Fossil Fuel Curbs May Speed Global Warming: Scientists (Reuters)

[eric144]

LONDON (Reuters) - Cutting down on fossil fuel pollution could accelerate global warming and help turn parts of Europe into desert by 2100, according to research to be aired on British television on Thursday. "Global Dimming," a BBC Horizon documentary, will describe research suggesting fossil fuel by-products like sulfur dioxide particles reflect the sun's rays, "dimming" temperatures and almost canceling out the greenhouse effect.

The researchers say cutting down on the burning of coal and oil, one of the main goals of international environmental agreements, will drastically heat rather than cool climate. "When the cooling affect goes away -- and it must do because particles like sulfur dioxide are damaging to humans -- global warming will be much stronger," climate change scientist Dr Peter Cox told Reuters on Wednesday.

Temperatures could increase in the worst case by up to 10 degrees by the end of the century, the researchers said -- much more than current estimates. Scientists differ as to whether global warming is caused by man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse" gases, by natural climate cycles or if it exists at all.

Take away fossil fuel by-products like sulfur dioxide without tackling greenhouse gas emissions, and the extra heat will speed warming, irreversibly melting ice sheets and rendering rain forests unsustainable within decades, Dr Cox said. "The climate will warm more in the future but the ability of the land to store carbon dioxide will be compromised," he said, adding that warmer soil was less able to hold the greenhouse gas.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=753&e=1&u=/nm/20050113/sc_nm/environment_britain_warming_dc

[Technocrat058]

1. Sulfur Dioxide cycle

This is an interesting article but would anyone have information on where to find publications on this subject? There is no mention of how the sulfur dioxide actually fits into the greenhouse cycle. Does anyone know this? Or perhaps how this particular scientist came about these numbers?

[Sialia]

5. It reflects sunlight

Sulfur dioxide and other aerosols reflect sunlight back into space, thus decreasing insolation (the quantity of solar energy per unit area). Less solar energy => cooler climate. Such particulate matter has been included in climate models for the past decade or so. There was a slight cooling observed during the post WWII period, up to about the 1970's, which could have been due to increased pollution overwhelming CO2 emissions; this was before any semblance of pollution controls, and after large-scale industrialization got going.

[Technocrat058]

8. Maybe I should rephrase

I was mostly just looking where in the cycle Sulfur Dioxide fit, and how its own cycles works (i.e. the production from fossil fuels all the way to its degradation). My knowledge of its effects is fine, my knowledge of its cycle is not.

[trotsky]

13. Sulfur dioxide leaves the atmosphere via precipitation.

I.e., acid rain.

[Lisa]

14. some sulfur cycle info here

http://www.mpimet.mpg.de/en/depts/dep1/acc/topics/sulfur.php


I know there's been some work done on the coupling of the sulfur and carbon cycles (overlapping processes etc.), especially in the marine environment, and looking at very long term geochemical cycling (Westbroeck's book reviewed some of the work, a while back).

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v426/n6964/pdf/nature02131.pdf

http://www.icsu-scope.org/downloadpubs/scope48/chapter04.html

[trotsky]

2. Gotta love a headline that changes the real meaning.

Just seeing the headline, you'd figure "Goddamn those stupid liberals, if we do what they say it's gonna get worse!"

But when you read down into the article:
Take away fossil fuel by-products like sulfur dioxide without tackling greenhouse gas emissions, and the extra heat will speed warming

All hail our "liberal" media.

[PaganPreacher]

3. Oh, crap... we just can't win!

Use more oil, and the Earth overheats.

Use less oil, and the Earth overheats.

I think I'll go out and sit in my Hummer and ponder this. I won't start the engine, though, just in case.



The Pagan Preacher
I don't turn the other cheek.

[Thurgood Marshall]

4. Nice Study

I just love tripe.

[PaganPreacher]

10. Have a cup of coffee and relax.

Nothing but a bit of irony in the morning, Mr. Justice Marshall.

Of course, there is irony enough in the duels of global warming, cancer causing agent, or economic forecasting theories without my pointing them out through broad humor.

So, since it is "the end of the world as we know it," maybe you should have a brandy and a cigar with your morning coffee. Can't hurt, after all!



The Pagan Preacher
I don't turn the other cheek.

[Ian David]

6. Emphasis on the last paragraph

Take away fossil fuel by-products like sulfur dioxide without tackling greenhouse gas emissions, and the extra heat will speed warming, irreversibly melting ice sheets and rendering rain forests unsustainable within decades, Dr Cox said.

Long story short: Simply using "cleaner coal" is ineffective. You have to reduce the CO2 from burning fossil fuels, not just the other crap that goes up into the air along with it.

That is, if these scientists are correct.

Is there a published peer-reviewed article somewhere?

Still, it is a good idea to burn LESS fossil fuels, not just CLEANER fossil fuels.

[PaganPreacher]

11. I like how they buried that phrase in the last paragraph.

"without tackling greenhouse gas emissions"

So vague it is, too!


Now, I'm really worried!

The Pagan Preacher
I don't turn the other cheek.

[Blue Wally]

20. unless......

We can increase the tree coverage and soak up the excess CO2.

[Viking12]

22. Aerosols, their Direct and Indirect Effects

From the IPCC's Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis. Chapter 5.

http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/160.htm

[G_j]

7. extensive climate change news tracking service

ClimateArk - Climate Change Portal

Climate Change Newsfeed w/ Summaries
The original and most extensive climate change news tracking service, updated throughout the day

http://www.climateark.org/news/

[PaulaFarrell]

9. "Scientists differ as to whether global warming is caused by...

"Scientists differ as to whether global warming is caused by man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse" gases, by natural climate cycles or if it exists at all."

Actually, I thought they were all pretty agreed now, if you exclude 'scientist' like Bjorn Lomborg

[Ian David]

12. Yes, global warming is a "slam dunk"

Unless you include the findings of Dr. Heddup Hizzasky.

[FizzFuzz]

15. a very naive question from a non-scientist--

I'm almost afraid to ask, this is so dumb, but....

would an effort to plant huge numbers of trees, or whatever plants are most efficient at grabbing and using CO2, help?

(please don't laugh at me and please don't let this get published in the NYT as an example of how dumb Democrats are!!! ;) )

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. We are reaching the point where even that may not help :^(

----------------------------------------------------------
Save our country one town, county, and state at a time!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm#why

[FizzFuzz]

17. :cry: so you're saying that if it's not too late, that WOULD help?

I can't get rid of the image of millions upon millions of shiny happy young couples, eager to grow their families, buying houses in brand new suburban developments, where the trees have been cut down so they can have streets named after trees. I see it everywhere, the creeping destruction.....

And let's destroy habitat, thereby killing all the animals, while selling calendars of babies dressed in endangered species costumes. Eccch. :puke:

[librechik]

18. save the forests (and chlorophyll producing sea organisms)

urban areas need better planning. Curb irrigation schemes in favor of smarter water use and agriculture, cut down on chemicals in favor of organics, ban residential development in floodplains and beach areas...

There's a lot to do. Will we get a chance to do it before it's a giant reclamation project?

Prospects look dim, at the moment. Most likely the corporate chiefs will simply denude and toxify the earth and then sit around bitching about how bad business is now that there aren't any customers left, until their expensive life support systems stop working and they die too.

[FizzFuzz]

19. I'm laughing sardonically

at that last paragraph. Black humor; smirkCo has certainly increased the market for that, now hasn't he?

Oy.

[librechik]

21. yeah, my hubby keeps saying

be thankful it's a repressive government, that always signals a huge creative explosion. I say, yeah, we'll all be writing novels and making art out of feces in the gulag.

Cheerful, ain't I?

I dunno, you have to keep smiling somehow--don't let the bastards get you down, otherwise they win! silly tho--hope is not a strategy. But when the system is insane, are sane people not deviants?

[FizzFuzz]

24. you're cracking me up--in a miserable sort of way!

art out of feces, yeah.....

hope is not a strategy. Now that is depressing.

YeeHaw is not a foreign policy--saw a bumpersticker with that.

well, think I'll go kick back a beer now... :crazy:

On Edit,
just so I don't end on a suicide-inducing note, I do actually agree with your husband!!

[Viking12]

23. Should read: Emissions Curbs may Speed Global Warming

Eliminating certain aerosol emissions would conceivably reduce reflection of the sun's energy back into space thereby allowing more of the energy to reach the Earth's surface. However, the detrimental health and environmental effects of these aerosols are equally as serious as climate change and they should be reduced.