Climate Change skeptics? [ot]

We live in a nation where public acceptance of evolution is the second lowest of 34 developed countries, just ahead of Turkey. Roughly half of Americans reject some aspect of evolution, believe the Earth is less than 10,000 years old, and that humans coexisted with dinosaurs. Where I live, many believe evolution to be synonymous with atheism, and there are those who strongly feel I am teaching heresy to thousands of students. A local pastor, whom I’ve never met, wrote an article in the University Christian complaining that, not only was I teaching evolution and ignoring creationism, I was teaching it as a non-Christian, alternative religion.

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA

Mar 28, 2015 - 10:11am PT

is there any literature that does not address the issue of climate change?

perhaps EdwardT can post a list of titles... from the climate journal literature.

The current central question in climate science regards the question of the 20th century climate change, especially what it's source is and how to predict the future of the change.

I would say that 100% of the literature is related to answering this question.

That's a supposition, I will wait for EdwardT's response rebutting that...

If consensus is built out of a common subject for scientific research (which I'd say is a very good way to define consensus) then there is a very strong consensus among climate researchers as to what the important questions in climate science are.

EdwardT will attempt to deflect on this... no doubt.

Elevated CO2 increases productivity
and invasive species success
in an arid ecosystem
Stanley D. Smith*, Travis E. Huxman*†, Stephen F. Zitzer‡,
Therese N. Charlet*, David C. Housman*, James S. Coleman§,
........
Arid ecosystems, which occupy about 20% of the earth’s terrestrial
surface area, have been predicted to be one of the most responsive
ecosystem types to elevated atmospheric CO2 and associated
global climate change1–3. Here we show, using free-air CO2
enrichment (FACE) technology in an intact Mojave Desert
ecosystem4, that new shoot production of a dominant perennial
shrub is doubled by a 50% increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration
in a high rainfall year. However, elevated CO2 does not
enhance production in a drought year. We also found that aboveground
production and seed rain of an invasive annual grass
increases more at elevated CO2 than in several species of native
annuals. Consequently, elevated CO2 might enhance the longterm
success and dominance of exotic annual grasses in the
region. This shift in species composition in favour of exotic
annual grasses, driven by global change, has the potential to
accelerate the fire cycle, reduce biodiversity and alter ecosystem
function in the deserts of western North America.

Environmental impact assessment of conventional and organic milk production
Imke J.M de Boer
ABSTRACT Organic agriculture addresses the public demand to diminish environmental pollution of agricultural production. Until now, however, only few studies tried to determine the integrated environmental impact of conventional versus organic production using life cycle assessment (LCA). The aim of this article was to review prospects and constraints of LCA as a tool to assess the integrated environmental impact of conventional and organic animal production. This aim was illustrated using results from LCAs in the literature and from a pilot study comparing conventional and organic milk production. This review shows that LCAs of different case studies currently cannot be compared directly. Such a comparison requires further international standardisation of the LCA method. A within-case-study comparison of LCAs of conventional and organic production, however, appeared suitable to gain knowledge and to track down main differences in potential environmental impact. Acidification potential of milk production, for example, is for 78–97% due to volatilisation of ammonia, which is not reduced necessarily by changing from conventional to organic milk production. Eutrophication potential per tonne of milk or per ha of farmland was lower for organic than for conventional milk production due to lower fertiliser application rates. Global warming potential of milk production is for 48–65% due to emission of methane. Organic milk production inherently increases methane emission and, therefore, can reduce global warming potential only by reducing emission of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide considerably. Organic milk production reduces pesticide use, whereas it increases land use per tonne of milk. Conclusions regarding potential environmental impact of organic versus conventional milk production, however, are based largely on comparison of experimental farms. To show differences in potential environmental impact among various production systems, however, LCAs should be performed at a large number of practical farms for each production system of interest. Application of LCA on practical farms, however, requires in-depth research to understand underlying processes, and to predict, or measure, variation in emissions realised in practice.

Bob D'A

Trad climber
Taos, NM

Mar 29, 2015 - 06:43am PT
EddyT wrote: Chiloe - Love the trollery.


There is the problem with you, no trolling by Larry or Ed, you are just getting your ass handed to you by them.

Ain't that some Shet!!

Bob D'A

Trad climber
Taos, NM

Mar 29, 2015 - 07:22am PT
Eddy...not trolling at all. That is your problem, you confuse facts with trolling.

Chiloe - All of your posts on the Cook study are swell. But they don't address the specifics discussed in the piece in The Australian, that I brought up yesterday.