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Grass flourishes in warmer Antarctic
The Sunday Times - Britain ^
| December 26, 2004
| Jonathan Leake, Science Editor
Posted on 01/22/2005 2:15:48 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: farmfriend
It fascinates me to see the same people who push the idea of natural selection also proposing to keep nature at the status quo. Agreed, that is foolish to think that the planet will now or has ever maintained a status quo. It is, like life, dynamic.
From what I have read, natural selection is not an "idea," but an observed phenomenon in plant life as well as bacteria and in some insects. How do you think bacteria and viruses become immune to vaccines??? It's worth pointing out, too, that there is nothing in the process of natural selection that negates the moral teachings of Christ.
If you are implying that only environmentalists, atheists, and liberals "believe" in evolution, you are very much mistaken. Natural selection is like mathematics -- it's there whether you like it or not.
A hypothetical example: moths that, like people, vary in color, suddenly find themselves in an environment where the pale ones are easily spotted and eaten by predators, and the dark ones are not. The dark ones are the ones that remain to reproduce, and their offspring are more likely to be dark. Hence after a few generations, most of the moths are dark -- though never ALL of them, because genetics don't work that way -- there will always be a certain number of genetic inheritance combinations that some moths will come up pale, and vice versa. The environmental surroundings change so that suddenly it's the dark ones that are more easily spotted by predators and the pale ones that survive to reproduce, and within a few generations, most are pale. This is not an "idea" that someone has pushed, it's like math: it happens.
An entomologist who is a proponent of "outsmarting" bug pests as opposed to using pesticides, explained it to me once very well -- that plants and insects (short life spans, rapid propagation) are constantly one-upping each other throught natural selection -- the bugs go after the plants, the plants "evolve" (through natural selection) a defense mechanism, the insects natural-select their way to defeat the defense, and so forth.
I am a Christian and have a deep belief in God, Christ, and faith in the bible's moral teachings. I believe the bible speaks in parables much of the time, especially in describing geologic events. God works His wonders in strange and mysterious ways. People who deny natural selection and evolution because it's Just Not the Way God Would Do It stump me -- who are they to say how God works His wonders, and who are they to say that Genesis doesn't speak in parables?
End rant
21
posted on
01/22/2005 3:05:00 PM PST
by
Finny
(God continue to Bless President G.W. Bush with wisdom, popularity, safety and success.)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
So, Antarctica is warming up and grass is growing. Interesting. It isn't like Antarctica was always covered in ice. I suppose that the "scientists" who are "warning" us about "global warming" have never seen the Piri Re'is Map of 1513 or the Oronteus Finaeus World Map of 1532. both show sub glacial areas of Antarctica, the Finaeus map moreso. Both maps were drawn using older source maps. Perhaps we are not looking at "global warming" but a shift of the Earth's axis.
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Winter Rules?
23
posted on
01/22/2005 3:20:42 PM PST
by
FreedomFarmer
(There was some amusement in the discovery that the hippy was dispatched with a dum-dum...)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
King and his colleagues believe such trends could continue, possibly even raising winter temperatures on the peninsula from their past average of -10C to near freezing. Eventually this could give the peninsula a climate comparable to that of Scandinavia. The last thing we need are more Scandinavians
24
posted on
01/22/2005 3:41:03 PM PST
by
CzarNicky
(The problem with bad ideas is that they seemed like good ideas at the time.)
To: Finny
25
posted on
01/22/2005 3:42:08 PM PST
by
Ernest_at_the_Beach
(A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
To: LoneRangerMassachusetts
As I recall, most of Antarctica cooled quite a bit during the 90's but the big story was on the Antarctic peninsula where it was warming. Very selective reporting on the part of the green press.
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
From Christian Science Monitor.
January 18, 2002
Guess what? Antarctica's getting colder, not warmer
... Dr. Dornan's study points to an average cooling of 0.7 degrees per decade from 1986 to 2000 at the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research Station. Using estimates from British data taken since 1966, the team calculates that the cooling trend has been under way since at least that date."
The report, published in the current issue of the journal Nature, appears to confirm a study published last year in the Journal of Climate by Josephino Comiso, an atmospheric scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Using satellite data for the months of January and July from 1979 to 1999, he reported a drop in the continent's average temperature that amounted to 0.4 degrees per decade.
http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2002/0118/p02s01-usgn.html
To: Dan Evans
Anybody try to grow grass in a cold climate.
Grass seeds are only good for a few years. The roots can recover if they are not frozen for 10,000 years. IE, this is such BS.
I really hate this junk science stuff and the worst thing is that it will become a known "fact" in no time, that grass is taking over Antartica (which has been frozen for 40 million years now.) It is such a battle for the scientific community to go against the stream when these factoids get reported so widely and become part of the cultural myths.
To: Kurt_D
Who wants to join me in setting up a cattle ranch in the real "down under"? You "open range types" better stay outta muh way. I plan on running boatloads of rufugee Malaysian/Indonesian/Micronesian sod-busters there from their drowning islands.
Just a word of warning, Pilgrim: Remember what happened to Liberty Valence!
29
posted on
01/22/2005 4:31:57 PM PST
by
ApplegateRanch
(The world needs more horses, and fewer Jackasses!)
To: Kurt_D
*best Frankie Layne voice* "..Rollin, Rollin Rollin, Keep them doggies a' Rollin, keep them dogies Rollin, RAWHHHHIDE! " ...where's my Kayak? :^)
30
posted on
01/22/2005 4:51:59 PM PST
by
skinkinthegrass
(Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you :^)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
This hasn't been the first time grass has been noticed growing on the Antarctic Peninsula"
"The island has a relatively diverse flora and luxuriant development of plant communities, representative of the southern maritime Antarctic region. The rich terrestrial biology of Lagotellerie Island was first noted by Herwil Bryant, biologist at East Base (US, on Stonington Island; now Historic Monument No. 55), during a visit in 1940-41 when he observed growths of moss, the Antarctic hair grass Deschampsia antarctica, and "a small flowering plant" (almost certainly the Antarctic pearlwort Colobanthus quitensis), in a small gully believed to be that found at the north-eastern end of the island which he considered of such unusual richness for the region that he unofficially referred to it as "Shangri-la Valley".
"He did not describe the less luxuriant but more extensive communities of Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis found on the higher north-facing slopes of the island. These slopes and terraces also provide favourable microclimatic conditions for growth, with a relatively long snow-free growing season, and support an abundance of Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis, the grass forming closed swards of up to 10 m2 on some of the terraces.
"These are among the largest stands of these plants known south of the South Shetland Islands. Both species flower abundantly and the seeds have a greater viability than those produced in the South Orkney or South Shetland Islands, yet they are close to the southern limit of their range. Lagotellerie Island, however, is notable for the growth of Deschampsia antarctica at the highest altitude recorded south of 56° S, with scattered small plants observed at heights of up to 275 m. Colobanthus quitensis has been observed growing up to 120 m on the island."
http://www.scar.org/publications/bulletins/143/spa19/
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
There goes the neighborhood.
32
posted on
01/22/2005 5:24:16 PM PST
by
x1stcav
(Hooahh!)
To: farmfriend
RE: "It fascinates me to see the same people who push the idea of natural selection also proposing to keep nature at the status quo."
Yes...and by FORCE if necessary!
33
posted on
01/22/2005 7:53:20 PM PST
by
Seadog Bytes
(Smart Growth...ISN'T!!!)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
I wish global warming in the winter hit us here. This is one of the worst winters in a long long time here.
34
posted on
01/22/2005 7:55:05 PM PST
by
Dan from Michigan
("We clearly screwed up on the communications," Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick - after caught in a lie.)
To: Dan from Michigan
Have you guys gotten above 10 degrees in the last month?
35
posted on
01/22/2005 9:01:15 PM PST
by
farmfriend
( Congratulations. You are everything we've come to expect from years of government training.)
To: Finny
If you are implying that only environmentalists, atheists, and liberals "believe" in evolution, you are very much mistaken. You are reading waaaaaay too much into my post. Please leave me out of the Evo/Creation debate raging on this forum.
36
posted on
01/22/2005 9:04:06 PM PST
by
farmfriend
( Congratulations. You are everything we've come to expect from years of government training.)
To: farmfriend
Yeah...for about a day or two.
I'm a hunter so I can usually handle the cold, but this is BAD.
37
posted on
01/22/2005 9:07:38 PM PST
by
Dan from Michigan
("We clearly screwed up on the communications," Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick - after caught in a lie.)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
And just, pray tell, did the grass seed come from? And enough of it to cover vast areas?
38
posted on
01/22/2005 9:12:01 PM PST
by
fella
To: Dan from Michigan
So I hear from my friend in the UP. She said it was going to get down to -10 that one night. Actual temp.
39
posted on
01/22/2005 9:14:30 PM PST
by
farmfriend
( Congratulations. You are everything we've come to expect from years of government training.)
To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
I don't know...it is rather beautiful though.... Looks more like a jellyfish than a spider.
40
posted on
01/22/2005 9:21:29 PM PST
by
farmfriend
( Congratulations. You are everything we've come to expect from years of government training.)
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