Will the
sun save us? Many 2012 prognosticators have been
predicting a massive solar cycle in
2012,
but the sun has been extremely quiet lately, and now NASA is
predicting the weakest solar maximum since 1928, with a
peak in 2013, not 2012. That's GOOD NEWS for global
warming. But the bad news is: another thing that may help
stave off global warming is POLLUTION.
An international panel of experts led by NOAA and sponsored
by NASA has released a new prediction for the next solar
cycle. Solar Cycle 24 will peak, they say, in May 2013 with a
below-average number of sunspots.
NOAA space weather researcher Doug Biesecker says,"If our
prediction is correct, Solar Cycle 24 will have a peak sunspot
number of 90, the lowest of any cycle since 1928 when Solar
Cycle 16 peaked at 78." However, Biesecker also says
that "even a below-average cycle is capable of producing
severe space weather. The great geomagnetic storm of 1859,
for instance, occurred during a solar cycle of about the same
size we’re predicting for 2013."
In recent months, however, the sun has begun to show
timorous signs of life. Small sunspots are popping up with
increasing frequency, so this forecast may be revised in the
future. Dean Pesnell of the Goddard Space Flight Center
says, "Go ahead and mark your calendar for May, but use a
pencil."
Air pollution may actually help prevent global warming by
giving plants the ability to absorb more CO2.
For the last 50 years, higher pollution levels in the
atmosphere have meant that plants absorb 25% more carbon
dioxide. And pollution, which causes hazy weather, is actually
better for plants than a sunny day, because the atmospheric
particles scatter the sunlight so that it reaches more leaves.
In BBC News, Matt McGrath quotes researcher Lina Mercado
as saying that global dimming "resulted in a net 10% increase
in the amount of carbon stored by the land once other
effects were taken into account." And the more CO2 that is
stored in the ground, the less than gets into the atmosphere.
It's never too hot or too polluted to have fun in beautiful
Nashville, and it has a central location, so it's easy to get to
from anywhere, which is why we're holding our
Dreamland
Festival there again on June 26-28. Come see all your
favorite Dreamland hosts there and learn some
secrets!
To learn more,
click here and
here.
