Global Warming Solutions

A fresh look at global warming

It seems to me that global warming solution has been pigeonholed into one outcome and that we are asked to accept this on blind faith by "expert" scientists. The current thinking is that recent global warming trends has been due primarily to fossil fuel usage by humans and that the increase CO2 in the upper atomsphere has created a "greenhouse" effect which is increasing our global temperature at a faster rate than normal. The preferrred solution seems to be to force our global communities to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and conserve and to develop cleaner renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind power...

Al Gore's Inconvient Truth Movie

What I'm suggesting with this lens is to take a fresh look at this problem and then search for all possible solutions to this complex problem. This may be a shot in the dark or it may take us where we've never considered.

Please keep an open mind and take the poll at the end.

Breaking news and opinions...

Al Gore wins an Oscar - Congratulations!!!

Opinion piece

The facts as we know it...

The Earth has experienced many cycles of warming and cooling periods throughout its history as proven by the many ice ages.
Global temperature variations is a factor of the Sun and our atomosphere and the rotation of the Earth and the Moon and the complex ecosystem that exist on Earth.
There has been measurable changes in global temperature and weather due to natural catastrophies such as volcanic eruptions and meteor bombarding the earth.
Even a Solar eclipse can change the temperature briefly on Earth.
Burning fossil fuel adds CO2 to the atomosphere.
Currently, in recent years, we are experiencing a warming trend in our global temperature though the actual amount is somewhat unclear and some scientist debate the causes.

My idea...

Here is my fresh proposal. Think of this as an intellectual exercise.

Let me start by making certain assumptions:
1. We are currently experiencing global warming.
2. We have the technology to affect global temperature up or down. (let me be modest and define the amount to be 0.25 degrees Celsius over a period of 3-5 years).

Suppose we create a high priority project (similiar to the NASA moon mission project) and put our top scientists to work and come up with a viable solution.

If they succeed, our problem is solved. We will have achieved control over our destiny. In the future, if the Earth, for whatever reason either becomes warmer or cooler, we can use our technology to stabilize the temperature. Eureka!

However, if they fail to accomplish this modest goal, then we will have to revisit our initial assumption and
forced to conclude that the Earth and the Solar System is too large and out of our reach. We cannot affect it one way or another. Whatever we do will be miniscule compared to what nature can unleash. We are at its mercy. Perhaps, we should just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Some of my novel ideas...

Here are two brain storm ideas which I came up with though I admit I don't have the expertise to know if they are feasible. Never the less, interesting...

One idea is to create a giant solar shutter that can be placed in orbit between the Earth and the Sun. It will act as a deflector to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's atmosphere and thereby reducing global temperature. Alternatively, a solar lens may to created to focus sun light in a specific region on Earth to provide artificial daylight and possibly increase temperature to counter global cooling - An artificial satellite.

A second idea is to create some inert dust that can be spread into the upper atmosphere (perhaps added to exhaust of current commercial jet planes). This will create a similated man-made volcanic dust that also could reduce some of the sun's rays hitting the surfaces of the Earth. -A cloud machine.

Some background information...

What happened in Krakatoa erruption: An account of one of the world's worst volcano erruptions in the 1800's.
Mt. St. Helens: Mt. St. Helens official site.
Demise of the Dinosaur: Current thinking regarding the extinction of dinasaurs.
Latest news...: A Nobel Prize scientist's idea
Billion Dollar Disasters: A list of weather related disasters...
The Galveston storm of 1900: A storm of the century...
Countdown 10 years...: Does anyone buy this?
The Sun's effect: The Sun is the source of all energy.
One view of global warming: The PEW Center
Discussions and info from Scientists: Real Climate site.
non consensus of scientists: Info on Wikipedia...
Remember Global Cooling?: How soon they forget...
Latest scientific poll of public opinion: Polling results...
1816 - the year without Summer: Snow in July in New England 1816.
A Timeline: Timeline from the New Scientist.
90% of European think so: Latest news from European poll...
CO2 Science: An organization that disputes claims of Global Warming.
Another variable?: Some is of the opinion that Co2 is just one variable...
Paper on positive effects of mild warming: We all heard about the dire predictions of global warming, flooding, species extinction, devastation storms, pestilence...However, this study by the Hoover Institution cites some positive effects of mild global warming in the area of 2.5 degrees C. How interesting...
Ice ages on Wikipedia: Info on Ice Ages in the past...
The Big Chill: Cracking the Ice Age - the Big Chill by NOVA.
Scientist re think position: A French Scientist, Claude Allegre, admits "we just don't know what is causing glogal warming..."
Mt. St Helens - biggest polluter: How can this be???
World map of volcanic activities: Map of the world...
Some solutions from Scientists: Is this the answer?
A view from junkscience.com: JunkScience.com has a different view.
Discover Institute: A view from the Discover Institute regarding Global warming and the connection to God.
Al Gore spinning global warming: An article on Newsmax.
The Chilling Stars: A new book doubting Man made global warming

Latest news...

50 solutions proposed by students: A Google Doc project...
Global Warming goes to Court: Supreme Court to hear case regarding global warming.
A shield project: I found a proposed solution - I guess I was not the first to think of this.
Senate holding hearings...: Senate looking into Global warming hype.
Killer Asteroid: An asteroid will be nearing earth in 2029.
debunking Global warming from a US Senator: A PDF file from Senator Inhofe's office.
Now it's the cows: Another news item that makes you wonder.
NYT weighs in: Animals contribute to global warming.
A middle of the road approach: Even a skeptic like me can go for this.
Meteorologist skeptic may loose certification: Another attempt to silence the skeptics.
Scientists oversold?: News about claims of some Scientists...It is time to ask the tough questions and stop the hype.
Ozone hole getting bigger: A contradiction hard to explain - Ozone hole over Antartica biggest ever due to "temperature lower than normal..." I thought Global Warming is raising temperatures worldwide. How can this be?
list of skeptics: A listing of skeptics from wikipedia.
A petition by Scientists: Check out the many scientists that disagree with Al Gore.
New book by Scientists: Claim global warming is due to natural causes.
Latest Summary report from IPCC: Read the report summary here...
Global warming is a religion: According to one scientist, global warming is based on faith.
Michael Crichton second his opinion: Enviromentalism is a religion.
Another scientist with doubt: More are coming forward...
Another scientist speaks out: Where is the consensus?
Al Gore - not so green: Is this a case of do as I say not as I do?
No solutions...: Some admits no solution...
Climate model disagree with reality: It is more complicated...

Additional thoughts...

I am an Engineer by training and I rely on logic and common sense and I am always suspicious of so called "experts" who are so confident about their knowledge.
As often, they turned out to be wrong on the issues sometimes even a short time later.
I like to use my own experience to validate or invalidate certain claims.
For example, does it seem reasonable to you that we can impact the planet when we are so sparsely populated and the Earth is made up 4/5 of oceans?
As I fly around the world and drive around in the country side, I can't help but noticed how "sparse" it is. Even though we do have a growing population, the majority of them are concentrated in a few large metropolitan cities. Once you drive out a few miles away from the downtown area, the environment is "sparsely populated" if at all. Therefore, without doing any measurement or examine any simulation data, I am already suspicious when people make the claim that we are affecting the global climate. The other point we need to be aware of when dealing with projections and that apply to any projection, economic or environmental, is the four little words "if current trend continues". The problem is, current trend never continues in a straight line. That is just not how nature works. Why rely on projections that have no scientific basis?

A map of global population density as of 1994:
If I was to choose between stopping global warming or stopping an asteroid, I would put my energy to the latter.
As we know, the earth is bombarded with asteroids frequently and the last big one killed off the dinasaurs 65 million years ago. If we want to survive as a species, we need to find a way to prevent the next big asteroid from hitting earth. At least, we have a fighting chance. We can build missiles that will deflect an incoming asteroid or blow it up into small pieces. That is a much realistic goal to save the planet.

An analogy for the common folks to consider

Global warming is a complicated and huge problem.
I want to appeal some common sense to the average non-scientific person. I came up with this simple analogy. Bear with me...

To explain a large complex problem to the average person, it is often good to use analogies.
Suppose we let the Earth be an elephant. The elephant is large and the king of the jungle with very few predators affecting him. He does what he pleases.

We know there are a few things that can cause the Earth harm.
1. A large asteroid
2. A super Volcano
3. A magnitude 10 Earthquake
4. A Thermo Nuclear bomb.
5. A deadly biological weapon or virus.
6. A pandemic flu.

These are all tremendous events that can cause great harm to the Earth and devastate life on Earth.

Consider us Humans on earth - all 6 Billion of us and all our cars and machines and houses and factories.
What do you think we are in totality compared to the Earth?
The big question is - are we like a mosquito to the Elephant? or are we like a killer bee? or are we like a rhino? or a lion?

What it comes down to is a matter of SIZE and SCALE.
If we are a mosquito, no matter what we do, we cannot affect the elephant one way or another.
If ,however, we are like a lion, and a predator, we can kill the elephant under some circumstances.

Now let's get back to the Earth vs. us humans.
It is estimated that the totality of all human stuff will hold 300 cubic miles. The whole volume of the Earth comprises 260,000 Million cubic mile.
Wow!!!
Do you really think we can make the elephant dance?

Actions that I support...

Some common sense actions to counter "global warming" and to protect our environment that I can support.

A doomsday vault: An idea that is worth investing in.
GO GREEN with GPS: A good idea for all Car manufactures - make GPS a mandatory equipment on all new automobiles.

Great books on Amazon

State of Fear

by Michael Crichton

Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883

by Simon Winchester

Amazon Price: $18.94 (as of 10/07/2008)

Worlds in Collision

by Immanuel Velikovsky

Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)

Best of the Old Farmer's Almanac: The First 200 Years

by Judson Hale

Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)

The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief

by Francis S. Collins

Amazon Price: $17.16 (as of 10/07/2008)

More books on Amazon...

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming (and Environmentalism)

by Christopher C. Horner

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/07/2008)

Quick unscientific poll

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Beware - some recent predictions that fail to materialize...

These events have nothing to do with Global warming. I post them here to remind people not to loose their common sense and fall for sensationalism.

Y2K was suppose to bring all the computers to their knees.
The coding by Microsoft to represent the year 2000 as 00 was to cause all kinds of problems with our financial industry. Companies spent Millions to upgrade their computer systems. It turned out to be a bust.
There was comet that came very close to the Earth and the tail was going to enter our atmosphere. There was panic in some quarters that the air would be poisonous. People went and bought gas masks. Nothing happened.