Re: Massive ice shelf collapsing off Antarctica

William Hyde <wthyde1953@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
news:67d24210-fcb6-48ac-8e31-787450a5d989@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 

> On Mar 27, 2:35 pm, Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy
> <tausti...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> Gene Ward Smith <g...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote
>> innews:Xns9A6E71DB56A6Dgenewardsmithsbcglob@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 
>>
>> > Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy <tausti...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote
>> > in 
>> >news:Xns9A6E707C3A18Ctaustingmail@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>> >> So, what you're saying is, it's not as simple and chanting
>> >> "Global Warming!" over and over while dancing naked around a
>> >> golden idol of Al Gore?
> 
> The only leading politician who understood the issue as well as
> Gore was Margaret Thatcher - I had a chat with her science
> adviser once. Those are two names you don't often see linked.

Especially without any mention of sacrificing live chickens.
> 
> But sure, if you can get the extremists to so dance by all means
> do so.  "I can deal with my opponents, it's my 'friends' who
> give me problems."

Welcome to science, Dr. Hyde.
> 
> Mind you, I'm not saying it would be a bad idea to get a group
> of people to chant "natural variability" over and over while
> dancing in polyester suits around a coal idol of Dick Cheney.

I'd pay real money for the DVD.
> 
>> > It seems to me it's more like he's saying don't try to use a
>> > cold Antarctica as an argument against global warming.
> 
> That, definitely.
> 
>>
>> It seems to me that it might be unwise to use a failing ice
>> shelf as an argument *for* global warming
> 
> But this also. Particularly as there is so much better
> evidence.

It does not help the case to confuse hysteria with real data, 
though. In fact, it hurts it, and causes people who don't really 
know much about the subject to dismiss the real scientists with the 
flakes.
> 
> It reminds me of the question I heard in San Francisco
> during the 98 El Nino "Is this storm due to El Nino"?

All weather in California is due to either El Nino or La Nina. Just 
ask a Californian.
> 
> Ice shelves have broken away before.  When it is a huge and
> unprecedented event like Larsen B that's one thing, but as far
> as I can tell breaks like this one were not unknown in  the
> past.  If they are occurring more frequently that is again
> something to consider, but this claim was not made in any
> articles I read.
> 
> Note "as far as I can tell".  The stories were short on science,
> and it is possible that there is data linking  this collapse to
> the larger picture.

Yes. But it would be unwise to assume that the link in question is 
not that both are mentioned in some research grant application.
> 
> when the area around it appears
>> to be cooling.
> 
> The Antarctic peninsula is warming, and warming fairly
> seriously. But yes, Antarctica as a whole is neutral to cooling.
> 
Science is so *hard*!

-- 
Terry Austin

"There's no law west of the internet."
    - Nick Stump

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.