Article

2006-11-22 Science & Technology

Methane levels no longer rising, say scientists

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Posted by .com 2006-11-22 02:25|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Amazing what one midterm election can accomplish.

Posted by ed 2006-11-22 02:32|| 2006-11-22 02:32|| Front Page Top

#2 Lol, ed - deadly!

Posted by .com 2006-11-22 02:49|| 2006-11-22 02:49|| Front Page Top

#3 Paleoclimatologist William Ruddiman has argued (e.g., Scientific American, March 2005) that human influence on the global climate began around 8,000 years ago with the start of forest clearing to provide land for agriculture and 5,000 years ago with the start of Asian rice irrigation. He contends that forest clearing explains the rise in carbon dioxide levels in the current interglacial that started 8,000 years ago, contrasting with the decline in carbon dioxide levels seen in the previous three interglacials. He further contends that the spread of rice irrigation explains the breakdown in the last 5,000 years of the correlation between the Northern Hemisphere solar radiation and global methane levels, which has been maintained over at least the last 11 22,000-year cycles. Ruddiman argues that without these effects, the Earth would be nearly 2 °C cooler and "well on the way" to a new ice age. Wikipedia

I've read elsewhere that the amount of land used for rice cultivation in China has declined sharply, with more intensive cultivation techniques producing higher yields.

Posted by phil_b 2006-11-22 03:20|| 2006-11-22 03:20|| Front Page Top

#4 I've been doing my bit, under pressure from my family. Hasn't been easy, but glad it is paying off.

You're welcome, world.

Posted by Carl in N.H. 2006-11-22 07:29|| 2006-11-22 07:29|| Front Page Top

#5 And people said my diet would have no effect!

Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford 2006-11-22 07:35|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2006-11-22 07:35|| Front Page Top

#6 A lot of work has been done on natural gas pipelines and mines over the past decade; not just in the US but overseas also (mostly because methane leaks are safety hazards).

IMO, In 2001, President Bush should have said that the US is working on a methane control strategy first (before the CO2 strategy).

It would have confused the enviros and allowed some 'changing the conversation'.

Blown opportunity.

Posted by mhw 2006-11-22 08:13|| http://hypocrisy-incorporated.blogspot.com/]">[http://hypocrisy-incorporated.blogspot.com/] 2006-11-22 08:13|| Front Page Top

#7 We're producing and burning lots of methane so it can't get loose and cause global warming. (Of course when we burn it we end up with CO2, but 1) the plants love it, and 2) it is a much weaker greenhouse gas. Yay, big oil companies.)

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2006-11-22 08:17|| 2006-11-22 08:17|| Front Page Top

#8 BURP!

Oh, shit!

Posted by Chuck Simmins">Chuck Simmins 2006-11-22 08:49|| http://northshorejournal.org]">[http://northshorejournal.org] 2006-11-22 08:49|| Front Page Top

#9 It would have confused the enviros and allowed some 'changing the conversation'

It's like the MaryAnn or Ginger Question.

Cat or Greenie?
Cat or Greenie?
Cat or Greenie?

What's more fun to confuse?

Posted by Shipman 2006-11-22 08:52|| 2006-11-22 08:52|| Front Page Top

#10 In possibly related news, chili dogs are 2-for-1 in the O Club today.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-11-22 10:46|| 2006-11-22 10:46|| Front Page Top

#11 Silent Spring, mutually-assured destruction, global cooling, running out of fossil fuel, mountains of garbage, snail darter endangerment, nuclear winter, clearing of rain forests, destruction of wetlands, old forest lumbering, northern spotted owl endangerment, ozone depletion, frog mutations, global warming... Oooohkay, time to move on to the next environmental gloom and doom.

Posted by A. Gore 2006-11-22 11:15|| 2006-11-22 11:15|| Front Page Top

#12 Ship,

Marry Mary-Ann and keep Ginger on the side - problem solved bro'.

Posted by Broadhead6 2006-11-22 11:30|| 2006-11-22 11:30|| Front Page Top

#13 Marry Mary-Ann and keep Ginger on the side - problem solved bro'

"But, that couldn't work! Ginger's got the money!"

John Kerry
-----

"In regards to methane levels no longer rising, that can't possibly be true. I've got a dozen scientists saying that greenhouse emissions are out of control and we're all going to die! Just look at how it's all outlined in my movie!"

Al Gore

Posted by FOTSGreg">FOTSGreg 2006-11-22 12:15|| www.fire-on-the-suns.com]">[www.fire-on-the-suns.com] 2006-11-22 12:15|| Front Page Top

#14 Light a match
Save the planet

Posted by tu3031 2006-11-22 12:38|| 2006-11-22 12:38|| Front Page Top

#15 Well they obviously haven't been to my neck of the woods. I actually chased the dog out of the den the other night... it was a proud moment.

Posted by Rex Mundi 2006-11-22 12:59|| 2006-11-22 12:59|| Front Page Top

#16 JarH, I got a theory that if you marry MA there will be no side dish. It's just a guess.

Posted by Shipman 2006-11-22 13:28|| 2006-11-22 13:28|| Front Page Top

#17 We owe a lot to Beano.

Posted by wxjames 2006-11-22 15:16|| 2006-11-22 15:16|| Front Page Top

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