Daily Archives: January 14, 2009

Global Warming, the Blog Epic ~ 02 ~ Greenhouse Effect, Greenhouse Gas

January 14, 2009UncategorizedClimate and weather, Climate Change, Earth Science, Environment, Global WarmingGreg Laden

This is the second in a series of reposts from gregladen.com on global warming.

i-e1372cd57ce206dff3631a4a9438e737-epic-GlobalWarming.jpg Why Greenhouses have nothing to do with the Greenhouse Effect, and more importantly, why CAN’T I microwave toast?

A greenhouse is a glass house that is sealed to keep air in and insulated to keep heat in but at the same time allow sunlight in. This sunlight contributes to the heat in the greenhouse by warming the ground or other material in the greenhouse, and of course the light energy is used by the plants. But the point of a greenhouse is to keep air that is warmed, by the sun and/or heaters that may be required in the greenhouse, from wafting away.

This is not how the so-called “greenhouse” effect works. There is no thing out there keeping warm air from wafting away from the planet. The air just stays there, greenhouse effect or not, moving around and doing the weather thing, and looking blue much of the time.
Continue reading Global Warming, the Blog Epic ~ 02 ~ Greenhouse Effect, Greenhouse Gas →

Nazi-Named Rugrats Rescued

January 14, 2009UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, N.J. – Three New Jersey siblings whose names have Nazi connotations have been placed in state custody, police said. The children, ranging in age from 3 to under 1, were removed from their home Friday. They drew attention last month when a supermarket bakery refused to put the name of the oldest — Adolf Hitler Campbell — on a birthday cake.

State workers didn’t tell police why the children were taken, police Sgt. John Harris said.

story

Hat tip: Virgil the Nazi Hunter Samms

The White Coat Underground is Back

January 14, 2009UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

Very cool with his shades on and everything.

Recommended Science Fiction Blogs

January 14, 2009UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

Pursuant to the upcoming conference, Almost Diamonds has posted a list of recommended Science Fiction blogs. There is also a list of recommenced science and tech blogs, science art. Here.

Largest-ever study of US child health begins

January 14, 2009UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

                            <a href="http://www.physorg.com/news151075295.html">Largest-ever study of US child health begins</a>
                            (AP) --  Scientists begin recruiting mothers-to-be in North Carolina and New York this week for the largest study of U.S. children ever performed - aiming eventually to track 100,000 around the country from conception to age 21.

This will be very interesting in about 20 years.

Michele Bachmann vs. Meat Loaf

January 14, 2009UncategorizedMichele Bachmann, PoliticsGreg Laden

With a little Al Sharpton on the side.

Michele Bachmann on the Franken Coleman Recount

January 14, 2009UncategorizedAl Franken, Michele Bachmann, Norm Coleman, Politics, RepublicansGreg Laden

What a moron. A lying moron, if you must know.

I love it: “Fair Judge = Norm Coleman Wins”

What is science?

January 14, 2009UncategorizedUncategorizedGreg Laden

Suddenly we are talking about “what is science” on scienceblogs.com. Well, according to some of our commenters science is a bunch of stuff that many of us science bloggers never talk about! Which to some extent is certainly true. But we are not a textbook! We are blogger-beings!

This discussion is going on in one form or another here and here. I have a small number of bullet points to add.

Continue reading What is science? →

Global Warming, the Blog Epic ~ 01 ~ Introduction

January 14, 2009UncategorizedClimate Change, Environment, Global WarmingGreg Laden

The IPCC report is out, “An Inconvenient Truth” has been honored by the academy, a sea change is happening in the way that climate change news is being reported, and you can bet the Right Wing and the Ree-pubs are as we speak working up new Talking Points and Spins to deflate the urgency of the issue. It is an axiom that in reporting science, there are two (not one, not three or four, just two) sides to every issue, and one side is the plank nailed to the Democratic Party Platform, and the other side is the plank nailed to the Ree-pub Party Platform. This is a truth as stable and reliable as the fact that Home Depot will always sell 2″ X 4″ studs and plywood in 4′ X 8′ foot pieces. We are already seeing the dubious dichotomies forming up. For instance, yes, the Antarctic Ice Sheet is sloughing off the continent, but it is opening new and wonderful opportunities for both shrimp and scientists. Yes, global warming is real and is anthropogenic, but the Average American thinks, according to Polls, that it is only the third or fourth most important issue. And so on.
Continue reading Global Warming, the Blog Epic ~ 01 ~ Introduction →