To clarify, I support computer modeling and laboratory research, but in a program that is open to full disclosure and peer review, with strong social science and humanities input.
On 9/26/10 11:45 AM, "James R. Fleming" <[email protected]> wrote: > Our ignorance of a subject is a justification for not doing field experiments. > Do what you like behind closed doors. > > > On 9/26/10 10:59 AM, "Stephen Salter" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi All >> >> It is good to have the correct attributions to wise statements but the main >> point of my reply to James was the attempt to get comments and help for small >> experiments which he had said could not be done. It is odd to say that our >> ignorance of a subject is a justification for NOT doing research on it. >> >> Stephen >> >> Emeritus Professor of Engineering Design >> Institute for Energy Systems >> School of Engineering >> Mayfield Road >> University of Edinburgh EH9 3JL >> Scotland >> Tel +44 131 650 5704 >> Mobile 07795 203 195 >> www.see.ed.ac.uk/~shs <http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~shs> >> >> On 25/09/2010 22:17, James R. Fleming wrote: >>> Re: [geo] Fleming in Slate magazine (also others articles) Colleagues: >>> >>> Stephen Salter wrote: Ken has pointed out that we are already carrying out >>> an dangerous planetary test which we do not understand. Lowell says that we >>> started it thousands of years ago. >>> >>> I believe the proper attribution for these ideas are not Caldeira and Wood >>> but a combination of Glbert Plass and Roger Revelle and Hans Suess for the >>> first and William Ruddiman for the second. >>> >>> >>>> "If at the end of this century, measurements show that the carbon dioxide >>>> content of the atmosphere has risen appreciably and at the same time the >>>> temperature has continued to rise throughout the world, it will be firmly >>>> established that carbon dioxide is an important factor in causing climatic >>>> change² -- Gilbert Plass (1956). >>>> >>>> "Human beings are now carrying out a large scale geophysical experiment of >>>> a kind that could not have happened in the past nor be reproduced in the >>>> future. Within a few centuries we are returning to the atmosphere and >>>> oceans the concentrated organic carbon stored in sedimentary rocks over >>>> hundreds of millions of years. This experiment, if adequately documented, >>>> may yield a far-reaching insight into the processes determining weather and >>>> climate² -- REvelle and Suess (1957). >>>> >>>> ³The hypothesis (Ruddiman, 2003 >>>> <http://courses.eas.ualberta.ca/eas457/Ruddiman2003.pdf> >>>> <http://courses.eas.ualberta.ca/eas457/Ruddiman2003.pdf%3E> ) that early >>>> agriculture caused large enough emissions of greenhouse gases millennia ago >>>> to offset a natural climatic cooling remains controversial² -- Ruddiman. >>>> >>> >>> Also, there is no doubt that clouds can be brightened (by ships tracks, >>> etc.), but is this a climate test? Do you know that in 1947 Kathleen Blodget >>> at General Electric told Irving Langmiur that intervening in a cloud was >>> something much different than ³controlling the weather?² Seems to have >>> fallen on Langmuir¹s deaf ears. >>> >>> Jim Fleming -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "geoengineering" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en. >>> >> >> >> The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in >> Scotland, with registration number SC005336. >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en.
