New Texas Rain Gauge

[RL Weikart]

4Mesh,
Growing up in Western PA I can attest to the normal, abnormal types of weather. thirty three inch snows, rain, seeing the Ohio river overflowing it' banks, summers hot and humid. No such things as air conditioning in homes or cars. What did we do, went with the flow.

 

[mks]

Ps. We only have 33% more blanket, IFFFFF the other 99.96% of the atmosphere acts 0% as a blanket (methinks that ain't the case).

As to the Jets and their emmissions, it's not about how may pounds perse, it's about WHAT those pounds are made up of. While my car has a catalytic converter, Air Force One, does not. Diesel emissions are vastly more a problem than those from gasoline. Jet fuel is much more akin to diesel than gas... It's carbon chains are far less likely to break down.

You are right, it's more complicated than a blanket when you look more closely. It's a radiation "blanket" that allows around 1000 watts per square meter of sunlight (which is short wavelength) through, but partially blocks long wavelength radiation back to outer space. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases absorb long wave radiation, but are transmittive to short wave solar radiation, just like the glass on a greenhouse. Higher greenhouse gas concentration blocks more long wave, but has no effect on short wave. It's kinda like putting a low-e coating on the greenhouse glass.

The Earth normally radiates 239 watts per square meter. If, because of the 1/3 (your math is better than mine) higher carbon dioxide concentration, 1/3 less long wave radiation got out through the greenhouse gases, we would be in big trouble - Earth temperature would increase by around 20 degrees Kelvin to get back to equilibrium. Luckily the effect is not linear. You can see an example using the Stefan-Boltzmann equation for calculating Earth temperature here: http://resources.yesican-science.ca/Arctic_07/planetology/activity1.html

No argument about jet fuel and jet engines being dirtier than gasoline. There is just more carbon dioxide (98% of it) produced by other combustion machinery.

Cheers,
Keith

 

[tenring]

Went to a ballgame the other day. It was so hot, the bullpen guys sat in front of fans.

 

[Mountain Mike]

You guys are so politically incorrect I don't see how you can live with yourselves. The Envirofascists no longer acknowledge Global Warming. It is now Climate Change and you better remember it.

There are a couple of books out by a Chris Turney. The second one is "Ice, mud and Blood". Not very easy reading because it hops around a lot, but full of facts on climate cycles. He states the world is in a warming cycle but also claims humanity is not helping matters because of the amount of CO2 we are putting out. Apparently, the tipping point is 440 PPM; can't reverse the trend after that point.

In any case, I blame it all on Algore. He is the one that initiated Global Waring (OOPS!, Climate Change), the Internet, and many other of mankind's burdens.