We experience events, not the global situation, but the world seems simpler if we can trace each event to a cause. However, within a complex system, an event cannot be ascribed to a unique “cause.” Birds flock and fish school and the stock market tumbles due to the many interactions among the participating individuals. Continue reading
Blog Posts and Writings Tagged: global warming
Blog 125. What do you fear most?
Fear has always been the strongest motivation for uniting people, but Americans are now divided by fear. Fear of what? Continue reading
Blog 119. Arctic ice, blue lies, and echo chambers
Why does climate denial flourish despite the evident facts of melting polar ice and the increasing blanket of greenhouse gases? Logic isn’t the answer.
Blog 118. Can Arctic Ice Cool Your Cocktail?
How come the scientific news seems flooded (as it were) by the melting of arctic ice? After all, is the arctic really melting? Should we believe all of the alarm over a little cold water? Let’s look at the data. Continue reading
Blog 112. A frosty morning for the New Year
Here’s a photo of a frosty holiday morning in California. The frost illustrates the physics that determines the global climate. And climate is but one of the current worries of scientific associations, who worry about a frosty government. Continue reading
Blog 111. Nuclear Paranoia
Seeing the term “nuclear paranoia,” you might think of hostile countries that are developing nuclear weapons—such as Iran or North Korea. But the term applies closer to home. Continue reading
Blog 110. Climate in one picture
The present temperature is not the key index to predicting the future climate any more than the current temperature in a cold room tells how warm it will be if you add insulation to the walls. It’s knowing the insulation that’s important for prediction. Below is a drawing that explains earth’s energy budget—as affected by the insulation of the atmosphere— in one glance. Continue reading
Blog 88. Will nations ever come together?
“The question looms like a cloud over United Nations negotiations in Paris this month—the 21st such attempt to forge an international agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions. A big reason for failing to find common ground is American intransigence on the role of government.” Continue reading