Re: [Phys-l] Precession

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

Most of the serious researchers in climate know about the available data and
from what I have read do take it into account.  Of course Gore is trying to
change the political and social paradigm, so he concentrates on evidence
which would make his point.

Unfortunately it is easy to look at just one factor and make a snap decision
that it is the important one, without looking at the rest of the evidence.
Most climatologists are apparently convinced that there is a significant
contribution by humans.  So if this is the case, then there is a significant
possibility that there could be long term detrimental effects, but there is
also a significant possibility that the effects may be survivable.  So the
political and social question is whether we should chance a catastrophe, or
take steps now to avert the possibility.

If it is advisable to make changes, then political pressure to do so is a
reasonable tactic.

> From what I have read Gore's evidence is actually very up to date as of the
making of the film.  To convince people one needs to present concrete
evidence, and not just the results of a complex climatological model.  It is
too easy to pooh-pooh statistical evidence as the tobacco industry did for
years.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> Jim, if you have a competitive model, the burden is on you (on a list for
> science teachers) to present the data that support the model - preferably
> in a peer-reviewed journal.  You now have several million years wortth of
> core data to compare with.
>
> The alternative is just to be another nut, like the Discovery people
> excoriated by the judge in the Dover case for their blatant dishonesty.\
>
> If you think think that the earth's precession explains the data, then
> let's see the quantitative data that support your opinion.  And, if you
> havent't taken the time to study the data, then you ignorance would not
> excuse your presumptuous postings.
>  				Regards,
>  					Jack
>
> On Sun, 25 Mar 2007, JMGreen wrote:
>
> > The Sunday morning newscasts were replete with Gorisms
> >
> > Yes. we are polluting the atmosphere,  Yes, winters are getting
> > milder, Yes, it is getting more pleasant in Canada and the US North
> > -- and Russia too.  It does this every few thousand years.  There is
> > not much anyone can do to stop this.
> >
> > What I do not hear is Gore et al saying that this current warming is
> > despite the Earth's precession and we _can_ do something to stop it
> >
> > Can someone please clarify this for me?
> >
> > Does Gore even know about orbital precession?
> >
> > Jim