May 26, 2001

12:34 AM

Is it just me, or has this been the slowest-moving weather front you've ever seen come across North America? We're having crazy storms over here. Are we drastically changing our climate? How many people will increase their chance of getting skin cancer this weekend? By how much? Will you please put on some sunscreen?
posted by sudama (14 comments total)

The climate is always changing. Cockroaches fart out more greenhouse gas in a year then we have EVER put out through industrial means. We are on the ass end of an ice age, thinking the earth/environment is naturally static is pretty ignorant. However producing plastics and burning fossil fuel isn't very enlightened either.
posted by car00003 at 1:22 AM on May 26, 2001

I’d absolutetly love to read the anthropoda as nitrous oxide catalyst study you’re proposing. Otherwise, thinking carbon-based life creates anthropogenic gas is “pretty ignorant”.
posted by capt.crackpipe at 1:45 AM on May 26, 2001

Well, that confirms my suspicions. Somebody has stopped the weather from moving around the planet.

I'm sitting here in Paris looking at the haziest sky I've ever seen in this town--we have not seen rain in over a week.
posted by Dick Paris at 5:38 AM on May 26, 2001

Thank you, capt.

Car: Asking "Are we drastically changing our climate" is hardly the same as "thinking the earth/environment is naturally static".

Please don't talk bullshit unless you can at least provide a bogus link.
posted by jpoulos at 8:34 AM on May 26, 2001

You mean it's not supposed to rain *every* day, day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day?
posted by rodii at 8:44 AM on May 26, 2001

10 straight days of scattered showers here in Cincy, kinda cold too.
posted by Mick at 8:54 AM on May 26, 2001

I went looking for some sort of anthropod/N20 link, but the one or two that held promise were dead links.

(here is the link and description, if it ever works.)
*****
Nitrous Oxides Emissions
URL: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/gg97rpt/chap4.html
In contrast to carbon dioxide and methane, nitrous oxide is released in small quantities from anthropogenic sources; however, nitrous oxide's 100-year global warming potential (GWP) of 310 makes it...
*****

One thing is for sure, the cockroach will probably not be a target market for sunblock manufacturers and will outlast us all.
posted by perogi at 9:27 AM on May 26, 2001

Your so right Jpaulos, and YOU KNOW exactly how the earth is supposed to evolve, so we should all listen to you. And yes capt, most animals do produce greenhouse gases. Other than the obvious "carbon dioxide", which can be processed by plants, there is Methane and few other not quite as friendly ones. This idea that we are all powerful creatures destroying the earth with our machines is true but not nearly to the extent that is claimed. And why should I provide a link to basic high school biology? Maybe you should try to develop some simple critical thinking skills. As for the environment, if we are doing any real damage it isn't being done by industrial means, its agricultural hands down. This will be my last post, I am truly growing tired of ignorant people programmed by their TV's.

But it must be true, I saw it on TV!
posted by car00003 at 2:49 PM on May 26, 2001

"You mean it's not supposed to rain *every* day, day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day?"

Hey! I used to live in Vancouver, too. :)

sunscreen? While I always appreciate the reminder, it is pouring rain here in Chicago. There is no sun in Second City.
posted by kristin at 3:09 PM on May 26, 2001

Perogi, you’re not going to find any information anywhere linking animals with artificial gases. But as I said above, I would love to read that study.

Most “Greenhouse Gases” do occur naturally and therefore can’t be regulated. Gases released via anthropogenic means have grown as a percentage of PPM in air samples and have been shown to cause health problems as well as being linked (with some debate) to global warming. So of course the man-made gases are what advocates want regulated.

...

Car, seeing as how you’re somewhat new to MetaFilter, I’ll give you a piece of advice. If you want to be aggressive on a topic, that’s fine. I should say something about honey and vinegar here, but I’ll let it pass. However, if you continue calling people who disagree with you “ignorant” and that we “should try to develop some simple critical thinking skills” without lending even the tiniest credibility to your arguements posters here might think of you as a demagogue. Even worse, you might be labelled a troll and get booted.

I’d like you to stay, as I want to hear pro- and con- arguements on aspects of modern life, but only if everyone is willing to do so in a deliberate manner.

Take that for what its worth. I’ve been programmed by my teevee to say it.
posted by capt.crackpipe at 3:41 PM on May 26, 2001

how did I ever miss that 8 ball link in the quickies on slashdot?
posted by machaus at 7:06 PM on May 26, 2001

Is this the slowest moving weather front ever? Probably not.

Here's what's going on. The jet stream is currently diving south at about the Dakotas, all the way to Tennessee, and then rising up the Atlantic seaboard. Storms in North America usually follow the jet stream path. However, when the jet stream dove last week, it left a low pressure system behind. This low pressure system is "stuck" because the jet stream is "holding" it in place. Thus, it spins over the same area, spawning thunderstorms and showers (even tornadoes like the one I heard yesterday (southern Michigan)). (See the jet stream graphic here, and the current surface weather here (while they last).)

Weather has nothing to do with climate. Climate is the pattern of weather over a relatively long period of time (read: decades). Today's weather, or yesterday's weather, or last week's weather says exactly nothing about climate. Law of small numbers, baby!
posted by iceberg273 at 6:39 AM on May 27, 2001

You're no fun.
posted by rodii at 4:34 PM on May 27, 2001

You're no fun.

Yeah. I get that a lot. :)
posted by iceberg273 at 11:59 AM on May 28, 2001