Comments on Sentient Developments: Five simple reasons why the Copenhagen Climate Con...

6.9 billion humans and counting and this is a "dir...

2010-01-16T21:02:36.767-05:00

6.9 billion humans and counting and this is a "dire situation"!

This planet is pretty sweet. Some species don't know when they have got it good!

If you follow the work of Bruce Bueno de Mesquita ...

2010-01-12T02:40:55.154-05:00

If you follow the work of Bruce Bueno de Mesquita (game theory prediction), then this result would have been apparent several months ago. I had covered it in Sept 6, 2009.

http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/09/bruce-bueno-de-mesquita-update-and-more.html

The de mesquita analysis also tells you how the climate change issue plays for years and decades based on Business As Usual.

I would say try to focus on the air pollution and economic damage from air and water pollution. Those are more clear cut and have more resonance and traction. The solutions for air pollution and climate change are the same.

Get away from fossil fuels and clean them up as much as possible. Also, the black carbon (soot) is air pollution and is the easier and cheaper and faster to clean up than CO2.

More accurate to say that some businesses oppose a...

2010-01-11T10:19:49.803-05:00

More accurate to say that some businesses oppose action, while those that have the most concentrated interest to lobby governments for action don't exist yet.

Additionally to global warming, global warming den...

2010-01-10T21:31:34.085-05:00

Additionally to global warming, global warming deniers, climate gate, and climate gate deniers, now we have those people who want to shut down democracy. And you too George?! "They" will put people like you and me to jail.

CO2 levels have gone up about 100 ppm since the in...

2010-01-10T03:06:05.524-05:00

CO2 levels have gone up about 100 ppm since the industrial revolution (about 290 --> 390 ppm). Of that 100 ppm, about 25% of that has been within the last 10 years. (1) Yet, during that same time, temperatures haven't gone up. (2)

At what point should the CO2 theory of global warming begin to come under question? Let's say, in the next 5 years, temperatures still don't increase and yet the CO2 levels continue to go up and that 35% of the increase was from 2000. At that point would you say it's time to question the CO2 theory? If not at that point, what if temperatures actually noticeably went down in the next 5 years such that there was a 45% difference between the expected increase and what the actual temperatures are. Then, would you begin to question the CO2 theory?

The main competing theory for 20th century warming is solar variation as best evidenced by a strong correlation with characteristics indicating causation. (3) Recently, solar cycling has slowed which may mean it will be "the lowest of any cycle since 1928". (4) A slew of recent news reports indicates the last two to three winters have been particularly cold. (5)

Now, I know that most people are still saying that CO2 theory skepticism is "a particularly pernicious idea" but, just for discussion sake, let's say that it turns out that it's the solar cycle after all. At what point should that be determined and what penalties should there be for all of those climate scientists, scientific organizations, politicians, news reporters, and bloggers who got it wrong and played a role in perpetuating the prostituting of science?

(1) http://www.squarecirclez.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/co2-data-noaa.gif

(2) http://www.aps.org/units/fps/newsletters/200807/images/figure1.gif

(3) http://www.oar.noaa.gov/spotlite/archive/images/sunclimate_3b.gif

(4) http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/29may_noaaprediction.htm

(5) http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10619380

Climate change will end up being solved with geoen...

2010-01-08T16:39:29.953-05:00

Climate change will end up being solved with geoengineering, after reality has provided the ultimate proof that it is real.

5 thumbs up :S It's just one example of how the c...

2010-01-08T04:12:43.849-05:00

5 thumbs up :S

It's just one example of how the current political system has outgrown its usefulness. The scientists, technicians and engineers will take it from here.

Great summary.

You could argue that Katrina was a global warming ...

2010-01-08T03:40:27.001-05:00

You could argue that Katrina was a global warming disaster, but how would you prove it. Short of waiting for the Maldives to sink.

I would pay good money for front row seats to watch the right react to your parliament.

If global warming is a myth then it's not doing a ...

2010-01-08T02:11:57.615-05:00

If global warming is a myth then it's not doing a very good job of capturing the imaginations of the emission heavy nations who for God's sake have every right to keep whistling to the same economic beat of modernity we once grooved to.

The future is ephemeral. Only a mythic story will help it become entirely clear.

But it seems the economic clocking in and out, is spewing more waste into our lives than we can possibly handle as beings who desperately need some humanity plus.

I'd love some C-SPAN footage of these potential debates that you're proposing George. Let me know when it comes into fruition.

Well, duh. I'd be shocked if the results were anyt...

2010-01-08T00:01:50.349-05:00

Well, duh. I'd be shocked if the results were anything else.

Also, there's this little problem where some of the Anthropogenic Global Warming deniers have been accusing their opponents of not actually believing the views they promote, and that AGW is just a cover for an attempt to sneak more socialism into the government. And socialism is, of course, eeeeevil, even socialists know this, they just want to totally like hurt people or something.