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NEWS ... GLOBAL NEWS ... INACCURACIES IN AL GORE'S Europe into an ice age. The claimant's — but these winds make the atmosphere spin "AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH evidence was that this is a scientific slightly faster. Due to the conservation of Europe into an ice age. The claimant's evidence was that this is a scientific impossibility. * blames global warming for species losses including coral reef bleaching. The government could not find any evidence to support this claim. * suggests that sea levels could rise by seven metres, causing the displacement of millions of people. In fact, the evidence is that sea levels are expected to rise by about 40 centimetres over the next 100 years and that there is no such threat of massive migration. * claims that rising sea levels have caused the evacuation of certain Pacific Islanders to New Zealand. The government is unable to substantiate this, and the Court observed that this appears to be a false claim. (Source: The New Party News, 3 October 2007, http:/www.newparty.co.uk) but these winds make the atmosphere spin slightly faster. Due to the conservation of angular momentum, the body of the Earth then slows to compensate, making the days a little longer. Because the atmosphere dissipates heat slowly, the temperature takes a month or two to reach its peak, explaining the delay in the Earth's deceleration (Geophysical Research Letters, DOI: 10.1029/2007 GL030846). The effect is slight, says Dickey. "The overall changes of angular momentum between the Earth and atmosphere during El Nifio cause a slowdown at the | millisecond [per day] level," she says. (Source: New Scientist, 27 October 2007) he decision by the UK government to impossibility. distribute Al Gore's film An * blames global warming for specie Inconvenient Truth into schools has been _ losses including coral reef bleaching. Th the subject of a legal action by New Party government could not find any evidence t member Stewart Dimmock. The Court — support this claim. found that the film was misleading in nine * suggests that sea levels could rise b respects and that the Guidance Notes seven metres, causing the displacement c drafted by the Education Secretary's millions of people. In fact, the evidence i advisers served only to exacerbate the that sea levels are expected to rise by abot political propaganda in the film. 40 centimetres over the next 100 years an In order for the film to be shown, the UK __ that there is no such threat of massiv government must first amend its Guidance _ migration. Notes to Teachers to make clear that: * claims that rising sea levels hav 1) The film is a political work an caused the evacuation of certain Pacifi promotes only one side of the argument; Islanders to New Zealand. Th 2) If teachers present the film without government is unable to substantiate this making this plain, they may be in breach of and the Court observed that this appears t section 406 of the Education Act 1996 and __ bea false claim. guilty of political indoctrination; (Source: The New Party News, 3 Octobe 3) Nine inaccuracies have to be 2007, http:/www.newparty.co.uk) specifically drawn to the attention of schoolchildren. HOW EL NINO SLOWS THE The inaccuracies are that the film: EARTH'S SPIN ¢ claims that melting snows on Mount 1 Nifio has an immense impact on th Kilimanjaro are evidence of global weather—so great, in fact, that th warming. The government's expert was ocean warming phenomenon actuall forced to concede that this is not correct. makes the planet spin more slowly. Unt * suggests that evidence from ice cores _ now, though, no one knew why. It was als proves that rising CO, caused temperature a mystery as to why the effect did not kic increases over 650,000 years. The Court in for several weeks after oceal found that the film was misleading: over temperatures reached their peak. that period, the rises in CO, lagged behind Now, Jean Dickey and her colleagues z the temperature rises by 800 to 2,000 years. the California Institute of Technology i * uses emotive images of hurricane Pasadena say that the answer is blowing i Katrina and suggests that this has been _ the wind. caused by global warming. The El Nifio events warm Pacific Ocea: government's expert had to accept that it surface waters in the tropics, resulting i was "not possible" to attribute one-off strong westerly thermal winds. The tote events to global warming. Earth system spins with a constant speec * shows the drying up of Lake Chad and claims that this was caused by global tT" eee ng t0 get pi warming. The ve of government's expert had to admitted ints tid accept that this was not the ane ef ot" anes ‘(CS case. inspite sy 7 ea i * claims that a study 5 i showed that polar bears had 1 d drowned due to disappearing Arctic ice. It Eb J / “e turned out that Mr Gore had A ra i — misread the study: in fact, — "7 four polar bears drowned . 1 H Se = due to a particularly violent = t= | Sevier ey Meals = i aa —— ¢ threatens that global warming could stop the GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH he so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a stewy body of plastic and marine debris that floats an estimated 1,000 miles west of San Francisco, is a shape- shifting mass far too large, delicate and remote ever to be cleaned up, according to a researcher who recently returned from the HOW EL NINO SLOWS THE EARTH'S SPIN 1 Nifio has an immense impact on the weather—so great, in fact, that the ocean warming phenomenon actually makes the planet spin more slowly. Until now, though, no one knew why. It was also a mystery as to why the effect did not kick in for several weeks after ocean temperatures reached their peak. Now, Jean Dickey and her colleagues at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena say that the answer is blowing in the wind. El Nifio events warm Pacific Ocean surface waters in the tropics, resulting in strong westerly thermal winds. The total Earth system spins with a constant speed, area. Charles Moore, the marine researcher at the Algalita Marina Research Foundation in Long Beach who has been studying and publicising the patch for the past 10 years, said the debris—which he estimates weighs three million tons and covers an area twice the size of Texas—is made up mostly of fine plastic chips and is impossible to skim out of the ocean. The trash collects in one area, known as the North Pacific Gyre, due to a clockwise trade wind that circulates along the Pacific Rim. It accumulates the same way that bubbles gather at the centre of a hot tub, Moore said. eer, storm. ¢ threatens that global warming could stop the Gulf Stream, throwing NEXUS +7 DECEMBER 2007 — JANUARY 2008 www.nexusmagazine.com