There couldn’t possibly be any other reason for this, right?
Earth is ‘dimming’ because of climate change, research suggests. Experts say it’s ‘concerning’
Earth is appearing to dim, and climate change is a big reason why, according to research.
The conclusion came from a group of researchers that studied two decades’ worth of data on earthshine, or the light reflected off Earth that illuminates the moon. The research letter, which was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters in August but recently shared on Sept. 30, found that Earth’s reflectance, or albedo, fell about 0.5%, or half a watt less light per square meter.
While it may not seem significant considering Earth reflects about 30% of the light it receives, much of the drop in reflectance has “accelerated in the most recent years.”
“The albedo drop was such a surprise to us when we analyzed the last three years of data after 17 years of nearly flat albedo,†Philip Goode, a researcher at New Jersey Institute of Technology and lead author of the study, said in a statement.
The research showed that despite changes in the sun’s brightness, the central star in our solar system had no effect on how Earth got dimmer. Instead, it’s because of rising ocean temperatures.
In the past 100 years, the global sea surface temperature has increased 0.23 degrees Fahrenheit, according to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
And it’s all Mankind’s fault, you know.
Steven Koonin, director of the center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University and former undersecretary for science at the U.S. Department of Energy, told USA TODAY the dimming of Earth is “significant.”
“It is unclear whether this dimming arises from the natural fluctuations of the climate system or is an unexpected result of human influences,” he said.
You know that Steven is getting a lot of hatemail right now for suggesting this could be natural. But, in reality, the study itself is blaming Mankind.
Earth’s dimness could become more significant in upcoming decades as well. A 2013 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted the average global sea temperature could rise by as much as 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.
“Could”. Who’s held responsible when that prognostication fails to come true? Think about it: they’re saying the sea temp has gone up just .23F over the last 100 years, now it’s supposed to jump 31 times that in 80 years?
Elsewhere
This electric car can go 520 miles on a charge but the CEO says that’s not important
The Lucid Air Dream Edition was recently rated by the Environmental Protection Agency with an estimated driving range of 520 miles on a full charge. That’s the longest range of any purely battery-powered car yet rated by the EPA, including Tesla’s Model S Long Range.
It’s not just a little longer, either. The Air goes an estimated 115 miles farther on a charge than the Tesla. It’s even farther than most gasoline cars can travel on a full tank.
But Lucid’s chief executive Peter Rawlinson, who once worked at Tesla and helped engineer the original Model S, thinks that jaw-dropping number, 520 miles, isn’t actually terribly important. For one thing, that range doesn’t come cheap. Prices for the Lucid Air sedan start at $74,000, but prices for the Dream Edition are more than double that, starting at $169,000.
That’s $1300 a month and $3000 a month, respectively, for a 5 year loan at 2.9 APR with nothing down, and doesn’t even include the sales tax, doc fees, or registration/tags. And then there’s the property tax. Other than very rich people, who can afford that? Of course, most who can afford just pay “cash”.
With greater energy efficiency, which contributes to the Lucid Air’s long range, electric cars will become accessible at all price ranges, he said. In fact, one of Rawlinson’s side projects is applying some of the efficiency tricks used at Lucid to something he calls the “T21,” meaning “the Model T for the 21st century.” This would be a car with fairly long driving range that almost anyone can afford.
When you can get one starting at $21k with at least a 300 mile range, then we’re talking. Till then? Shut up.
