Tuesday, August 25, 2009
I've been reporting little tidbits here and there about the surprising lack of sunspots at the beginning of the current solar cycle. The low numbers of sunspots continues to the present time.
A paper just published (PDF) adds another dimension: not only are there fewer sunspots, but the ones that we have are weaker. Both factors contribute to lower solar irradiance – which means the sun is delivering less heat to the Earth.
I like this passage, from a web site that has a history of being completely credulous of anthropogenic global warming:
All of these numbers indicate that a return to Maunder-Minimum-like conditions could take us back to the conditions of the first half of last century, which would be a significant change in the climate. That would certainly take a bit of the time pressure off our attempts to limit our use of fossil fuels. But the impact would be less than we'd expect from a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide, meaning it would only delay some of the more significant climate changes.
It's very nice to see some actual climate science being widely published (instead of climate modeling)...
A collection of classic Rodney Dangerfield one-liners:
I tell ya I get no respect from anyone. I bought a cemetery plot. The guy said, 'There goes the neighborhood!'
When I was born, I was so ugly that the doctor slapped my mother.
When I started in show business, I played one club that was so far out, my act was reviewed in Field and Stream.
Every time I get in an elevator, the operator says the same thing to me: `Basement?'
When my parents got divorced, there was a custody fight over me. ... and no one showed up.
I never got girls when I was a kid. One girl told me, `Come on over, there's nobody home.' I went over. There was nobody home.
When I was 3 years old, my parents got a dog. I was jealous of the dog, so they got rid of me.
When we got married, the first thing my wife did was put everything under both names — hers and her mother's.
With my wife, I don't get no respect. The other night there was a knock on the front door. My wife told me to hide in the closet.
With my wife, I get no respect. I fell asleep with a cigarette in my hand. She lit it.
Made out of living roots! These bridges are grown in northeastern India...
