Manpollo Forums http://www.manpollo.org/forums This is a discussion forum powered by vBulletin. To find out about vBulletin, go to http://www.vbulletin.com/ . en Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:13:21 GMT vBulletin 60 http://manpollo.org/forums/images/styles/vbblue/misc/rss.jpg Manpollo Forums http://www.manpollo.org/forums What is the tipping point for personal change http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1034&goto=newpost Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:55:01 GMT I just finished reading Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" and discussion on effective social change. It discusses in depth efforts on teenage smoking, graffitti and other social issues.

Would it be a good idea to list the tipping points for action on climate change?

Ken ]]> Main Forum Ken Zakreski http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1034 Need help on AGU lecture title! http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1016&goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:36:18 GMT For those still around, I just received an invitation to give a 15 minute talk at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union this year. ... For those still around, I just received an invitation to give a 15 minute talk at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union this year. Unfortunately, the deadline for the abstract is this Thursday (Sep 2)!

I could use some help on choosing a go-for-the-jugular-drag-them-in-the-room (or at least, slightly engaging) title for the talk. Especially from those of you who frequent scientific conferences.

Apparently the reason they've invited me is because at the AGU Council meeting two months ago the council decided the AGU should be playing a major role in "getting the word out" to the public on issues of global environmental change. This is apparently now one of the two "top priorities" for the AGU.

"The AGU Council has agreed that we need to encourage and support scientists to communicate their findings to the public, and that this will be a somewhat delicate issue to go beyond just the science issues and reach towards advocacy."

So they're holding some sessions by scientists who've written books aimed at communicating climate change to the general public, to give other scientists ideas on how to move that direction also. I guess I got sort of swept in along with the crowd there. Other confirmed presenters are Jim Hansen, Naomi Oreskes, and Dorothy Kenny.

My step-father Jim Hawkins, prof. emeritus of ocean geology, Scripps Oceanographic Institute, just happens to be staying with us now and says the invitation looks like it's on the up-and-up. So, I guess I get to present at an actual scientific conference!

Now, help me with the damn title. The abstract is due in just over 48 hours, and I'm not particularly fond of the book title (though it does have the colon that is apparently required in all academic titles.)

Cheers,
Greg (nursing severe back pain, and getting ready for students in a week) ]]> Main Forum wonderingmind42 http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1016 Hole in the Logic http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1010&goto=newpost Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:01:59 GMT This is largely a response to this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zORv8...eature=related.
I haven't read the book but I would assume that it is along the same lines as the video. The missing element in the logic in this video is the notion that we can effect the results of climate change. There is a third option not covered - that climate change is happening and will happen despite all our efforts to the contrary. This means we could end up with all the bad results in the chart - including economic collapse due to trying to correct global warming as well as a further economic collapse due to the results of global warming perhaps combined with the end of oil.
Global warming and cooling has been happening for a long time, so whether we caused it or not, it may just steam roll over us no matter what we do or it is also possible that nature has a natural system for equilibrium built in that will correct for our irresponsible actions. Given this scenario, acting on climate change is a complete waste of time and resources.
It would be better put into a fleet of ships and aquaculture. ]]> Page 16: “You unknowingly made yet another assumption.” GenericJam http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1010 Take a survey to help Australian researchers http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=988&goto=newpost Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:36:03 GMT Hi Folks, Researchers at the University of Western Australia want people who visit sites like this to take a quick survey... Hi Folks,

Researchers at the University of Western Australia want people who visit sites like this to take a quick survey (about 10 min.)

If you take the survey, please post a reply here so that we get a "tally" of how many people coming from the forums took it (which will also be an indication how many people are still actively participating here!).

Thanks much and Cheers
Baerbel ]]> Science BaerbelW http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=988 Facebook presence? http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=986&goto=newpost Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:57:45 GMT Facebook is huge these days. It is THE place to go to if you're goal is to "drum up popular support", because when anyone becomes a fan of an organization, all their friends see it. Then some of those people become fans and so on. It's exponential growth for dummies!

So I was very surprised to find Greg Craven has just one fan, and most of the comments seem to be about random other people named Greg Craven. So I figured it must be under "manpollo". Nope not there at all. Ok, "What's the worst that could happen?" Nope. Some movie with Danny DeVito.

For comparison 350.org has 97,000 friends on facebook.

There's this famous story about Oscar Morales and the crusade against the FARC that he started single-handedly one night simply by creating a group on Facebook. The numbers snowballed and soon Morales was organizing huge marches across the world protesting FARC. The group has over 500,000 followers today.

So all I'm saying is that Greg Craven / "What's the worst that could happen" needs some Facebook presence people! PhpBB (or whatever bb this is) is really the old way of communicating. People use Facebook now (500 million of them at least)! ]]> Contributions and Suggestions Baxissimo http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=986 Reports http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=950&goto=newpost Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:38:08 GMT http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/csw_guide_to_climate_reports/ ---Quote--- The sheer number, depth, and breadth of the... http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/i...imate_reports/
Quote:
The sheer number, depth, and breadth of the climate science assessments and U.S. government program reports released each year can be daunting, so we prepared an annotated guide to clarify the distinctions among some of the key reports: State of the Climate 2009; America’s Climate Choices; Fifth U.S. Climate Action Report; Our Changing Planet; Global Climate Change Impacts on the United States; U.S. National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change; and Climate Change 2007: Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
More reports, no action.

Actually a good summary of official reports and their conclusions, worth a read. ]]> Political Action 776281 http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=950 Pakistan floods http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=949&goto=newpost Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:35:19 GMT http://www.science20.com/chatter_box/tears_pakistan#comment-46618 ---Quote--- A great tragedy is unfolding in Pakistan. There is not a... http://www.science20.com/chatter_box...#comment-46618

Quote:
A great tragedy is unfolding in Pakistan.

There is not a single region of Pakistan unaffected by floods. Whole villages have been wiped out and agriculture lost. How will these people be fed. Formerly, the USA and Russia could be relied on to to send food relief. How will Russia send food aid to Pakistan when it has its own problems with grain supplies?
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-...sal-of-us-aid/

Quote:
Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Taliban faction on Tuesday urged the government to reject American aid for people affected by the nation's worst floods in 80 years.

"The government should not accept American aid and if it happens, we can give 20 million dollars to them as aid for the flood victims," Azam Tariq, a spokesman for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), said.

The most devastating floods in Pakistan's living memory have affected up to 13.8 million people and killed an estimated 1600, prompting the UN to prepare an appeal for several hundred million dollars for immediate relief.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/11/wo..._r=1&ref=world
Quote:
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Monsoon rains continued to fall across Pakistan on Tuesday as the United Nations and relief groups said the scale of the flooding was straining the ability of Pakistan’s government and international aid agencies to provide aid.

“Each hour that passes the flooding is multiplying misery across the entire country,” said Neva Khan, country director for the Oxfam relief agency. “Swaths of Pakistan are still underwater, and people have seen homes, shops, schools and crops flattened. The world must not leave these people stranded.”
Floods in China and US, fires in Russia, oil spill and a drought or two. I fear these people (Pakistan) will be left stranded ]]> Free Forum 776281 http://www.manpollo.org/forums/showthread.php?t=949