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Pastimes : The New Qualcomm - write what you like thread. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (1092)	11/20/1999 12:43:00 AM
From: T L Comiskey	Respond to of 12232

Maurice...<But all that is trivial compared with the sudden tide rise from an incoming solar system missile!>................" for a peroid of up to 18 months in AD 536-7 the sun must have appeared up to ten times fainter than usual. There are other reports; for example, a contemporary Italian record by Cassiodorus states: " The sun...seems to have lost its wonted light, and appears of a bluish colour.We marvel to see no shadows of our bodies at noon, to feel the mighty vigour of the sun's heat wasted into feebleness, and the phenomena which accompany an eclipse prolonged through almost a whole year. We have had... a summer without heat...the crops have been chilled by north winds....the rains denied...."... from Baillie's "Exodus to Arthur" ...As i said Maurice if we get hit by a comet or asteroid....The price of goose down bags...and dried foods will soar...( overnight).. Tim

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (1092)	11/20/1999 12:32:00 PM
From: A.J. Mullen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12232

Thanks for the correction wrt the name of the malarial mossie. It is the malarial one that is forecast to find Britain habitable under one global change scenario. Co2 has risen in the atmosphere since the industrial rev. Co2 fertilization does increase growth rates which does give some amelioration. A bigger reason that the increase in co2 hasn't been greater is the buffering effect of the oceans - they've absorbed much of the extra co2 put into the atmosphere. Yes, I agree we could abandon all the major cities: London, LA, New York and Tokyo. It just seems simpler to drive more efficient vehicles. Whether or not global change will effect a 10% reduction in economic output is to my mind an open question. Certainly rehousing all the people living within , say 50-100', of the the sea would boost economic activity - in the same way as the Luftewaffe (spp) and the Allies who opposed them boosted building industry in post-war Europe. Yes, warming may indeed trigger an ice-age. Don't you think that would trigger substantial economic effects? Particularly if the onset were quick. The effect of a given release of Co2 on world climate, and the impact on the economy are very difficult technical questions. In a sense, we are like the old joke concerning a man propositioning a woman - the one where the punchline is "at least we've established that all we are arguing about is the price!" We agree that if there should be a cost to releasing Co2. then the releaser should pay. I think we agree, further, that at some point released CO2 will have a cost. Neither of us is sure we already at that point; I think it much more likely than you. There are well defined methods that can be used to assign values to uncertain events. I think we should use them. It could be argued that increased communications are inherrently good for the planet. They don't take much in the way of raw materials, and they much co2 spewing travel unnecessary. Irwin Jacobs for the Green Planet Award. (I know this thread doesn't have a track - but now I excuse myself of the charge that I was off-roading.)

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (1092)	11/21/1999 3:18:00 AM
From: Michael	Respond to of 12232

The web site for ice sheets: glacier.rice.edu an exert: Antarctica is an important part of Earth's system. By acting as a global heat sink, it helps control our climate and weather. The stability of the Antarctic ice sheets is of concern to those living in low-lying areas; they contain enough water to raise global sea level almost 70 meters. Antarctica holds 70% of Earth's freshwater, and 91% of Earth's ice! Antarctica influences our global ocean. Cold, dense, oxygen-rich waters originates in Antarctica and replenishes the ocean's supply of bottom water, helping to drive ocean circulation. The sea surrounding Antarctica supports marine life from tiny ice-dwelling algae to the great whales. Through investigations of Antarctica we will develop a better understanding of how this vast, ice-covered continent responds to environmental change. This knowledge will better enable us to predict the response of all of Earth's systems to future environmental changes.>