[MD] Clouds

[Dan Glover]

>From: "ARLO J BENSINGER JR" <ajb102 at psu.edu>
>Reply-To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
>To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
>Subject: Re: [MD] Clouds
>Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 23:15:39 -0500
>
>[Platt to Dan]
>How come the world was hotter during the Middle Ages?
>
>[SA]
>Where did you source this from?  I've been hearing that the hottest years 
>on
>record have been within the last 10-15 years.  I'm open to the actual 
>facts,
>so, if you have a more accurate source I'd like to see for myself, thanks.
>
>[Arlo]
>Some geological placement. The "normal" climate of the earth is what we had 
>for
>the millions and millions of years the dinosaurs enjoyed. Every once and 
>while
>the north and south magnetic poles line up over land (rather than sea) 
>allowing
>for the formation of polar caps. This cools the earth, which is why they 
>call
>it an Ice Age. During any given Ice Age, cycles of glaciation occur, 
>reaching
>like fingers towards the equator, then retreating, then stretching, then
>retreating.

[Dan]
This is all conjecture. No one knows what caused the Ice Ages. Perhaps the 
sun goes through brightening and dimming cycles. Perhaps the solar system 
passes through interstellar dust clouds that block the sunlight. Perhaps 
yes, the earth may shift on its axis. No one knows. But there is no doubt 
though that the ice caps are melting and more quickly than anyone forecasted 
they would.

>
>We, the Glorious and Divine Human Race, inhabit the world in the midst of 
>an Ice
>Age, in a period between glaciation cycles. Eventually will come the 
>glaciers
>again... or perhaps before the next glaciation round the magnetic poles 
>will
>drift off land and over sea, causing the polar caps to melt and the earth 
>to be
>reborn into its normalcy, for another many million of years of Dinotopia.

[Dan]
And there's not a thing we can do about that. But we can change our 
activities that are leading to the present global warming crisis. And make 
no mistake... it is a crisis.

>
>I, for one, am ready for "mankind" to be kicked around a bit. Its really 
>the
>only way all this smug "superiority" nonsense will go away. Mind you, come 
>what
>may, these natural cycles will occur. Personally I find the debate about
>whether or not we can speed up (or slow down) the inevitable off-target. 
>Were
>we concerned about the Quality of our air, water and land NOW, then 
>whatever
>maximization we could get we'd get naturally.

[Dan]

There are natural cycles, sure. What we're experiencing now is not natural. 
It is a direct result of human activity. There is very little doubt about 
that any longer. And we CAN affect change, either for good or ill.

>
>There was a word I recall that was popular in the Seventies.
>"Conservationalist". Since the right-wing propaganda attack on anything
>"environmental" has continued unabated for twenty-years, I find myself
>returning to this word. It reminds me, in many ways of the Miner/Gardener
>metaphor, which I think overlays much of the Victorian/Indian metaphor, not 
>to
>mention "an enemy of the world and not a part of it."

[Dan]

Big oil. Short-sighted leaders. Fat lazy people that just don't care. These 
are some of the problems we face. I for one have very little hope that we 
can avoid the worse.

I hope I'm wrong.

Dan