Ice melting as Arctic temp rises; NASA: Carbon Dioxide Controls Earth's Temp

[G_j]

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2010/10/21/sea_ice_melting_as_arctic_temperature_rises/?p1=Well_Science_links

Sea ice melting as Arctic temperature rises
By Randolph E. Schmid
AP Science Writer / October 21, 2010

WASHINGTON—The temperature is rising again in the Arctic, with the sea ice extent dropping to one of the lowest levels on record, climate scientists reported Thursday.

The new Arctic Report Card "tells a story of widespread, continued and even dramatic effects of a warming Arctic," said Jackie Richter-Menge of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility in Hanover, N.H.

"This isn't just a climatological effect. It impacts the people that live there," she added.

Atmospheric scientists concerned about global warming focus on the Arctic because that is a region where the effects are expected to be felt first, and that has been the case in recent years.

There was a slowdown in Arctic warming in 2009, but in the first half of 2010 warming has been near a record pace, with monthly readings over 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 Fahrenheit) above normal in northern Canada, according to the report card released Thursday.

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http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/co2-temperature.html

NASA: Carbon Dioxide Controls Earth's Temperature
10.14.10

A new atmosphere-ocean climate modeling study shows that atmospheric carbon dioxide acts as a thermostat in regulating the temperature of Earth.

Various atmospheric components differ in their contributions to the greenhouse effect, some through feedbacks and some through forcings. Without carbon dioxide and other non-condensing greenhouse gases, water vapor and clouds would be unable to provide the feedback mechanisms that amplify the greenhouse effect. › View larger

Various atmospheric components differ in their contributions to the greenhouse effect, some through feedbacks and some through forcings. Without carbon dioxide and other non-condensing greenhouse gases, water vapor and clouds would be unable to provide the feedback mechanisms that amplify the greenhouse effect. Credit: NASA GISS Water vapor and clouds are the major contributors to Earth's greenhouse effect, but a new atmosphere-ocean climate modeling study shows that the planet's temperature ultimately depends on the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide.

The study, conducted by Andrew Lacis and colleagues at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, examined the nature of Earth's greenhouse effect and clarified the role that greenhouse gases and clouds play in absorbing outgoing infrared radiation. Notably, the team identified non-condensing greenhouse gases -- such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and chlorofluorocarbons -- as providing the core support for the terrestrial greenhouse effect.

Without non-condensing greenhouse gases, water vapor and clouds would be unable to provide the feedback mechanisms that amplify the greenhouse effect. The study's results will be published Friday, Oct. 15 in Science.


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[Johonny]

1. In the political world

Pretty much every republican running for the senate believes the US should do nothing on climate change and the science is still unknown (or fake!).

[SpiralHawk]

2. The reality of 4 degrees above normal, month after month....

...will have an impact far transcending the republicon & teabagger flight from facts.

[northernlights]

3. seriously, in the political world

politicians think they can decide how much to allow the earth's temperature to rise. They come to agreements "allowing" a rise of 0.5 decgrees C, or 1.25 degrees C, or whatever it is that they name in one treaty or another. And those arrogant, egotistical fucktards either actually believe that they can control the amount of rise...or that we're stupid enough to believe that they can. Like earth is just another one of their subjects :eyes:

Reality. If we totally cease all greenhouse gas emissions today, the temp will continue to rise for decades as a result of greenhouse gases released over the last several decades. We are all well and truly fucked.

[glinda]

5. very well said

[G_j]

4. also, Most Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Are Global Warming Deniers

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/20/governor-climate-deniers


Like House & Senate GOP Candidates, Most Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Are Global Warming Deniers

An exclusive Wonk Room analysis finds that 22 of the 37 Republican candidates for governor this November are deniers of the scientific consensus on global warming pollution. These science deniers are part of an anti-reality wave of Tea Party candidates, who comprise the Republican slate for the U.S. House and Senate. “The GOP is stampeding toward an absolutist rejection of climate science that appears unmatched among major political parties around the globe, even conservative ones,” writes the National Journal’s Ron Brownstein.

Although 97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate change is manmade, only two Republican gubernatorial candidates in Democratic strongholds — Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie (R-VT) and Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona (R-HI) — want to address the threat. Two more candidates — Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ) and Meg Whitman (R-CA) — accept that global warming is a manmade problem, but oppose enacting policy to reduce fossil fuel pollution. The other eleven candidates have “artfully avoided” any discussion of the threat global warming poses to their states, from flood-ravaged Iowa and Tennessee to drought-parched Nevada.

Without further ado, meet the twenty-two climate zombies running for governor:

ALABAMA – Robert Dudley
ALASKA – Sean Parnell
CONNECTICUT – Tom Foley
FLORIDA – Rick Scott
GEORGIA – Nathan Deal
ILLINOIS – Bill Brady
KANSAS – Sam Brownback
MINNESOTA – Tom Emmer
MAINE – Paul LePage
MARYLAND – Robert Ehrlich
MASSACHUSETTS – Charlie Baker
NEW YORK – Carl Paladino
NEW MEXICO – Susana Martinez
OHIO – John Kasich
OKLAHOMA – Mary Fallin
OREGON – Chris Dudley
RHODE ISLAND – Joseph Robitaille
SOUTH DAKOTA – Dennis Daugaard
TEXAS – Rick Perry
UTAH – Gary Herbert
WISCONSIN – Scott Walker
WYOMING – Matt Mead

[G_j]

6. ++

unrecced?

:banghead:

[progressoid]

7. Huh? What?

Did somebody mention Lindsay Lohan?

Gotta keep our priorities straight!

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, G_j.

[WillyT]

9. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

[Starry Messenger]

10. k & r

[G_j]

11. CO2: The Thermostat that Controls Earth's Temperature

http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/lacis_01/