Can Global Warming Result in Global Cooling?

In response to my earlier post about Global Warming, commenter JohnnyB pointed out the obvious:

Gotta consider that the ocean is very big and very deep. The temp near the bottom of the ocean is near freezing without the help of melting ice, so there would be no net change.

In fact, Johnny, I have considered that fact, but we’re only talking about a couple of degrees of water temp which can have a tremendous impact on the world climate. And this is exactly why I asked the question in that previous post: What if climate change–Global Warming–is in fact cooling the world’s oceans by dumping massive amounts of glacial melt water into the mix? So I did a little more digging, via Google, and came up with an NPR article in which a NASA scientist who monitors ocean temperatures worldwide is confused by the fact that the oceans’ temperatures have dropped over the last five years.

“There has been a very slight cooling, but not anything really significant,” Willis says.

What really astounds me is that, while the article briefly speculates as to where the heat is going (out into space is one theory) nobody even considers the really obvious possibility (to me, at least): that the oceans are rising due to an influx of glacial melt water and are cooling as a result. How can that be missed, or, if it hasn’t been missed, why doesn’t any one speculate about it or even offer to debunk the theory? Are we so focused on the warming aspect of climate change that we’re totally missing the possibility that Global Warming could actually eventually result in Global Cooling?

In recent years, heat has actually been flowing out of the ocean and into the air. This is a feature of the weather phenomenon known as El Nino. So it is indeed possible the air has warmed but the ocean has not. But it’s also possible that something more mysterious is going on.

Something mysterious indeed. He even points out that the half-inch ocean level increase can be accredited to melt water:

Willis says some of this water is apparently coming from a recent increase in the melting rate of glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica.

Basically, the entire article lends credence to my theory without ever speculating about it. Billions of gallons of glacial melt water floods into the ocean and–mysteriously–the ocean mean temperature cools. Stay tuned.  

Global Warming

On the Global Warming carousel, today we have this bit:

Speaking at the 2008 International Conference on Climate Change on Monday, (Weather Channel founder John) Coleman sharply chastised those who further global warming alarmism. Coleman believes that the station he founded has been captured by alarmists, such as the Weather Channel’s Heidi Cullen, who has advocated revoking the license of meteorologists that believe global warming can be explained by cyclical weather patterns and not human activity.

Actually, I’m kind of okay with this either way, for two reasons:

1. It’s a known fact that we’re on the tail end of a mini ice age. Warming would be the trend right now even if humanity had jumped ship a hundred years ago. (That’s not to say I don’t think we’re affecting the climate negatively, I’m just saying that’s the trend according to information I’ve come across).
2. I think it’s in our best interests, regardless of Global Warming, to stop burning fossil fuels. I know the almighty dollar feeds off the price of oil, but damn, smog sucks, whether it’s warming the climate or not. 

And on this topic the one big problem I have is kind of the same problem I have with religion and politics.  People have no tolerance for other people whose opinion, viewpoint or belief differs from their own. Case in point, as pointed out in the article linked to above, Heidi Cullen is advocating revoking the licenses of meteorologists who believe global warming can be explained by cyclical weather patters and not human activity. So…not only do you believe you are right, but you think those who believe otherwise should be punished.

I’ll tell you this, global warming is a fact, and whether we’re causing it or not I could care less. It’s happening, weather patterns are disrupted and it’s just going to keep getting worse (at least until it gets better). I think it’s in our best interests to curb our burning of fossil fuels because it’s pollution, and pollution is bad for us and for the planet, climate change or no. If we stop burning fossil fuels we would be healthier, and the planet would be, too. Of course it would–even if you don’t believe burning fossil fuels contributes to global warming, surely you can see that rainbow streak of oil in the water when you go to the river or lake (where you can fish, but you’d better not eat the fish). Or oil spills–Exxon Valdez… gasoline @ four bucks a gallon and Exxon turning the highest profit margin of any corporation ever. There are plenty of reasons to hate pollution, and global warming is just the latest, controversial topic du jour. So you’ve got to pick your fights, right, I know that, but amidst all this madness and indisputable proofs of the negative effects of pollution, Heidi wants to revoke licenses because people don’t believe the theory she insists on is evident. She wants people punished because they disagree with her opinion. She might as well be in Belfast during the ’80s, at war with the other religion because of their beliefs.  

Pollution is an old problem that’s gotten way, way out of hand. We’ve known it for decades. Whether you believe we’ve impacted global warming or not doesn’t matter to me, because I believe everyone can see the negative effects of pollution. Curb the pollution and you’ve done your duty, and both sides and pat one another on the back and gear up for the coming Ice Age :-)