Global Warming

[Coldicote]

2010. According to news reports this looks like being the coldest December for a century, since records began in 1910, and there's still January to come. I expect it won't be long before we hear the familiar warnings about global warming. I shall take a bit of convincing after this. What do you think about it?

[The-HouseHusband]

The problem that everyone has it that they have been caught up by the phrase "Global Warming" when in fact the correct terminology is "Climate Change". Some parts of the world will see a rise in temperatures, however just as many, if not more, will find that their climate will become cooler year round. The main problem is the changes in sea temperatures that have a significant effect on the worlds weather. Being an island nation the seas and oceans have a greater effect on our weather than most realise, the reason we usually have mild but wet summers is due to the Gulf stream in the Atlantic that brings warm water across to the UK from the Caribbean. If it wasnt for this then we would see significantly lower temperatures all year round!!

[Huderon]

dtgblue, for some information on the magnetic ploes flipping, have a look at http://www.geomag.bgs...cation/reversals.html

[ayresy81]

just because its called global warming it does not mean that we should excpect hot weather all year round.it means the atmosphere is warming up causing massive changes in weather systems.and yes its happening now

[mike11111]

Global warming is already happening.

Why do people still try and deny it?

It's like the flat earth society all over again.

Come on Mark, don't mock the true believers. Everyone with an ounce of common sense or scientific training knows that the earth is a flat spinning disc mounted on a giant tortoise, itself standing on the back of four giant elephants.

[beso]

Also remember that the water in most of that snow falling on you now got into the sky from a warm ocean somewhere else.

We are having the mildest summer temperatures here in Australia that anyone can remember. It is because it hardly every stops raining. Like your snow that water got into the clouds from a warm ocean.

[ludwig]

'This morning I went outside and it was cold, so what's all this nonsense about global warming?'

That's the kind of thing I'd post if I wanted to take the p1ss, but people are actually saying it for real. Hilarious.

[thebarron]

i think it should be called global cooling

[tigerlelly]

Some scientists predict that 'global warming' will cause Britain to cool down. This is to do with the conveyer belt action of the gulf stream which will be forced to much deeper depths by the influx of fresh water from ice melt. I've forgotten the exact details. As we are on the same latitude as Moscow this does not bode well. Invest in thermal underwear now!

[beso]

The conveyor belt (Thermohaline Circulation) stops because normally the warm water arriving from the Gulf Stream is very salty having lost a lot of water to evaporation. As it cools in the North Atlantic this salinity makes it very dense causing it to sink to the bottom of the ocean where it makes its way back to the Equator and completes the cycle.

The influx of fresh water from melting icecaps and increased rainfall in Siberia dilutes the salt water, prevents it sinking and stops the circulation. There is some evidence that this circulation has already slowed in recent times.

[tigerlelly]

Thanks beso. I'm off to buy shares in the aforementioned underwear and hot water bottles!

[Slapshot]

Climate change NOT Global Warming.....where the IPCC and our wonderful governments are pushing things is with AGW, Arthropogenic Global Warning ie caused by us humans. Where we fall flat with this is that IPCC refuse to accuratekly model the effect Water vapour has on the environment because many of the results contradict what IPCC says. There is vast collections of research and data contradicting the AGW theories but no one wnats to listen because you can't raise Green Taxes on contradiction.

Climate Change is happening, there are still MASSIVE question marks over Global Warming

[Andyvon]

The planet's climate has undergone change for most of it's history. Those changes occur for a variety of reasons such as volcanism, astronomical impact, plate tectonics, changes in ocean currents and the Earth's orbit to name but a few. Those changes are a natural progression and they have been one of the engines powering evolutionary change and life itself. No matter how severe climate changes have been in the past, life and the planet have always survived.

All we are seeing now is yet another climate change. This one may have been affected by humans but it is nowhere near as severe as other changes the Earth has seen. Many species will fail to cope and become extinct but that opens the door for other species to evolve and fill the vacant niches. Although humans are in the process of destroying themselves by unchecked population growth, life on Earth will continue and the planet survive. In 5 million years time the failed human species will be a distant and forgotten nightmare but life and planet Earth will have rebounded to be as healthy as they were a million years ago.