Yes, we actually have some good news to report about the environment. The United Nations has issued a report with NASA photos showing that the giant hole in Earth’s ozone layer is shrinking. The ozone layer protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays and was being destroyed by the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Over vehement objections from industry that curtailing CFCs would destroy the economy, new laws forced the use of substitutes and the result has been predictable and encouraging.
Industry fought to stop the ban on CFCs for decades even though scientists linked CFCs to the ozone depletion in the 1970s. In 1987, the world reached a phase out agreement as part of the Montreal Protocol. Industry and various politicians denounced the agreement as a disaster for the economy and jobs. Instead, it quickly forced the creation of alternatives, which are now in wide use.
Here is the result:
It is not done however. It will take until 2050 for the ozone layer in the mid-latitudes to return to relatively healthy 1980s conditions. Around the Antarctic, where the ozone layer is the most damaged, it will take until 2075. However, humans actually made a sacrifice and produced a beneficial result for their planet. Now that is worth celebrating.
Source: Washington Post
The Sierra Club says the Arctic has been Ice Free since 2013
On March 23, 2013, I made the following prediction:
“For the record—I do not think that any sea ice will survive this summer. An event unprecedented in human history is today, this very moment, transpiring in the Arctic Ocean.
The cracks in the sea ice that I reported in my Sierra blog and elsewhere have spread. Worse news is at this very moment the entire sea ice sheet (or about 99 percent of it) covering the Arctic Ocean is on the move (clockwise), and the thin, weakened icecap has literally begun to tear apart.
This is abrupt climate change in real-time.
http://www.sierraclub.ca/en/AdultDiscussionPlease?fb_action_ids=633465710015337&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582
In reality 10 of the last 15 years since the above article was written the Northern Hemisphere has been the snowiest on record. Of course like trying to explain away “The Pause” referenced above the consensus now is that Global Warming now causes more snow not less.
Snowfall is a thing of the past Children just won’t know what snowfall is he said.
The warming is so far manifesting itself more in winters which are less cold than in much hotter summers. According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become “a very rare and exciting event”.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/snowfalls-are-now-just-a-thing-of-the-past-724017.html
Joe Blow – we rarely see snow fall here in Phoenix and it is a rare and exciting event. We may get snow this year (actually it will probably fall in January of 2015), but during our winter monsoon.
I could go on and on and on but the Koch brothers have cut my funding so it’s not worth my time to try and convince a bunch of dupes that everything under the sun, pun intended is blamed on rising levels of CO2 mainly due to mans burning of fossil fuels that have some how made the heat sink to 20,0000 leagues beneath the sea. You’ll figure it out this winter on your own.
In reality there is no strong evidence to support severe weather becoming stronger, more frequent or more widespread during the past 50 years in the United States. One of the reasons that the change in severe weather is hard to track is the fact that the reporting systems have changed so much over time.
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/#data
The Bogey Man says that due to increasing levels of CO2 mainly due to mans burning of Fossil Fuels that tornadoes will become more frequent and intense.
In reality if a Major Hurricane CAT 3 or higher does not strike the United States by October 24th 2014 it will become 9 years since a Major Hurricane has struck the United States. Blowing away and continuing past the record of 7 years set back in the days of the civil war..
The Bogey Man says that due to increasing levels of CO2 mainly due to mans burning of Fossil Fuels, hurricanes will become more frequent and intense. Who remembers this video from last year.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efAUCG9oTb8
Note to self NOT FOX NEWS
New theory may help explain global warming pause
In 1999, the feverish rise in Earth’s surface temperatures suddenly slowed, even as greenhouse gas emissions escalated. This unexpected slowdown has been called a global warming hiatus or global warming pause. Most climate scientists don’t think this hiatus means global warming went kaput, but the reason (or reasons) for the slowdown has scientists flummoxed. Researchers have offered more than two dozen ideas to explain the missing heat.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-theory-may-help-explain-global-warming-pause/
Joe Blow – a very early winter already hit eastern Montana and Western North and South Dakota. Got lots of beautiful fluffy snow.
If it is any help. Temperature reporting stations in the Phoenix area only have 130 years of data.
There has been no statistical warming for 17 plus years google “The Pause”
The theory is all of the missing heat has sunk to depths thousands of feet below the oceans surface, First it was thought to be only in the Pacific but now a new study suggest it is the Atlantic.
See Video Here http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/5c9545af95baac54865dd2a26d5b1b4e.htm
Annie, That happened about 6 years ago.
Dredd, “The inmates have taken over he asylum!” o_O
Paul C
Cite your sources and facts to your claim, “the planet was not warming”.
Peer reviewed is preferred… I’ll wait for your crickets.
Max-1 – Science Daily is my source. Here. And Max, buddy, peer reviewed is a joke in paleoclimatology. Michael Mann’s emails exposed that fraud to us.
http://feedly.com/index.html#tag%2FClimatechange
Let me give you a better source.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140819113002.htm
There is actually really not a hole in the ozone layer and it is cyclical to the year. But “Cyclical ozone thinning” doesn’t have the same disinformation message and is way less dramatic than “Hole in the ozone layer!” The greenies get an “A” in marketing.
John,
About what time do these psychobabbling, environmentalist wackjob, neo-communist, collectivize-or-die taxpayer parasites discover that they have cried wolf for so long the climate is actually getting cooler?
They actually changed their slogan from “global warming” to “climate change” to reflect science and public attitudes, hoping to enhance recruitment.
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
The climate has been changing since the formation of the earth.
The climate will change until the disarticulation of the earth.
Snake oil salesmen will separate fools from their money until such time.
Whinny, squeaky wheels will get the grease ad infinitum.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!
“…you can’t just shoot ‘em.”
Men 1991
Forester Sisters
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Ignorance is ignoring science.
Oral defecation in public is not an adequate replacement for it.
The ignorance you are spouting is as valid as Flat Earth ignorance.
Your sources are Agnotology generators (Agnotology: The Surge).
Here is the history from a scientific historian in a university lecture:
Key times in the video (Note: GW = global warming; GG = greenhouse gas, CC = climate change):
00:40 – Schwarzenegger: no debate, GW is happening.
06:20 – Proper amount of GG is good, keeps us warm.
07:00 – Too much GG is a bad thing.
07:09 – Tyndall in mid 1800’s began research into GG.
07:45 – Arrhenius did first degree calculations re: CO2 content.
08:25 – Callendar discovered GG increases in 1930’s.
09:02 – Hulburt accord in 1930’s.
09:43 – Depression / war stopped GG research.
10:00 – Gilbert N. Plass developed CO2 atmospheric calculations.
10:49 – Suess & Revelle do paper in 1957 warning of GW dangers.
12:30 – Dr. Revelle warned of polar ice cap melt in TIME interview.
13:25 – CO2 levels discovered to be high.
16:30 – Lyndon Johnson in 1965 says fossil fuels causing GW.
17:00 – GW, CC not political originally.
18:20 – White of NOAA, 1978, warns of GW dangers.
20:52 – Polar Areas to be impacted 4 times more than other areas.
24:20 – IPCC formed in 1979 with consensus on GW.
26:00 – Bush I signed GW treaty.
26:45 – Denial of GW begins.
27:40 – Luntz injects GW denial propaganda into political debate.
28:25 – Oil baron Cheney propagates GW denial.
29:00 – Oil companies do massive scale denial propaganda.
29:30 – Marshall Institute
30:30 – Marshall Institute formed to support Reagan SDI (star wars)
32:50 – Marshall Institute “cigarettes not related to cancer”.
36:50 – Marshall Institute does GW denial campaign.
42:54 – Marshall member Seitz worked for big tobacco.
47:20 – Singer of Marshall Institute politically attacks GW.
53:35 – Cigarette smoking is ok rhetoric applied to GW science.
Here is a link to the report: PDF
https://twitter.com/billmckibben/status/510253590888607744
The art of explaining science.. and why it’s so hard to do
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/72489-the-art-of-explaining-science-and-why-its-so-hard-to-do-
https://twitter.com/ClimateComms/status/510165020974391296
John
“They actually changed their slogan from “global warming” to “climate change” to reflect science and public attitudes, hoping to enhance recruitment.”
= = =
Um, incorrect. They term it “climate change” because this more accurately describes the weather events that are in the works making life in many regions of the globe more difficult for humans to live in. ientists knew that the terminology change would confuse some people.
I hope that clears it up for you.
Max-1 – it was hard to continue to call it Global Warming when the planet was not warming. Hence Climate Change. Just rebranding. Still is not selling.