.....in which we can refer to in order to know that we are making progress in our fight against global warming. I mean something that would provide us with some kind of bench mark the same way a dieter would check the scale reading time and again to know if he/she is making progress.
2007-07-20 01:57:50 · 6 answers · asked by bowen 6 in Environment ➔ Global Warming
As Anders has siad you could use Radiative Forcing and measure the difference between incoming solar radiation and outgoing thermal readiation, in this respect it's like measuring the net heat lost or gained within the atmosphere.
Alternatively you could measure the specific heat energy cointained in a given volume of the atmosphere.
Both measurements concentrate on the effect rather than the cause, are subject to a high degree of variation and vary from hour to hour, day to day, season to season and are dependent upon location.
An alternative which is much more constant, easier to measure and looks at the cause as opposed to the effect is to measure the atmospheric concentration of the different gases, particularly the greenhouse gases.
In their natural state these levels are more or less constant, any variations happening over a long period of time. There is natural dissipation of greenhouse gases but we know what this is and it can be factored into any equation.
Just as the performance of a car can be measured by it's acceleration, top speed, torque, horse power etc there are also several methods of measuring the effectiveness and contribution of the factors governing global warming so rather than a single benchmark it would be better to have several.
2007-07-20 02:43:22 · answer #1 · answered by Trevor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it's radiative forcing (RF) that you mean. Radiative forcing is a measurement of how strong the factors that influence Earths climate by altering its energy balance are. A positive forcing increase the energy which will lead to a warming while a negative forcing reduces the energy and leads to a cooling.
RF is defined as the change in net irridiance at the Tropopause (boundary between Troposphere and Stratosphere).
2007-07-20 02:20:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anders 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If we our suceeding in our fight against global warming, it means that the temperature of earth is decreasing. That means more ice will be formed at the extremes of the earth. To make ice, water is required... So eventually the average water-level(sea level) lowers.
This answer is exactly the opposite phenomenon of global warming where the temperature of earth rises. Ice melts. Amount of water increases and hense the sea-level.
2007-07-20 02:09:02 · answer #3 · answered by blitz_krieg 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think they call that a thermometer, but liberals don't trust them because they can't be manipulated to suit their agenda and when we get a record cold spell it makes the whole global warming thing look silly, which it is...
2007-07-20 02:15:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
well maybe we can't and don't know .could be like the dirt that just keeps appearing on the floors the world is growing ,expanding like a balloon ,and just has a few spots that have not filled in yet ....
science ?
2007-07-20 02:10:30 · answer #5 · answered by martinmm 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just off set your carbon foot print like that genius hypocrite Al Gore. give me a brake
2007-07-20 02:08:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋