Comments on: Watching the Snow: monitoring Oregon’s water supply

By: Kathaleen Secundo

Kathaleen Secundo — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:30:24 +0000

Natural Gas – A Tool to Help the Transition to Alternative Energy?

By: Kara Hitchko

Kara Hitchko — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:39:11 +0000

I’d like to point out the by the very nature of the word (semantically speaking) a theory is a principle based on a set of facts. Theories are well supported by scientific literature and by data. I am quite relieved that policies are influenced by theories.

To say that there is no data in support of global climate change is completely incorrect. There is a great deal of modeling going on, but this should give us all a clue that there is also a great deal of data. Models after all, require the input of real data. Though we can’t be certain how exactly our climate will change, by how many degrees, etc. there is no question the climate is changing. (Global warming is not an appropriate term technically speaking.) There is ample data to support this from ice cores to stratospheric cooling.

The world of modeling is hazy compared to the reality of the natural world but it can still provide us with valuable information. Policies have to be made and they should be influenced by the best available science. When we are talking about the future, the best available science comes from models.

Joseph, your reference to Galileo is ironic. I’m quite certain he would be supporting global climate change. Though I do agree, it is important to hear dissent. It is also important to be aware of your sources, and their sources of funding.

By: Joseph Hayse

Joseph Hayse — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:34:17 +0000

I apologize for my second comment as it was far to premature for the system. I’m sure that as your researchers are working quite hard on climate change the reality of it is, there can’t be a climatologist that is unbiased. There must be something to report in order for them to get continual funding from grants etc. Thus why most of the “climate change” is either fabricated or in a fancier way of saying made up “modeled”. Also note that the IPCC is a governmental panel thus compiled mostly of representatives not scientists. The scientists who disagreed with the “climate change” movement previously named the “global warming movement” were banned from the IPCC and such as called deniers etc. Its just frustrating to see that any vocal dissent in what is popular is sought to be eradicated or silenced. This is not science as it was meant to be, if this was the case then we would still have an Earth centered galaxy (a Galileo reference). Thank you Dave however for responding to my posts and keeping a discussion going. I again apologize for my second comment which was a mistake when I had seen my post but then refreshed the page and it disappeared.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:14:18 +0000

Hi Joseph, not censoring, just slow in moderating comments. It sometimes takes up to a day for us to approve them. We encourage healthy dialog that is relevant to the topic.

As for the subject of climate change, OSU has long been a leader in this field of research, especially in our College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. In fact, one of the first global circulation models was created at OSU some 30 years ago, laying the foundation for modern climate change studies that dominate science today.

Our new Oregon Climate Change Research Institute is directed by Philip Mote, nationally recognized climate researcher and a lead author for one of three major reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Our scientists also study low-oxygen areas or “dead zones” off the Northwest coast. The central Oregon coast may become a “canary in the coal mine” in providing an early warning system on how the ocean will respond to climate change.

Travis Roth and John Selker are adding a new layer of understanding to the impact that climate change has on our water resources and the people who depend on them.

By: Joseph Hayse

Joseph Hayse — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:44:14 +0000

I am very critical of changes in policy based upon theorys that have no proof and mostly propganda such as climate change. When no temperature increases of our atmosphere have actually been measured but only modeled, this is a large problem. Funding programs to research if climate change is actually hapening with the notion that it might not be is vitally important. Innocent until proven guilty type of deal only with science.

By: Nick van de Giesen

Nick van de Giesen — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:23:34 +0000

Thank you, Travis, for the clear introduction to both the complicated issue of local impact of climate change, and the rather complex technology you are using.