It's a bit warm/ wet/ cold outside

[shaolin_monkey]

Seriously, check out the 8 min clip above, because it's so unusual to see Brian Cox so angry. He literally THROWS the science at a man-made climate change denying Aussie senator!

This is what scientists are facing EVERY BLOODY DAY.

[The Legendary Shark]

Bacteria Feeding On Arctic Algae Blooms Can Seed Clouds[/i]

[shaolin_monkey]

Bacteria Feeding On Arctic Algae Blooms Can Seed Clouds[/i]

Thanks Sharky - that's really interesting! I particularly liked the note about aerosols in general, and how such particles affect cloud formation.

I believe aerosols are one of the topics in the course I mentioned previously. It started today!

Sign up for this free course, by Michael E Mann. You may recognise him from Attenborough's 'The State of the Planet'.

He is a professor in Penn State University, famous for the 'hockey stick' CO2 versus climate change study. He has also spent the last 30 years battling with the fossil fuel industry who tried to discredit him, and bury his findings. He's a legend amongst climate scientists.

His course is absolutely free for anyone wanting to get to grips with what this is all about, and what we can do to stop it getting any worse.

You could also sign up for it and pay £40 for marked coursework and an internationally recognised accreditation at the end (which was my choice)!

I have started it today, and even the introductory talks are fascinating!

Go here to find out more:

https://www.edx.org/course/climate-change-the-science-and-global-impact

[The Legendary Shark]

The Milankovitch Cycle.

[shaolin_monkey]

The Milankovitch Cycle.

Thanks Sharky! I've literally just covered that in module 4 of the course I'm doing! It's a blow-by-blow on climate modelling, using the past to predict the future, and this cycle is featured in it.

[The Legendary Shark]

Cool

[shaolin_monkey]

Here you go - this webpage was included in my course reading materials, and is a fascinating breakdown of climate modelling, including the cycle you mentioned above:

https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-how-do-climate-models-work

[The Legendary Shark]

Cheers! I'll have a read after work.

[shaolin_monkey]

Anyone joining the Climate Strike protests on Friday?

We've got one placard painted up already.






Not sure where your nearest is?

Follow this link and scroll to the bottom of the page for a map.

https://globalclimatestrike.net/#join

[shaolin_monkey]

Also, get your climate temperature stripes from:

https://showyourstripes.info


It is a cracking website by Professor Ed Hawkins of Reading University. He wanted a striking way of illustrating temperature changes between 1850 and 2018.

Here is the global version, but you can tune it to your country if you follow the link above.

[shaolin_monkey]

Anyone else about to hit the streets?

[IndigoPrime]

Fab banners.

[shaolin_monkey]

Fab banners.

Cheers dude!

Brilliant result yesterday. People in over 160 countries marched. Best estimate is 6 million plus marching worldwide!  Some of the pics popping up from places like Berlin, Tasmania, places in Africa etc, are astonishing.

Fab turnout in Cardiff too, and the above banners made the news. Here's a couple of pics:






Outside Welsh parliament - spot the banners! 




There are a whole host of events still to come, arranged by a variety of groups.  For example, Extinction Rebellion are organising a sit-in of government offices in October, again around the world. Also, many working groups are gathering volunteers from all walks of life to confront policy makers with alternatives that use fewer resources, and proposing sustainable changes.

So much work ahead of us!

In the meantime, my studies on the science of climate change continue. Did the midpoint exam on that Prof. Michael E Mann course - scored 94%, so doing well. Got one question wrong about radiative forcing which was a real 'Gah!' moment - that should have been an easy one for me.

Anyway, onwards and upwards.

[IndigoPrime]

Amazing stuff. I'll admit I didn't really think about this one, but should have. I went on the PV marches, but this was also important. Mind you, I currently have the plague, and so suspect others wouldn't have been thrilled with that. Kudos to those of you who did make the effort, and got the message out there. Things have come a long way. Let's hope they go further.

(It's also wonderful to see people posting comparisons of Greta's initial protest compared to yesterday. I recognise she didn't do this herself by any means, but one teenager has been the catalyst for so much good. And I love her response in the US, cutting off the typically patronising bullshit politicians give to kids about them being brave and inspiring. They don't care. They want you to fucking do something, because they are not yet able to themselves.)

[TordelBack]

Well, I'd bet whatever we'll be using for currency in 20 years time that they'll be learning that Greta Thunberg UN Climate Action speech in hedge school.  Watching it felt like witnessing a key moment in history, maybe the very last key moment, with no knowledge of the outcome. Deeply affecting.

I'll accept many criticisms of the specific manifesto(s) of the movement, and caveats about the dangers and abuses of figureheads, but I will happily fight anyone who puts that young woman down. And the bunch of patronising feckers in attendance got exactly what they deserved. This isn't funny. This isn't aspirational. This isn't even manageable. We have to change everything. Now.

Our own Taoiseach's contribution: raise Carbon taxes to €80 per tonne by 2030. FOR FUCK'S SAKE.