Response to "Missing Heat" article

SOURCE : https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5OYZdqOzxSLdjZ6X0R4S0ZfX1E/edit

This article is interesting and points toward ocean temperature shift in the tropical pacific as being a main factor for the cooling period between 1940-1975. They point to the effects of El Nino and La Nina to explain that the cooling and warming in these regions coincide with the periods of global warming and cooling on the Earth. This source does not seem as reliable as the other one, because this one says there are also skeptics and also points to the aerosol's as another possible reason for cooling and heating. As for the hiatus after 1998 this article points towards warming in the deep ocean during this period and that we seen warmer surface temperatures during periods of extreme heating. Jeff Tollefson covers climate, energy, and the environment for Nature, which is the article described above.

Response to SkepticalScience Post on Mid 20th Century Cooling

SOURCE : http://www.skepticalscience.com/global-cooling-mid-20th-century-advanced.htm

This source seems to make a reasonable point about the direct and indirect effects of aerosol's on our atmosphere, but I cannot be a good judge of reliability unless I hear many others saying the same thing. It mentions that the release of sulfates into the atmosphere during that period is most likely the cause of the cooling effect, being the largest period in which they were released into the atmosphere. This article is only about 3 and 1/2 years old, which can have changes in a period like that. One thing that stands out to me is that we see a similar plateau after 1998 when there was an agreement to stop releasing these greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The effect seems to be similar, but the causes are very different, one period a massive increase in sulfates and aerosols and the other an attempt to phase out and decrease all pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Climate Change Survey Questions and Responses

Link to the Survey questions for "Science of Climate Change"

Link to responses of questions for "Science of Climate Change"

Response to "Climate Bathtub" Carbon Dioxide cycle model

The "Climate Bathtub" is an important visual tool in understanding how the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is transferred in as well as flowing outward. The image really puts into perspective the basic idea that there is a flow inward of carbon from natural sources, such as respiration and decay of plants and human causes like burning of fossil fuels. Then, compared to the outward natural flow in processes such as, photosynthesis and dissolving into oceans reflects the amount of Carbon dioxide floating around in the atmosphere. One of the underlying concepts is that there is an uneven flow of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, because there is the one natural source causing a rise balances with the natural causes that release carbon dioxide. Except, when including the human causes that add to the rising levels and create an imbalance, causing more inflow than outflow. Some of the excess can be absorbed by the plants and oceans, but there is such a increase from humans that we should seriously look at our impacts. An important thing to notice throughout all of these examples is that there is always an increase of Carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as long as humans continue to add to the levels, but if we can somehow have no inclusion in adding to the carbon dioxide levels then there is a hope to avoid reaching an overflow that can drastically harm the atmosphere and humans health.

Link to the "Climate Bathtub"

Link to Personal Global Change Graph

Global Temperature Graph

Montreal Protocol vs Kyoto Protocol

LINK TO OPINION AND ANSWER TO QUESTION 1 FROM HW 8

Opinion on video "What's the Worst that can happen?"

My simple opinion from watching this video is that he may have a point not the extreme ones that he puts into his chart, but the fact that we need to spread the word. I mean when has doing nothing caused something good to actually happen, the key word being good, because yes it may be the right thing and result in not doing something unnecessary although is not accomplishing anything new. For example he points out that if we do nothing and there is no Global warming that we are happy, yes we may not see our world destroying as fast as we think, but there are still definitely problems associated with us causing Ozone depletion and increasing other risks besides Global warming such as harming agriculture and increased risks of disease or skin cancer. So my take from the video is that he may scare a lot of people with his take that the world as we know it may end in decades, I think his biggest point is that we need to spread the word and get people thinking, because no action (in my opinion) is worse than a wrong action.

LINK to the video.