Fresh Air. The Scent of Pine.
FAQ
A Closer Look: The Climate Change Debate
Why won’t scientists debate the issue of climate change? There is a problem with debates. It’s called sweat. Vice President Richard Nixon lost the first ever televised Presidential debate to his opponent, Senator John F. Kennedy. At least that’s the conclusion the television audience reached, and it very well may have cost Nixon the Presidency.
Aren’t compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs dangerous?
Yes and no. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, commonly referred to as CFL bulbs, do contain mercury, which is a hazardous material. However, the amount is very small and is less than the amount used in standard linear fluorescent bulbs which have been in use in homes, businesses, and schools for decades. Two-thirds of the CFL … Continue reading
A Closer Look: Predictions of the 1970’s
In the 1970s, wasn’t the scientific community warning of a coming ice age? Actually, no. While some scientific studies published during that time were concerned about a possible cooling trend, to which some news outlets such as Newsweek latched based on the cooler temperatures of the period, a recent review of the published scientific literature … Continue reading
A Closer Look: Changes in Antarctica
Hasn’t Antarctica actually gained ice mass? When discussing Antarctica, it’s first important to get a sense of scale. Discussions of the Arctic and the Antarctic often confuse the two, but the region around the Earth’s southern pole is much, much larger. Antarctica, the continent, is about 5.4 million square miles in area, which is over … Continue reading
A Closer Look: Predicting the Climate
If we can’t accurately predict the weather next week, how can we predict the climate in a hundred years? Weather is not the same as climate. Weather deals with very short term variability as it pertains to a specific geographical area. As such weather deals with a very large amount of variability day-to-day and even … Continue reading
A Closer Look: Global Temperatures Since 1998
Didn’t warming end in 1998? See also: No Warming Since 1998: Old Claim Given New Life Last Updated: March 9, 2009 No. 1998 is considered widely to be the hottest year globally on record. While anthropogenic global warming (AGW) certainly contributed to the warmth that year, it was supported by what some scientists call the … Continue reading
A Closer Look: Earth’s Climate of the Past
Hasn’t the Earth heated and cooled all on its own in the past? Yes. Many times. There are many natural variations and events that impact the Earth’s climate including changes in the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, changes in the tilt of the Earth on its axis, changes in solar output, volcanic activity, shifting of … Continue reading
You don’t honestly think human activities will destroy the planet, do you?
Absolutely not. The Earth has been around for billions of years, long before the arrival of mankind, and it will likely still be around long after we are gone. The question is not whether or not the Earth will be destroyed but whether or not the changed Earth will be a hospitable place for us … Continue reading
A Closer Look: Warming on Mars
Isn’t Mars experiencing global warming as well? To answer a question with a question, does it matter? If Mars is experiencing warming on a global scale, the only reason to discuss it alongside planetary warming on Earth is to attribute both warming trends to a common source, namely the Sun. However, as discussed in the … Continue reading
A Closer Look: CO2 Lagging Temperature
Don’t increases in temperature lead to increases in CO2, not the other way around? Yes and no. Increases in global temperature can lead to an increase in atmospheric levels of CO2. However, as CO2 is added to the atmosphere, it traps additional heat causing a further rise in global temperatures. Source: U.S. EPA As you … Continue reading
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The Indicators
Climate Change Indicators
Global Temperature
Global Sea Level
Arctic Ice Melt
Glacial Retreat
Atmospheric CO2 Level
Fresh Air. The Scent of Pine. 