![Holocene_Temperature_Variations_Rev[1]](https://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/holocene_temperature_variations_rev1.png?quality=75)
Excerpt from “Hello Anthropocene, Goodbye Holocene”:
: “As the official timescale keepers deliberate the introduction of the Anthropocene and a Holocene-Anthropocene boundary (Anthropocene Working Group of the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy; Zalasiewicz, J., M. et al., 2010; http://goo.gl/wIm6X0 ), they should consider the alternative: Remove the Holocene Epoch from the geologic timescale. Whereas any timescale change is a contentious issue, let alone changes to an existing epoch, modern human society’s interactions with its planet and ecosystems, embodied by the Anthropocene, are sufficiently large to produce a lasting geologic marker that supports such modification. This new boundary would remain visible in the geologic record of oceans and continents (see also Corcoran et al., 2014 on plastics), meeting the stratigraphic requirements that ultimately underlie the timescale and marking a shift from the Pleistocene’s Milankovitch forcing to the Anthropocene’s human forcing.
The Holocene is a climate-centric placeholder for change after the latest Quaternary glaciation, but does not, as defined, match the accelerated changes in land, ocean and atmosphere that mark modern times. So, I suggest that (a) we remove the Holocene altogether in favor of a (young) Anthropocene Epoch that reflects planet-wide geologic changes since c. 1900 CE, or (b) we demote the Holocene to Stage/Age status, marking the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. The latter, perhaps more palatable compromise, would recognize historical precedent and allow continued use of Holocene in the literature as a temporal (“Age”) marker. Regardless, slicing the Quaternary Period in ever thinner epochs has no geologic merit. Given the degree and impact of modern, human-induced changes on our planet, a young Pleistocene-Anthropocene boundary seems justified.”
The journal titled The Holocene probably isn’t going to like this idea.
The fact is the tiny 0.7C recovery since the end of the Little Ice Age in ~1850, which is coincidentally when the global temperature record begins, could easily be natural and 95% explained by solar activity and ocean oscillations, and is not unprecedented or unusual within the past ~10,000 years of the Holocene Epoch. Thousands of paleoclimate papers show the Medieval, Roman, Egyptian, Minoan, and multiple other unnamed warm periods within the Holocene were warmer than the present. In addition, the Pacific Ocean has been significantly warmer than the present throughout vast majority of the Holocene.
Further, during the last interglacial ~120,000 years ago, Greenland was up to 8C warmer than the current interglacial warm period, and sea levels were up to 29 feet higher. Therefore, there is no evidence that warmth during the current interglacial warm period is unprecedented, unusual, or unnatural.
Therefore, there is no valid reason whatsoever to remove the Holocene Epoch “blip” from the geological timescale, despite how convenient it would be for the climate propagandists. Kinda bad timing too promoting the silly Anthropocene/Mannocene notion that man-made CO2 controls the climate given the 50+ excuses for the absence of global warming for the past 18-26 years despite a steady rise in CO2.
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| GISP2 Greenland ice core data in blue, the tiny 0.7C “Anthropocene” warming of HADCRU sea surface temperatures to present-day shown in red spliced at end |
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| Above GISP2 Greenland ice core data with labeled warm periods |
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| Present Greenland temperatures haves been exceeded many times over past 4000 yrs Full paper |
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| Temperatures during the last interglacial period ~120,000 years ago [and several other interglacials] were higher than during the present interglacial period. |
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| Holocene Epoch shown at lower right, as well as the lack of correlation on geologic timescales between CO2 and temperature. |
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| On geologic timescales, we are still in an ice age, because there are ice sheets present at both poles |
The Hockey Schtick writes:
“GISP2 Greenland ice core data in blue, the tiny 0.7C “Anthropocene” warming of HADCRU [sic] sea surface temperatures to present-day shown in red spliced at end”
“HADCRU” (actually HADCRUT) includes sea surface temperature data but it is not only sea surface temperature. HADCRUT also includes CRUTEM land surface temperature data–thus the CRU in HADCRUT.
We have entered a period of time when the science establishment does science fiction rather than science. It is unbelievable that anything that disagrees with their doomsday scenario must be eradicated, no matter how many papers and textbooks say it exists. I once read all of H.H. Lamb — but I guess he did not really exist since much of his work is the opposite of today’s delusions. (or will they just re-write his books?)
Why do they go to all the trouble of collecting temperature data from the field or doing proxy studies if they intend to just “adjust” the reading to suit theory? It would be more efficient to just make up whatever they were going to use anyway.
I think switching to an Anthropocene epoch at around 1900 would be beneficial to future historians – it could mark the end of the Age of Reason.
Everyone, please let me know if you disagree with this thought:
They wish to remove the Holocene because the record of past (much) warm(er) periods is both a distraction from and a damning of, the current slight warming which they are trying to hype as catastrophic.
It doesn’t help their case if people are able to point to said record and ask why we haven’t already been destroyed.
(Mods, please don’t let my use of a possibly-banned word, block this from posting?)
If you want a little climate alarmism, the figure showing the GISP2 Greenland ice core data with labeled warm periods always does it for me; not a good trajectory. We could use some global warming over the next several hundred years.
This post highlights just what is so vile about climastrologists. It’s not enough that they push their pseudo scientific drivel –
“adding radiative gases to the atmosphere will reduce the atmospheres radiative cooling ability..”
“DWLWIR can slow the cooling rate of liquid water free to evaporatively cool..”
“radiative subsidence plays no role in tropospheric convective circulation..”
“the oceans are a “near blackbody” not a selective surface..”
– no that’s not enough. They have to go and actively try and trash the work of other legitimate scientists. Climastrologists are not scraping the bottom of the barrel. They have clawed franticly through the rotting timbers of the base and are elbows deep in the feculant ooze below.
These scum know no shame. They have cost the world billions, killed thousands, yet they will just keep on lying to keep their ill-gotten grants flowing. The shame of it all.
But in the end there is a light. Sceptics have a permanent record of every name and every crime.
Sceptics never forgive and the Internet never forgets.
‘Given the degree and impact of modern, human-induced changes on our planet,’
They could have not made it clearly that is nothing to do with good science , everything to do with what they consider good politics to support their ideology.
How long?
And then they came for WUWT
[Please provide a legit email address. ~mod.]
The Anthropocene … when politics and ideology trumped science and reality.
So now double-think and history revision time? “We’ve always been at war with Eurasia” No way geos are going to stop using the term Holocene. What’s next, eliminate the Archean to make a bunch of agenda driven fringe astronomers or creationists happy? If they don’t like science stuff they should just get a new hobby that doesn’t involve it.
The Holocene should have never been defined as an Epoch. It should have been defined as a Pleistocene interglacial stage. The only geological significance of the Holocene is the dominance of humans. Otherwise it is an unexceptional interglacial stage. If the ICC wanted to rename the Holocene Epoch as the Anthropocene Stage, it might make sense. The Pleistocene-Holocene transition left a much more significant ‘mark’ in the geologic record than anything humans have done over the last 150 years.
All the great scientists through the ages are turning over in their graves. Let’s get the historians involved too. What great fun to rewrite human history. I get dibs on the 17th century. Kind of boring. Needs a little juicing up .
The climate obsessed in their most extreme form are destructive parasites, consuming history, data, and most of all our money. They ditch their critical thinking, ethics, integrity all in furtherance of their obsession.
The obsessed are as shameless as 19th century Millerites dressed in white gowns standing on their roofs waiting on the rapture, but with none of the Millerite redeeming qualities like caring for others.
removing all ref to the warmists and burning their books:-0 and film dvd etc etc
would be SO much better.
The Holocene is plainly visible here [at the left side of the chart; the clear warming during most recent ≈10,000 years].
I do not understand how they continue to call this “science.” It does not resemble ANY science I ever studied, with the possible exception of science fiction.
Deary, deary, me! What depths have they plummeted to when they stoop to the techniques of fabrication, adjustment, alteration, & re-writing of history, to further a political cause, that their forefathers fought & died to preserve their freedom & democracy, fighting against such tyrannical tactics! How long do we sceptics have before we’re rounded up & sent off to large camps for re-education or worse. I don’t think I am joking at this point. If the greenalists can oust reasonable people from senior positions through political influence, such as is rife at the BBC & other once great & hallowed institutions both scientific & non-scientific, if they can place false labels upon the likes of UK mathematician & educator & former childrens’ tv presenter Johnny Ball, maliciously linking them to paedophile websites purely to discredit them, there is no depth to which they will not sink!
There were people who liked to re-write history when it was inconvenient to their narrative, they were red on the outside as well as the inside. Same people, they just wear Barbour jackets now.
Gentleman,
Below is an opinion of an advocate of warming trend. I would appreciate opinions without sarcasm. It is important to me because my belief is that the climate change issue, if it is valid at all, was hijacked by politicians for political and financial gain. Anyway, this is the first Ive heard of the “Equilibrium” factor and would like to know if it is a valid point of contention.
WUWT articles have been influential in convincing me of my belief that CC and/or global warming was a creation of falsehoods and I do thank all of you that contribute in the reader comments.
Anyway here it is:
I want to make an honest effort to help you understand one of the key errors in your recent response. Please set aside all your anger and emotions and just read this as the set of facts that it is.
The concept you missed is called Equilibrium. It is the state that happens when all inputs balance out and the system is in a stable state.
That describes the climate (including water vapor) prior to our introduction. It had a specific energy equation that had roughly the same amount of energy entering the climate as was leaving the climate for a net balance that we call Equilibrium. As long as everything remains the same the temperatures on average will remain the same.
Systems like the climate are also known as chaotic systems. These systems, for various reasons too deep to go into here, respond with large outputs to small inputs. Think of a sand pile. It will remain stable as you add grains until suddenly a single additional grain results in an avalanche. One single grain is all it took at that point to cause the system to migrate to a new state.
The climate is very much like this. For millennia it was in a state of equilibrium that included the effects of water vapor and a given amount of CO2 in the atmosphere (around 200 ppm or so). The temperature of the earth at that time represents the equilibrium state of equal energy in to energy out.
Now we come along an add a massive (yes, Paul, massive) amount of CO2 to the atmosphere in addition to all the water vapor and existing CO2 that were part of the system when it was in equilibrium.
That additional CO2 traps MORE heat and therefore the system needs to increase in temperature to regain equilibrium. In other words the new state is achieved at a higher overall temperature. It quite literally cannot be any other way.
The point is that you missed the principle of Equilibrium. Your bloogers are counting on such ignorance to make their point which is why I think so little of them. They base their ‘arguments’ on bogus data that is contrived to sound good to an ignorant person.
I think we should get rid of WWII and the Holocaust. That War makes Germany look bad so I think we should put it aside, it is very inconvenient for me when I try to persuade people that Germany is a superior country. I suggest we consider that time Prehistoric and only consider after 1950 as a time when Man finally became intelligent and civilized. I think we will also need to adjust the Calendar so that 1950 is year 1. In 2145 my technique will work really good on the youth as they will understand Germany is the Superior Country.
I’ve loved science all my life. I’m just about done with it- and anyone who claims to be associated with it- as a result of shenanigans like this.
I think ithis can be explained with this well know phrase: For the love of money is the root of all evil…
…well known…
The public won’t buy what the AGWarmistas are selling unless it will help heat the home in the coming 30 year cool down.
The Anthropocene will be the AWP ca. 1900-2016. LIA2 next.