Thread: Global Warming
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Old 10-08-13, 07:16 PM   #94
NeilBlanchard
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As we get more data, some things like the rate of Arctic ice is melting, or how quickly the ocean is getting more acidic, or the rate of the tundra is melting - are happening more quickly that the models showed, and even much more quickly than the worst case.

Do we want to run this experiment?

We know that chemistry and physics follow the Laws of Nature, and we are still adding more and more fossil fuel carbon to the atmosphere, and we know there is about 30-40 years of "momentum" already in the system - if we stopped using fossil fuels immediately, we would still continue to warm for (at least?) 30-40 years, and we would also see the feedback loops continue. The melting tundra and the melting Arctic ice and other feedback loops would add even more heat energy into the system.

Those are the biggest uncertainties in climate science: what will happen and how much heat will feedback loops bring into the climate? If we don't have ice reflecting sunlight, and instead the dark ocean absorbs heat - what effects will this have on the jet stream, or on the temperature of the water - which will raise the level of the ocean even more.

We cannot reset this situation and if the "experiment" goes awry, then we all pay the price.

There is no Planet B.
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