Posted on 03/14/2006 2:39:31 PM PST by mathprof
Following two recent studies on changes to Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, NASA is touting a survey that it says confirms “climate warming is changing how much water remains locked in Earth’s largest storehouses of ice and snow.”
In a press release for the survey, NASA directly tied the changes to warming and described the survey as “the most comprehensive” ever in both regions.
That stand can in part be explained by lead author Jay Zwally’s warning.
“If the trends we’re seeing continue and climate warming continues as predicted, the polar ice sheets could change dramatically,” he said in the press release last Wednesday. “The Greenland ice sheet could be facing an irreversible decline by the end of the century.”
But Zwally, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., told MSNBC.com that the press release also follows an internal NASA change that seems to be taking place to allow scientists greater freedom.
Complaint made a difference? A change in policy appears to be occurring after NASA scientist Jim Hansen complained about being silenced because of the Bush administration’s opposition to mandatory curbs on greenhouse gases that many scientists tie to global warming.
“A few months ago this press release might have been seriously edited or not approved,” Zwally said.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
NASA should stick to space exploration and let NOAA and whatever other agencies do the earth science.
In light of all this concern, I wonder what Mr. Zwally drives?
“If the trends we’re seeing continue and climate warming continues as predicted, the polar ice sheets could change dramatically,”
IF COULD IF COULD IF COULD IF COULD
THEY DONT KNOW.
More from our conservative government.
Who does?
"“If the trends we’re seeing continue and climate warming continues as predicted, the polar ice sheets could change dramatically,” he said in the press release last Wednesday. “The Greenland ice sheet could be facing an irreversible decline by the end of the century."
They arent saying that the global warming is human caused - they are saying they can detect that the earth is warming...
I have answers to all the questions.
"“If the trends we’re seeing continue and climate warming continues as predicted, the polar ice sheets could change dramatically,”
IF COULD IF COULD IF COULD IF COULD
THEY DONT KNOW."
Right, NASA is not over stating - they are just reporting the current trend.
Will GM common stock be higher at close tomorrow?
Will GM common stock be higher at close tomorrow?
If more people buy GM common stock than sell it, then it could close higher tomorrow.
Or
If GM ever decided to make a car worth a damn again, then the stock could rise.
OK, let's assume that humans do cause global warming.
What are we in the US supposed to do about it?
All of our heavy industry has moved to Shenzen or Jalisco.
And little tiny surgeons could operate in the tailpipes of our cars.
We are not accepting if-clauses today, thanks.
Isn't a NASA head friends of the hockey stick crew? I recall them repeated "1998" as the "hottest" year ever and such.
Indeed, all the pro-warming slants come from NASA. What about the NOAA?
Computer models are only as good as the data fed into them - GIGO.
Publish the data used for the models for everyone to see.
Yet another reason to believe that NASA no longer works.
What's this crap about "If trends continue?" The "trend" in the 1970s was that the Earth was headed for another ice age
in the immediate future. Now the "trend" is the opposite.
Saw a blurb about Canada having the warmest winter in some time. I think I heard a Radio Canada report of aborigines
throwing out their backs trying to start snowmobiles last year, it was so cold. One tribe even canceled their "tribal
week", teaching the youngsters how to make igloos since the frigid temperatures made the snow too hard to cut.
Last time NASA was so overt in their "need" for funding, it was to study the ozone hole over the South Pole.
of course, combusting millions of pounds of rocket fuel didn't have
anything to do with this "trend"...
(I'm not a Luddite. Just noting that if there is a real warming trend
caused by humans...NASA wonks need to look in the mirror a bit.)
I remember watching a national geographic special where anthropologists found a giant rock in the middle of the Sahara. On it were paintings of men hunting animals on what were then green vegetation blanketed terrain. They estimated the rock to be 10,000 years or so. NASA is just now catching up to what has been happening for a long, long time.
It was 23 below this morning. Could be worse: we are not at Prudhoe trying to clean up an oil spill at -77. Not even overtime pay would make it any warmer.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.