In Friday afternoon presentations, two experts, one from academia, the other from business, forecast possible futures for Earth’s climate. William Calvin, a neurophysiologist at the University of Washington, outlined the potential threat of what he calls the “The Great Climate Flip-Flop,” an abrupt cooling of Earth that could result in widespread crop failure, significant landscape change, and genocidal battles among nations for food resources. “No serious scientist wants to be seen as a prophet of doom, but this is not a prediction, this is history” said Calvin, referring to past climate flip-flops in Earth’s history. Calvin first became interested in the topic through studying climate’s influence on human brain development. The most dangerous result of global warming could be the triggering of a modern ice age, says Calvin. Contrary to popular belief, global temperature change can be fairly quick and drastic. Earth could be due for another plummet in temperature, a change that could be sparked by the effect of global warming on currents that form a “heat engine” for the north Atlantic. Much of the warming effect of northern latitudes, including Europe, is created by a powerful North Atlantic current that flows from the tropics to Greenland. The current endows Europe, a continent that shares the same latitude with Canada, with a temperate enough climate to support a population of 650 million.
Drawing on research by Columbia University geochemist Wallace Broecker, Calvin described the North Atlantic current as a conveyer belt, delivering warm surface water to northern regions. Salt-heavy, the current reaches northern latitudes near Greenland, sinks, and travels south to be recycled in waters as far away as the Pacific. A greenhouse-generated warming effect can cause cooling by dumping large amounts of fresh water into the ocean, and interrupting the conveyer belt flow of water in the North Atlantic. Under greenhouse warming conditions, large amounts of fresh water enter the ocean through increased high-latitude rainfall and melting ice. Shifts in the ice flow can also cause blockages in fjords and other waterways, resulting in the buildup and then sudden release of millions of gallons of freshwater into the Atlantic. “We cannot avoid trouble by simply cutting down on our current contribution to the greenhouse warming trend. We need to identify the important feedback effects that control climate and ocean currents,” warned Calvin. Possible global cooling prevention strategies include opening channels through fjord ice dams, seeding clouds to deliver rain away from North Atlantic areas of sinking water, regulating the Mediterranean Sea’s salty outflow, and digging a wide sea-level Panama Canal.
Why has discussion of the Climate Flip-flop scenario not received greater attention in the media? Calvin was asked. He observed wryly that “Hollywood catastrophe movies co-opt the marketplace for discussion of possible futures.”
A top advisor to President Clinton on energy policy and global warming, Thomas R. Casten, president and CEO of New York-based Trigen Energy Corporation, outlined his outlook on defeating the greenhouse gas problem through improved energy efficiency. Citing as evidence a correlation between increases in world population and increases in CO2 gas and water vapor, Casten declared that “there is a greenhouse gas problem. I think humankind is rolling some very big dice, and the question is what do we do?” Casten is a member of the CSICOP Board of Directors and Executive Council. The U.S. contribution to CO2 gas emission equals 25 percent of the world total, and Casten noted that U.S. waste in power generation exceeds Japan’s total fuel use. “There is market failure across the world. Power generation is drastically inefficient. The best environmental strategy ever devised is efficiency: Don't burn the fuel.” Current U.S. energy efficiency is at 33 percent, with the country reaching peak energy efficiency in 1959. In comparison, Denmark operates at 50 percent efficiency. “It is an appalling record when you look at advances in computing, jet planes, and other technologies.” Casten pointed to government protection of utility monopolies as causing disincentives to improved energy use and production. “We've protected our companies from competitiveness, and you get what you reward. If you don't reward the energy industry, you won't get efficiency.” Casten said that new energy regulations should emphasize input versus performance standards in efficiency and pollution. Government efforts also have to target phasing-out and cleaning up decades-old power plants. Many of the older plants have grandfathered-in emissions compliance, allowing them to be more than 100 times more polluting than new facilities. To reduce costs, Casten recommended that barriers to competition be eliminated. But since increasing competition will not induce companies to seek optimal environmental solutions, regulations need to guide power companies with efficiency standards. Finally, Casten suggested that megawatt hours of electricity have to be less and less dependent on fossil fuels. Trigen Energy uses trigeneration of electricity, steam, and cooled water to build power plants that are 91 percent efficient, Casten said. The company, serving more than 1,500 customers at 22 locations in North America, provides heating, cooling, and electricity with one half the fossil fuel and one half the pollution of conventional generation.
"In Canada's wheat belt, a particularly chilly and rainy spring has delayed planting and may well bring a disappointingly small harvest. Rainy Britain, on the other hand, has suffered from uncharacteristic dry spells the past few springs. A series of unusually cold winters has gripped the American Far West, while New England and northern Europe have recently experienced the mildest winters within anyone's recollection.
As they review the bizarre and unpredictable weather pattern of the past several years, a growing number of scientists are beginning to suspect that many seemingly contradictory meteorological fluctuations are actually part of a global climatic upheaval."
Sound Familar? That's a quote from June 24 1974 Time Magazine. Titled "The New Ice Age".
I told ya before they would have'ta explain what has happened in da last three years, "global cooling", with more crap. On Gawd! It's funny as shit watch'n and listen'n to these "Chicken Littles" make sweeping predictions much like "soothsayers". My favorite line is: "No serious scientist wants to be seen as a prophet of doom..." Then goes on to predict doom. Or actually stating we can't use any form of fossil fuels? Yup what we need is "Clean Nuclear Energy"! ??? Oh ya! We also need more sweeping taxes!???? Yup more tax = No climate change.
Of course that is common logic. Of course!
Hang on to your pocket books my lemmings. Here comes "Carbon Tax" to save us.
This is da biggest scam since religion. In fact this is da "New Religion"!
Still don't believe me that "Climate Change" is media hokum and a Junk Science? Here's a great read on da subject. "Why Meteorologists Don't Believe In Climate Change".
Sa Later
Wally
pssst. da media always uses polar bears when talk'n about this topic. ever notice that? that's why my cute lil'friend at the top.
oot.
