Blame Global Warming on Nature--Earth Moving Closer to Sun
Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2008
by Danny Davids
We've heard so much about global warming for so long that most people either accept it as fact or ignore it as hype. Well, Al Gore is right. The Earth is indeed growing warmer. His assumption that the cause is due to mankind's polluting the environment is faulty, however. It turns out that the major culprit of the earth's increasing temperature has less to do with man's dirty habits and much, much more to do with gravity and celestial dynamics. The bottom line is this: The Earth is closer to the Sun than it has been in years. Changes in Earth's position and orbit over the next few centuries will cause it to move even closer to the Sun, causing our environment to warm up. In as little as a hundred years, Earth's climate will have changed so drastically that life as we know it may be unable to survive. And mankind may be unable to reverse the process.
Elementary school children are taught that the Moon revolves around the Earth, the Earth revolves around the Sun, and the Sun revolves around the central point of our Milky Way galaxy. Simple enough, yet the gravitational influences each of these systems exerts on the Earth causes tiny fluctuations in our path through the universe. In particular, the Earth's orbit around the Sun changes as a result of these forces.
Scientists have known about something called the "Milankovitch theory" for years. Named after the Yugoslav mathematician who first proposed it, it is the astronomical or orbital theory of climate variations. The theory identifies three types of variation in the Earth's orbit around the Sun which could act as mechanisms to change the global climate: changes in the tilt of the Earth's axis (obliquity), changes in the shape of Earth's orbit (eccentricity) and the shifting of the equinoxes (precession). The three orbital variations together affect the total amount of sunlight received by the Earth, and distribution of that sunlight at different latitudes and at different times. These changes occur over periods of tens of thousands of years, and the climate changes resulting from these orbital changes occur over similar time periods. The Milankovitch theory of climate change has been used to explain the global climate of the last two million years, with changes between warmer interglacial periods and colder Ice Ages occurring over a 100,000 year cycle, as well as predict upcoming trends in climate change.
Obliquity is the tilt of the Earth's axis as compared to the plane in which the Earth revolves around the sun. Currently the Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees. That value can vary between 21 and 25 degrees in a cycle that takes about 40,000 years to complete. Eccentricity is the shape of the Earth's orbit around the sun. It can vary from nearly circular to more elliptical, or oval-shaped, in a 100,000-year cycle. Over the past few centuries Earth's orbit has become more elliptical, which means we approach the sun more closely than we do when the orbit is more circular. Precession is the tendency for the Earth's axis to "wobble" as it spins, much like a top does. One "wobble" takes 23,000 years to complete and affects when seasons occur on Earth.
The combination of all three cycles at this point in time means that the Earth's orbit is closer to the Sun than at other times in the past. As a result the Earth is receiving as much as 30 percent more sunlight than it has in the past several hundred years. More sunlight means more heat, which means more warming, which means...well, ask Al Gore.
Scientists are divided on the accuracy of the Milankovitch theory, and many vehemently insist that our current warming trend is the result of mankind's mismanagement of the environment rather than natural causes. I can't blame them. After all, if global warming is man's fault, then man can make changes to reverse the effects of his mistakes. However, if it's all due to nature, there may be nothing we can do except sit back and turn up our air conditioners. That doesn't go over well, especially when you tell the masses that the end of the world is near and there's nothing we can do to stop it. Watch any end-of-the-earth science fiction movie and see how the masses react when told the planet will be destroyed in just a few days.
Before you panic, realize that the Earth is not in danger of falling into the Sun and burning up. But if you want to know what life could be like for your great-grandkids...well, have you ever seen the movie "Waterworld"?
Scientists have known about something called the "Milankovitch theory" for years. Named after the Yugoslav mathematician who first proposed it, it is the astronomical or orbital theory of climate variations. The theory identifies three types of variation in the Earth's orbit around the Sun which could act as mechanisms to change the global climate: changes in the tilt of the Earth's axis (obliquity), changes in the shape of Earth's orbit (eccentricity) and the shifting of the equinoxes (precession). The three orbital variations together affect the total amount of sunlight received by the Earth, and distribution of that sunlight at different latitudes and at different times. These changes occur over periods of tens of thousands of years, and the climate changes resulting from these orbital changes occur over similar time periods. The Milankovitch theory of climate change has been used to explain the global climate of the last two million years, with changes between warmer interglacial periods and colder Ice Ages occurring over a 100,000 year cycle, as well as predict upcoming trends in climate change.
Obliquity is the tilt of the Earth's axis as compared to the plane in which the Earth revolves around the sun. Currently the Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees. That value can vary between 21 and 25 degrees in a cycle that takes about 40,000 years to complete. Eccentricity is the shape of the Earth's orbit around the sun. It can vary from nearly circular to more elliptical, or oval-shaped, in a 100,000-year cycle. Over the past few centuries Earth's orbit has become more elliptical, which means we approach the sun more closely than we do when the orbit is more circular. Precession is the tendency for the Earth's axis to "wobble" as it spins, much like a top does. One "wobble" takes 23,000 years to complete and affects when seasons occur on Earth.
The combination of all three cycles at this point in time means that the Earth's orbit is closer to the Sun than at other times in the past. As a result the Earth is receiving as much as 30 percent more sunlight than it has in the past several hundred years. More sunlight means more heat, which means more warming, which means...well, ask Al Gore.
Scientists are divided on the accuracy of the Milankovitch theory, and many vehemently insist that our current warming trend is the result of mankind's mismanagement of the environment rather than natural causes. I can't blame them. After all, if global warming is man's fault, then man can make changes to reverse the effects of his mistakes. However, if it's all due to nature, there may be nothing we can do except sit back and turn up our air conditioners. That doesn't go over well, especially when you tell the masses that the end of the world is near and there's nothing we can do to stop it. Watch any end-of-the-earth science fiction movie and see how the masses react when told the planet will be destroyed in just a few days.
Before you panic, realize that the Earth is not in danger of falling into the Sun and burning up. But if you want to know what life could be like for your great-grandkids...well, have you ever seen the movie "Waterworld"?
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More commentsSince CO2 has nothing to do with Climate Change, that means I'm going to keep driving my SUV and burning gas. I hate the stupid people who want to tax it, they should be shot. If anything gas prices should be cheaper.You are ignorance at it's finest. You read one article saying that CO2 doesn't have anything to do with Climate Change so you run with it, instead of doing some research and having your own opinion. Your a joke. Understand that C02 is a greenhouse gas, and green house gases result in trapping heat into our atmosphere. When we deplete our nature that absorbs C02 and converts it to Oxygen and start burning fossil fuels that create C02 then we obviously have a problem. We may not be the main cause for global warming but to believe we are not accelerating it is complete ignorance.no need to be harsh dbag"Natural changes alone can’t explain the temperature changes we’ve seen. For a computer model to accurately project the future climate, scientists must first ensure that it accurately reproduces observed temperature changes. When the models include only recorded natural climate drivers—such as the sun’s intensity—the models cannot accurately reproduce the observed warming of the past half century. When human-induced climate drivers are also included in the models, then they accurately capture recent temperature increases in the atmosphere and in the oceans. [4][5][6] When all the natural and human-induced climate drivers are compared to one another, the dramatic accumulation of carbon from human sources is by far the largest climate change driver over the past half century."
You think these scientists are stupid? Please. Look, I understand the greed induced fear of losing some money in the business world. But why not just be truthful and say that I don't care if the world dries up tomorrow, I want mine now! You would feel better about yourself instead of reinforcing half truths based on your short sighted economic agenda.despite that FACT that all plant life grows faster and larger in a high carbon dioxide environment.
There are many problems with this theory, i.e. the 100,000-year problem, 400,000-year problem, Stage 5 problem, etc. If the theory is correct, however, and fossil fuels can be disregarded regarding global warming, can they be disregarded as far as the future of our planet is concerned?Our global thirst for oil is not abating, and no real progress is being made to find alternative sources because of complacency, which means that as oil production becomes critical for economic growth, drilling will be justified in every corner of the globe.Eventually, with drilling rigs in every back yard and in every square foot of our oceans, we will destroy what we have now, which is a pretty nice place to live. In time, all the oceans will become nothing more than cesspools, the beaches all abandoned.This is the future of fossil fuels, and only visionaries can see the danger. Most will not care and only live selfishly for the short term. Such is the limited consciousness of humanity. Oil is dirty and brings out the worst . . . greed and arrogance.
"Over the past few centuries Earth's orbit has become more elliptical, which means we approach the sun more closely than we do when the orbit is more circular".The Earth is actually warmer when it orbits in a more circular pattern and colder when the orbit is more elliptical.The question is, is the Earth getting closer to the sun, in general, or is it moving farther away. I don't think you know.As far as what we read about 'global warming' in the newspapers. . I don't believe a word of it. I find it, 'disappointing', you seem to accept the fact as true that the Earth is actually 'warmer' nowadays. At least some of the lies are getting to you, man!No idea if any of it is true. We're being told what we need to be told, for reasons that probably have nothing to do with 'Global Warming'.very well said
Current data show that the global temperature is rising despite the fact that the Milankovitch theory would predict cooling... If you take the time to read this article please take the time to read the wikipedia on the Milankovitch theory. Three are many many holes in this theory and it by no means negates the empirical data that we have at hand. Yes, climate is a complicated system with many factors contributing. But, many theories that correlate orbit with surface temp actually predict cooling, while we are experiencing heating. Corellation is not causation, but this theory certainly does not disprove global warming caused by carbon emmissions any more than rising surface temps proves it.earth has been cooling last ten years nob
Stick to computers bro...
This article was not helpful at all due to it's biased opinion. There are two causes to global warming, one is natural and the other is man made. To go out on a limb and totally ignore the impact we are having on our environment by extracting the methane gas and carbon dioxide that would have remained deep in our Earth otherwise I think is very ignorant.
Scientists can not prove one theory over the other if global warming is in fact due to natural causes or by human induced events. Our climate is far to complex, all we can do is try to come to a consensus. Since the 1850's we have found high traces of CO2 in our atmosphere trapped in our glaciers and tree rings to help depict our temperatures from what they were prior and to what they are now. All evidence has shown that our CO2 levels are abnormally high, and since CO2 is a greenhouse gas and since we are depleting our forests at an alarming rate so it can no longer absorb the gas and turn it to Oxygen, we are seeing a rise of temperature in our atmosphere.
Is this the direct cause or not who's to say, all I know is that we are burning fossil fuels for no reason other than to keep our super power oil companies in charge. Start looking to the sun instead of the ground for energy, it's way too late to be pessimistic about this. We still have 50% of our forests, thousands of lakes, rivers and species, now all we got to do is have a willingness to change. Let's not separate ourselves from nature because that is the reason we are all here today.
It is natural for man to build a fire to keep warm, therefor, global warming is a natural phenomenon, just as all things are. Can we change human nature or behavior on a large scale and in the long run? I think that has been proven impossible. It is also natural for us to chase our tails. We are not a smart as we think we are.
I used this article to help me on a report, and i found it extremely helpful. i agree with many of the other comments referring to Al Gore, and must point out that while he points the blame at everyone else, he (hypocritically) lives in a big fancy nonecofriendly house, drives a big fancy nonecofriendly car, and leaves out important information having to do with nature's side in things. although i do agree that human contribution has a notable affect, knowing nature's inevitable affect is necessary to try to prevent our own extinction. though some politicians may not give much thought to global warming, if it is pushed by the public they will have no choice but to open their eyes to this growing problem. i don't mean to bash anybody, but this is a serious issue. and this is coming from an 8th grader.You are very articulate for such a young age, and you make a very valid point.
Can't help but wonder if anyone noticed the date at the top of this article?
This article was very useful to an essay that I am writing on whether MIlankovichs's theories prove that global warming is a natural phenomenon. My personal opinion is that while we are not exactly helping with our CO2 emissions, I think that it is not all our fault. Like the MIlankovich theories point out, our climate has been fluctuating between hot and cold regularly since the last ice age, and we are predicted to be entering a new warm period. Also Milankovich's theory that we are heading for an Ice age proves this further. I strongly agree with all the environmental groups that are trying to stop global warming, but it is not something that we can stop because it is partly natural. I also admire funny monkeys comment, because after all we are only human, we may never find the truth.
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