date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 14:03:35 +0100
from: Dr David Viner <d.viner@uea.ac.uk>
subject: Information Sheets
to: cru.all@uea.ac.uk

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Hello

I am planning on putting together an Information Sheet for the CRU 
web site, titled Sceptical Questions to Climate Change (or something 
similar). This Information sheet will of course be vetted by the CRU 
board etc.

The answers to the questions would be linked to the other relevant 
CRU Information Sheets.

I have a list of questions here, ( I would want no more than ten in 
total) that are frequently asked by journos and mentioned by people 
of dubious backgrounds. If you could add to these i would be 
grateful, provide answers and diagrams even better. I will then 
compile them all and send them to CRU Board.

A good question to include would be one that we could emphasise the 
whole basis of GHG and radiative forcing, showing that the CO2 vs 
Temp relationship is not just an unlinked correlation but based upon 
physical relationships and laws.

Cheers

D

Q1 - The Earth has been warmer and colder in the past, we have Ice 
ages, the Little Ice Age and the Monks were growing grapes for wine 
in the 11th Century in York?

Q2. Ice cores show that the Earth's climate fluctuates very rapidly 
and quickly in the space of a decade, A fact supported by historical 
evidence that shows that the Vikings colonised Greenland.
Note we could also bring in the myth that climate change will cool NW 
Europe because of the THC.

Q3 The global temperature record is influenced by urban heat islands 
and the individual stations are not reliable?

Q4 Satellite and radiosonde data show that the Atmosphere is cooling, 
satellite data are more accurate measurements of the Earth's surface 
temperature?

Q5 Water vapour is the main greenhouse gas and is not included in 
climate models and the amount of Greenhouse gases emitted by human 
activities is relatively small when compared to the natural emissions?

Q6 Evidence from past records show us that carbon dioxide 
concentrations lag behind increases in temperature, therefore the 
increases in CO2 concentratiuons that we have seen are because 
temperatures are rising because of natural (e.g. Solar) activity?

Q7 The IPCC is not an open process and it is not representative of 
the scientific community? For example the Oregon Petition, which 
stated "there is no convincing scientific evidence that human release 
of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or 
will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the 
Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate. was signed 
by  18 000 climate scientists.

Q8 Climate scientists exagerate their findings so that they can get 
more research funding?
Note: This is a sensible suggestion, Sonia Bohemia-Christiansen 
(formerly of SPRU) used this a s a main argument to discount climate 
change.


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