:00 AM:
Here in NZ this May was the coolest since 1992 and 1.1 degree C below average. It was also a 4 degree drop from April, so we go into winter just about as cold as we've ever been.
JC
By Andrew X, at
Wed Jun 04, 11:06:00 AM:
I wouldn't worry too much about a "little ice age" or the like.
If we should find ourselves in such a situation, all we need to do is radically increase our carbon output. Just make sure that our cars and factories, hell, our light bulbs, etc... start pumping out more carbon, thus increasing the greenhouse effect, and counter-acting the lower tempuratures. Viola -- no more "ice age" problems. It is completely within our control.
The science is "inarguable", is it not?
By , at
Wed Jun 04, 11:15:00 AM:
Proving once and for all that global warming is a fruad and a hoax being used by unsruploius persons to control our lives
By , at
Wed Jun 04, 11:36:00 AM:
Re Little Ice Age: Around 1817 there was a recorded frost in every month in New England. I wonder what would happen if we experienced a similar year in the American Corn Belt?
By , at
Wed Jun 04, 10:39:00 PM:
Could it be that Hillary, in 2012, will run on a platform of increasing greenhouse gas emission?
By clint, at
Thu Jun 05, 03:04:00 AM:
It's strange.
With all the talk about the global food shortage this year, it seems like no one remembers all of the massive crop destruction during the blizzards that swept China and the Middle East last winter.
You would think that might be related somehow.
By , at
Thu Jun 05, 09:11:00 AM:
Feeble: If we experienced record cold in the American Corn Belt, this would be further evidence of global climate change and would only increase the urgency of reducing carbon emissions.
Don't you get it yet? EVERYTHING is evidence of global climate change.
By , at
Thu Jun 05, 11:40:00 AM:
and, let's not forget, it's all Bush's fault.
By , at
Thu Jun 05, 11:59:00 AM:
When hasn't the climate changed?
I've never been able to find a temperature variation chart like that going back, say, a thousand years. A long enough time for real climate changes to stand out and for antural variability to be smoothed over.
By jj mollo, at
Thu Jun 05, 03:21:00 PM:
I still think the carbon is a problem. And I still think the dependence on foreign oil is a problem. A great increase in the amount of nuclear energy, wind and solar, scrubbed coal, and cellulitic ethanol will help the economy and reduce the power of the OPEC terror funders. It will also help keep down the carbon load, so that when the solar minimum passes, we will be in a little better position.
Also, remember that intelligent conservation remains the largest, cleanest source of energy for the US. If you need an SUV, why can't it be a hybrid SUV or an electric? The best system I've heard about for transportation is the aluminum/gallium/water fueled engines. You can refresh your aluminum at the nearest nuclear power station.
If it gets really cold, which is certainly a possibility, I'll bet we can find ways to heat the Earth temporarily without resorting to CO2 increases. How about reducing the albedo of large deserts with soot infusions. China could certainly provide us with the soot.
By jj mollo, at
Thu Jun 05, 03:24:00 PM:
A large carbon tax is the best way to control the carbon and fund the development of alternatives. This will probably have a positive impact on our economy because it will skim off some of the money we are currently spending on oil. There will be painful short term dislocations, but that's how we became so wealthy to begin with.
