Climate Change: El Niño Lends More Confidence to Strong Global Warming <NOBR>Richard A Some scientists have argued from observations that global warming will alter clouds in ways that will largely counter warming by greenhouse gases. But the overwhelming majority of climate scientists sides with the models, which show clouds changing in ways that amplify warming, not dampen it. Whom to believe? To help sort it out, a climate researcher looked at the example of El Niño and La Niña, naturally occurring weather patterns that cause warming (El Niño) and cooling (La Niña) in the tropical Pacific and around the globe. In a report on page _1523_ (http://www.info-aaas.org/l.jsp?d=6890.748281.654.8cAH8W7w42QgXi5scbyBzCg..A) of this week's issue of Science, he analyzes how they have actually influenced clouds and concludes that—at least on the scale of decades—clouds do not counter warming. Full story at _http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/330/6010/1465?sa_campaign=Email/s... (http://www.info-aaas.org/l.jsp?d=6890.748280.654.8cAH8W7w42QgXi5scbyBzCg..A)
For climate science geeks who track these questions, see http://www.sciencemag.org/content/330/6010/1523.short
Let me know if anyone would like the full text (the link is to the abstract).
Thanks Duane!
Rick
Rick Landenberger, Ph.D. West Virginia University Dept. of Geology and Geography P.O. Box 6300 G29 Brooks Hall West Virginia University Morgantown, WV 26506-6300 http://www.americaview.org 304-293-9468 (work) 304-692-6172 (cell)
When somebody says I don’t believe in global warming, I ask, “Do you believe in evidence? Do you believe in a preponderance of evidence?”
Stephen Schneider
Duane330@aol.com 12/10/2010 12:40 PM >>>
Climate Change: El Niño Lends More Confidence to Strong Global WarmingRichard A. Kerr Some scientists have argued from observations that global warming will alter clouds in ways that will largely counter warming by greenhouse gases. But the overwhelming majority of climate scientists sides with the models, which show clouds changing in ways that amplify warming, not dampen it. Whom to believe? To help sort it out, a climate researcher looked at the example of El Niño and La Niña, naturally occurring weather patterns that cause warming (El Niño) and cooling (La Niña) in the tropical Pacific and around the globe. In a report on page 1523 ( http://www.info-aaas.org/l.jsp?d=6890.748281.654.8cAH8W7w42QgXi5scbyBzCg..A ) of this week's issue of Science, he analyzes how they have actually influenced clouds and concludes that*at least on the scale of decades*clouds do not counter warming. Full story at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/330/6010/1465?sa_campaign=Email/s... ( http://www.info-aaas.org/l.jsp?d=6890.748280.654.8cAH8W7w42QgXi5scbyBzCg..A )