Does anyone know of any research on the average change in temperature of the oceans? I see a lot of figures on the atmospheric change, but everytime the topic of global warming comes up, critics say the atmospheric change is not significant enough to suggest human influence. I think this is bullshit as evidenced by indicator species like coral. Coral cannot withstand over 1 degree celsius of a change in water temperature and large coral deposits that took millenia to form have been utterly decimated in the past several decades. One possible cause could be that the average water temperature has changed over 1 degree celsius. Anyone know if there's research on that to show change in water temperature? I would see that as far too compelling to ignore and would help in convincing certain critics of the immediacy of this phenomenon. Water has a high specific heat index of 1 calorie/gram °C = 4.186 joule/gram °C. This helps regulate the temperature of our atmosphere to prevent dramatic shifts, but ocean temperature would be virtually unchanging.

After some years of reading different stories on this topic i am a bit reluctant to say this is all human originating. The Sun is also in high state and influencing our climate, magnetic fields and energy balance. For me the problem is not ONLY global warming but rather pollution of city area's and now even rural area's. Airplane fumes obstructing sunlight, diesel-dust on your porch, stinking cars in traffic-jams in shopping-streets, closed beaches because of pollution. Probably some of the scientists are right that one volcano eruption produces more CO2 and junk in the atmosphere than al cars in a year or decade... What concerns me most are that some of the chemicals and nuclear junk we produce are NOT deteriorating (biologically/naturally) in nature. Brings me to nuclear plants which are probably the cleanest energy source available, BUT the storage of the end product takes thousands of years of attention. When there is a economic crisis, even a war or an epidemic, are we then insured that these storage facilities are still taken care of..? Is that a risk to high?

anon, I believe it is increased acididty associated with higher dissolved CO2 levels in the ocean that are bleaching the coral.

Fact of the matter;

Theres allot of very intelligent people, very worried about a whole lot more than just greenhouse gas emissions, thats just one piece of the multi-faceted-interdependent-puzzle.

And if you meet these people, they will tell you we need fundamental changes in the way we do almost EVERYTHING, and it comes down to one word. Sustainability. We have nothing that is sustainable, nothing that we can utilise now to fulfil our NEEDS, and yet be able to say that that resource will still exist to provide for the NEEDS of our future generations.

And the current political and economic framework is not equipped to see the pathbreaking developments required to ensure we achieve something even close to sustainability.

Research was carried out by government ministries in one of those Nordic countries, and based on the definition of sustainability they used, they determined that we need to reduce our consumption to around 5-10% of the current rates. Or even less, as it is emerging.

So people should be very focused on the fact that the status quo, regardless if it causes climate meltdown in teh next 50yrs, is not sustainable for too much longer into the future.

Eeek; those republicans are not only stupid, they are damned CREEPY....

Regarding sustainability, we should just make Jupiter a landfill, and mine other planets of their resources, minerals, and create synthetic materials.

Also genetically engineer human brains to preclude socialism.

Those were some great republican talking points... for me to poop on!!!

C.

the dog is bleepin' brilliant

Why don't we have candidates as good as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog? Unbought, unugly and untrained.

An excellent synopsis of coral bleaching and its causes (natural and manmade) can be found here. http://www.marinebiology.org/coralbleaching.htm

I think ocean temperature effects pale in comparison to sedimentation (from coastal construction) and nutrient loading from fertilizer runoff and sewage systems... both consequences of runaway human population growth. The jury is still out on ocean temperature increase, though small increases in temp would be devastating in its direct effect, as well as causing an appreciable change in the volume of the ocean (raising sea level). We normally think of water as "uncompressible", but the small change in density with a degree or two Celsius adds up in a whole ocean. Not mentioned in this article is soft coral die-off in the Caribbean which has been linked to aspergillus fungi blowing in from the rapidly deforesting Africa... the Sahara taking over the place, which is another consequence of runaway human growth. Ocean warming, global warming or not -- clearly our unsustainable numbers have trashed the place, and will continue to do so until our numbers fall to about 2 billion again (about where we were in 1945).

Is there a video attached?

Yes, and it doesn't require Quicktime 7 if you are unable to view it tell me what operating system, browser, and version of Quicktime you're using. Is anyone else having problem.

didn't a huge scientific conference just say, guess what we're fucked? Didn't NASA say that humans are causing the problems? Don't the charts showing 5 HUGE hurricans in one year as opposed to over 20 in the previous cycles mean anything to these dumbasses?

Isn't the science in?

The negative impacts associated with climate change can be clearly seen throughout the world, particularly on the world’s coastlines and glacier regions. But everyone doesn’t look upon global warming as strictly a negative thing. Here in North Dakota for instance we have been pleased with the above average rainfalls we have been receiving these past 5 years, the extended growing season and crop yields have been fantastic, and the exceptionally warm winters these past 5 years have been very welcome indeed. I can remember a time not too long ago when a winter in North Dakota would kill off nearly half of all the deer population of this State. But in the past 5 years the winterkill has been nearly nonexistent, leaving us North Dakotans with an excellent deer-hunting season year after year. Just thought I’d throw that in.

We haven't had more than a foot of snow in North Dakota since 1997. I'm not saying this is because of global warming, but this fact alone, scares me. Many of us miss the snow and don't welcome the warm weather.

No worries everyone. There's only been a temperature of 1 degrees....in every space....throughout the entire planet.

But whatever, its only 1 degrees.

Yes, anon...change your thermostat in your home by one degree and see how much more energy it takes to heat. Now multiply that by...well you get the idea.

Why is it that the United States is the only major industrialized country in the world whose leaders continually cast doubt on the dangers of human environmental interference.

If it were, say, Italy, we could just laugh at it and wouldn't have to worry. But since it is in fact the world's largest industry we're talking about, and the world's presumptive economic leader, we're in big trouble.

The Dog said "Would you be in favor of more hybrid cars? But not to regulate...not demanding control... but what if the cars could be made by Haliburton, then would you?" Ha ha ha!... that dog is da bomb!

Isn't it a conservative concept to error on the side of caution? Now they want to play craps with the world's climate? I don't get it. And as far as the people who scoff at a 1 degree rise in temperature (like that ass hat Dennis Miller), I suggest you try freezing something and then raising the temperature 1 degree. It melts. Is that insignificant?

So why are these four assclowns talking to a rubber handpuppet? Who are the handlers for these guys? It's like a cheap person's Ali G. I like it - do you think they all walked away from that interview thinking "yeah, we were awesome!"? Wow.

Here is an article (in dutch) but look at the two pictures of the Morteratsch-gletscher 1911 and 2001. Gone... http://www.hutten.be/Dossiers/dos-natuur-klimaat.html

Many more 'gletschers' comparing at: http://www.gletscherarchiv.de/202006past1.htm (click left-right arrows)

"...I'll sure he'll be connected to it someway, he, he."

Well, aren't the Republicans just having a great time while governing - and, yeah, spreading warfare, poverty, torture and pollution? What great times for America's democracy.

Lator, Many industrialised countries that try to downplay the effects of pollution. China, Russia, etc etc.

Then theres the clear cutting in Brazil, a different form of ecological disaster...

USA is bad, but basically, anyone who's economic interests outweigh their sence of social responsibility will leave the environment to the next generation...until there are no more options.

Why a freaking dog puppet more intelligent than our politicians? Look, it's really not that simple. We are throwing up into the atmosphere a lot more carbon than would naturally be there. The carbon cycle has been very static for millions of years. Even IF you don't agree. The internal combustion engine should be obsolete by now. They cause all kinds of disease, asthma, and oil spills etc.

I like how anyone who agrees is brilliant and anyone who disagrees is an ass-hat. you all suck. no room for thought. no room for talk. just out and out judgement. what about the ice ages? who's responsible for that? we better go and get their SUV right now and shove it down their throat.

The one on the far left was interviewed by Colbert in the first " better know a district."