the answer, my friend...
November 18, 2014 3:30 AM Subscribe
You can clearly see that not only is the CO2 mostly in the northern hemisphere, where most of the people are, but it comes from the areas that burn the most coal. China and the Midwest/East coast of the U.S. are solid red during the colder months.
Likely to be defunded indeed.
posted by double block and bleed at 9:03 AM on November 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
Likely to be defunded indeed.
posted by double block and bleed at 9:03 AM on November 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
Wow that is incredible, beautiful, and frightening.
posted by aubilenon at 9:03 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by aubilenon at 9:03 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm a sucker for cool visualizations and Holy Crap, that was devestatingly awesome.
Also, I think 'hahahawearefucked' should be a tag.
posted by eclectist at 9:03 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also, I think 'hahahawearefucked' should be a tag.
posted by eclectist at 9:03 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's really interesting to see how much more CO2 is pooled around the Arctic versus the Antarctic. I wonder how much that helps explain the difference in ice melt.
posted by ransom_k_fern at 9:03 AM on November 18, 2014
posted by ransom_k_fern at 9:03 AM on November 18, 2014
I was thinking the same thing. A few Australian friends are always on about how the Antarctic ice is increasing (which isn't quite right) but it would explain the dramatic difference.
I've been thinking about co2 a lot because of an unusual affect in my house. I get high co2 levels when the house is closed up, cause seems to be just a lot of living things in here. One of the positive side effect is that some marine algae cultures I grow go gangbusters. But because of the negative health effects, I've been working on mitigating the co2 levels and the algae still grows, just much slower. Which has me thinking about the greater effects on the ocean; the algae I grow is the base of the food chain in the ocean. Co2 levels rising are bound to have an impact on algae growth, which will have an impact on zooplankton and further up the food chain. Except, we're over harvesting the large predators at the top of the food chain. There is a lot of evidence that small fish numbers are becoming increasingly abundant, and it's starting to look more and more like it's due to a lake of predators. A few years back, Australia observed scores of planktonic seahorses that we never seen before. They were thought to possibly be a new species- but later it was discovered they were a common species that never settled. One theory was that for whatever reason: lack of predators, abundance of food or some other unknown factor, large numbers were surviving and remaining adrift aboard seaweed rafts rather than settling to sea grass beds.
(This article covers some early information. The complete findings including correct identification doesn't appear to be online but can be found in this book.)
I don't know what it means, I just find the possible ramifications amazing to ponder.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 10:42 AM on November 18, 2014
I've been thinking about co2 a lot because of an unusual affect in my house. I get high co2 levels when the house is closed up, cause seems to be just a lot of living things in here. One of the positive side effect is that some marine algae cultures I grow go gangbusters. But because of the negative health effects, I've been working on mitigating the co2 levels and the algae still grows, just much slower. Which has me thinking about the greater effects on the ocean; the algae I grow is the base of the food chain in the ocean. Co2 levels rising are bound to have an impact on algae growth, which will have an impact on zooplankton and further up the food chain. Except, we're over harvesting the large predators at the top of the food chain. There is a lot of evidence that small fish numbers are becoming increasingly abundant, and it's starting to look more and more like it's due to a lake of predators. A few years back, Australia observed scores of planktonic seahorses that we never seen before. They were thought to possibly be a new species- but later it was discovered they were a common species that never settled. One theory was that for whatever reason: lack of predators, abundance of food or some other unknown factor, large numbers were surviving and remaining adrift aboard seaweed rafts rather than settling to sea grass beds.
(This article covers some early information. The complete findings including correct identification doesn't appear to be online but can be found in this book.)
I don't know what it means, I just find the possible ramifications amazing to ponder.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 10:42 AM on November 18, 2014
If start at 0:02 and watch the east side of the Rockies and southward there are HUGE plumes coming from there. That's coal burning?
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:07 AM on November 18, 2014
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:07 AM on November 18, 2014
I just ran through it a couple times and I'm pretty sure that's the oil coast of TX and LA that's generating those plumes.
posted by ocschwar at 11:26 AM on November 18, 2014
posted by ocschwar at 11:26 AM on November 18, 2014
Well that's what I thought as well, but didn't want to assume. I can imagine the fracking in SD has also contributed heavily to this.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:36 AM on November 18, 2014
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:36 AM on November 18, 2014
I just dropped in to announce that Planktonic Seahorses is my new band name.
Watch for our album-length composition, A Lake of Predators, coming soon.
posted by Herodios at 11:49 AM on November 18, 2014 [3 favorites]
Watch for our album-length composition, A Lake of Predators, coming soon.
posted by Herodios at 11:49 AM on November 18, 2014 [3 favorites]
Does someone who understands the climate models enough to answer know whether part of the problem stems from the northern/southern hemisphere imbalance? It is stark and a bit unsettling, and it makes me suspect that climate instability could be driven by differential heat absorption between the hemispheres by redirecting the flow of moisture and wind/weather. Just a hunch, but I'd like to know whether it has any bearing.
posted by Mental Wimp at 10:47 AM on November 19, 2014
posted by Mental Wimp at 10:47 AM on November 19, 2014
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posted by T.D. Strange at 6:22 AM on November 18, 2014 [7 favorites]