It appears by your assertion that UK engineers suffer from "group think". It is not that surprising that US engineers are independant and don't bow to "royalty" be it political or 'scientific'.
I am just as capable (probably more) than the "climate scientists" on either side. So the 'scientists' should just show their data and methodolgies and let us decide who is lying on our own. Pretty simple solution huh?
Ok, I'm an Engineer, and this shouldn't be rocket science. Since atmospheric CO2 is supposed to be the bad guy -- show me a documented state diagram for atmospheric CO2 flow. Include a diagram that lists all CO2 sources by percentage, as well as all of the CO2 consumers by percentage, along with yearly overall flow rate between the two processes. This would be worth more than a thousand words...
You allege that science has gotten it wrong, so prove it. I doubt that science got it wrong with regards to contrails as there might have been conclusions drawn that warned of a "threat" but was debated and the conclusions evolved. For example, in World War II Bombing Raids Offer New Insight Into the Effects of Aviation On Climate, the study's authors note that "...but quantifiable data on the impact of AIC remains rare."
As for ozone depleting chemicals, in Significant Ozone Hole Remains Over Antarctica it is noted that "Levels of most ozone-depleting chemicals are slowly declining due to international action, but many have long lifetimes, remaining in the atmosphere for decades." You claim to have a Ph.D in chemistry, so you should have known that.
As for the irrelevant stats and "heat island" situated sensors, Richard Muller states in The Case Against Global-Warming Skepticism: There were good reasons for doubt, until now.that "Remarkably, the poorly ranked stations showed no greater temperature increases than the better ones. The mostly likely explanation is that while low-quality stations may give incorrect absolute temperatures, they still accurately track temperature changes." So, there is no bias in sensors positioned in urban areas (heat islands.
So, where're your citations? Your post is totally devoid of citations and illustrates the problem with science today. If you're really a PhD, then I'm surprised. I'm interested to see how you run your blog.
Earth climate will not respond overnight to increased or decreased sun activity. The fact that from 2008-2010 the sun spot activity was very slow states just that. The sun was uniform more or less and provided consistant energy levels, which resulted in a more constant Earth heating.
It is projected that the increased sun spots and flairs will create spikes in the weather patterns. Possibly heating, possibly some cooling.
The main point is what is the relative influence of Sun to the man made.
The believers will claim that we are killing the Earth. Skeptics will point out to some more possibilities. Sun is one of them.
I'm sure that you would agree that Sun does contibute to our weather, unless we live in an imaginary world of physics 101 ( no friction, not losses, ect....).
Stuart21 - What is your Mauna Kea data that shows an increase in CO2 from "the normal man made" sources recording?...the increased CO2 from Hilo, HI?
The point being is that all that is measured is the CO2 level, not where the CO2 originated from.A single local measurement tells nothing but a local level at a particular time.Perhaps you take a more sophisticated approach to the complex fluid dynamics problem that is our atmosphere.Don't feel bad if it is overwhelming, no one has accurately modeled it yet.
BTW - I was in Subic Bay the day Pinatubo blew all those years ago.The initial eruption 30miles distant looked like a nuclear explosion.A Typhoon blew the debris over us the next day.It was pitch black at noon, except when lightening lit up the sky.It was raining rock (pumice), earthquakes, looked like hell on earth.Our ship manned fire hoses topside 24hrs during the event to prevent capsizing from the added weight.Witnessing such an event puts into perspective just how little and insignificant we humans are.But as a young sailor I found the whole Volphoonaquake a pretty awesome experience - especially because the local bars, the couple that were still standing or able to move outside, used dry ice to cool the beer (electrical grid was toast).Nothing makes a San Miguel or Red Horse more palatable than slamming it ice cold!
You can search for information that shows solar activity and weather. We've just come out of a solar minimum while at the same time exiting some of the warmest weather recorded.
The science isn't politicized. People with agendas have politicized it. The climate research stands or falls on the data collected and the research performed and published in peer reviewed journals. Deniers, on the other hand, plead their case to the ignorant public to further their agenda.
I'm firmly a global-warming sketpic. Back in the 1950's and 1960's, scientists told us the contrails from jet aircraft criss-crossing the US would cause ice crystals to form in the upper atmosphere and greatly reduce sunlight in the midwest. That in turn would cause crop yields to go down significantly and some parts of the midwest would become a wasteland. Didn't happen.
Not long ago we had a scare about depletion of the ozone over Antarctica due to photo-chemical reactions that involved halogenated chemicals released into the atmosphere. Three scientists received the Nobel prize in chemistry (1995) for demonstration the sequence of reactions that depleted ozone. I don't know if any high-altitude sampling proved the same reactions occur in the atmosphere, but apparently measurements of ozone depletion for the 2011 season in Antarctica might show the largest measured "hole," even though halogenated compound use has decreased steadily for yours. Hmmm.
I can only say about global warming that many measurements are either statistically irrelevant or influenced by sources other than "global warming." Sensors that used to measure temperatures in open areas now have parking lots and other structured built nearby, sensor inaccuracies, lack of long-term data, etc. And as one of the comments pointed out, if a model cannot accurately predict the next few point on a graph based on past data, the model has a flaw. As far as I know, many models do not account for long-term (geological time spans) effects and normal fluctuations in temperatures. Based on real science we're actually due for a new glacial age and widespread cooling. So, yes, based on past experiences with "panic science," I remain a skeptic. --Jon Titus, Ph.D. (chemistry)
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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