CO2 climate sensitivity 'overestimated'

BBC News ^ | 25 November 2011 | Jennifer Carpenter

[Pharmboy]

Global temperatures could be less sensitive to changing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels than previously thought, a study suggests.

The researchers said people should still expect to see "drastic changes" in climate worldwide, but that the risk was a little less imminent.

The results are published in Science.

Previous climate models have tended to used meteorological measurements from the past 150 years to estimate the climate's sensitivity to rising CO2.

From these models, scientists find it difficult to narrow their projections down to a single figure with any certainty, and instead project a range of temperatures that they expect, given a doubling of atmospheric CO2 from pre-industrial levels.

The new analysis, which incorporates palaeoclimate data into existing models, attempts to project future temperatures with a little more certainty.

Lead author Andreas Schmittner from Oregon State University, US, explained that by looking at surface temperatures during the most recent ice age - 21,000 years ago - when humans were having no impact on global temperatures, he, and his colleagues show that this period was not as cold as previous estimates suggest.

[Pharmboy]

They have begun to walk it back...

[steelyourfaith]

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[Pharmboy]

Is it warm in here, or is it me?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Pharmboy.

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[SunkenCiv]

Dang, you’re quick.

[Army Air Corps]

Gee, whodathunkit!

[Pharmboy]

SC: he almost had the ping there before I posted. :)

[AlexW]

What is really amazing is that it is reported by the British Babble Corp.

[Doogle]

...meanwhile Algore, manbearpig, loads up his wagon and heads for “new” frontiers to swindle....

[Chode]

do I really have to say it???

[Pharmboy]

...and published in Science. I'm sure Mann from Penn State will send off an email to the editors immediately. [snicker]

[Rocky]

How did this get through peer review?

[Eldon Tyrell]

These guys are a joke.

[Windflier]

Someone’s getting wobbly knees. ‘Bout damn time.

[central_va]

Ah oh, somebody’s email has been hacked,

[VeniVidiVici]

surface temperatures during the most recent ice age - 21,000 years ago - when humans were having no impact on global temperatures, he, and his colleagues show that this period was not as cold as previous estimates suggest.

Yes, ice was warmer back then.

[chris_bdba]

How soon will we be treated to the fear of the “coming ice age” that we can’t do anything about but throw $$ at it?

[hsalaw]

people should still expect to see "drastic changes" in climate worldwide, but that the risk was a little less imminent

Yeah, it's going to be in 80 gazillion years rather than the prior estimate of "The Day After Tomorrow," one of the most unintentionally hilarious movies ever made.

[hsalaw]

How soon will we be treated to the fear of the “coming ice age” that we can’t do anything about but throw $$ at it?

Been there, done that in the 1970s.

[DustyMoment]

Global temperatures could be less sensitive to changing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels than previously thought, a study suggests.

Gee, ya THINK!!????