David Brin on Global Warming

[aric]

Just wanted to post some interesting commentary from scientist/science fiction author David Brin regarding some aspects of the Global Warming debate. He does a pretty good job of explaining himself, so I'm not going to bother commenting on it directly.

Perspectives on Climate Change -- and The Ritualization of Denial - In this article he covers some points from Global Warming Deniers.

Distinguishing Climate "Deniers" From "Skeptics"

- Aric

[Moonlight Noclaw]

As an Environmental Science Major, i have learned that the recent trend in the earth's climate is towards cooling, on account of all the pollution that blocks out the sunlight. So is pollution a good thing? Other than all the other side effects... ;-}

[aric]

Mar 6, 2012 0:44:43 GMT -5 Moonlight Noclaw said:

As an Environmental Science Major, i have learned that the recent trend in the earth's climate is towards cooling, on account of all the pollution that blocks out the sunlight.

This article outlines the global cooling scare back in the 70s. It suggests that the relatively regionalized pollution in the northern hemisphere was masking an overall warming effect. But that's me reading the article. I'm not an environmental major so I may have read it incorrectly.

As an Environmental Science Major, how do you address the overall upward trend in atmospheric temperature for the planet over the past 150 years or so if we're actually cooling?

Mar 6, 2012 0:44:43 GMT -5 Moonlight Noclaw said:

So is pollution a good thing? Other than all the other side effects... ;-}

No, it would only mask the overall global warming effect (assuming I read the article correctly), so it wouldn't actually reverse said warming. That's not worth acid rain and long term health problems like lung cancer at all.

- Aric