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I realize that I will sound like a conspiracy nitwit, but...
It was mothballed because our corporate... ummm... sponsors determined that it was not in their best interests for this to carry on. The Texas Ninnie was only doing as he was told. As usual, follow the money.
Would being able to see the CURRENT rate of reflection across the planet really be all that useful? We would be able to see beginning at the moment it launched forward what the readings are. However, to have any basis, you need to know what they WERE so you can make a comparison. In that aspect it seems like nothing more than a camera that can take neat pictures of the planet and provide some measurements that won't prove or disprove anything. The other benefits it offered have all been combined into other programs.
Since it was built, I see no reason not to launch it.
Would being able to see the CURRENT rate of reflection across the planet really be all that useful? We would be able to see beginning at the moment it launched forward what the readings are. However, to have any basis, you need to know what they WERE so you can make a comparison. In that aspect it seems like nothing more than a camera that can take neat pictures of the planet and provide some measurements that won't prove or disprove anything. The other benefits it offered have all been combined into other programs.
Since it was built, I see no reason not to launch it.
There is no way to definitively measure and quantify the Earth's exact albedo in the past. However IF the Climate Observatory were launched on schedule we would already have ten years worth of data to use for research purposes.
I think you misunderstand......IF every month for example over ten years the Earth was essentially absorbing more energy from infrared wavelengths than we were radiating back into space.....then the planet is warming.....
It's whether the planet is currently warming faster than historical levels. The past is not so much an issue except for how long an interglacial period lasted and how fast the planet heated back up....that data we have though not with precision.
The observatory would have been accurate to a few decimal places and supplied the precision we need. We have been in a prolonged interglacial period and are long over due for a cool down but the exact opposite is what's been happening the past century.
There is no way to definitively measure and quantify the Earth's exact albedo in the past. However IF the Climate Observatory were launched on schedule we would already have ten years worth of data to use for research purposes.
I think you misunderstand......IF every month for example over ten years the Earth was essentially absorbing more energy from infrared wavelengths than we were radiating back into space.....then the planet is warming.....
It's whether the planet is currently warming faster than historical levels. The past is not so much an issue except for how long an interglacial period lasted and how fast the planet heated back up....that data we have though not with precision.
The observatory would have been accurate to a few decimal places and supplied the precision we need. We have been in a prolonged interglacial period and are long over due for a cool down but the exact opposite is what's been happening the past century.
Well, doesn't that sort of prove the point I was getting at though. The satellite could tell us whether or not the planet is warming by tracking the Earth's albedo. However, without any kind of accurate baseline it still cannot answer the question as to why, which is the key to the whole thing.
I'm not a global warming skeptic in that the evidence points to the fact the planet is getting warmer. What is more elusive and where I still have my doubts is what is causing the planet to warm. That question is something the satellite couldn't answer, but it could help fill in some missing pieces.
I personally see no reason why we shouldn't launch the thing after paying to build it. Even if the data may not prove or disprove anything. To me it would be interesting at the very least to compare the Earth's albedo to the sun's energy output with accuracy. We know how much energy the sun is throwing off, knowing how much our planet absorbs/reflects would fill in a missing piece. My guess is we will find that the sun has a far greater influence on global warming than we previously believed.
Well, doesn't that sort of prove the point I was getting at though. The satellite could tell us whether or not the planet is warming by tracking the Earth's albedo. However, without any kind of accurate baseline it still cannot answer the question as to why, which is the key to the whole thing.
I'm not a global warming skeptic in that the evidence points to the fact the planet is getting warmer. What is more elusive and where I still have my doubts is what is causing the planet to warm. That question is something the satellite couldn't answer, but it could help fill in some missing pieces.
I personally see no reason why we shouldn't launch the thing after paying to build it. Even if the data may not prove or disprove anything. To me it would be interesting at the very least to compare the Earth's albedo to the sun's energy output with accuracy. We know how much energy the sun is throwing off, knowing how much our planet absorbs/reflects would fill in a missing piece. My guess is we will find that the sun has a far greater influence on global warming than we previously believed.
We know why the Earth is warming, the vast majority of reputable scientists view Global Warming as a reality. But let's assume the warming is not influenced by the 6,000,000,000 plus humans on the planet and our technology. Lets assume it's 'totally" a natural cycle.
That does not change the fact that the planet is warming.....and the Ocean level will rise.....no matter the cause; hundreds of millions of people will literally be under water along with great swaths of some countries and ther largest cities.
On a side note Millions of scientifically illiterate Americans do not even believe that Earth is warming......the satellite could have proven that to within decimal places of accuracy.
I understand what you are saying.....but most scientists are convinced Global Warming is manmade.......there is a slight possibility it could be partially a natural cycle but bare in mind we should be moving back to a glacial period by historical standards.....not an extended interglacial cycle.
I totally agree with your last statement...no matter what you or I think the satellite would have provided valuable data about the Earth....the Sun and our climate. However with the new mission I'm not sure if that will now be possible.
Quoting Palpatine , 'Young fool(s) , only now , at the end , do you understand.' Unfortunately , it is everyone who will pay the price for their lack of vision. Maybe if DSE was purported to 'find' unknown fashion secrets , or associated drivel , it would garner full support.
Maybe *some* people realized that the SCO would disprove the global warming scaremonger's, they would loose a huge amount of money and influenced congress to mothball it.....
Eh, Earth's temperature rises, the polar ice caps melt, the sea's rise. Thermohaline circulation stops and we go into another ice age like has happened before man ever arrived on the scene..
Maybe *some* people realized that the SCO would disprove the global warming scaremonger's, they would loose a huge amount of money and influenced congress to mothball it.....
Eh, Earth's temperature rises, the polar ice caps melt, the sea's rise. Thermohaline circulation stops and we go into another ice age like has happened before man ever arrived on the scene..
Nothing new here people, move along.....
How do you figure that......it was the "scaremomgers" as you so lovingly called them who made the observatory become a reality....
It was Bush/Cheny who mothballed and cancelled it.
By the way I firmly believe that the warming trend will in fact collapse the Thermohaline circulation and start another Ice Age....many scientists are aware of this........the melting will eventually bring us back to another glacial period...rendering much of the Northern hemisphere uninhabitable.
You think that's a good thing for civilization??????
The Thermohaline Circulation collapse would be quite abrupt on a geological time scale(tens of years)....civilization will probably collapse as well.
I fail to understand your point...you think we should let the warming continue.....leading to catastrophic results for the entire planet????
Remember I studied at Penn State which has the leading Earth Science program in the country....Richard Alley is one of the world's foremost climatologists.
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