OT - Scary Global Warming Stuff on History Channel (Call to Arms for Vets/Boaters)
 

I just saw a couple scary hours of History Channel.
The first hour described millions of years of climate change, then how
mankind has accelerated global warming since the industrial
revolution. It's getting worse at a faster pace as China and India
come on line, and soon the methane released from permafrost decay will
further speed things up. Disaster every damn place you look.
The second hour covered some of the same territory, but focused on
flooding caused by rising sea levels, warming seas causing more
damaging hurricanes than ever, whereby Washington, DC, New York,
Boston and Baltimore are inundated by the sea. I don't know why
Galveston was ignored, but for some reason Havre De Grace, MD was
prominently mentioned.
This episode was called "Mega-Disasters." And our beautiful planet of
waterways was depicted as ending up almost FUBAR.
Anyway, this was all pretty worrying, and I was thinking something
should be done before panic sets in and screws up recreational boating
before I even get a boat.
Boaters are a resourceful lot, and when put to the test usually come
through with the answer.
Having read this group for about a year now, I've got a pretty good
idea of some of the group members' capabilities.
Many engineers, mechanics, writers and businessmen participate here,
and of course we have many vets.
Let's just all pitch in and see what we can come up with.
I was Navy, but I do know what Gung Ho means, even if I would never
say that.
Right. I'll start off.
Some years ago - cold war, maybe early '70's - I read a Popular
Mechanics article about how we could destroy Ruskie naval
capabilities. The plan was simple. Some number of C-130's are filled
with pulverized coal dust. The dust is dropped over the arctic and
antarctic ice sheets. As the blackened ice ABSORBS the sun's energy,
it melts. Sea levels rise, and the Ruskie naval ports become useless.
Okay, that's one side of the issue - the wrong side for now, since the
ice is already melting, and the Ruskies aren't a threat..
Where I need your help is to come up with something to drop from the
C-130's that will REFLECT the sun's energy. This will halt the
warming, and get the ice freezing up again.
I thought of a few things that might work, like Johnson & Johnson baby
powder, Christmas tree foil, etc., and looked in my tackle box - which
has a lot of reflective lures - for ideas on materials, but really
couldn't come up with anything with which I was confident.
I admit I'm not an engineer, but I can caulk.
Coal dust is cheap and works. In its own dark way it's "green" too,
being naturally occurring. Try to find its counterpart.
Now, listen up.
You guys come up with the reflective material, get all the logistics
worked out with SAC, and launch operation "Freeze."
You can rename the mission if you want. Don't worry about my
feelings. Knock it around with the team.
In the meantime, I'm going to be on eBay looking for somebody selling
old Popular Mechanics magazines to find that article about the coal
dust mission, because I can't remember the details.
So that means I'm commanding operation "Melt."
Anybody got a problem with that? Good.
I figure I'll find the article in time to stop the Ice Age you've
started with operation "Freeze" before the glaciers reach Chicago.
Then we join forces and start tweaking the missions.
Let's just hope I don't get outbid by some lowlife sniper on eBay.
I hate it when that happens, and this is a bad time for that.
I don't need to say anything else. You know what this means.
To America. To the World. To Boating.
Men, let's do it!

--Vic

OT - Scary Global Warming Stuff on History Channel (Call to Arms for Vets/Boaters)
 

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:17:17 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

You know what this means.

Yeah - it's bull****.

OT - Scary Global Warming Stuff on History Channel (Call to Arms for Vets/Boaters)
 

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...

I just saw a couple scary hours of History Channel.


Hi Vic.

I also watched the program on the History Channel.

Are you familiar with the concept and operation of proportional controllers?

My concern with your plan is this:

The earth's environmental system is a very delicate balance but has a lot of
inertia. If man-made CO2 emissions resulting from the Industrial Revolution
is, indeed, responsible for a global warming crisis, it still has taken
about a 100 years to become evident.

Introducing an immediate, significant and high impact man-made influence
would, IMO, be like making a major change on one of the tuning parameters of
a 3-term proportional controller. The result would most likely be throwing
the whole environmental balance into wide and wild oscillations that could
quickly become uncontrollable.

The issue needs to be addressed carefully, thoughtfully and with patience.
When mankind messes with Mother Nature, he usually loses.

Eisboch

OT - Scary Global Warming Stuff on History Channel (Call to Arms for Vets/Boaters)
 

On Nov 12, 7:40 am, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:17:17 -0600, Vic Smith

wrote:
You know what this means.

Yeah - it's bull****.

I notice your head is still firmly planted in the sand!

OT - Scary Global Warming Stuff on History Channel (Call to Arms for Vets/Boaters)
 

wrote in message
ps.com...
On Nov 12, 7:40 am, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:17:17 -0600, Vic Smith

wrote:
You know what this means.

Yeah - it's bull****.

I notice your head is still firmly planted in the sand!


More food for thought .... here's what the founder of "The Weather Channel"
has to say about global warming:

http://icecap.us/index.php/go/joes-b...lobal_warming/

Eisboch

OT - Scary Global Warming Stuff on History Channel (Call to Arms for Vets/Boaters)
 

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:01:29 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Vic Smith" wrote in message
.. .

I just saw a couple scary hours of History Channel.


Hi Vic.

I also watched the program on the History Channel.

Are you familiar with the concept and operation of proportional controllers?

My concern with your plan is this:

The earth's environmental system is a very delicate balance but has a lot of
inertia. If man-made CO2 emissions resulting from the Industrial Revolution
is, indeed, responsible for a global warming crisis, it still has taken
about a 100 years to become evident.

Introducing an immediate, significant and high impact man-made influence
would, IMO, be like making a major change on one of the tuning parameters of
a 3-term proportional controller. The result would most likely be throwing
the whole environmental balance into wide and wild oscillations that could
quickly become uncontrollable.

Yes, I have experienced such oscillations in controlling a Cessna
flying into Midway Airport in Chicago when crosswinds were strong.
I usually crashed, and had to restart MS Flight Simulator.
I was using a basic Logitech controller, however.
Your concerns are valid, and I wouldn't try what I've proposed without
first consulting with Mr Gore and his scientific team.

The issue needs to be addressed carefully, thoughtfully and with patience.
When mankind messes with Mother Nature, he usually loses.

You're quite right. of course. I do think you may have underestimated
the real problem, which is not getting sniped on eBay.
Be that as it may, I shall proceed in all my endeavors with the utmost
caution.
Thank you for your concern.

Respectfully,

--Vic

OT - Scary Global Warming Stuff on History Channel (Call to Armsfor Vets/Boaters)
 

Eisboch wrote:
wrote in message
ps.com...
On Nov 12, 7:40 am, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:17:17 -0600, Vic Smith

wrote:
You know what this means.
Yeah - it's bull****.
I notice your head is still firmly planted in the sand!


More food for thought .... here's what the founder of "The Weather Channel"
has to say about global warming:

http://icecap.us/index.php/go/joes-b...lobal_warming/

Eisboch




The "founder" of the weather channel, I believe, has absolutely no
university credentials in weather science.

OT - Scary Global Warming Stuff on History Channel (Call to Arms for Vets/Boaters)
 

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:01:29 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


I also watched the program on the History Channel.


Be that as it may, I shall proceed in all my endeavors with the utmost
caution.
Thank you for your concern.

Respectfully,

--Vic

Anchor's aweigh.

Eisboch

OT - Scary Global Warming Stuff on History Channel (Call to Armsfor Vets/Boaters)
 

HK wrote:
Eisboch wrote:
wrote in message
ps.com...
On Nov 12, 7:40 am, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:17:17 -0600, Vic Smith

wrote:
You know what this means.
Yeah - it's bull****.
I notice your head is still firmly planted in the sand!


More food for thought .... here's what the founder of "The Weather
Channel" has to say about global warming:

http://icecap.us/index.php/go/joes-b...lobal_warming/

Eisboch



The "founder" of the weather channel, I believe, has absolutely no
university credentials in weather science.

Why does that matter? People become experts in fields through study and
experience outside of educational institutions every day.

The most important record we have is the geologic record. And, that
record shows a cycle of heating and cooling without the benefit of human
caused CO2. We are on an upward swing with the global temperature and we
have man tens of thousands of years before we reach the peak which will
be followed be a steep decline in global temperature.

When making observations of the Earth's temperature you have to look at
the other planets and determine if their temperature is constant,
falling or rising. Without these observations you cannot ascribe the sum
of the Earth's warming to humans alone.

OT - Scary Global Warming Stuff on History Channel (Call to Armsfor Vets/Boaters)
 

BAR wrote:
HK wrote:
Eisboch wrote:
wrote in message
ps.com...
On Nov 12, 7:40 am, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:17:17 -0600, Vic Smith

wrote:
You know what this means.
Yeah - it's bull****.
I notice your head is still firmly planted in the sand!


More food for thought .... here's what the founder of "The Weather
Channel" has to say about global warming:

http://icecap.us/index.php/go/joes-b...lobal_warming/

Eisboch



The "founder" of the weather channel, I believe, has absolutely no
university credentials in weather science.

Why does that matter? People become experts in fields through study and
experience outside of educational institutions every day.


It matters.