Or The Excrement on Global Warming. - There's a couple of stories today on Global warming. The first is just funny, which isn't meant to demean those studying how plankton poo affects the global climate, but one just has to be able to laugh at some things.
Alex Wilson reports for News.com.au:
The minuscule zooplankton feed on ocean algae which, like all plants, use carbon dioxide to photosynthesise [sic].
The carbon absorbed by the zooplankton is released in its faeces [sic] and if it floats to the surface it can be reabsorbed into the atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
If it sinks to the bottom of the ocean it is locked up in sedimentary rock for thousands, if not millions, of years, keeping down the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Now if you're still not convinced you care whether zooplankton drop sinkers or floaters you should know there are more than 1500 million tonnes of protozoa, a type of zooplankton, in the Southern Ocean alone.
That last line is a winner! Who's for a trip to the beach?
It's actually an interesting read, so if you like oceanography and climate news I suggest it.
Of course I can visualize a fix for all these gaseous plankton. Beano drops throughout the oceans.
The second story on the ever good for global warming topic is from NewScientist.com.
There are some scientists out there that have some data showing that global warming isn't actually anyone's fault on earth, be it pooping plankton, wind ripping cows, are the ever popular enemy, gas guzzling SUV's - those dastardly vehicles.
No, it's none of those. The cause of all the global warming: The sun and other exploding stars.
Which is no surprise to readers or TGS: Global Warming Not Your Fault.
NewScientist.com reports:
At issue is whether cosmic rays, the high-energy particles spat out by exploding stars elsewhere in the galaxy, can affect the temperature on Earth. The suggestion is that cosmic rays crashing into the atmosphere ionise the molecules they collide with, triggering cloud formation.
If the flux of cosmic rays drops, fewer clouds will form and the planet will warm up. No one yet understands the mechanism, which was first described in the late 1990s. But what makes it controversial is that climate models used to predict the consequences of rising levels of greenhouse gases do not allow for the effect, and may be inaccurate.
Of course this new theory is causing a great deal of constipation...er... consternation among other global warming scientists whose theories might sink without the government money to float them.
