Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumClimate scientists struggle to explain warming slowdown...
Climate scientists struggle to explain warming slowdown
Often focused on century-long trends, most climate models failed to predict that the temperature rise would slow, starting around 2000. Scientists are now intent on figuring out the causes and determining whether the respite will be brief or a more lasting phenomenon.
Theories for the pause include that deep oceans have taken up more heat with the result that the surface is cooler than expected, that industrial pollution in Asia or clouds are blocking the sun, or that greenhouse gases trap less heat than previously believed.
"The climate system is not quite so simple as people thought," said Bjorn Lomborg, a Danish statistician and author of "The Skeptical Environmentalist" who estimates that moderate warming will be beneficial for crop growth and human health.
Some experts say their trust in climate science has declined because of the many uncertainties. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had to correct a 2007 report that exaggerated the pace of melt of the Himalayan glaciers and wrongly said they could all vanish by 2035.
Often focused on century-long trends, most climate models failed to predict that the temperature rise would slow, starting around 2000. Scientists are now intent on figuring out the causes and determining whether the respite will be brief or a more lasting phenomenon.
Theories for the pause include that deep oceans have taken up more heat with the result that the surface is cooler than expected, that industrial pollution in Asia or clouds are blocking the sun, or that greenhouse gases trap less heat than previously believed.
"The climate system is not quite so simple as people thought," said Bjorn Lomborg, a Danish statistician and author of "The Skeptical Environmentalist" who estimates that moderate warming will be beneficial for crop growth and human health.
Some experts say their trust in climate science has declined because of the many uncertainties. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had to correct a 2007 report that exaggerated the pace of melt of the Himalayan glaciers and wrongly said they could all vanish by 2035.
The article itself is egregious, but the pack of jeering mouth-breathers in the comments is horrifying. Over 95% are convinced AGW is a hoax and a scam, perpetrated by liberals and climate scientists. You know what? It may be a good thing that we're doomed.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
6 replies, 1163 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (0)
ReplyReply to this post
6 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Climate scientists struggle to explain warming slowdown... (Original Post)
GliderGuider
Apr 2013
OP
But the rapid increase in the rate of denialist orgasms is clearly understood.
Warren Stupidity
Apr 2013
#6
Bennyboy
(10,440 posts)1. What?
I thought four of the last five years were the warmest in history....
Geoff R. Casavant
(2,381 posts)2. Looks like the warming is not reversed, but . . .
. . . the rate of warming is slowing down. So, for example, the difference in average temperature between 2012 and 2011, is less than the difference in average temperature between 2011 and 2010. It still means that 2012 is hotter than 2011 and 2011 is hotter than 2010.
Bennyboy
(10,440 posts)3. Well then.... (Fires up coal plant and buy huge RV and ATV......)
pscot
(21,024 posts)4. It takes so little to make the jeering mouth breathers happy
Bjorn Lomborg flutters his hankie and their knees knock.
wtmusic
(39,166 posts)5. If we're ever successful in slowing down AGW
mouth-breathers will take it as a sign it was never a problem to begin with.
A negative feedback, sort of the anthro-equivalent of coal smoke.
Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)6. But the rapid increase in the rate of denialist orgasms is clearly understood.