Anthropogenic Global Warming. Is Earth at the tipping point? By: Geoffrey Pohanka. Objectives. Examine in a thorough, yet understandable way, the theory of man made global warming Analyze its plausibility Review other factors, besides CO2, that may impact the climate.
Is Earth at the tipping point?
By: Geoffrey Pohanka
Examine in a thorough, yet understandable way, the theory of man made global warming
Analyze its plausibility
Review other factors, besides CO2, that may impact the climate.
Give a prediction of the global climate for the next 20-30 years
Since 1987 temperature change has not been consistent globally. Temperatures in the southern hemisphere have been cooling. Source: RSSGlobal temperatures have only been tracked accurately from satellites since 1979.
(+0.74 deg C), what do the supporters of the man made global warming theory (AGW) predict for the remaining years of the 21st Century?
Consists of theories and concepts that must be proven through observation.
“Principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.”
“No amount of experimentation can prove me right, but a single experiment can prove me wrong.”
“The military industrial complex” (and also…..)
The “ domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present – and is to be greatly regarded”…
“…we must be alert to….the danger that public policy itself
become captive of the scientific-technological elite”
Question: Is it warmer than it has ever been? farewell address to the nation, regarding:With the exception of the Ice Ages, the Earth’s temperature todayis cooler than most of the last sixty-seven million years.(chart reads right to left)(source: James Zachos)
The Earth has been in an ice age most of the last 400,000 years. The earth’s temperature in each of the last four interglacial periods was several degrees warmer than today. (chart reads left to right) Reconstructed global temperature over the past 420,000 years based on the Vostok ice core from the Antarctica (Petit et al. 2001
We are in an 11,000 year interglacial period called the Holocene. It has been warmer than today quite a few times in this period. This warming is from natural causes and not man.
Temperatures were several degrees warmer than today in Holocene. the Roman and the Medieval Period. The earth cooled several degrees from 1400 to 1800, this period is called “The Little Ice Age”. Earth’s latest warming started in the early 1700s, long before CO2 was a factor.
U.S. has tracked continental temperatures since 1895 with land based thermometors U.S. temperatures have been cooler in five of the last seven decades even though CO2 levels increased in this period. The forty year cooling period from the 1930s to 1970s caused some to fear the return of an ice age.
(Source: NASA GISS)
The U.S. has the longest and most comprehensive record of temperature data from ground weather stations (source: Climateskeptic.com)
Most parts of the globe do not keep consistent track of the temperatures. This map shows weather stations reporting data at least 67% of the time from 1978-2007(Source: GHCN)
In the early 1990s climate data stopped being collected from thousands of global weather stations. Many of these stations were in cooler rural areas such as Siberia. Temperatures appeared to rise as the stations were dropped. How temperature is collected impacts the data. (source: Joe D’Aleo)
Canada had over 600 climate stations in 1975. By 2009 they were down to less than 50. Most stations today are located near the warmer southern border. There are only 4 stations today in the Polar north. Source icecap.us
One way the U.S. tracks temperature is from 1,221 ground weather stations.These stations are supposed to be kept at a distance from buildings, roadways, and trees(Source: Anthony Watts)(
Such as sewage treatment plants
Or buildings with A/C units
Some are in backyards and near people’s “stuff” traffic is growing and effects local temperatures.Changes within close proximity to climate stations impacts the temperatures that are recorded.
These two stations are forty miles apart and show different temperature trends due to the proximity of development.This demonstrates the impact of land use changes on ‘local’ temperatures and the importance of sensor placement.
Results of the 1,221 USCHN surface weather station quality ratings. Using NOAA’s own standards for the quality of climate station location, data from 89% of the stations surveyed would be classified as ‘unreliable’.(Source: Anthony Watts)
Location of U.S. climate stations
and their ratings
Bias rating factor
Most global climate stations are located in or near urban areas. The temperature in cities is warmer than the surrounding countryside. Local warming is not the same as global warming.Source: Zeke Hausfather , Steven Mosher, Matthew Menne , Claude Williams , and Nick Stokes
URBAN areas. The temperature in cities is warmer than the surrounding countryside. Local warming is not the same as global warming.HEATISLANDEFFECTThe world’s population has increased six-fold in the last 100 years. The growing urbanization has caused “local” temperatures to rise. (heat from the day is slower to dissipate at night in urban areas)The chart below shows how the city of Reno Nevada retains the heat of the day as one drives from the suburbs and into the city. (source: Anthony Watts)
The official EPA description of ‘heat islands’ areas. The temperature in cities is warmer than the surrounding countryside. Local warming is not the same as global warming. (source: http://www.epa.gov/heatislands/index.htm)
As areas. The temperature in cities is warmer than the surrounding countryside. Local warming is not the same as global warming.atmosphericCO2levelsincrease,howaretemperaturesreacting ? U.S. temperatures in 2008 were below the 115 year averageU.S. 2009 Summer temperatures were the 34th coldest in 115 years.U.S. October 2009 temperatures were the 3rd coldest ever for that month, 4 degrees below normal. December 2009 temps were the 4th coldest ever for that month.(Source: U.S. National Climate Data Center)
These cold temperatures were not limited to North America. They could also be found in Europe and Asia. The Russian winter of 2009-2010 was one of the coldest ever.
In February 2010 North America had the largest area of snow cover ever recorded.The Northern Hemisphere had the second largest ever. (Source: Rutgers University Global Snow Lab)
The snow extent since 1967 in North America and the Northern Hemisphere has been increasing.It is snowing in areas where it normally rains.Source: Rutgers University Global Snow Lab.
Observation shows that as temperatures fall, snowfall increases. Instead of rain, there is snow.Source: National Weather Service Forecast Office in Philadelphia
Atmospheric temperatures do not have a bias from land use changes.They show no warming since 2002 in spite of a strong La Nina in 2010.(satellite measurement of atmospheric temps began in 1979)
70% of the earth is ocean. the tenth coldest in thirty-two years.Argo (part of the inter global observation strategy) measures the earth’s ocean temperature with over 3,000 buoys (Source: ARGO)
Ocean surface temperatures are influenced by winds their temperature data to satellites (El Nino-La Nina). They, also, show a cooling trend. No heat sinks have been discovered.
Atmospheric CO2 levels during the Dinosaur periods were as much as twelve times higher than today’s.The environment supported a diversity of life.
Ordovician-Silurian Ice Age - fifteen times more CO2
Cretaceous Ice Age - five times more.
Permian-Jurassic Ice Age - more CO2 than today as well.
Either CO2 does not cause much warming……other natural forces are much stronger…..or both.
(source: Ian Plimer)
only 38 of them are CO2, (388 parts per million)
CO2 has grown 100ppm since the mid 1700s, an increase of 35%
only 1/10,000thsince the mid 1700s
(if you had ten cents in your pocket and it increases by 40%, the increase as a percentage is large, but there is still not much of an overall impact caused by it)
Greenhouse gases slow the release of heat from the atmosphere. This is one reason why the earth’s temperature is different from the Moon. Water vapor comprises 95% of greenhouse gases.(source: www.geocraft.com)
CO2 makes up 3.62% of greenhouse gases. But only 3.4% of atmospheric CO2 comes from human sources, the rest is from the oceans, decomposing vegetation and volcanoes. Thus man made sources of CO2 are only responsible for 0.15% of all greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.(source: Heritage Foundation)
Some say that man made CO2 will remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years or more. The flux of atmospheric CO2 suggests otherwise. As the northern hemisphere enters its summer growing season, CO2 levels decline. Plants and nature begin to absorb the extra CO2