Filed under: Energy, Freedom, Global Warming, History, Science/Technology | Tags: Cosmic Rays and Clouds, Henrik Svensmark, Our Galactic Ecosystem
When the word ecosystem is mentioned, we are apt to think of the land on our side of the hill and the stream, if any, than runs down toward the river — that sort of thing. But in another way of looking at it we can think of the planet earth as our ecosystem. Now Danish scientist Henrik Svensmark has shown that our ecosystem extends to the galaxy, for what happens in our galaxy influences what happens here on earth.
In 1996, Henrik Svensmark hypothesized a radical theory that the sun — rather than trace amounts of CO² — was the primary driver of our climate. Met by cries of “How interesting”, “let us publish your paper.” Not exactly. This fascinating video tells the story of Svensmark’s work, and the struggle to simply get his work published so other scientists can try to reproduce his conclusions. Insults. Outrage. How dare you offer something that is contrary to accepted science, it’s absurd. This is not only a story of a struggle, it explains how science is done, the quest for funding, figuring out how to do the necessary experiments, show proof, convince others. It’s a long video, so plan time to watch for it is very worth your time.
This article from Anthony Watts from April 2012, explains the publication and what it means:
In Svensmark’s new paper an equally concise theory, that cosmic rays from exploded stars cool the world by increasing the cloud cover, leads to amazing explanations, not least for why evolution sometimes was rampant and sometimes faltered. In both senses of the word, this is a stellar revision of the story of life.
Here are the main results:
- The long-term diversity of life in the sea depends on the sea-level set by plate tectonics and the local supernova rate set by the astrophysics, and on virtually nothing else.
- The long-term primary productivity of life in the sea – the net growth of photosynthetic microbes – depends on the supernova rate, and on virtually nothing else.
- Exceptionally close supernovae account for short-lived falls in sea-level during the past 500 million years, long-known to geophysicists but never convincingly explained..
- As the geological and astronomical records converge, the match between climate and supernova rates gets better and better, with high rates bringing icy times.
An amusing point is that Svensmark stands the currently popular carbon dioxide story on its head. Some geoscientists want to blame the drastic alternations of hot and icy conditions during the past 500 million years on increases and decreases in carbon dioxide, which they explain in intricate ways. For Svensmark, the changes driven by the stars govern the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Climate and life control CO2, not the other way around.
Well so much for CO² and the tailpipes of your SUV. It may take a long time, years, decades, but in the end the story will come out right. This one has. Anthony reminds us of this lovely quotation:
The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff. – Carl Sagan
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