It's called climate change

...not global warming. Please check your facts. Once you do I would be happy to debate the issue with you. I had this same discussion with my daughter's grade 3 teacher. She was amazed that a "dumb roofer" knew so much about it. I'm not sure why I get so bent about the term. I think I need anger management...>>>

http://allentown.craigslist.org/forums/?act=Q&ID=123493513>>>

To add to the controversy, the sun is currently in an unusual "quiet" phase. The last time that happened, we had the Maunder minimum (yah, you can google that) and it got very cold in Europe (and elsewhere). Greenland had viking colonies in the 1100's (or thereabout), which were gradually abandoned as the cold created more sea ice and reduced the growing season.

Ice shelves floating on the sea will not affect the sea level, but that ice often is at the mouths of glaciers. Once the "plug" of sea ice is removed, the glaciers start to flow much faster, and the ice that is on land starts to enter the sea where it WILL cause sea levels to rise. Therefore, the news that we are getting that various ice shelves are in the process of collapse, is not good news.

The Gulf Stream current brings a lot of heat to western Europe, and is responsible for that region being much warmer than comparable areas (in terms of latitude). Disruption of this energy flow causes dramatic changes in European climate http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/oct/27/science.climatechange. The reverse flow is the North Atlantic Deep Water, And the Labrador current, which are very cold and very saline. If these are disrupted, say, by the formation of much less saline waters (due to the melting of the ice cover in the Arctic Ocean), then the Gulf Stream may dramatically reduce in volume. This would cause a net increase in heat in the Gulf of Mexico, and a reduction in the heat distributed in Europe. "Interesting times" indeed.

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Hi Doc,

Fully agree, Climate change it is.

A ten degree rise in temperature would a real catastrophe even if it takes centuries to occur, any planning or lack of same at this time does not effect you or me its our childrens children that we are answerable to.

Water expands as it heats up, tidal waves will increase in size (good for surfing maybe) but coastal errosion adds to the mix, more than water causes the sea to rise, start filling in those big ponds what will the water do ?

As the seas rise even an inch or two what happens to our rivers at the estuarys ? of course our rivers will overflow claiming the land on which we live and grow our food.

Many people who live on higher ground think they will not be effected, if the smallest streams can't drain into the rivers the drainage systems in our neighbourhoods will back up effluent will probably contaminate our fresh drinking water supplies.

In the last ice age a lot of sand, clay and rocks were carried by the moving glaciers, geologists have been able to track the effects of these glaciers for example there is slate quarried in Canada that is exactly the same composition of slate quarried in Wales.

We don't know what the glaciers are comprised of, the water content may be the least concern to coming generations, even today we have a planet that is having problems feeding the population.

Scientists have not declared global warming as the definite or only result of this change, over time it could just as easy result in lower temperatures in many parts of the world.

Last winter the UK saw one of the heaviest snow falls on record, apparantley such snow fall occurs ever 20 > 30 years so the UK Government have not invested in the snow plows etc based on simple economics.

I saw a TV programme where the weather forcasters showed how they forcast the snow a week before it arrived, what made it so interesting was they spoke without using technical terms so everyone could understand what they were saying.

Apparantly the warmer air flow from the Gulf was nudged aside (off its usual path) by north winds, the Gulf air is heavy in moisture after crossing the Atlantic ocean, that heavy moist air was cooled and fell as snow.

My point being such a minor change in the atmosphere was able to bring a modern country to a stand still, the side effects of a few hours snow were even more interesting, as it melted the extra water caused rivers to oveflow and burst their banks, towns, housing estates, fields, and roads were flooded.

All of the above caused by the difference in wind temperatures about 40,000 feet above the ground which I understand is too cold for us to breathe.

Maybe some of the claims are exaggerated, maybe some of the data is estimated, but most credible scientists agree there are changes on the way, do we do nothing or at least try to prepare for what the future brings ?

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