Solar Activity Weakest In A Century
Weakest Solar Max In Over 200 Years
The sun's current
space-weather cycle is the most anemic in 100 years, scientists say. "None
of us alive have ever seen such a weak cycle. So we will learn something,"
Leif Svalgaard of Stanford University told reporters here today (Dec. 11) at
the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. --Mike Wall, Space.com 11 December 2013
We may be witnessing the sun’s last dying gasps before entering into a long
slumber. The impact of that slumber on Earth’s climate remains the subject of
growing scientific speculation. The latest solar data from this month
reinforces the belief that our sun is headed into a long-term period of low
solar activity. As time goes on a link between decreasing solar activity and
the halt in global warming 17 years ago becomes harder and harder to deny. --Inform the Pundits, 14 December 2013
Data from Europe's Cryosat spacecraft suggests there were almost 9,000 cu km of
ice at the end of this year's melt season. This is close to 50% more than in
the corresponding period in 2012. It is a rare piece of good news for a region
that has witnessed a rapid decline in both area cover and thickness in recent
years. --Jonathan Amos, BBC News, 16 December 2013
The year 1981 was a big one in my business life. It was the year Paul Allen and
I incorporated Microsoft in our home state of Washington. As it turns out, 1981
also had big implications for my current work in health, development, and the
environment. The Bet was a stark reminder to me of how apocalyptic a big
part of the environmental movement has been. It’s a shame that extreme views
get more attention and more of a following than nuanced views. I wish there
more people who took the middle ground and who were as prominent as Simon or
Ehrlich. So here’s my question to you: What’s the best way to encourage
scholars to combine the best insights from multiple disciplines? How can we
elevate the status of scientists and spokespeople who refuse the lure of
extremism and absolutism? --Bill Gates, The Gates Notes, 12 December 2013
I oppose the hysterical and apocalyptic tone that the
debate seems to sometimes take on. This is bad for climate policy, and bad for
society as a whole. Perhaps it is now time to add an element of calm and to
restore a sense of reason, because a calm and balanced assessment of the entire
situation seems to have been lacking in recent years. –Benny Peiser, Pan European Networks, December 2013
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