Comments on: Goodby Sunshine?

Goodby Sunshine?

ahimsakid — Thu, 13 May 2004 12:48:28 -0800

Global Dimming?!? In the second half of the 20th century, the world became, quite literally, a darker place. Defying expectation and easy explanation, hundreds of instruments around the world recorded a drop in sunshine reaching the surface of Earth, as much as 10 percent from the late 1950's to the early 90's, or 2 percent to 3 percent a decade. Has anyone been following this? Heat I might do without for a while, but I've grown very fond of light.

By: troutfishing

troutfishing — Thu, 13 May 2004 13:06:44 -0800

ahimsakid, sorry, but I think this post has been scooped ! Global Dimming (stbalbach, December 13, 2003)

By: Kwantsar

Kwantsar — Thu, 13 May 2004 13:41:11 -0800

You mean the thread that spawned this thread, troutfishing?
Whew.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Thu, 13 May 2004 14:02:23 -0800

well as the article says, "you'll see a lot more people referring to it." Oddly though not much else has come out since December.

By: MzB

MzB — Thu, 13 May 2004 14:23:41 -0800

actually this is one of the "new" fads rediscovered by the newspapers. It seems it started on May 7th with an article by Robert S. Boyd. If it does not get connected to the new movie, it is going to be a wasted opportunity!!

By: MzB

MzB — Thu, 13 May 2004 14:41:10 -0800

This is funny. LexisNexis indicates the last "wave" of interest was last month, in Canada. In Europe it was last seen in December, as the Guardian article shows. Australia briefly pick it up in February, and now in May.

By: rory

rory — Thu, 13 May 2004 14:43:31 -0800

"The first reaction has always been that the effect is much too big, I don't believe it and if it's true then why has nobody reported it before." I think you'll find that old people have been reporting that things were a lot sunnier back in their childhood for years.

By: ahimsakid

ahimsakid — Thu, 13 May 2004 20:24:43 -0800

This old person recalls a sunnier childhood time -- and obviously has trouble doing comprehensive searchs in the archive. Apologies to all for the retread post.

By: troutfishing

troutfishing — Thu, 13 May 2004 20:35:06 -0800

Kwantsar - "spawned" is the right verb for it. y6y6y6 and I have more or less made up since, although I haven't noticed boaz around these parts in a bit. Beware Metatalk, it will devour your soul. It's best just ignored - like many types of itch, it only gets worse if you scratch. stbalbach - oddest thing, I was reading something last month and came across the fact that "Global Dimming" had been noted ( though not proven ) about 3 decades ago. I thought to myself, "that's weird, I should tell stbalbach", and then I went to bed and promptly forgot the whole affair - until now. But, I digress, and I'm sleepy..

By: amberglow

amberglow — Thu, 13 May 2004 20:39:13 -0800

but isn't skin cancer up? how can that be? (is it more diagnosis or recognition?)

By: troutfishing

troutfishing — Thu, 13 May 2004 20:52:27 -0800

ahimsakid - I hardly think anyone was offended. Don't worry about it. For myself, I've had almost as many posts axed as successfully posted. Post more, please. amberglow - I think that 1) The Ozone Layer has declined faster than "Global Dimming' has blocked sunlight, 2) UV is blocked less by haze and pollution (a big factor in "Global Dimming") than is visible spectrum sunlight, 3) Deaths from sun-worship behavior (sunburn), on the part of light-skinned Europeans living in Southern climates, are still peaking. (The dangers of UV have on very recently intruded into popular consciousness), and 4) your recognition/diagnosis factor is very likely too. And, I'm an obnoxious knowitall.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Thu, 13 May 2004 20:57:58 -0800

ahh...thanks trout (and good post, even if it's a double or triple) : >

By: amberglow

amberglow — Thu, 13 May 2004 20:59:59 -0800

good post, ahimsakid : >

By: troutfishing

troutfishing — Thu, 13 May 2004 21:12:26 -0800

amberglow, you're welcome - so, I hope that means you're opting for a fake tan and slathering on the SPF 36 ? You too, ahimsakid. ; }

By: amberglow

amberglow — Thu, 13 May 2004 21:40:46 -0800

i only burn (and already spent my childhood burning), so my damage is done--i use block all the time nowadays, when i'm going to be outside for more than a few minutes (and i've had doctors tell me to watch my freckles already). : < I wouldn't mind a little bit less light in summer, but could use more of it in winter.

By: rory

rory — Fri, 14 May 2004 02:23:04 -0800

ahimsakid, I hope you didn't think I was having a dig at you - just joking about that line in the article. Thanks for the link, interesting/mysterious/somewhat disturbing stuff.

By: ahimsakid

ahimsakid — Fri, 14 May 2004 12:00:45 -0800

rory--not at all. I was just picking up on the thought. I do remember different light conditions half a century ago. . . but I always chalked it up to geography or aging photo-receptors Troutfishing & Amberglow -- thank you for your kind words and, especially, for continuing the verbal fight against the seemingly ever-expanding darkness . . . I look for your stuff first.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Fri, 14 May 2004 13:22:36 -0800

it's funny--as i get older, the light seems to be getting brighter (especially when it's hot out)--maybe my eyes take longer to adjust?

By: FormlessOne

FormlessOne — Sun, 16 May 2004 16:58:45 -0800

I'm looking very forward to my Morlock brethren doing a little "meet, greet, and eat" among the Eloi soon...