Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Archives for March 2011

Total Emissivity of the Earth and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide: A Note from Nasif S. Nahle

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Introduction

Central to the theory of Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) is the assumption that the Earth and every one of its subsystems behaviors as if they were blackbodies, that is their “emissivity” potential is calculated as 1.0. [1]

But this is an erroneous assumption because the Earth and its subsystems are not blackbodies, but gray-bodies. The Earth and all of its subsystems are gray-bodies because they do not absorb the whole load of radiant energy that they receive from the Sun and they do not emit the whole load of radiant energy that they absorb. [8] [9] [10]

Furthermore the role of carbon dioxide is misunderstood.   According to AGW hypothesis, carbon dioxide is the second most significant driver of the Earth’s temperature, behind the water vapor, which is considered the most important driver of the Earth’s climate. [2] Other authors of AGW discharge absolutely the role of water vapor and focus their arguments on the carbon dioxide. [3]

What is the total emissivity of carbon dioxide?   I will consider this question with reference to the science of radiative heat transfer.

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Give Me Nuclear Power: George Monbiot

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IN an article entitled ‘Why Fukushima made me stop worrying and love nuclear power’ environmental activist and Guardian columnist, George Monbiot, explains why he favours nuclear over many renewable…

“A crappy old plant with inadequate safety features was hit by a monster earthquake and a vast tsunami. The electricity supply failed, knocking out the cooling system. The reactors began to explode and melt down. The disaster exposed a familiar legacy of poor design and corner-cutting. Yet, as far as we know, no one has yet received a lethal dose of radiation.

“Some greens have wildly exaggerated the dangers of radioactive pollution. For a clearer view, look at the graphic published by xkcd.com. It shows that the average total dose from the Three Mile Island disaster for someone living within 10 miles of the plant was one 625th of the maximum yearly amount permitted for US radiation workers. This, in turn, is half of the lowest one-year dose clearly linked to an increased cancer risk, which, in its turn, is one 80th of an invariably fatal exposure. I’m not proposing complacency here. I am proposing perspective.

Read more here:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/21/pro-nuclear-japan-fukushima

Rally Against the Carbon Tax

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Congratulations to all those who attended the rally in Canberra, and other capital cities, against the carbon tax.   And especially to the organisers …  you got enough people there to be noticed and vilified.  Well done.   

I understand the Prime Minister was invited but declined.  And thanks to 2UE for the cartoon… 

http://www.2ue.com.au/blogs/2ue-blog/zegs-take-on-carbon-tax-protests–have-your-say/20110323-1c64v.html#next

What Percentage of Air is Human Sourced C02?

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In Australia, the public is not in favour of a proposed carbon tax, but the mainstream media, particularly the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, keep pushing the proposal along with the idea we face inevitable catastrophic climate change unless we change our ways.    The host of one commercial radio station, Alan Jones, has been putting the alternative perspective and is now being reprimanded…  interestingly on the science.   

Activist group, GetUp, claim Alan Jones is wrong to have broadcast that only 0.001 per cent of the carbon dioxide in the air if from human sources and claims the correct figure is 28 percent.  I thought the official figure was something like 3 per cent. 

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Fears Over Fukushima Radiation Overblown: Lawrence Solomon

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“The immense suffering that the Japanese are enduring in the aftermath of their earthquake and tsunami is now compounded by torment over radiation releases from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

“While the torment is understandable, based on the reported amounts of radiation released, it is uncalled for. The evidence from Japan’s populace — inadvertent guinea pigs in the largest radiation experiment ever, in the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 — indicates that fears over radiation can be overblown.

“Those who survived the immediate atomic blasts but were near Ground Zero died at a high rate from excess exposure to radiation. The tens of thousands more distant from Ground Zero, and who received lower exposures to radiation, did not die in droves. To the contrary, and surprisingly, they outlived their counterparts in the general population who received no exposure to radiation from the blasts.

Read more here:  http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/03/21/lawrence-solomon-reactor-victims-will-benefit-studies-show/

by Lawrence Solomon, Financial Post, Tuesday, 22 March 2011

No Carbon Tax: A Note from ComeonAustralia.com

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“In Australia…  The campaign against the Carbon Tax and the Prime Minister’s broken promise is gaining momentum.  Our petition is collecting thousands of signatures and comments. But we need many, many more, so please tell as many people as you can to sign.  

Two recent polls show that a clear majority of Australians oppose this tax, but the Government is ignoring you.

That means we need to redouble our efforts to show that the government is operating on a broken promise and in clear defiance of the Australian people.

The Prime Minister should take this tax to an election to seek a mandate (or otherwise let the Australian people defeat it at the ballot box).

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