Thread: Any doubts about Climate Change?

The Antarctic ozone hole has finally started to ‘heal,’ scientists report

In a major new paper in the influential journal Science, a team of researchers report strikingly good news about a thirty year old environmental problem. The Antarctic ozone “hole” — which, when it was first identified in the mid-1980s, focused public attention like few other pieces of environmental news — has begun, in their words, to finally “heal.”

“If you use the medical analogy, first the patient was getting worse and worse, and then the patient is stabilized, and now, the really encouraging thing, is that the patient is really starting to get better,” said MIT atmospheric scientist Susan Solomon, lead author of the study, and former co-chair of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

And moreover, that patient — the Earth’s vital ozone layer — is getting better directly because of our choices and policies.

The initial, Nobel Prize winning discovery that ozone depleting chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) — carried in refrigerants, spray cans, foams and other substances — could damage the stratospheric layer that protects us from ultraviolet solar radiation (and thus, skin cancer) came in 1974. But it wasn’t until the sudden discovery of a vast seasonal ozone “hole” over Antarctica in 1985 that the world was shocked into action.

The so-called “hole” refers to a region of the stratosphere over Antarctica, between about 10 and 25 kilometers in altitude, where “the ozone gets destroyed completely,” explains Solomon, who conducted the new research with scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Leeds in the UK. However, some ozone remains above and below this region, amounting to a 40 or 50 percent loss of atmospheric ozone overall in a very large area of air.

Ozone has been depleted in the stratosphere all across the globe, to be sure. But Antarctica in the spring (which is autumn in the northern hemisphere) presents uniquely conducive conditions for it to happen, as extremely cold polar stratospheric clouds provide a surface that enables the chemical reactions in which destructive forms of chlorine are created.

Discovery of the “hole” galvanized action and in 1987, the Montreal Protocol, which is still today hailed as the epitome of a successful environmental agreement, led to a phase out of the use of ozone depleting chemicals. It’s a case that now appears so very different from the story of climate change, because everything basically functioned like it was supposed to — scientists identified a problem, the public grew concerned, and politicians acted to solve it.

Snip

The precise lesson to draw here, though, is less than clear. On the pessimistic side, you could say that the contrast basically proves that a modest-sized global environmental problem can be solved by the world, while a mega-sized one is another matter entirely.

“On the scale of things this was a different type of problem,” said Solomon. “It was an industry measured in the billions, not the trillions.”

Yet Solomon says the evidence that the Antarctic ozone hole is finally getting better makes her optimistic about our capacity to ultimately come to grips with climate change as well.

“Technology and innovation can do miraculous things,” she said. “We still have air conditioners, we still have refrigerators, we still have hair spray, for crying out loud. We didn’t have to give up much, and yet we got to a state in which the atmosphere is much better off, and we’re better off.”

Originally Posted by Jesus Jones

There's climate change, alright! Damn humans and their consumption. Lower birth rate, that's what I say.

Which bright spark politician decided it was the right thing to do and ship in thousands of immigrants kicking out 3/4 sprogs!

Tell us again, how many children have you fathered and do you give them names or numbers?

Originally Posted by S Landreth

The Antarctic ozone hole has finally started to ‘heal,’ scientists report

In a major new paper in the influential journal Science, a team of researchers report strikingly good news about a thirty year old environmental problem. The Antarctic ozone “hole” — which, when it was first identified in the mid-1980s, focused public attention like few other pieces of environmental news — has begun, in their words, to finally “heal.”

“If you use the medical analogy, first the patient was getting worse and worse, and then the patient is stabilized, and now, the really encouraging thing, is that the patient is really starting to get better,” said MIT atmospheric scientist Susan Solomon, lead author of the study, and former co-chair of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

And moreover, that patient — the Earth’s vital ozone layer — is getting better directly because of our choices and policies.

The initial, Nobel Prize winning discovery that ozone depleting chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) — carried in refrigerants, spray cans, foams and other substances — could damage the stratospheric layer that protects us from ultraviolet solar radiation (and thus, skin cancer) came in 1974. But it wasn’t until the sudden discovery of a vast seasonal ozone “hole” over Antarctica in 1985 that the world was shocked into action.

The so-called “hole” refers to a region of the stratosphere over Antarctica, between about 10 and 25 kilometers in altitude, where “the ozone gets destroyed completely,” explains Solomon, who conducted the new research with scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Leeds in the UK. However, some ozone remains above and below this region, amounting to a 40 or 50 percent loss of atmospheric ozone overall in a very large area of air.

Ozone has been depleted in the stratosphere all across the globe, to be sure. But Antarctica in the spring (which is autumn in the northern hemisphere) presents uniquely conducive conditions for it to happen, as extremely cold polar stratospheric clouds provide a surface that enables the chemical reactions in which destructive forms of chlorine are created.

Discovery of the “hole” galvanized action and in 1987, the Montreal Protocol, which is still today hailed as the epitome of a successful environmental agreement, led to a phase out of the use of ozone depleting chemicals. It’s a case that now appears so very different from the story of climate change, because everything basically functioned like it was supposed to — scientists identified a problem, the public grew concerned, and politicians acted to solve it.

Snip

The precise lesson to draw here, though, is less than clear. On the pessimistic side, you could say that the contrast basically proves that a modest-sized global environmental problem can be solved by the world, while a mega-sized one is another matter entirely.

“On the scale of things this was a different type of problem,” said Solomon. “It was an industry measured in the billions, not the trillions.”

Yet Solomon says the evidence that the Antarctic ozone hole is finally getting better makes her optimistic about our capacity to ultimately come to grips with climate change as well.

“Technology and innovation can do miraculous things,” she said. “We still have air conditioners, we still have refrigerators, we still have hair spray, for crying out loud. We didn’t have to give up much, and yet we got to a state in which the atmosphere is much better off, and we’re better off.”

Originally Posted by Jesus Jones

There's climate change, alright! Damn humans and their consumption. Lower birth rate, that's what I say.

Which bright spark politician decided it was the right thing to do and ship in thousands of immigrants kicking out 3/4 sprogs!

Tell us again, how many children have you fathered and do you give them names or numbers?

I have no guilt, but the ones preaching and doing eff all are comical! How about you, what's your contribution other than hot air?

Told you before, I have done my part and I have no doubt more than most preachers on this subject which is hyper hypocritical!

Solar power on my properties with the exception of one to be done by year's end.

My place in Khao Yai 80% self-sufficient including water generation. Shit, it sounds like I am boasting but despite my feeling on the subject I put my money where my mouth is.

I understand it must be hard to accept by forum superior intellects such as Ant and Co, and the keyboard boy who will who has already labelled me as a prepper.

Go on, keep using your reusable shopping bags!

There is a brilliant article bye professor Tim Ball entitled Are environmentalism and global warming effectively religious socialism. And the follow up response comments have been huge in discussion on the article. Massive give and take, discection, cross section, vivisection. Well worth reading except bye the religion mentioned members. Socialism, communism, Nazi socialism no holds barred. Originally posted on whatsupwiththat wuwt.com but I read it on oh no not that site again climatedepot.com. For some reason it has disappeared on climatedepot but is still available on wuwt.com use search for the title , are environmentalism and global warming effectively religious socialism.
Once again I shall be roasted bye those who brook no opposition to their master plan for the socialist elite to rule the lower masses who prefer football to paying attention to reality.https://wattsupwiththat.com/2016/02/...ous-socialism/