Climategate: Flawed Science, Secrets and the Great Debate Over Global Warming

Remember post 9/11 when there was a certain faction in U.S. society that said people who didn’t wear a flag pin on their lapels were un-American? That analogy may be appropriate for the debate on global warming–or rather the lack of debate. People who did not buy into the theory that global warming is manmade were virtually shunned by all “thinking” society.

So now an inconvenient truth of another sort appears to be in the making as a result of leaked documents and hacked emails written by scientists at Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in the U.K., the most influential and most-oft quoted institution on the global warming front.

How, society–maybe even the U.S. Congress–is probing a little deeper. It’s a firestorm that is gathering air—did scientists at the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia prevent data contrary to their views from leaking out to the public? Did they blackball opposing scientific analysis and present flawed data to support their theories on global warming?

One email string entitled Harry Read Me has been particularly worrisome because it implies that the data that supports global warming by manmade causes is severely flawed.

On RealClimate, a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists, recently posted a letter from Peter Laut, professor (emeritus) of physics at The Technical University of Denmark and former scientific advisor on climate change for The Danish Energy Agency.

I’ll share the first few paragraphs here–Laut makes a compelling argument:

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009 the nations of the world will discuss possible ways to slow down global climate change. The main goal will be to organize a coordinated reduction of man?made greenhouse gas emissions. With all nations contributing according to their ability.

But: Is global warming perhaps caused by the sun?

An important question concerns the physical cause of global warming. Is it primarily caused by changes in solar activity or by man?made greenhouse gasses? The answer has enormous consequences for the way mankind should react. If the dominant cause for global warming is solar activity, then there is no reason for mankind to waste resources in trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And no reason to have the climate conference in Copenhagen. If, however, the dominant cause is man?made greenhouse gasses, then a reduction of emissions may be absolutely necessary in order to prevent a global climate catastrophe.

The overwhelming majority of scientists, represented by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has for many years collected and analyzed observational data and carried out model simulations in order to resolve this question and has arrived at the conclusion that the results overwhelmingly point at the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as the cause. There are practically no observations which render it probable that solar influences play more than a minor role.

Now, in spite of the almost unanimous message from the world’s scientific community, there is a small group of scientists who try to promote the solar theory. They are supported by a massive network of journalists, film makers, TV producers, authors, politicians and grass roots. This group is centered around two Copenhagen climatologists, Henrik Svensmark and Eigil Friis?Christensen.

The real crime here is that there has been no opportunity for an open debate. That is not to say that the planet does not need a good scrubbing down or that non-sustainable resources should not be protected and used with the utmost care. What it does say is that as the planet warms, we should devote our limited financial, intellectual and governmental resources to technology and policies that will actually make a difference.

Global Warming and Our Children

If you surf the internet, listen to the radio, or watch the news on television, there is a good chance that you have heard of global warming before. Although you may have heard of global warming before, have you taken the time to better understand? If you are a parent, you should.

One of the many reasons why individuals feel that global warming is not a serious issue is because of all of the debate that surrounds it. Yes, global warming does have its opponents and some of that opposition do have valid points, but is global warming something that you are willing to ignore? If you are a parent, it shouldnt be.

As stated multiple times above, if you are a parent, global warming should be a huge concern of yours. After all, you love your children dont you? When your children grow up, you likely want them to have their own family and children, right? After all, many individuals want their family name and legacy to be carried on for eternity. Unfortunately, global warming may throw a wrench in that plan.

As it was previously stated, global warming is an issue that many are unsure about. In addition to wondering if those who oppose global warming are right, the delayed affects of global warming also play a role. Yes, we are starting to see many changes resulting from global warming, such as melting glaciers and droughts, but these changes are small compared to what is being predicted. Unfortunately, many individuals go by the thinking of it isnt a problem if we cant see it. Although you may not be able to live to see the drastic and horrific affects of global warming, your children or their children may.

Speaking of the horrific affects of global warming, you may wonder just what is expected to happen. As previously stated, glaciers and other ice masses are melting. Despite the fact that this melting has always been noticed, it has picked up in speed. If things continue, coastal flooding is predicted and not just in limited areas, but around the entire world. Do you and your family currently reside in a coastal area? If so, did you know that global warming may prevent your children or their children from doing the same? Your hometown and your history will be unable to be shared with future family members to come, as it may be under water.

Coastal flooding is just one of the many ways that global warming may have a profound affect on your children or their children. Other affects of global warming are likely to include increased temperatures, droughts, and weather instability. These global warming affects can have a huge impact on your future familys ability to eat, drink, work, and live. That is why you are urged to take action. After all, you do love your family right?

If you would like to help join in the fight against global warming, you will want to get started soon. The sooner we all take action, the easier it will be to make a successful, united stance against global warming. To get you started, you may want to look at your home and your vehicle. If you are unable to purchase an energy efficient vehicle, carpool or use public transportation as much as possible, as well as combine as many errands together in one trip as possible. As for your home, limit your electricity uses by only running your dishwasher when it is full, use energy efficient light bulbs, and turn your heat down, even just a few degrees.

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U.S. May Still Bring Gift to Copenhagen Climate Summit

On his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama will attend the Copenhagen global climate summit on Dec. 9, according to anonymous White House officials. While the rest of the world has been clamoring for substantive U.S. energy legislation, the president will not be able to deliver on that front. What he is expected to do is deliver at the summer is a U.S. target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

That expected target is a 17% drop in greenhouse gases below 2005 levels by 2020.

According to the Los Angeles Times:

White House officials said the decision to attend came after productive climate discussions between Obama and the heads of China and India, two developing nations whose participation is seen as critical to any successful effort to negotiate an agreement.

Those discussions left the president optimistic that his presence in Copenhagen could seal a meaningful - though not legally binding - climate deal, meeting the standard that Obama previously set for his attendance at the summit, the officials said.

Global Warming and the Significance of Rising Water Temperatures

A part of the alarm that is being raised about global warming has to do with rising water temperatures, especially in the ocean. Scientists are studying warming waters all over the globe to determine the extent of the change.

The consequences of this global warming are far-reaching. One of the most devastating effects of global warming is that, as the ocean water warms, it impacts tropical storms. Hurricanes that would have been category 3 storms in past years are now category 4 or above. This is because they are energized when they pick up the warmer ocean water.

In fact, there has been a significant increase in these higher intensity storms in the last 35 years. This could be due to global warming. In 2005, the Atlantic was bombarded with 27 tropical storms powerful enough to receive a name. 15 of them developed into hurricanes.

Five of these storms reached the force of category 4 hurricanes. Four of them actually became worse, at category five. Hurricane Katrina made a terrible mark on history in August of 2005. It became the costliest hurricane in American history. It was also one of most lethal. Global warming has left destruction in the form of more intense hurricanes.

As global warming causes temperatures to rise in the oceans, glaciers and icecaps are melting more rapidly. One particular ice shelf in Antarctica, the northern section of the Larson B shelf, collapsed in recent years. Scientists got a rude awakening when they realized how fast the ice shelf could disintegrate.

The polar ice cap is disappearing at an astonishing rate as well. It is dissolving at 9% per decade. This aspect of global warming is a definite cause for alarm. In the last 40-50 years, the thickness of ice in the Arctic has decreased by 40%. The ice that is present on earth is beneficial to maintain the delicate balance of the environment.

Perennial sea ice in the Arctic has been receding as well. There was a record low in the square miles of this sea ice in 2005. Just two years later, in 2007, the record was broken with a half of a million square miles less perennial ice than in 2005. Global warming has truly had an impact on the sea ice of the Arctic. Some scientists predict that all the sea ice will be gone by 2040.

Global warming could also cause the sea level to rise as ice melts. When this happens, islands are lost and coastal communities are flooded. Various suggestions have been made about the levels that the water level could reach, anywhere from 10 to 23 inches by 2100.

Global warming has the potential to make the earth a very inhospitable place to live. Rising temperatures in the oceans’ waters are a clear indication that the process has begun. With the melting of ice in the glaciers, icecaps, and on the sea, it is only a matter of time before global warming has much more harmful effects. It is up to the people of the world to do what they can to make the future look brighter.

Global Warming and Building Green

Building green is one of the solutions to global warming that many people do not think about. Building green is designing and constructing buildings with the environment in mind. It is these practices that can have an impact on stopping global warming.

Houses give off a high percentage of a country’s total carbon dioxide emissions. In the United States, the figure is about 38%. Since carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases, houses contribute strongly to global warming.

One way to cut the greenhouse emissions of houses, and therefore help stop global warming, is to minimize the energy use needed to sustain comfortable living in a house. There are several ways to do this.

One way is to be careful about what building materials are used. Some building materials can be from quickly renewable sources. These include bamboo and straw. Also, building materials can be used that originates near the building site. This cuts down on transportation, and so cuts down on emissions of greenhouse gases and global warming. One example is stone houses built with local stone.

Buildings are also often built using recycled materials. Wood can be used from an older home that has been torn down. This will prevent the need to cut down other trees. Since the deforestation of the land contributes to global warming, this will help the situation.

Heating and cooling have a big effect on the amount of global warming caused by a house. Some ways to help this are very simple. One is to design the house to sit on the lot so that sunlight will come in through the windows and warm the house. It can also be oriented so that breezes will blow through the windows more naturally for cooling.

In this way, passive solar energy can be used to heat and cool the house. This will cut down on the greenhouse emissions from a house. Global warming will be lessened. Insulation is important to maximize on the cool or heat that is in the house. With good insulation, you will need a less intense heat or cooling source.

The main heating and cooling source in most green houses will be solar panels, wind power, or hydropower. Any of these sources will power a house with minimal effects on global warming. At the same time, these sources of energy will sustain a household in a comfortable style.

There are several organizations in the US that aid in the cause of stopping global warming by encouraging green building. One non-profit organization makes it their business to foster green building methods in both houses and commercial buildings. This group of people from the building industry is a part of the Green Building Initiative.

The state of Washington has required builders of buildings larger than 5000 square feet to use green building practices. Their law was enacted in 2005. It should help to keep a cap on global warming.

Green building is important for a number of reasons. One just happens to be that it can reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. If green building can help stop global warming, perhaps it is time for everyone to build green.

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Forestry and Global Warming

The way land is used can have an affect on global warming. The kinds of plants, animals, or minerals set upon a plot of land render it different from other plots of land. It is these differences that can be explored to help you gain an understanding of global warming.

Forests are an important use of land in most countries. This is true for many reasons, but when it comes to global warming, it is particularly true. Plant life can scrub carbon dioxide from the air. Much of the very carbon dioxide that is one of the causes of global warming can be eliminated just by being in the vicinity of certain plants.

Trees are the best carbon dioxide scrubbers there are in nature. Old growth trees are especially good at removing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it within their cells. For this reason, old growth trees need to be protected from the lumber jack’s blade.

While the lumber trade argues that the old growth trees can be easily replaced by new trees, this is simply not the case. New trees do not possess the abilities that old trees have of preventing global warming by trapping carbon dioxide.

Some proponents of cutting suggest that certain new trees are capable of trapping more greenhouse gases than the old trees. The truth is that, even if this is true, it is not true when you compare the new special trees to any trees that have many decades of growth. To prevent global warming, you need trees with some substance to them.

One law was proposed to stop logging and road building in the forest to prevent global warming. This particular law was to protect a large amount of forest-approximately 13 million acres on ancient forest. Most of this forest was so unspoiled that it did not even have any roads at all. This law would also ban clear-cutting, a practice that totally destroys acres upon acres of old growth trees.

Several studies have been done to estimate the amount potential global warming caused by the deforestation of tropical rainforests. Loggers do not just take out mature trees for lumber. People who want to clear a place to live, work, or farm in the jungle clear the forest by cutting and burning large portions of the rainforest.

As if this was not enough, other greenhouse gases are increased by deforestation. These include methane and nitrous oxide. Global warming is foreseeable when people greedily take the rainforest and other forests for their own purposes.

It seems that, by the figures in these studies, global warming prevention should focus on the green house emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels first. However, the deforestation comes in a close second in causes for global warming.

People can stop this dependence on old growth trees for lumber. There are many different building materials available to be used. It does not upset the balance of nature when you build with stone, for example. Also, furniture can be made from other materials. When people learn that forests are important in stopping global warming, they can help the situation by refusing to use lumber that comes from old growth forests and the rainforest.

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Fewer Americans See Hard Evidence of Global Warming

American’s belief in global warming and its human causes has begun to wane. That’s the conclusion of the latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, which revealed that just 57% of respondents today say there is solid evidence of rising global temperatures compared with 71% who held that same belief in April 2008.

Over the same period, there has been a comparable decline in the proportion of Americans who say global temperatures are rising as a result of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. Just 36% say that currently, down from 47% last year.

Fewer than four-in-ten (36%) now say global warming is mostly caused by human activity such as burning fossil fuels, while 16% say it is occurring mostly because of natural environmental patterns.

The survey was conducted Sept. 30 through Oct. 4 and included 1,500 adults reached on cell phones and landlines.

And while the GOP recently made headlines by boycotting a U.S. Senate hearing to begin marketing up the Democrat-sponsored Kerry-Boxer climate bill, across the political spectrum fewer Americans are convinced that solid evidence of global warming exists.

The trend was most prevalent among independents, of which only 53% now see solid evidence of global warming, compared with 75% in April 2008. Republicans, who were already highly skeptical of the evidence of global warming, according to the Pew study, have become even more so. Just 35% of Republicans now see solid evidence of rising global temperatures, down from 49% in 2008 and 62% in 2007. Democrats have also backed off in their belief to 75% today, down from 83% last year.

Amid growing skepticism, the survey still finds more support than opposition for a policy to set limits on carbon emissions. Half of Americans favor setting limits on carbon emissions and making companies pay for their emissions, even if this may lead to higher energy prices; 39% oppose imposing limits on carbon emissions under these circumstances.

There are two dueling pieces of energy legislation in Congress: the Waxman-Markey energy bill, widely known as the “cap-and-trade” bill, introduced in May of this year; and the Kerry-Boxer clean energy bill, proposed at the end of September. Cap-and-trade would allow businesses to trade or buy carbon credits if they exceed specified limits.

However, a third option, announced last week by Senators John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, seeks to find middle ground in legislation that could pass the Senate with 60 votes. While this bill would still encompass a cap-and-trade program, it would also include some measures important to Republicans such as strengthening nuclear power in America.

With the Health Care Reform slowing winding its way through Congress, however, experts now say the prospects of passage for any major energy legislation this year are dim.

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