Comments on: De-Icer: USGS report details “recent dramatic shrinkage” in U.S. glaciers, matching global decline

By: Chris Winter

Chris Winter — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:13:25 +0000

Thanks, Gail. You read my comment correctly. I think Mr. Steckis was reacting to the frequent criticism of anecdotal weather reports like “It was only 48° here last week; we sure could use some of that global warming.”

By: Chris Winter

Chris Winter — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:07:26 +0000

Richard Steckis wrote: “Rubbish. A person who visits a place for a day or a week is not a credible authority on the climate dynamics surrounding that area.”

Unless he already was a credible authority on the climate dynamics surrounding that area. But I was not trying to paint physicist and mountain climber Mark Bowen as an authority on climate by virtue of his first-person reporting on Lonnie Thompson’s research — only as an authority on what Lonnie Thompson is doing. (Bowen spent much more than a week at this, by the way.) What Thompson is doing is some pretty remarkable stuff, in my opinion, even just from an adventure standpoint. Bowen’s book conveys this very well; you should read it.

That said, I think a case can be made that Bowen does know enough about climate dynamics to be worth listening to on that subject — just as I would likely have some worthwhile things to say about astrophysics if I tagged along with Neil DeGrasse Tyson for a while.

By: Gail

Gail — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:00:59 +0000

Richard Steckis, I think you mis-read Chris Winter’s comment. I believe he means that a first-person report is visceral – not that it necessarily in and of itself conveys authority on the observer. Did you read his review before you branded his opinion “rubbish”?

By: Richard Steckis

Richard Steckis — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:44:59 +0000

Chris Winter says:

“There’s nothing like a first-person report”

Rubbish. A person who visits a place for a day or a week is not a credible authority on the climate dynamics surrounding that area.

By: Chris Winter

Chris Winter — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:48:58 +0000

I’ll echo the recommendations for Thin Ice by David Schonberger (#12) and Dan Satterfield (#14). What makes the book so compelling is that Bowen actually climbed with Thompson on Kilimanjaro and Nevado Sajama. There’s nothing like a first-person report. This link goes to my review.

http://www.chris-winter.com/ Erudition/ Reviews/ M_Bowen/ Thin_Ice.html

Also, in addition to potholer54 (mentioned by Dan) — and of course greenman3610 — the YouTube videos by wonderingmind42 are worth a look.

(Apologies if this turns up twice. Apparently adding a link to the “Website” field changes my identity, hence looks like spoofing.)

By: BBHY

BBHY — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:03:50 +0000

But there are hundreds of glaciers around that world that have have stopped melting!

Then again, that’s because they have completely melted away. I’m sure the deniers will still try to cling to that “evidence”.

I guess now even the glaciers, along with Al Gore, are in on the “hoax”.

By: Raleigh Latham

Raleigh Latham — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:36:20 +0000

Well, I suggest everyone start writing your Senator to support H2454 Write now, I’ve already written the Senators for Oregon and California, but hope to also write every ignorant “Blue-Dog” democract who sticks their head in the sand rather than deal with this problem.

By: ecostew

ecostew — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:27:45 +0000

More melting: http://www.bloomberg.com/ apps/ news?pid=20601086&sid=a5uefC1W0_bY

By: Dan Satterfield

Dan Satterfield — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:54:13 +0000

I have to second the recommendation for Thin Ice by Mark Bowen. Lonnie Thompson and his story is a must read. Also if you have not seen the three videos on climate science on you tube by potholer54 (Retired Sci. journalist) They are superb.

If more people saw them before getting sucked into these junk science political propaganda sites, there would be a lot more sane discussion on Climate and the policy to deal with it. I have them on my site (Post before current), but Joe, you should really give them some of your much wider publicity.

Dan

By: K Nockels

K Nockels — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 04:36:00 +0000

I live in North Central Washington State and drive the North Cascades Pass twice a year to see the kids. It use to be the most beautiful drive. Waterfalls and lakes, green forest and bright white glaciers spilling down the Alpine slopes for miles.In the last 12yrs I have seen it change, now if you don’t make it over by early May no waterfalls, the lakes and rivers are low by July(they use to run full year round) and the trees, so sad, there are hugh 2 mile wide swathes that are rust red and dying. The pass opens earlier and closes later now too. We had big snow fall this last winter that should have kept it closed later and the falls and rivers running high till last July but it was not to be. Between the heat waves and little to no rain we are in a forest fire fight for our lives. Each year its a little bit dryer and a little bit hotter and the water is a little lower a little earlier. I really wish we could get our act together and do whats rigt for our children if for nothing else.