GeologicalScienceBlog - subjects include Geology, Climatology, Environmental Science, NASCAR, Beer, Property Rights, Random Thoughts, & Politics from a Christian Conservative/Libertarian/pragmatist viewpoint. As a Dad & Grandad, I am concerned about the overgrowth of government at the expense of freedom. Background - two degrees in Geology (BS '77, MS '90), started studying Geology beginning Senior Year of high school (1971 - 1972) <68>

Monday, February 21, 2005

Suicide of Hunter S. Thompson

Random thoughts on Hunter S. Thompson's suicide.

Many of us practiced various aspects of the "gonzo" lifestyle while we were young, but as we see, that lifestyle is not sustainable and if you have kids, not responsible. Sometimes it takes a couple of decades before some of us figure out that we are not at our best when we babble nonsense, then later toss our cookies, and then wake up with a hangover the next day. In short, excess = pain.

I still enjoy an occasional glass of fine ale (Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Old Rasputin Imperial Stout) and a cigar, but moderation pays great dividends. It's too bad Hunter didn't see that (perhaps there were other issues at play).
Posted by: on-the-rocks / 12:29 PM 0 comments
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The Current Global Warming Paradigm is a Political Animal

The website created by the late John Daly (not the golfer) - "Still Waiting for Greenhouse" has an interesting article http://www.john-daly.com/history.htm about the political genesis of the current fear that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide cause global warming. It is entitled "Global Warming: How It All Began".

That is your first reading assignment.

Your second reading assignment is "Water Vapor Rules the Greenhouse System" http://www.clearlight.com/~mhieb/WVFossils/greenhouse_data.html

Please don't post here unless you have started by reading these two articles. If you can refute the science, give it a try, but don't waste our time by attacking the messenger. None of my present or future posts will imply that there are no pollution problems, of course there are, but carbon dioxide is not one of them. There are numerous sources for atmospheric carbon dioxide besides combustion of wood and fossil fuels. These include volcanoes, release of carbon dioxide from oceans (a normal process that may be accelerated by increased solar activity) and animal/bacterial respiration. If you remember the basics of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is a vital nutrient for plants, which form the base of all of the important food webs (ecosystems) worldwide. If the plants are happy, things will probably be OK. The current tropospheric carbon dioxide content is about 390 ppm (which translates to 0.039%). In other words, if atmospheric components were reduced to 100 dollars, carbon dioxide would be less than 4 cents. Keep this in mind, as most people do not think in terms of parts per million, rather we think in terms of percentages, so remember that before the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric carbon dioxide is estimated to have been 280 ppm (0.028%). If the current content doubles, it will be 780 ppm (0.078%), less t han 8 cents per 100 dollars. We all know that the Earth is dynamic and that change is a constant. Any human effects on world climate have to be considered against a background of variation. In the last 2000 years, there have been five discernible climatic events - The Roman Warm Period, The Dark Ages Cold Period, The Medieval Warm Period, The Little Ice Age, and the Modern Warm Period. The two previous periods of global warming began before the Industrial Revolution. When you read major media articles on global warming, look for two items:

1) Do they mention the atmospheric carbon dioxide content of 390 ppm?
2) Do they mention the dominating effects of Water Vapor/droplets in the Greenhouse Effect?

Without these considerations and discussions, the article is scientifically weak.

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 12:05 PM 0 comments
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