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Hot Sol
September 12th, 2007Global warming is a curious debate. Much of it devolves into numbers, that when stripped of inappropriate mathematical manipulation, show either a minor problem or a non-problem. Lord knows I’ve dug into it enough to be on a first name basis with some antarctic penguins.
What the average person lacks is perspective, so I thought I’d add a tiny bit more in hopes that I can ruin part of Al Gore’s day.
Global temperatures have risen about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 150 years. Worst-case scenarios have it rising another 5.4 degrees in the next century, assuming man-made greenhouse gases continue to accumulate unabated. So, over the entire history and equant future of the industrial revolution, Ma Earth will have a menopausal hot flash of about 11 degrees total.
Now let me escort you to the tiny town of Aguila, Arizona. I choose Agilua for a number of reasons:
* It is in an area of the country where there is sunshine 355+ days a year, which eliminates temperature variations from clouds, rain, and solar eclipses by Michael Moore.
* It has a population of barely more than 1,000 head, making is relatively free from “island of heat” effects cased by man made structures.
According to Weather Channel archives, Aguila has an consistent daily temperature change of 31-33 degrees year round. This consistency, combined with my clear-skies-and-no-heat-island criteria leaves only the sun having a daily contributory effect on temperatures there.
Ah, Sol! Ever walk outside on a sunny day and feel the warmth on your face? Pretty amazing that the sun is so damn hot that it can warm your face from about 93,000,000 miles away, or about 12,000 times as far as the Earth is wide.
And the sun is inconsistent. It grows and shrinks, and has magnificent gas attacks that make the average Washington Windbag look inert by comparison. On a good day the sun has a surface temperature of about 9,940 Fahrenheit … almost as hot as Elizabeth Hurley.
So, what has a more effect on global temperatures: a few billion humans or a ball of fire that raises and lowers surface temperatures 30 degrees every damn day from millions of miles away. A temperature range three times what the average global temp has risen and will rise in the next generation? If you think it is the human, then you are loaded with conceit my friend.











Osama bin Laden is now my favorite stand-up comedian.