An Explanation of Climate Cycles That Even Fox News Viewers Can Understand

We are well beyond the influence of any natural cycle

Key References:

• More on climate change
• Link to some serious climate liars

Funny you should mention that: WE AT CATMAP HEADQUARTERS ARE ALSO SURPRISED THE CLIMATE SCIENTISTS MISSED SOMETHING SO OBVIOUS!!

Actually Mr. Beck, Mr. Inhofe, slimy US Chamber of Commerce liars and other assorted science jesters, THEY DIDN’T MISS IT. Everyone, with the exception of perhaps Creationists, understands that the earth’s climate goes through cycles. But 1) humans weren’t around for most of those cycle and there is no guarantee of them/us being around for the next one* and 2) the changes happening now are unprecedented.

Now, see if you can get your minds off of homosexuals, the War on Christmas and illegal aliens and concentrate on science. Read here how the three dominant astrological cycles – known to scientists as Milankovitch Cycles – work:

1. Every 100,000 years: The Elliptical orbit. The actual distance of the planet from the sun varies, which means more or less solar radiation, and therefore fluctuations in total temperature.

2. Every 40,000 years: change in Earth’s tilt. Changes of one or more degrees in the tilt of the axis also changes the amount of radiation collected in various locations.

3. Every 21,000 years: changes in Earth’s solar orbit plane. Another cause of fluctuations in total radiation received on the planet.

The orbital calculations are accurate back several million years, and match markers of temperature variations within layered structures on the planet, such as layered ice in Greenland and Antarctica and layered deep sea sediments. Like Before Noah, OK? Measurements of changes within these layers correlate with the Earth’s climate over the course of hundreds of thousands and even millions of years of Earth’s history.

The combination of the three Milankovitch influences, along with other cyclical factors such as solar flares, is what has kept the climate interesting over the past several millions years. Scientists have established rather sustainable temperature patterns going back nearly 700,000 years (sorry New Earthers) by sampling ice core data. This data shows a variation of 6 degrees Centigrade (or 10.8 F) over this period of time (apologies to Republicans – we know Centigrade is kind of an un-American and therefore a dangerous and unpatriotic idea like that ridiculous metric system). During this cycle – at least for the past 700,000 years – the CO2 concentration also fluctuated 120 parts per million. The bottom end is 180 ppm and the top is 300 ppm, and then back again. Similarly, at the bottom end of the 6C temperature swing is an ice age climate. At the moment however, we are at the top of the temperature curve…and climbing fast.

The carbon cycle and the temperature cycle track each other almost perfectly…at least until 1750, whence dates roughly the Industrial Revolution. Ladies and gentlemen, today we stand at 384 ppm of CO2, a figure that has not likely been equaled in 20 million years. And at the present rate, we will add another 100 ppm of CO2 in the next 50 years.

Here’s the clincher: The new CO2 is from burning fossil fuels, not the natural release we have seen from oceanic cycles over the past millions of years. How do we know that? Because the age of CO2 can be measured. The increase in CO2 is accounted for by new CO2, not the CO2 in the oceans that was generated naturally.

For the past 700,000 years, whenever CO2 in the atmosphere goes up, so does the temperature. Now, looking at the current levels, and the exciting new CO2 levels we can most surely expect with China alone opening up a new coal fired plant every week to 10 days, what can we expect in terms of near and long term temperature increases?

Jumpin’ Jehosophat! This is alarming. Why didn’t someone tell you?
Try changing the channel.