4/18/2010

NPR and CNN worry that Global Warming may have caused Iceland's Volcano!!!

This is just too bizarre:

Diana Rehm (NPR): We do wonder whether there's human involvement in all of these eruptions, earthquakes, storms -

Elise Labott (senior State Department producer for CNN): - and how much global warming has a role in it. You know we've seen a lot of wacky weather but that's just a microcosm for what's happening around the world and how much climate change is contributing to earthquakes and volcanic ash - it's a really good question.


How exactly could global warming cause a volcano to go off?

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10 Comments:

Blogger bdickens said...

I suppose ManmadeGlobalWarming® caused my dog's flatulence last night, too.

4/18/2010 11:18 AM  
Blogger Xerxes the Ineffable said...

Carbon Dioxide is nothing in comparison to Dihydrogen Monoxide in terms of a greenhouse gas. Yes, its a monoxide, just like Carbon Monoxide, and we all know how deadly that is!!!
Please contact your congressperson and ask them to stop the Dihydrogen Monoxide menace!!!
Do it now or you'll regret it later!!!!!

4/18/2010 2:17 PM  
Blogger Zundfolge said...

The argument that volcanic and seismic activity is caused by global warming is that the geological activity is simply the earth's self defense mechanisms trying to get rid of the infestation of Man which is harming the earth (much like a horse twitching and swatting with its tail to get rid of biting flies).

So basically Gaia da earf goddess is angry.

And these are the same people that make fun of Christians for believing in a "magic man in the sky".

4/18/2010 2:20 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Instead of asking blog-viewing general citizens, you might consider seeking out the information you want from professionals on climate science/earth systems. That way, instead of being uninformed and snarky, you can at least see if there is anything grounded in what they are suggesting/wondering.

4/18/2010 2:56 PM  
Blogger Zundfolge said...

Jesse, the premise is so laughable that the idea of bothering actual scientists with it is pointless.

Its on par with claiming that eating a steady diet of Jujubes will cure cancer.

The fact that any thinking people give this idea a serious moments thought shows how horribly inept science education has become in this country (it also buttresses something I've thought about liberal thinking for some time and that is; "Reality is obligated to conform to my beliefs, because I have the right to believe whatever I want dammit!")

4/18/2010 4:03 PM  
Blogger Zundfolge said...

Oh, And I'm sure you can come up with someone with letters after their name and grant money in their bank account that will tell you BOTH that global warming causes volcanic eruptions AND Jujubes cure cancer.

4/18/2010 4:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ain't that funny? A volcanic eruption and the advanced technology we have adopted turns out to be junk.

Just love it.

4/18/2010 9:16 PM  
Blogger Al B. said...

To ‘bdickens’:

Actually, you have it backwards. Global warming isn’t causing your dog’s flatulence, your dog’s flatulence is contributing to global warming! And, to date, there is no credible evidence of a ‘global warming – flatulence’ positive feedback loop!

To ‘Zundfolge’:

Perhaps a better analogy would be: A steady diet of Jujubes may lead to increased flatulence, which contributes to global warming.

To ‘Jesse’:

You should believe everything you hear on NPR, because the talking heads on NPR are some of the most brilliant, unbiased minds on the planet!

Anyone can engage in idle speculation, even commentators on NPR and CNN, particularly when their speculations support their political agendas. But, as they say, extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof.

Having myself sought out the opinions of professionals on climate science/earth systems, I have to say that Al Gore notwithstanding, there is no consensus on whether or not humans are contributing in a meaningful way to global warming, or even if there really is any global warming. I’ve certainly never seen any of these people advance the claim that global warming causes volcanoes!

As our host pointed out, this is just too bizarre!

4/19/2010 12:35 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Couple of things:

Just because you hear about something often, there's no reason to turn off your ears and your mind and forget that it may be mentioned for a reason. Maybe it's happening, and another member of your community is trying to get you to realize it might matter to you if you payed attention for a moment. I'm sure not all of you are my age, which means some of you may have lived through times of more passion. Of course, maybe some of you were the ones who rooted for the people at Kent State who were shot for having a war protest though. I suppose I can't be sure. But I urge you to remember that sometimes, when people are passionate, there is a legitimate reason.

Science education? Science education has taught me that I should question everything, consider it as possible, and then try to find proof either way. It used to be laughable that the Earth was somehow round instead of flat. It used to be laughable that one should wash a dipper before drinking from the classroom water pail to avoid getting everyone else sick.

Why could warmer temperatures not affect the Earth system? Everything is connected, whether you want to believe that or not. I would say that it's not likely to be happening yet, as warming is not as severe as it will be in the future, but when was the last time something unlikely happened? All the time.

To those of you who are somehow under the impression that there is a great question as to whether global warming is happening at all, you are fooling yourselves, maybe you are purely immersing yourselves in literature and talk radio produced by individuals who are equally uncomfortable with the possibility of something hard to handle that may be true about your otherwise secure home (Earth).

It's not always worth discussing, because if you all question the motives of scientists, what can one say to change your mind? I don't know why there is speculation among some that the scientists are out to lie to you. No. The whole reason one becomes a scientist is a curiosity about the world, a wish to find out the truth, systematically. They are not here to lie.

Our planet has warmed since the Industrial Revolution to levels that it has reached before, but it has warmed to those points 10 times FASTER than it would naturally. The annual average temperature we are at now is continuing to increase, and we are going beyond any recent peak. The fact that the Earth has gotten much hotter than it is now in previous millenia does not matter if you consider that human life was not possible during some of these times. We have only been here a short while compared to the history of the earth.

Also, remember that global warming means the average temperature of the entire globe. This will result in temperature changes throughout the world, with some places growing colder, others warmer, some drier, some much more intensely wet.

The question you have to ask yourself is, whether we are causing global warming or not, do you really want to be putting all of those chemicals into the air forever? There are so many harmful effects from the gases we emit even if you don't consider their adding an excess to the greenhouse effect.

Also-- A system (planetary, global, regional, local, minute or otherwise) resetting itself to equilibrium is not quite comparable to a magic man in the sky. It's a scientific principle. It happens. All the time. Just saying.

4/30/2010 1:13 AM  
Blogger KurtHelgerson said...

This just in: Jujubes cure cancer.

12/17/2012 9:43 PM  

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