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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Up-to-Date on Climate Change

Here are some notes related to climate change. I have have rechecked or updated these notes since I made them, but they are the best I have here and now:

  • World temperatures rose a bit the 1400s and then dropped into the "Little Ice Age" beginning in the 1500s.
  • In the 1500s sea levels were higher than they are now.
  • Looking at fairly recent world temperatures, it looks as though they last peaked in about 1000 BC.
  • Those interested in global temperatures tend to think in geological time.
  • What's geological time?
  • How do 'experts' take the temperature of the world?
  • How do sea levels move up and down in relation to average temperatures?
  • What were the average global temperatures in 500 BC, 1100 AD, 1400?
  • The slide into our most recent drop in world temperatures lasted for about 100 years from 1500 to 1600.
  • Right now, geologically speaking, it looks as though the earth has entered on of the warmest periods in the last 400,000 years.
  • The last time average global temperature was as high as it is now may well have been 125,000 years ago.
  • The last temperature low was about 21,000 years ago.
  • What's a temperature low?
  • There are a significant number of good climatologists who see a general warming trend from about 16,000 years ago.
  • What is  significant number?
  • How do you recognize a good climatologist?
  • I got to thinking tat the earth has been on a general cooling trend for the last 350,000 years.
  • Does that mean that I should forget about a warming earth?
  • I'm gong to get my cooler started this month.
  • Children of today may love to see strong evidence that the earth has been on a cooling trend for 4,000,000 years.
  • They may be pleased that their is fair evidence that the earth has been in a cooling trend for 60,000,000 years.
  • What is strong evidence?
  • What is fair evidence?
  • What is the evidence?
  • In the larger picture, global warming looks like a small blip.
  • How well a human may live through a geological blip may be worthy of our attention.
  • As you educate me a bit here, I'll pass on what I learn.

2 comments:

  1. Climate change here - after the usual mid-MO springtime weather of 40s and 50s
    today's temp rose to 93 degrees F.
    Is this the global warming we all hear about?

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's hot!

    And new records are a hint of significant change ......

    But it looks like the kind of records we need to measure go back 20,000 years or so.

    ReplyDelete