Nexus - 0201 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

due to the Greenhouse Effect. It seems many of the well respected scientists in the field believe we are in for a cooler, drier period. More attention would be appro- priately focussed on other real environmental issues such as the emission of toxic chemicals from mankinds’ technologies. Evidence does show some of these are much more directly harmful! to life. [J] Referring to the amount of atmospheric COz during the last ice age, Scientific American, Jan 1990 states “Only a major shift in the ocean's operation could account for such a dramatic change in atmos- pheric composition. After all, the oceans hold 60 times as much carbon dioxide as the atmosphere; because the gas readily diffuses between the ocean surface and the seems to be some natural phen- omenon that cause both these to vary simultaneously. To get things in perspective, man’s total COz output from fossil- fuel combustion and deforestation, is approx 5.5 million tonnes of COz per year into the atmosphere. But termites alone contribute 14 billion tonnes of COzinto the atmosphere each year as a result of breaking down cellular material. Data collected at the Mauna Loa observatory shows that COztemper- atures have risen since 1958. atmosphere, its concentration in surface waters regulates the at- mospheric concentrations: Living things contro! the surface water concentration.” REFERENCES Broeker W.S. & Denton G.H. (1990) “What Drives Global Cycles?’, Scientific American January 1990 Browning I. & Winkless N, (1970) “Climate and the Affairs of Men”, Harpers Magazine Press. Bryant Dr. E. (1988) “The Greenhouse Conspiracy”, The Optimist Nov/Dec 1988; p28-29. Dobson G. (1963) “Exploring The Atmosphere”, Oxford Clarendon Press. Eddy J.A. (1977) “The Case of the.Missing Sunspots”, Scientific American, #230; p80-92. Fifield R. (1988) “Frozen Assets of the Ice Cores”, New Scientist 14 February 1988. Foukal P.V. (1990) “The Variable Sun”, Scientific American February 1990; p26-33. Gribbin J. (1988) “Britain Shivers in the Global Green- house”, New Scientist, 9 June 1988. Gribbin J. (1988) “Inside Science: The Greenhouse Effect”, New Scientist, 22 October 1988. Kelly P.M. & Sear C.B. (1984) “Climatic Impact of Explosive Volcanic Eruptions”, Nature #311, 25 October 1984; p740-742. : Maduro R. & White C. (1889) ‘The ‘Greenhouse Effect’ Hoax: A World Federalist Plot”, EIR Special Report. Pearce F. (1989) -“Blowing Hot and Cold in the Greenhouse”, New Scientist, 11 February 1989. White R.M. (1990) “The Great Climate Debate’, Scientific American July 1990; p18 OTHER TEMPERATURE FACTORS THE PREDICTIONS OF DR IBEN The United States Climate Analysis BROWNING Centre, William Gray and many _ This is a man who has an enviable meteorologists at the University of record in long range weather Colorado, Kevin Trenberth and his _ prediction — 86% accuracy. He is associates at the National Centre recognized as an expert in many for Atmospheric Research, support fields including climatology, vul- the notion that atmospheric canism, bio-engineering, computers conditions appear to be mainly andspacenavigation, andhas been determined by the shifting patternof | employed as a consultant for many the Pacific “ENSO Effect”, orocean governments throughout the world. and wind systems better known as ___ He is predicting that we are going “El Nino” and “La Nina’. into a cooler, drier period. EI Nino is an event that occurs His predictions focus on high tidal once every four years andseemsto _ forces, peaking in 1992, which may have a warming effect around the trigger high volcanic activity. This globe. During La Nina events the would greatly increase the amount main body of the ocean cools. New __ of dust and sulphurous oxides in the Scientist 11 February 1989 states atmosphere, thus forming dry clouds, “Until recent months, for reasons which reflect away the sunlight, that nobody can explain, there has _ resulting in a cooling of the earth. been no La Nina events since 1975, The sun's own temperature rises though records going back to the and falls in cyclic patterns. For 1880's suggest that before, they example the sun’s temperature were as frequent as El Ninoevents. began falling in 1940 andis expected ButastrongLaNinaeventhasbeen to continue falling until 2010. It is running in the Pacific since early predicted that this will cause a full 1 1988. In mid-1987, water tem- degree C drop in the annual surface peratures in the central Pacificwere air temperature of Earth. some 1.5C abovenormal.” “By June 1988 the temperatures were 2 C below normal at roughly 24C. Most CONCLUSION climatologists accept thatLaNinais There is still no conclusive the cause of global cooling that evidence to support the theory that began in the middle of last year.” we are in for more global warming CONCLUSION There is still no conclusive evidence to support the theory that we are in for more global warming NEXUS 10 GREEN HOUSE OR ICE AGE? ee by Catherine Simons B.Sc. THE PREDICTIONS OF DR IBEN BROWNING