Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

News

Determining the Total Emissivity of a Mixture of Gases Containing Overlapping Absorption Bands: A Note from Nasif S. Nahle

By

Abstract

According to anthropogenic global warming (AGW) theory, carbon dioxide increases the potential of water vapor to absorb and emit IR radiation as a consequence of the overlapping absorption/emission spectral bands. I have determined the total emissivity of a mixture of gases containing 5% of water vapor and 0.039% of carbon dioxide in all spectral bands where their absorptivities/emissivities overlap. The result of my calculations is that carbon dioxide reduces the total absorptivity/emissivity of the water vapor, working like a coolant, not a warmer of the atmosphere and the surface.

Update  April 8, 2011.   There was an error in calculating the overlapping bands, discovered thanks to criticism from ‘Neutrino’.   The errors are now shown with lines through them, the correct figures beside them.   The ‘adjusted’ calculations give a greater cooling effect from carbon dioxide . 

[Read more…] about Determining the Total Emissivity of a Mixture of Gases Containing Overlapping Absorption Bands: A Note from Nasif S. Nahle

What to Read, and Things to Do, This Week

By

 1. Let’s give Professor Flimflam Flipflop a Queensland welcome…

“Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, Professor Tim Flannery, is visiting Ipswich… Ipswich will be the first public event for the Climate Commission in Queensland. This is your opportunity to ask questions and share ideas with the Climate Commissioners and participate in the national conversation on this vital issue.

Where: Ipswich Civic Centre, Limestone Street, Ipswich
When:  7:00pm – 8:30pm. Thursday 7 April 2011. Doors open 6:45pm.

Seats are limited so please register, or call (02) 6159 7624, by Wednesday 6 April 2011.

http://climatecommission.us2.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=16cc7ff2b909f36473564f21f&id=687f10fc9e

[via Malcolm Roberts]

2. Leaked Labor ‘Carbon Tax’ Strategy

Last week an internal government document issued to all Labor MPs with 16 pages of suggestions as to how members of the government might best sell the idea of a carbon dioxide tax to the public was leaked.  This document and a critique of it by Bob Carter, Alan Moran and David Evans is now available online here:

http://www.quadrant.org.au/blogs/doomed-planet/2011/04/climate-change-facts 

[via Bob Carter]

3. Ask for The Land

Rural NSW weekly, The Land, has started publishing stories from my recent trip along the Murray River.  The Land comes out each Thursday.  It is for sale in most, larger Australian newsagencies.  Get yourself a copy.

4.  ‘Why No Dangerous Rise in Temperatures Threatens’ by Des Moore

“Let me just make it clear here that, like Garnaut, I am not a scientist. But my nearly 50 years experience as an economic analyst both in Treasury and outside provides a basis for assessing the credibility of data used to justify the dangerous warming thesis and for examining alternative explanations by sceptical scientists. Contrary to Garnaut’s assertion, qualified outsiders must pass judgement on science-based proposals –if they did not there would be a much bigger hole in government budgets!”
 
http://www.menzieshouse.com.au/2011/04/why-no-dangerous-rise-in-temperatures-threatens.html

[via Val Majkus]

5.  Remember Alan Carlin?

You may remember the fuss within the US EPA about 18 months ago, when an internal economic analysis report (that didn’t favour IPCC alarmism) written by one Alan Carlin caused a sensation (leading, I think I remember, to Carlin’s resignation or dismissal?).
 
Anyway that excellent analysis has now been published in an open-source, peer-reviewed journal

http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/8/4/985/pdf

[via Bob Carter]

Consider this an open thread.  Let other readers of this blog know what you are watching, listening, reading and doing this week by way of a comment in the following thread.

**************

A big thanks to G. for the $100 donation last week!  🙂

Others, there is an orange button for donations in the top right hand corner of this page.

Congratulations! Successful ‘No Carbon Tax Rally’ in Sydney

By

The ‘No Carbon Tax’ rally in Sydney today was the first item on the ABC television news tonight.  According to the ABC it was attended by 4,000 people.   Others claim 6,000.

http://www.2ue.com.au/blogs/2ue-blog/passions-run-high-at-carbon-tax-rally/20110402-1cs8x.html 

Well done and congratulations!

Organisers tell me they are learning much about how to organise, how to put on events, the politics and media management.  They say that these rallies are only the beginning and that more actions, media events, fund-raisers and rallies will be organized in due course.

http://www.nocarbontax.com.au/?p=602 

I will be speaking at the Brisbane rally on Saturday May 7, 11.30am to 1.30pm, outside Queensland Parliament House – Cnr George and Alice Streets.

Facebook: Brisbane Anti Carbon Tax Rally http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=187575497948860

I hope to see you there.

Petition Urging the Australian PM to Delay Introduction of the Carbon Tax Legislation

By

Hi,   My apologies if you’ve already seen this, but I’m giving it as wide a distribution as I can and hope that you will do the same.

This link is to a petition urging the Prime Minister to delay the introduction of carbon tax legislation until after an election:

http://www.epetitions.comeonaustralia.com/petition/sign/pid/9

Please sign the petition if you agree with its terms.  Thanks, Case Smit

Calling for Essays in Defence of Back Radiation

By

MOST scientists sceptical of the theory of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) accepted that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas; they simply don’t believe it is very potent relative to other natural forces.  But there are a group of physicists, most notably several of the authors of the book ‘Slaying the Sky Dragon: Death of the Greenhouse Gas Theory’ who even argue against the greenhouse effect theory. 

For some weeks, every Friday, I have been publishing an essay from one of these scientists a Mexican Nasif S. Nahle – though Nahle is not an author of ‘Slaying the Sky Dragon’.  When I first started publishing Dr Nahle I received emails from various sceptics suggesting that in promoting his work I was doing a disservice to the sceptic’s cause; that I should not be challenging the basic accepted physics of back radiation.

The essence of greenhouse theory is that thermal radiation from the earth’s surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated including back towards the earth’s surface.  As a result of this back radiation the temperature of the earth is higher than it would be if direct heating by solar radiation were the only warming mechanism.

Dr Nahle argues that there is no warming from back radiation and one reason is because heat cannot flow from a cooler area (the atmosphere) to a warmer area (the earth surface). 

I have enjoyed posting essays from Dr Nahle as he argues from first principles, and with examples, and he engages with his critics in the comment threads.    In short, he provides food for thought.

And given the importance of back radiation to greenhouse gas theory, I have been surprised that there has not been a more definitive rebuttal of his core argument in the comment threads.   Indeed it is irrelevant to argue that he is wrong because his work is not published in the peer-reviewed literature, or that it does not accord with what is written in mainstream textbooks or that it is too specific.  

I am keen to publish more essays on this important topic, particularly from the more mainstream perspective that is in defence of back radiation as a core part of anthropogenic global warming theory.

[Read more…] about Calling for Essays in Defence of Back Radiation

Invasive Carp in the US

By

Voltage coursing through electrical barriers designed to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes may need to be raised to keep out juvenile fish, U.S. officials said on Friday.   Read more here.