Comments on: When the Effects of Global Warming run Smack Into the Cause of Global Warming

By: Monado

Monado — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:05:12 +0000

As long as we ship oil around the world’s oceans, there will be spills and collisions and sinkings and releases of oil into the environment. It’s only a matter of when and where. The only way to stop it is not to ship oil. Yet each event is spoken of as an unexpected disaster.In addition to accidental spills, ships that run on Diesel oil dump some of it. Farley Mowat spoke of sailing in the Atlantic and finding contaminated from one side to the other by blobs of thick “Bunker C” oil.Is there any way to mitigate them? Shipping lanes through sensitive areas lined by floating booms all the way? Unlikely. Staying away from “sensitive” areas? Not always possible. Generate electricity and ship that? Too much change in the infrastructure. Find renewable resources? We need to get to work on that!

By: Tim Slagle

Tim Slagle — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:57:43 +0000

“if climate conditions have changed as a result of global warming to intensify storms and/or increase their frequency, then we can not afford to refuse to acknowledge the connection.”The trouble is, the sceince is still out on that connection. Even though the IPCC report said that a connection between AGW and storms is “More Likely than Not” they footnooted that remark with: ” Magnitude of anthropogenic contributions not assessed. Attribution for these phenomena based on expert judgement rather than formal attribution studies. “Which means there is no consensus on the link between storms and AGW. To infer there is a link is somewhat disingenuous and Apocalystic. Granted you gave yourself a big out by using the word “If,” but your headline certainly suggests otherwise.

By: Karst

Karst — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:03:09 +0000

The graph of spill events per decade needs fixing. Your table seems to give values of one (60’s), three (70’s), three (80’s), seven (90’s), and seven (so far this decade). And what happened to the y axis labels?

By: Lassi Hippelï¿½inen

Lassi Hippelï¿½inen — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:00:06 +0000

Gallons? Barrels? Are they hat sizes in Texas?The world is metric. There is only one corner of the world that still clings to imperial units, even though it claims to be the oldest republic.

By: kim

kim — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 04:57:05 +0000

Any idea of the ratio of naturally released hydrocarbons to accidently released? Those tar balls on the beach may have arrived there without the intervention of man.=============================

By: Ian Gould

Ian Gould — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 01:22:01 +0000

On the other hand, here in Australia the prolonged drought (which is likely linked to climate change) is forcing some coal-powered power stations to shut down as they run out of water for their turbines.So it’s a partially self-correcting problem.

By: greg laden

greg laden — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:35:45 +0000

Ori,Some of the other cases are also, I think, non-tankers that ran into each other and made a bit mess.I’d like to have another run at the data, updating the table and graphics, etc. I may also convert everything into barrels of oil, as that is the unit that use related stats are expressed in. I suspect the press likes to use gallons partly because it can be claimed that people know what a gallon is (though they don’t) and partly to make the number look larger.

By: OriGuy

OriGuy — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:17:30 +0000

One note, that doesn’t detract from your main point: The ship that crashed into the Bay Bridge was not a tanker, but a container ship traveling from Oakland to China.(The label in your graph does mention that.) The thing about this is that while such ships carry less oil, there are many more of them. Also, while tanker construction has improved in recent years, that may not be the case for cargo ships.

By: greg laden

greg laden — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:32:18 +0000

Rob,What are you, a global warming denier or something?!?But seriously, yes, the link between storm activity and global warming is tricky, but I don’t think it is that tenuous. It is theoretically very well supported. On a planet where weather is all about the movement of heat from tropics to poles, warming the atmosphere is going to have this kind of effect. It would be astounding if it was not true. But it is an area where a lot more work needs to be done.As to my efforts in a particular blog, sorry, I can?t really accommodate. I can?t provide proof or even detailed discussion of everything I refer to in any one piece of writing. I don?t see how I would do that.But, it is an interesting topic that I hope to write about in detail over coming weeks or months!!!!

By: DiscoveredJoys

DiscoveredJoys — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 13:17:31 +0000

I can remember watching the Torrey Canyon story unfold (on black and white television, the world wasn’t in colour then). I particularly remember the aeroplanes carrying out bombing runs to set the oil on fire (it didn’t work).One thing that has changed since then is the improved technology available to collect or disperse the floating oil. Still better not to spill it in the first place of course.