date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 14:03:35 +0100 from: Dr David Viner subject: Information Sheets to: cru.all@uea.ac.uk Hello I am planning on putting together an Information Sheet for the CRU web site, titled Sceptical Questions to Climate Change (or something similar). This Information sheet will of course be vetted by the CRU board etc. The answers to the questions would be linked to the other relevant CRU Information Sheets. I have a list of questions here, ( I would want no more than ten in total) that are frequently asked by journos and mentioned by people of dubious backgrounds. If you could add to these i would be grateful, provide answers and diagrams even better. I will then compile them all and send them to CRU Board. A good question to include would be one that we could emphasise the whole basis of GHG and radiative forcing, showing that the CO2 vs Temp relationship is not just an unlinked correlation but based upon physical relationships and laws. Cheers D Q1 - The Earth has been warmer and colder in the past, we have Ice ages, the Little Ice Age and the Monks were growing grapes for wine in the 11th Century in York? Q2. Ice cores show that the Earth's climate fluctuates very rapidly and quickly in the space of a decade, A fact supported by historical evidence that shows that the Vikings colonised Greenland. Note we could also bring in the myth that climate change will cool NW Europe because of the THC. Q3 The global temperature record is influenced by urban heat islands and the individual stations are not reliable? Q4 Satellite and radiosonde data show that the Atmosphere is cooling, satellite data are more accurate measurements of the Earth's surface temperature? Q5 Water vapour is the main greenhouse gas and is not included in climate models and the amount of Greenhouse gases emitted by human activities is relatively small when compared to the natural emissions? Q6 Evidence from past records show us that carbon dioxide concentrations lag behind increases in temperature, therefore the increases in CO2 concentratiuons that we have seen are because temperatures are rising because of natural (e.g. Solar) activity? Q7 The IPCC is not an open process and it is not representative of the scientific community? For example the Oregon Petition, which stated "there is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate. was signed by 18 000 climate scientists. Q8 Climate scientists exagerate their findings so that they can get more research funding? Note: This is a sensible suggestion, Sonia Bohemia-Christiansen (formerly of SPRU) used this a s a main argument to discount climate change. -- #-------------------------------------------- # Note: Please DO NOT send me any Microsoft files # as attachments, use .rtf or .pdfs # # Dr. David Viner # Climate Impacts LINK Project # Climatic Research Unit # University of East Anglia # Norwich NR4 7TJ # UK # mailto://d.viner@uea.ac.uk # WWW: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/link # WWW: http://ipcc-ddc.cru.uea.ac.uk # WWW: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/tourism # Tel: +44 (0)1603 592089 # Fax: +44 (0)1603 507784 #---------------------------------------------