Rethinking Carbon of the Past: Scientist Uncovers Miscalculation In Geological Undersea Record

11 09 2008

A new study examines changes in carbon isotope ratios over the past 10 million years at sites off the Bahamas (Atlantic Ocean), the Maldives (Indian Ocean), and Great Barrier Reef (Pacific Ocean). (Credit: NASA)

Carbon isotope ratios are central to many reconstructions of past climate. For example the IPCC Working Group 1 cited C12/C13 ratios as the basis for determining some of their findings about climate in the last 1000 years. However, longer term reconstructions are less certain, and now with this new discovery, some of the long term work may have to be reconsidered.

From Science Daily: A new study examines changes in carbon isotope ratios over the past 10 million years at sites off the Bahamas (Atlantic Ocean), the Maldives (Indian Ocean), and Great Barrier Reef (Pacific Ocean). (Credit: NASA)New research funded by the National Science Foundation at the University of Miami is showing that carbon isotope correlation (the 13C/12C ratio used to infer age) in the ocean can only be trusted up to 150 million years ago.

From the primary researcher, “This study is a major step in terms of rethinking how geologists interpret variations in the 13C/12C ratio throughout Earth’s history. If the approach does not work over the past 10 million years, then why would it work during older time periods? As a consequence of our findings, changes in 13C/12C records need to be reevaluated, conclusions regarding changes in the reservoirs of carbon will have to be reassessed, and some of the widely-held ideas regarding the elevation of CO2 during specific periods of the Earth’s geological history will have to be adjusted.”

While this research doesn’t necessarily throw carbon dating out the window, it should cause people to rethink so many theories about early life that revolved around ages of sediment in the oceans.


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Categories : Science, climate_change

NOAA: August 2008 is 39th warmest on record

11 09 2008

NOAA: Above Average Temperatures in U.S. for August, Summer;
Midwest Much Drier than Average in August, South Much Wetter

This June-August 2008 summer season was the 22nd warmest on record for the contiguous United States, according to an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Also, last month ended as the 39th warmest August for the contiguous United States, based on records dating back to 1895.

[Update by John Goetz: The title has been corrected to indicate that August was the 39th warmest and not the 22nd warmest on record. Thanks to several commenters for pointing this out.]

The average summer temperature of 72.7 degrees F is 0.8 degree F above the 20th century average, based on preliminary data. The average August temperature was 73.2 degrees F, which is 0.4 degree above average.

U.S. Temperature Highlights

  • California had its ninth warmest summer, while New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island had their eighth warmest summers.
  • The western United States experienced its fourth warmest August on record, with an average temperature of 75.3 degrees F, 2.9 degrees above the 20th century mean.

  • While temperatures in most western states were above normal in August, temperatures across much of the eastern half of the U.S. were below normal.
  • Cooler temperatures in the east and warmer temperatures in the western U.S. contributed to a near average national residential energy consumption for August and the summer season. Based on NOAA’s Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index, temperature-related energy demand was just 3.5 percent below average in August, and 4.2 percent above average for the summer.

U.S. Precipitation Highlights Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Uncategorized

Piling On the Guilt

11 09 2008

by John Goetz

Guilt, by Mark Nickels

Kate Raworth of Oxfam International recently authored a 34-page report that began: “In failing to tackle climate change with urgency, rich countries are effectively violating the human rights of millions of the world’s poorest people.“

Kate goes on to claim that we now have determined with “scientific certainty” that climate change (not global warming?) is

creating floods, droughts, hurricanes, sea-level rise, and seasonal unpredictability. The result is failed harvests, disappearing islands, destroyed homes, water scarcity, and deepening health crises, which are undermining millions of peoples’ rights to life, security, food, water, health, shelter, and culture.

In other words, countries like the US, France, Britain, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada (I listed members of the G8) are essentially using global warming to violate the human rights of, well, basically the rest of the world.

It certainly is an interesting tack for a climate change activist to take. Most people don’t like being accused of violating another’s human rights. Obviously, if Oxfam can convince people that by driving their kids to soccer practice that they are in fact depriving someone of their food,  health, or even life, they will be motivated by guilt to change their habits. Images of polar bears floating on ice floes must not have been enough.

Oxfam calls for urgent action, as outlined and excerpted here: Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Uncategorized