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119 comments on DrumBeat: December 20, 2008

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DIYer on December 20, 2008 - 12:04pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

It's the most ominous news since the report of arctic ice melting 30 years ahead of schedule. Looks like even us old farts will live to see AGW predictions realized. (and then some)

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nelsone on December 20, 2008 - 12:26pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

That ancient seabed methane is the real old fart. Our contributions (personally and via cattle) may pale in comparison.
Agreed that methane releases from the tundra and seabed may turn out to be the Black Swan that trumps our other concerns.

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totoneila on December 20, 2008 - 2:53pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

IMO, we are just marking time until the next repeat of a Storegga or Unimak event:

http://www.semparpac.org/tsunami.jpg

EDIT: Won't be much fun for a city where the tsunami throws/break ups a giant LNG tanker against the docks or rocks.

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TrueKaiser on December 20, 2008 - 3:24pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

it's happened before. Though the last time it happened was in the Permian era and is known as the great dieing. Looks like we are playing the remake here, just like the original except that instead of the formation of the Siberian traps dumping carbon into the air as the first part of the ball rolling it's us.

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DIYer on December 20, 2008 - 9:04pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

It's Gaia saying "pull my finger".

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Matthew on December 20, 2008 - 4:06pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

It's the most ominous news since the report of arctic ice melting 30 years ahead of schedule.

But, but, but.. I was told that we have nothing to worry about - it's snowing in the Himalaya's for Pete's sake!

But in all seriousness. It's only a matter of time before the the remaining deniers are forced to sing a different, and unfortunately accurate, tune: "Climate change is real, but it's far too late to do anything."

What a disgrace.

Thank god for Leanan's inclusive drumbeats.

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DIYer on December 20, 2008 - 9:19pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Right, and the temperature on Neptune is rising, or some dumb crap like that.

I have no idea where the denialists get this nonsense when 1) there are so few actual data points on the outer planets; 2) they can't understand the spectrum of CO2 nor explain why other planets' weather is predictive of the terrestrial climate.

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AlanfromBigEasy on December 21, 2008 - 5:47am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Neptune has a more eccentric orbit than Earth. In terms of it's solar year of 164.79 years, it is approaching it's perihelion in 2045. In terms of it's solar year, it is now in spring (about April 1st). Solar radiation in > "black body" radiation out, so Neptune is warming up.

The solar radiation is concentrated on the South Pole (Neptune has a severe orbital tilt and "presents" just that end towards the sun near perihelion).

http://www.universetoday.com/2007/09/18/neptunes-south-pole-is-the-warme...

Simple orbital mechanics,

Alan

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neutrino23 on December 22, 2008 - 2:01am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

In reality, we don't know if this is dangerous or not. In absence of certain knowledge though this is like driving along a cliff with the wheels just at the edge.

We often read stories about old people who grew up in the horse and buggy age and now have witnessed space flight, computers, flat screen TVs and such. I often think about how I was born into a world that was still safe and now we have driven the climate to the edge with CO2 emissions, forest clearings, pollution and such.

Words can't express how much this story affects me.

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119 comments on DrumBeat: December 20, 2008

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