What do you think was the top global warming science story of 2007?

Question

According to Lisa Moore, a scientist in the Climate and Air program at Environmental Defense and contributor to Climate 411, the top story was

"The Sun is (really, really) not responsible for global warming.

This paper wasn't breaking news, just an extremely thorough review of the science showing why the sun can't be blamed for global warming. The folks over at RealClimate said it best: "That's a coffin with so many nails in it already that the hard part is finding a place to hammer in a new one."

This link gives her top 10 global warming science stories of 2007:

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/climate411/72/top-10-global-warming-science-stories-of-2007.html

What do you think were the top stories?

Killian - if it wasn't apparent, I meant global warming on Earth, not Mars. Warming on Mars - while interesting - is a completely seperate issue.

Tomcat - you seriously think a story about the Arctic sea ice refreezing in winter is the top global warming story of 2007?

Low standards. I guess when you're trying to find evidence to undermine AGW you take whatever you can get!

Mikira - I didn't give you best answer to the Arrhenius question because you didn't answer it. While I appreciated the alternative link, I can't give best answer to a non-answer. If you'd both answered the question and provided the link, you would have gotten best answer.

As for linlyons, I'm not his keeper.

As for best answer in general, I give them to whoever answers the question with the best supporting evidence. Skeptics and deniers rarely provide supporting evidence.

A couple examples of the qualitative answer difference between AGW believers and deniers:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkJDfc1MEjMHQBvq0IJGj0IAAAAA;_ylv=3?qid=20071229024614AAoqslg
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtfsHu0.codZOUHiD_NPVH0AAAAA;_ylv=3?qid=20071229104946AAlZqCX

Answer 1

I think the articles on the rapid shrinking of the polar ice shelf was the key story of 2007. The two experts on this updated their data in the spring of 2007 and found (alarmingly) that the shelf could vanish not by 2020, but as soon as 2012.

The impact of that is stunningly far reaching.

Answer 2

Generally, its a good list--though the two about the validity of man-made global warming (about the Sun NOT causing it and the "global warming is unequivocal) really aren't news--at least if you understand the science.

I would pick #8, though. The rapid increase in the rate of sea ice melting may not be the most important scientificallly. But it is the most striking exammple of the effects of global warming so far. Also--it may be a warning sign tha tthe whole process of climate change is progressing faster than we had thought.

Maybe it struck me so much because of my background as a historian--I'm familier with the whole history of the search for the "Northwest Passage" and the centuries of frustration that expllorers went through in a fruitless quest to find it. And now--from one year to the next--its open! That is scary--as I said, I'm familier with the significance of the whole thing--it is a profound and disturbing development.

Answer 3

The most striking change that I noticed in 2007 is that the news started to document changes close to home.

Suddenly the gradual change with a date commonly associated with it that was 93 years in the future was not only a problem here in the present, but it was documented as having started decades back in time :

http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20070816/NEWS/108160072

Warming trends in the Tahoe Basin:

-- Cold days are fewer: The number of days with average air temperatures below freezing has dropped from 79 days to 52 days since 1911.

-- Nights are warmer: Night low temperatures have risen more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1911.

-- Less precipitation falls as snow: The percentage of snow in total precipitation has decreased from 52 percent to 34 percent since 1911.

-- Lake water is warmer: The average July surface water temperature has increased almost five degrees, from 62.9 degrees F. to 67.8 degrees F., since 1999. The lake's surface waters were the warmest on record on July 26, 2006: 78 degrees F.

source: UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center

Answer 4

How about this one:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-10/climate-map.html

Even more evidence that this round of global warming in the earth's history is not being cause by the sun or any change in the earth's orbit.

As for the link you sent, I found interesting story #8: Arctic sea ice is melting faster than predicted. This year it hit a 29-year low, significantly below the previous record set in 2005. Melting ice can set off a cycle that causes additional warming, since dark water beneath the sea ice absorbs rather than reflects solar energy.

Pretty interesting.

Answer 5

Why even answer your questions? No matter what I write in them (Unless it completely agrees with your point of view.) You will never give me a best answer. So even when I decide to grace your questions with my presence I no longer try to get a best answer, I just write what ever I like. You accused me in one of your answers to you about the exact same thing, but I bet I can prove I have given more best answers to people who believe in AGW than you have given to skeptics. Shoot you have even gotten at least two best answers from me.

You even allow Linlyons to badger me. Why? I have never done anything to you, so why allow that. You won't even acknowledge when I have proven her wrong or when I give you a boost by providing a better website to a question of yours for people who don't like Wikipedia.

I know I shouldn't do this here, and I know if I feel badgered by a person I should report them, but I'm not like that. I just want an answer, because I hate feeling bad over a silly thing like Yahoo Answers.

The thing is I do feel bad.

I gave Gwens a bit of a novel I had written as part of my answer in a question she asked in the Spirituality section, since I decided if the only way to gain any respect from you and others like you, I'm going to have to give you personal insight on how I think and what better way to do that than to give you snippets of my writing. A lot of its fantasy novels, but if a section fits a question; it would show you how my mind works.

Answer 6

I think that the fact that the USA is the largest contributer to CO2 emmissions is a top story. The US government needs to show some leadership in addressing this global problem...

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTCC/Resources/CO2DecompositionfinalOct2007.pdf?resourceurlname=CO2DecompositionfinalOct2007.pdf

Answer 7

Now that Bush ultimately provide up mendacity, i assume that leaves in elementary terms Mr. Jello between the best leaders of the planet who nevertheless base their critiques on Sasquatch and the Bermuda Triangle. i like the remark approximately Antarctica. greater stuff, direct from a rectum to YOU!!!

Answer 8

My vote is this one:
In October, the Washington Post Staff Writer Juliet Eilperin conceded the obvious, writing that climate skeptics "appear to be expanding rather than shrinking." Many scientists from around the world have dubbed 2007 as the year man-made global warming fears “bites the dust.”

Posted By Marc Morano – [e-mail] – 4:44 PM ET

Washington DC – An abundance of new peer-reviewed studies, analyses, and data error discoveries in the last several months has prompted scientists to declare that fear of catastrophic man-made global warming “bites the dust” and the scientific underpinnings for alarm may be “falling apart.” The latest study to cast doubt on climate fears finds that even a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide would not have the previously predicted dire impacts on global temperatures. This new study is not unique, as a host of recent peer-reviewed studies have cast a chill on global warming fears.

“Anthropogenic (man-made) global warming bites the dust,” declared astronomer Dr. Ian Wilson after reviewing the new study which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Another scientist said the peer-reviewed study overturned “in one fell swoop” the climate fears promoted by the UN and former Vice President Al Gore. The study entitled “Heat Capacity, Time Constant, and Sensitivity of Earth’s Climate System,” was authored by Brookhaven National Lab scientist Stephen Schwartz.

Indeed, 2007 has turned into the "tipping point" for the unsubstantiated fears and gross distortion of science by activists who have committed decades trying to convince the world it faced a man-made climate crisis. Rancourt so eloquently summed up the movement as one featuring "Unverified, remote, and abstract dangers."

Perhaps the biggest shock to the global warming debate was the recent conversion of renowned French geophysicist Dr. Claude Allegre from a believer in dangerous man-made warming fears to a skeptic. Allegre has authored more than 100 scientific articles and written 11 books and received numerous scientific awards including the Goldschmidt Medal from the Geochemical Society of the United States. He now believes the global warming hysteria is motivated by money. "The ecology of helpless protesting has become a very lucrative business for some people!" he explained.

Answer 9

Thanks for the link Dana- it led me on to several other good sites.

That paper referred to in the 1st of her top 10 is definitely my favorite of the lot there, and probably one of the best I have seen this year. Most that I find have been around for a while, thats one of the newest certainly.

I look forward to using it in debates in the new year

Answer 10

The theme of that blog is everything is far worse and much more certain than those luke warmists at the IPCC are making out.

It's written by the faithful for the faithful to help them feel better about their beliefs. It's perfect for you Dana.