Listen live now on C-Span (capitol hearings.org)to Michael Mann on Striped Bass in Chesapeak Bay
They say those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it, right?
I never was much of a one for science. So I am no expert, but the times rather demand it. So when the Waxman hearings confirmed the worst rumours that this administration has indeed been censoring scientific findings in climate science, I thought it would be interesting to get the perspective of real climate scientistson the IPPC Report Friday.
If we are all gradually coming to the boil in the pot, then the scientists are the ones counting the bubbles... indeed:
One scientist at realclimate posted a note to the effect that we are committing the worst fratricide since the ancient cyanobacteria 3.8 billion years ago created a completely new atmosphere: one containing a brand new poisonous pollution - oxygen, completely switching earths entire "air" supply.
If bacteria could do this, could we?
Could we be doomed to repeat this history?
The atmosphere was very different from what we breathe today; at that time, it was likely a reducing atmosphere of methane, ammonia, and other gases which would be toxic to most life on our planet today. Also during this time, the Earth's crust cooled enough that rocks and continental plates began to form.
It was early in the Archaean that life first appeared on Earth. Our oldest fossils date to roughly 3.5 billion years ago, and consist of bacteria microfossils. In fact, all life during the more than one billion years of the Archaean was bacterial.
The oxygen atmosphere that we depend on was generated by numerous cyanobacteria photosynthesizing during the Archaean and Proterozoic Era. Before that time, the atmosphere had a very different chemistry, unsuitable for life as we know it today.
The oxygen atmosphere that we depend on was generated by numerous cyanobacteria during the Archaean and Proterozoic Eras. Before that time, the atmosphere had a very different chemistry, unsuitable for life as we know it today.
I won't be downstairs replying sorry, gotta work while I listen to this: just this newsflash.