If the Indie has doubts...
Discussion
The Independent said:
The missing sunspots: Is this the big chill?
Scientists are baffled by what they’re seeing on the Sun’s surface – nothing at all. And this lack of activity could have a major impact on global warming. David Whitehouse investigates
Monday, 27 April 2009
The disappearance of sunspots happens every few years, but this time it's gone on far longer than anyone expected - and there is no sign of the Sun waking up.
Could the Sun play a greater role in recent climate change than has been believed? Climatologists had dismissed the idea and some solar scientists have been reticent about it because of its connections with those who those who deny climate change. But now the speculation has grown louder because of what is happening to our Sun. No living scientist has seen it behave this way. There are no sunspots.
The disappearance of sunspots happens every few years, but this time it’s gone on far longer than anyone expected – and there is no sign of the Sun waking up. “This is the lowest we’ve ever seen. We thought we’d be out of it by now, but we’re not,” says Marc Hairston of the University of Texas. And it’s not just the sunspots that are causing concern. There is also the so-called solar wind – streams of particles the Sun pours out – that is at its weakest since records began. In addition, the Sun’s magnetic axis is tilted to an unusual degree. “This is the quietest Sun we’ve seen in almost a century,” says NASA solar scientist David Hathaway. But this is not just a scientific curiosity. It could affect everyone on Earth and force what for many is the unthinkable: a reappraisal of the science behind recent global warming.
Our Sun is the primary force of the Earth’s climate system, driving atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns. It lies behind every aspect of the Earth’s climate and is, of course, a key component of the greenhouse effect. But there is another factor to be considered. When the Sun has gone quiet like this before, it coincided with the earth cooling slightly and there is speculation that a similar thing could happen now. If so, it could alter all our predictions of climate change, and show that our understanding of climate change might not be anywhere near as good as we thought.
Scientists are baffled by what they’re seeing on the Sun’s surface – nothing at all. And this lack of activity could have a major impact on global warming. David Whitehouse investigates
Monday, 27 April 2009
The disappearance of sunspots happens every few years, but this time it's gone on far longer than anyone expected - and there is no sign of the Sun waking up.
Could the Sun play a greater role in recent climate change than has been believed? Climatologists had dismissed the idea and some solar scientists have been reticent about it because of its connections with those who those who deny climate change. But now the speculation has grown louder because of what is happening to our Sun. No living scientist has seen it behave this way. There are no sunspots.
The disappearance of sunspots happens every few years, but this time it’s gone on far longer than anyone expected – and there is no sign of the Sun waking up. “This is the lowest we’ve ever seen. We thought we’d be out of it by now, but we’re not,” says Marc Hairston of the University of Texas. And it’s not just the sunspots that are causing concern. There is also the so-called solar wind – streams of particles the Sun pours out – that is at its weakest since records began. In addition, the Sun’s magnetic axis is tilted to an unusual degree. “This is the quietest Sun we’ve seen in almost a century,” says NASA solar scientist David Hathaway. But this is not just a scientific curiosity. It could affect everyone on Earth and force what for many is the unthinkable: a reappraisal of the science behind recent global warming.
Our Sun is the primary force of the Earth’s climate system, driving atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns. It lies behind every aspect of the Earth’s climate and is, of course, a key component of the greenhouse effect. But there is another factor to be considered. When the Sun has gone quiet like this before, it coincided with the earth cooling slightly and there is speculation that a similar thing could happen now. If so, it could alter all our predictions of climate change, and show that our understanding of climate change might not be anywhere near as good as we thought.
"Our Sun is the primary force of the Earth’s climate system..."
Nah. It's a novel idea but it'll never catch on. Everyone knows that it's humans that cause all the warmth in this world with their nasty cars. Mind you cows have a lot to answer for with their methane too. Yes, it's cars and cows. The sun?! Pfahahahahaha.
Nah. It's a novel idea but it'll never catch on. Everyone knows that it's humans that cause all the warmth in this world with their nasty cars. Mind you cows have a lot to answer for with their methane too. Yes, it's cars and cows. The sun?! Pfahahahahaha.
Shirly this is in fact more grist to the mill for the enviro-mentalists, they'll just argue if the climate is bad now, when the sun is so quiet, that when it wakes up, we'll discover that the situation is whole lot worse, and that CC will accelerate.
This is a Lose Lose situation...
(Wow.. Do I know how to spin. I should work for Labour...)
This is a Lose Lose situation...
(Wow.. Do I know how to spin. I should work for Labour...)
Oddly, this story was reported on the un-biased BBC a few days ago, with a minor twist.
None of this will affect the Global Warming...
Seriously, they sit and explained how the sunspots and solar activity have historically kept up the temp of the planet then explain how this won't make any change.
None of this will affect the Global Warming...
Seriously, they sit and explained how the sunspots and solar activity have historically kept up the temp of the planet then explain how this won't make any change.
So when will this lack of sun spot activity actually cause discernible affects 2010 or this year?
Thing is that I thought I'd read that this was actually a more predictable cycle and more evidentially based than anything the MMGW scientists had ever come up with and the Sun Spot theorists had said that it would happen sometime around 2010. Hmmm
Thing is that I thought I'd read that this was actually a more predictable cycle and more evidentially based than anything the MMGW scientists had ever come up with and the Sun Spot theorists had said that it would happen sometime around 2010. Hmmm
Personally, I think that its massive arrogance on behalf of the scientists to assume that they know what is going on with the climate. The boldly sit there and point the figure at C02 and the politicians lap it up and legislate.
It was only a week or so ago that another news item said that it was MMGW that was definately warming the planet - regardless of what is happening with the sun.
You couldn't make it up!
It was only a week or so ago that another news item said that it was MMGW that was definately warming the planet - regardless of what is happening with the sun.
You couldn't make it up!
te, why let any inconvenient facts get in the way. The green lobby won't stop agitating until God come's down from his heaven and tell's them to shut the fGassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff