Boortz, this morning:
A recent issue of Geophysical Research Letters (surely you’re a subscriber) revealed that Neptune has been getting warmer since 1980. Researchers are investigating whether increased output from the Sun might be the cause.
This warming of Neptune must be particularly distressing to Al Gore and the anti-capitalist global warming cabal out there. You see, there has been no recent build-up of greenhouse gasses on Neptune. No deforestation. No contrails from jets. No SUVs. Yet Neptune is warming.
OK, so we now have reports from every planet the system that we have the capability of monitoring, that indicates that the planets are all warming up. Most of them, without the help of fossil fuels. The evidence seems overwhelming, that what we’re experiencing, that half a degree warm-up, is caused not by pollution, but by the sun.
I’d comment further, but I think you get the gist of it.
Tags: BitsBlog, Energy, Enviro-Nazis
May 31st, 2007 at 20:58
“You see, there has been no recent build-up of greenhouse gasses on Neptune. No deforestation. No contrails from jets. No SUVs.”
Actually, Darth Rove and Emperor Bushatine have been sending contrails and SUV emissions to Neptune via hyperspace wormhole for years. Likewise Mars.
What, you didn’t know that?
May 31st, 2007 at 21:01
It’s helpful to read the original article abstract (http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossr.....8764.shtml) which concludes “Although correlations between Neptune’s brightness and Earth’s temperature anomaly–and between Neptune and two models of solar variability–are visually compelling, at this time they are not statistically significant.” In essence, the fact that Neptune and Earth are both warming means nothing but isn’t it fun to put the two graphs next to each other?! Hardly a ringing endorsement and yet this article is quoted with triumph by global warming skeptics.
The strangest thing about the article is it’s graph of TSI (Total Solar Irradiance) from an outdated reconstruction of solar irradiance by Foukal et al made 5 years ago which ends in 1990. Foukal’s reconstruction contradicts direct satellite measurements by PMOD (http://www.pmodwrc.ch/pmod.php.....arConstant) that have found solar output has shown no rising trend since 1978, sunspot numbers (http://www.globalwarmingart.co.....umbers_png) which have leveled out since 1950, the Max Planck Institute reconstruction (http://www.mps.mpg.de/en/projekte/sun-climate/) that shows irradience has been steady since 1940 and solar radio flux or flare activity (http://www.globalwarmingart.co.....ations_png) which shows no rising trend over the past 30 years.
So what’s causing Neptune’s warming? The planet reached its farthest point from the sun in 1960 so it’s been moving towards the sun ever since. Neptune’s orbit is 163 years so observations of Neptune’s orbit (1950 to present day) spans less than a third of a Neptunian year. This has led astronomers to conclude that Neptune brightening is a seasonal response (http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubin...../paper.pdf).
So why Neptune is brightening is clearly not related to increasing solar output. The only mystery here is how such an ambiguous and misleading article could get through the peer review process.
June 1st, 2007 at 8:15
Even if true, that still leaves open the question of the remaining planets were we know warming has been existing for some time. Are they all moving in an odd orbit now? The reason I didn’t spend more time writing this particular story, is because all it does is follow a trend of several such reports from several different planets within the system. If this warming trend on Neptune was an anomaly, as compared to the remaining planets and the system, you might have a point. As it is, it seems a bit of a stretch to say that Neptune’s warming is not part of the trend.
And let’s face it; it wouldn’t take much of a hiccup in the suns output, to generate a half a degree difference in temperature across the whole of the solar system. I submit to you that’s precisely what we’re dealing with.
June 2nd, 2007 at 16:22
There are over 100 bodies in the solar system. Warming has been observed in six (I’d be happy to point you to the relevant studies explaining why). On the other hand, Uranus is cooling (http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~l.....Uranus.pdf). You don’t hear that bandied about on skeptic blogs.
But the crucial fact is solar output has leveled out since the 50’s. Direct satellite measurements, sunspot numbers, radio flux measurements, proxy reconstructions – they all confirm no rising trend in solar output over the time global warming has been most dramatic. The notion that “it’s gotta be solar variation” is so entrenched in the global warming skeptic mind, I find it amusing that they can ignore the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
June 6th, 2007 at 18:22
Are you seriously telling me that everywhere else that kind of temperature variations we’re seeing on other planets are not being caused by precisely the same thing as on this planet? That’s a bit of a stretch at least.