Issues Pages:
Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature
Mon, 2011-10-24 11:11
#1
Spectrum
Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature
Mon, 2011-10-24 11:53
#2
Spectrum
Finding a heavenly key to climate change
Researchers at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern) in Geneva are looking at how radiation from outer space could be affecting our environment.
A new cutting edge experiment aims to discover how exactly cosmic rays and the Sun may influence the formation of low level clouds, and possibly climate change.
More than two centuries ago, the British Astronomer Royal William Herschel noted a correlation between sunspots an indicator of solar activity and the price of wheat in England. He suggested that when there were few sunspots, prices rose.
However, up until recently, there was little to back up this hypothesis. Today, inside an unassuming some would say decrepit:looking building at Cern, the Cloud (Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets) experiment might help explain how the Sun affects the climate.
Variation of Cosmic ray flux and Global cloud coverage by Henri Svensmark and Eigil Friis-Christensen, 26 NOvember 1996
Mon, 2011-10-24 12:00
#3
Spectrum
Pine Beetle Infestation
Adult mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae“We actually were asked by the Premier’s office to attend tomorrow’s symposium, but when we received the agenda early this week we saw we weren’t on it. When I called to inquire, I was told we could observe from the audience but not present our report called Salvaging Solutions.
“I am absolutely flabbergasted and in fact insulted. In 25 years of attending such forums, as a Member of Parliament and for 10 years at the Suzuki Foundation, I have never been invited by a senior government official to travel 400 kilometres so that I can be window dressing. You have to wonder who on Earth is running Premier Campbell’s office and if they are really interested in gathering all of the best information on this issue.”
Photo by Lorraine Maclauchlan, Ministry of Forests, Southern Interior Forest Region
See:Mountain Pine Beetle Photos
Mon, 2011-10-24 12:01
#4
Spectrum
CERN plans global-warming experiment(1998)
Experimentalists at CERN will use a cloud chamber to mimic the Earth's atmosphere in order to try and determine whether cloud formation is influenced by solar activity. According to the Danish theory, charged particles from the Sun deflect galactic cosmic rays (streams of high-energy particles from outer space) that would otherwise have ionized the Earth's lower atmosphere and formed clouds.
Mon, 2011-10-24 12:03
#5
Spectrum
I have never weighed in as to a judgement because as a layman I did not know better and still do not weigh in because of what I see in nature happening around us. What affect does particle collisions play in the surface warming temperature here on Earth?
Below is a blog post I created in 2009 and the question of, As a blog called "A State of Fear" in 2005.
I am always looking for evidence so as to understand why things are the way they are. I do not sit in judgement.
It is one of those things I guess, as you get older you completely forget part of one's thinking process that was started, and never really went anywhere. Until that is, it is "awakened again" for introspection.
So if you find similarities to other bloggers and the title of this blog to theirs it is because four years ago I had started the thought process below in regards to climate change. I had created this blog called, "The State of Fear" in concert with reading the book, The State of Fear by Michael Crichton.
Adult mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae
Some quotes from it were correlations in my mind about points made in context of the fiction that were relevant to me about where I lived and what was happening to the forests around me.
"I'm glad you do," Bradley said, gesturing for the kids to put their hands down. The only person talking today would be Ted Bradley. "But you may not know that global warming is going to cause a very sudden shift in our climate. Maybe just a few months or years, and it will suddenly be much hotter or much colder. And there will be hordes of insects and diseases that will take down wonderful trees.""What kind of insects?" one kid asked.
"Bad ones," Bradley said. "The ones that eat trees, that worm inside them and chew them up." He wiggled his hands, suggesting the worming in progress.
"It would take a insect a long time to eat a whole tree," a girl offered.
"No it wouldn't!" Bradley said. "That's the trouble. Because warming means lots and lots of insects will come-a plague of insects-and they'll eat the trees fast!"
Page 402 of, The State of Fear by Michael Crichton
See also: You Kids Know What Global Warming Is?
***
Ecology of ThoughtNow we have stocked in our wood shed the effects of this devastation that has run through our forests. I again have to interject not only with a scientific understanding but of one that emotively draws my attention to the "source of income" that has provided for the growth of my family, and the trees that support me today.
“I do not think anything, young man. I know. That is the purpose of my research - to know things, not to surmise them. Not to theorize. Not to hypothesize. But to know from direct research in the field. It’s a lost art in academia these days, young man-you are not that young- what is your name anyway?”
“Peter Evans.”“And you work for Drake Mr. Evan?”
“No, for George Morton.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so!” Hoffman said. “George Morton was a great, great man. Come along Mr. Evans, and I will buy you some coffee and we can talk. Do you know what I do?”
“ I’m afraid I don’t, sir.”
“I study the ecology of thought,” Hoffman said. “and how it has led to a State of Fear.”
Michael Crichton, State of Fear, page 450
***
Now I have not spoken of what comes to past, as it may seem that prophecy has a way about it hidden in the fiction. To have been given the understanding that "prior knowledge" provides the thinking palate for what can come tomorrow in science, does not explain how is it that I could dream of this happening one day too, to see what I had envision long before. My wanting to save the forest perhaps.
Imagine a Genus 1 figured Tree , and it would not have been to unlikely that such vibrating could have amounted to "a signature" for the beetle to have it's dislikes( also patterned) motivating them to leave? But I think this now in retrospect of what was happening at the time in my dream and wonder about what evolves in terms of what came into expression(false vacuum to true) houses a description of the beetle somewhere in the valley of a vast theoretic expression.
So, I had a solution for this devastation that does not fit with the normal thinking, so I'll leave this alone too, because it would not be a satisfactory explanation to what the scientific process would be called as credible. You see I cared about what we were taking from the forest and I thought to explore avenues to provide for better growing seedlings, that replanting could immediately produce superior seedlings, hence a faster regrowth in areas to be replanted.
No one I think is better then nature to say what shall be and what shall not, but looking into the environment of what grows where and what soils are like, I couldn't help but think of what I could do to help give back to what we took out of the forests.
So how could I help Silviculture? By designing a better and stronger tree? No, again the perfect remedy is in what nature has provided.
***
In nature it is the cold, that has to be colder then, for an extended period in order to cut through the bark these bugs inject Blue Stain Fungi into the outer ring of the wood. So nature by process of the beetle has left it's mark in what is called a "blue wood."
Natures past practise was to burn, and in the forest, what quickly burns also returns to the previous states that existed long before we came along. This is the way of it as it had been in the past, but today, we are very watchful of our forests and what can wipe out towns and cities very quickly if we left this unchecked.
So I have to apologize for my forgetfulness as to what was started before.
Mon, 2011-10-24 12:05
#6
Spectrum
So help me to understand this issue.
"The aim of CLOUD is to understand whether or not cosmic rays can affect clouds and climate, by studying the microphysical interactions of cosmic rays with aerosols, cloud droplets and ice particles." This is one of the possible mechanisms for solar-climate variability since the solar wind – the stream of charged particles ejected from the sun – varies over time and affects the intensity of the cosmic rays that reach the Earth.See: On Cloud NineI have always refrained from speaking on the climate change topic mostly because I really did not know enough. I was uncertain as to whether we really had all the facts about what was taking place. This in no way was to limit the perspective on how we can make our world a better place, or create a better environ.
I just wanted these facts included in the assessment in terms of what scientists are actually doing now. This then opens the mind up to whether the process here is valid one to take into consideration along with how we view climate change.
The Cloud Chamber in the Museum of CavendishHistorically the validation of the process, it is necessary to converge on some notation about it's beginnings to know that it can evolve to what it is today. This is a necessary part of moving forward in experimental validation processes toward foundational thinking and our actions in the future. Our Actions now.
CLOUD – Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets
CLOUD is an experiment that uses a cloud chamber to study the possible link between galactic cosmic rays and cloud formation. Based at the Proton Synchrotron at CERN, this is the first time a high-energy physics accelerator has been used to study atmospheric and climate science; the results could greatly modify our understanding of clouds and climate.
Cosmic rays are charged particles that bombard the Earth's atmosphere from outer space. Studies suggest they may have an influence on the amount of cloud cover through the formation of new aerosols (tiny particles suspended in the air that seed cloud droplets). This is supported by satellite measurements, which show a possible correlation between cosmic-ray intensity and the amount of low cloud cover. Clouds exert a strong influence on the Earth’s energy balance; changes of only a few per cent have an important effect on the climate. Understanding the underlying microphysics in controlled laboratory conditions is a key to unravelling the connection between cosmic rays and clouds.The CLOUD experiment involves an interdisciplinary team of scientists from 18 institutes in 9 countries, comprised of atmospheric physicists, solar physicists, and cosmic-ray and particle physicists. The PS provides an artificial source of ‘cosmic rays’ that simulates natural conditions as closely as possible. A beam of particles is sent into a reaction chamber and its effects on aerosol production are recorded and analysed.
The initial stage of the experiment uses a prototype detector, but the full CLOUD experiment will include an advanced cloud chamber and a reactor chamber, equipped with a wide range of external instrumentation to monitor and analyse their contents. The temperature and pressure conditions anywhere in the atmosphere can be re-created within the chambers, and all experimental conditions can be controlled and measured, including the ‘cosmic ray’ intensity and the contents of the chambers.See:CLOUD–Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets
Again I am remaining open to all points of view that are scientifically based and point toward a better understanding of our relationship with the effects of what we are doing to our planet.
Mon, 2011-10-24 12:24
#7
Mon, 2011-10-24 22:33
#8
Anyway, the Berkeley people (funded partly by Koch) used an independent method and verified the findings of the other groups. The earth IS Warming and we ARE responsible. Koch must be disappointed.
They are using an open method and dataset so it is not secret. I have seen a comparison of the warming trends from each of the 4? different groups. If I remember correctly Berkeley shows slower at first but a slightly higher rate right now than the others do. It is a big big world out there, nobody can model it exactly without building a big world themselves so we just do our best. So here is the deal, all the models agree very closely, the earth is warming up.
So lets do something about it.
Nutrinos, and muons and faster than light. Lets leave all that to einstein and hawkin, we are not smart enough and we do not have time enough to figure that shit out. And in the grand scheme of things, if we know that there is life on another planet 12 or 200 light years away, and if we know that a nutrino can get there in just over a year, is it going to help us if the temperature of the surface of the earth gets to 60 centigrade? Not a lot. Not even a little. Technology to get us out of this mess will not include particle accelerators. It might include bicycles.
I often wonder why we spend so much mental energy on stuff that only 3 or 4 people on this planet have a hope of understanding? Maybe it is because it diverts our mind from the real issues and makes us feel a bit smarter because we are thinking big?
Tue, 2011-10-25 14:20
#9
Good article about it is at the link. The leader of the study was a climate sceptic who didn't believe the other scientists until he did the science for himself.
So his results changed his mind.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-scientific-finding-that-settl...
Tue, 2011-10-25 16:16
#10
Spectrum
Hi Brian,
Thanks for commenting.
I often wonder why we spend so much mental energy on stuff that only 3 or 4 people on this planet have a hope of understanding? Maybe it is because it diverts our mind from the real issues and makes us feel a bit smarter because we are thinking big?
As layman involved at this level of science, it is not the idea of a occupation of thought of being in such proximity to that level. More maybe, of how one deals responsibly with what is being exchanged amongst scientist at that level, and of how it is send down the chain to us lay people. I am trying to look past all of that, left\right, opposition of views, to gather information. This is not about a lame argument of citing who became convince but of a look "at the real science of," with responsibility that goes even further then the scientists that are working, while in conversational exchange. My name is not Rick Perry.:)LOL. I am not a TRoll :(
I truly do not know of all the factors existing within the realm of climate debate yet I can see that a debate exists between classes of those who believe and those who don't.
I also see a level of finance that has been built based on Carbon Credits and how effective is this in how we approach our environment, or, has it capture the eye of corporate advantageous groups through trade that it can benefit their own pocket then what can benefit our planet? I don't have an answer for this because of my ignorance. Is it a issue?
If we simplify, the basis of expression of our human being ness, then what thread runs through all of it that we would see such adverse perspective of our "seeking truth" to not only engaged with the science of, but of the economic as well maybe, as with our dealings in a current systemic culture we all agree to live in? Is it not all connected?
Are we being responsible in our look at what nature has provided for us to view (have a look at what the forest looks like with Beetle infestation)? Even in the nature of scientists and their humanness they throw insults at each other, about each other, not following the rules of science you see?
Best,