Friday Follies

[chris_gerrib]

I gassed up the hybrid last night - 21 MPG. I think that whether or not you're using the air conditioning or not has a huge impact on mileage.

So CNN linked to this study about the climate of ancient Greenland. I'm afraid that the "Oh my God we're all gonna die" global warming folks aren't going to like it. Key findings:

1) Even at the height of the last interglacial period, when temperatures were 5 degrees warmer then the current interglacial, Greenland had an ice sheet.
2) The last time that the ice sheet melted completely was 450,000 years ago.
3) As a "by the way," it mentions that Greenland's climate was mildly warmer as little as a thousand years ago.
4) It does, however, specifically state that sea levels were higher during periods of warmer climate.

Not mentioned is that all sorts of Arctic flora and fauna now seen as being at peril can obviously adapt, since they did so before. And oh by the way, the researchers are Danish and funded by various European scientific groups.

Now, as I've said before, I'm not a global warming denier. I also think that the dangers from global warming seem to be overstated, and the reactions to the threat are based more on emotions then science. Maybe it's confirmation bias, but I'm starting to be even more confident.

There's a saying in investing circles which goes like this: When "everybody knows" a certain investment is a "sure thing," that's the time to get out, because it will soon be crashing. Think tech stocks circa 1999, or bio-tech circa mid-1980s. Well, "everybody knows" that "the Earth is running a fever" as Al Gore told Congress.

So my question is - should I be buying an air conditioner or a heater? :-)

Comments

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Wait a minute...when you run a fever, don't you usually get chills? Perhaps you should buy some quilts instead. ;o)

[jetfx.livejournal.com]

While yes, the dangers of climate change are often overstated (we're not screwed), it still doesn't change the fact that this is the largest threat to human civilization for the foreseeable future. I'm willing to let the alarmists (besides, Al Gore ain't crazy) do a fair bit of the talking, because we really do need to get started on fixing it, since the solution is as longterm as the problem.

[chris-gerrib.livejournal.com]

I never said Al Gore was crazy. He believes, with a religuous fervor, in what he's saying. My problem with alarmists in general is that they may propose solutions that are worse then the problem.

[jetfx.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean that you called him crazy, but rather that he often gets lumped into the alarmist camp, where he's a bit more reasonable than that. However I just think alarmists serve a useful purpose in this case, not that their solutions are all the great.