Re: "Global Warning is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people"

A geologists take on global warming - Of course I can't speak for all geologists, but I think we typically have more of a long term perspective. I tend to be more relaxed about it (not as relaxed as Janice perhaps :) But I wouldn't say global warming is a hoax. Global warming is indeed a fact. But it didn't start with the industrial revolution. It began about 18,000 years ago, for reasons that are ultimately a mystery. It's a safe bet that global warming will continue, at least in our life times, with minor ups and downs, and then return to ice age conditions. What are the odds that after 18,000 years, our generation just happens to be at the peak of warming? I think global warming is a wildfire that we can't control. We can pour fuel on the fire (by pouring greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere), which probably isn't wise, but I don't think we can put the fire out. We can certainly influence the climate. We can raise temperatures with greenhouse emissions, and we can lower !
 it with particulate pollutants (nuclear winter scenarios). As Glenn and other folks tell us, we probably won't be able to continue burning fossil fuels at the rate we have been. But even if we stop completely, I doubt it will reverse global warming. We didn't start it, and I don't think we can stop it.

Brent

---- "George L. Murphygmurphy@raex.com" <gmurphy@raex.com> wrote:

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Same song, second verse. A little bit louder and a little bit worse."

One problem - certainly not the only one - with Gray's claims can be seen in the following paragraph of the story."

"Gray believes in the obs. The observations. Direct measurements. Numerical models can't be trusted. Equation pushers with fancy computers aren't the equals of scientists who fly into hurricanes."

Notebooks full of "direct measurements" in themselves are not adequate for good science. Both observational data and theories are needed, & with something as complex as the earth's weather system computer modelling is an essential part of theorizing. The fact that the writer has to ridicule theorists as "equation pushers with fancy computers" shows both a lack of understanding of how science works and an attempt to bias the reader.

Shalom,
George

George L. Murphy
Received on Wed May 31 18:01:39 2006