h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For anyone who's old enough to remember, weren't we all going to freeze due to global cooling during the 70's?

Anyway what I wanted to say was that haven't the various ice core drilling projects shown that during interglacial periods (like now) the temperature of the earth can fluctuate over a large range in a short period of time (short in terms of geological processes).

This is correct, if you look at the history of the earth, it does go through major cycles of cooling and warming, and this is a perfectly natural process.

This is not to say we shouldn't be concerned about the effect of the gases - at the very least they have lead to an increase in cases of asthma, but - as the article suggest - a lot of this is hype from people who haven't really researched the history of earth.

In addition, many people point to people like Nostradamus for prophesies on the effect of dramatic geological changes, and apparently this will lead to the swamping of many parts of the world by the coast in the near future. He was right, this will happen, places like london for example will turn into an island.

This doesn't mean that all his prophesies were interpreted correclty however, look at the interpretation of Hissler devouring Europe for example. Hissler, in Nostradum' time, was actually a local river prone to flooding, yet many have interpreted this to mean Hitler. It is just an example of how easily it is to misinterpret many proophecies/events etc, and i'm terribly sorry for going off on a tangent once again, I can't seem to help it.

Indeed, there has been an increase in asthma, and also things such as hay fever, but is there any evidence that the gases are to blame for this. I'm sure that they have a small proportion of the blame, but again is it just exaggerated to make people notice?

Nice interesting thing about the aincient french seer man, it's the tangents that people go off on that can make this place so interesting

I just hope that london doesn't flood whilst I'm living here (OK so there is a great danger of the lower tube levels flooding in a few years time due to increase in the level of the water in the aquifer - yeah I just got to use a word learnt in geography years ago - under london

I read recently that one of the 1st effects of global warming would be a mini ice age in Europe due to predicted disruptions in the warm Atlantic currents.

You've got to admit mother nature sure has a sense of humour

;^)#

Another 'Quirk' arising from this global warming thing. Apparently, most of England is going to end up with a weather system similar to the current on in france, and yet Scotland - not being that far away, by the way - is going to end up with one similar to Icelands current one.

Is this fair I ask you, or just another English Conspiracy?

Technically, the Pleisticene (sp?) Ice Age isn't over yet. According to the rock record, current temperature levels are still lower than they have been on average over the Earth's history.

At least that's what my Geology professor said last year. I, for one, don't understand how you can tell how cold it was millions of years ago by examining rocks (and yet I managed to get an A in the class).

What happens to Wales - let me guess, more rain! I did hear (radio 4?) that global warming would be worse than "they" thought.

I'm not the most scientific person but I'd assume that the warming forecasts took into account the fact that we're supposed to be in a cool period.

Whatever the "facts", we humans certainly seem to be affecting the environment more than 1 species would normally be expected to...

I do remember hearing that early bacteria were responsible for establishing the high oxygen content of the atmosphere (although that took billions of years, and probably many species. Wow, I just killed that argument. Can you tell I wasn't a debater?). I would say, though, that humankind has affected the atmosphere less than, say, the eruption of Krakatoa.

And please do not constue this as a defense of pollution. As a resident of a large city (and a potentially flooded one to boot), I do not like how the air smells, and would really like to stop whatever is causing that odor.