Comments on: Rubber Duckie

By: John Egan

John Egan — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:03:45 +0000

Neilo

“Ah, Australia and the US… two friendly countries seperated by a common language!”

That’s funny … thanks for the public humiliation :) I think I better stick to posting snail-mail!

By: Thomas Gough

Thomas Gough — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:06:14 +0000

It seems that my thought (10:01:34) -and Anthony’s- re melt water as the lubricant is probable not correct. (Probably applies in the situation I was considering, but not for Arctic/Antarctic icesheets.)
Excellent link (http://www.scienceandpolicy.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=396&Itemid=77) posted by Bob P 15:12:17. Most interesting read. I wonder if NASA are aware of it?

By: Mike McMillan

Mike McMillan — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:42:11 +0000

OT
I notice that the latest mag and visible SOHO’s of the ‘sunspot’ show that the region has turned into faculae. Could this be the sensors’ angle of view?

By: Mike McMillan

Mike McMillan — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:27:40 +0000

Ed Scott (08:23:55):
A new threat caused by AGW, naturally.
New global warming threat as scientists discover massive methane ‘time bomb’ under the Arctic seabed

We must urge Russia to immediately relieve the danger by drilling and piping the methane to Europe, where it will be converted to the less potent greenhouse gas CO2.

Smokey (17:58:18):
. . . It is only in the US version of English that “labelled” is spelt “labeled”.

“Labelled” is also the Canadian spelting, eh?

Don’t you understand, Mr Adams?? The U.S.[sic] is the center of the universe.

Another typo. You misspelt Texas.

By: henry

henry — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:39:58 +0000

So rubber duckies, made in China (largest CO2 emitter), are being used to see the results of too much CO2…

By: F Rasmin

F Rasmin — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:24:50 +0000

Neilo (19:25:53) :
‘seperated’! In Australia we spell that word as ‘Separated’. So you are correct; We ARE seperated (ahum! Separated) by a common language.

By: Climate Heretic

Climate Heretic — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:21:24 +0000

“Mr Behar said he hoped a fisherman or hunter might find a duck or the probe but so far nothing had turned up.”

Perhaps they are frozen in the glacier? I am kust asking.

Salmon Glacier in Alaska each year builds up water under the tongue until it lifts the ice and floods the entire valley sending icebergs all the way to the ocean some 20 miles away. There is a depression there that the ice has carved out stopping the glacier from advancing and allows the water to build up under it.

By: Fernando

Fernando — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:10:49 +0000

ducks = rubber
rubber = polymer
polymer = PET
PET = Polyethylene Glycol Terephthalate
PET + nH2O = n (ethylene glycol) + n(Terephthalic Acid)
Ethylene glycol = antifreeze
antifreeze = No ICE
No ice= No bears
No bears = More ducks
More ducks = Less ice

By: Neilo

Neilo — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:25:53 +0000

John Egan,

“I see (assume maybe) you have “labelled” tagged with a [sic]. “Labelled” is the correct spelling of labeled in Australian English. So in the country of publication that would be correct.”

Ah, Australia and the US… two friendly countries seperated by a common language!

By: Craig Moore

Craig Moore — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:49:05 +0000

Perhaps the Western Climate Initiative: http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org/ could use a few of the dubber rucks before all the ice quacks up.

By: Smokey

Smokey — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:58:18 +0000

Adams:

“labelled [sic]” It is only in the US version of English that “labelled” is spelt “labeled”.

Don't you understand, Mr Adams?? The U.S. is the center of the universe. [i keed!]

By: Ric Werme

Ric Werme — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:55:33 +0000

Smokey (09:15:29) :

Couldn’t they just put a few GPS devices in crush proof containers? Then they could track them in real time. Also, those ducks better be biodegradable, just like the real thing. There’s already too much rubber duckie pollution.

Note the bext-to-last quoted paragraph:

That’s where the rubber ducks come in, along with a probe about the size of a football loaded with a GPS transmitter and instruments that can tell much about the glacier’s innards.

One “football.” Not much, but infinitely better than nothing.

By: Peanut Gallery(the artist formerly known as Tom in Florida)

Peanut Gallery(the artist formerly known as Tom in Florida) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:50:39 +0000

Bill Hunter:”Hey, that’s the way hockey skates work! ”

Skates also need a certain temperature range of the ice to work properly. Too cold and there is no melting and the blades stick. Too warm and the ice becomes too soft to support the blades on the layer of water. I wonder if this applies to glaciers too? Too warm underneath and instead of sliding along( or whatever the techincal term is) the ice becomes soft and mushy so it just sits there and melts.

By: John Egan

John Egan — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:35:54 +0000

Anthony

In contrast to the monumental struggle you have to get any form of balance into discussions around climate science and being an expatriot Australian in the US, I thought I would share this bit of trivia … I see (assume maybe) you have “labelled” tagged with a [sic]. “Labelled” is the correct spelling of labeled in Australian English. So in the country of publication that would be correct.

Reference: The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary.

English English has the same spelling – “Labelled”.

Regards
JE
P.S. Great website/blog!

By: Adams

Adams — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:25:10 +0000

“labelled [sic]”

It is only in the US version of English that “labelled” is spelt
“labeled”. As the article referenced was from “The Sydney Morning Herald” where “labelled” is spelt “labelled”, the “[sic]” was unnecessary.