Shock Jocks...

[Peter Ward]

I was gobsmacked this morning to hear Alan Jones declare that CO2 was our friend there was no runaway greenhouse on Venus or Mars.

I expect most IIS members would be aware that Venus is the solar system's poster child of runaway greenhouse. Sulphuric acid rain and temperatures hot enough to melt lead....not an environment you'd really want to replicate.

Sadly he has an audience that would have taken this bald faced lie as gospel. :mad2:

[Nikolas]

I'd like to know what the actual demographic is for Jones et al and what real influence they really wield if the politicians were no so lily livered to heed them. I know in victoria we have 3aw which is described by many as 3 old W because of all the funeral ads and pensioner ads. Is their audience as big as they make out? Who listens to them during work time? I have many questions

[AstralTraveller]

Apart from the greenhouse lie, did he actually explain how CO2 is our friend? There are a few pseudo-scientific claims out there about CO2 'benefits', so I'm slightly interested in which one he has latched on to.

[Peter Ward]

Sorry, I can't say as I soon changed the station, as some other loony phoned in and was allowed to say it was also the Sun and the solar minimum :rolleyes:(Jones agreeing)

I'm am puzzled why this debate exists in Oz...e.g. giving the flat earth society air time is beyond me. :shrug:

[AstralTraveller]

That's understandable Peter. The common benefit quoted is 'CO2 fertilization'. It's true that increasing [CO2] could help plants, and there is serious research being done in the area, but no one would claim that the pros outweigh the cons.

During the last glacial, when [CO2] was ca. 180ppm, this caused plants physiological stress that possibly contributed to the sparsity of vegetation - but everyone agrees that aridity was the dominant reason. So the increase to the pre-industrial 280ppm was good for plants (as was the increased temperature and increased water availability) but, as with all fertilization, there is probably a point where extra CO2 (or water or heat) will not assist plant growth.

[Startrek]

I’ve been listening to AJ for around 12 or so years now and he’s been pushing the CO2 / greenhouse debate off and on for the majority of that time.Maybe he’s pushed it a little to far and has lost the plot.
He’d probably get more credit if he stuck to his water harvesting idea , building a national pipeline system across the country
Leave the science to scientists
Food for thought !

[casstony]

Just the same old crap peddled by merchants of doubt for decades on various topics to serve vested interests; unfortunately there's a large enough dumb audience that they hold political sway.

[Peter Ward]

You think? :lol:

If memory serves, Mercury has 4x the solar flux of Venus, but has no atmosphere, has no greenhouse warming and is colder than Venus.

The Russian Venusian landers
all cooked within minutes of touching down...

....protection from 470 degrees C and the equivalent pressure of 3000 feet below the sea doesn't last long.

Runaway greenhouse on our home planet would be scary indeed.

[Wavytone]

Does anyone under 40 listen to radio anymore ?

[Startrek]

I still call it a “Wireless”

[traveller]

Since CO2 is our friend, I will build a CO2 tent and invite AJ to sit in there for a couple of hrs with some crystals to re-balance his energies...

[Peter Ward]

Rumour has it, the HMV/Marconi valve wireless is immune to the EMP from North Korea's Nukes....
so one can still listen to Alan when they push the button....;)

[The Mekon]

CO2 is my friend - it makes my beer taste better

[AstralTraveller]

True, but you don't want 33% more bubbles.

[Slawomir]

That could give you gas...

[gregbradley]

Unfortunately there is a fairly large % of the population who want their reality predigested for them before it is spoonfed to them. They want to be told what to think.

That is the shock jocks audience.

Greg.

[xelasnave]

No matter where I put the cats wiskar on the crystal I cant get him...not that I am too worried I dont like him.
I believe plants are happy with 3%CO2 so why worry☺ and at this point I point out that I dont think TOS allows discussion upon climate change even if we call it something else.
Alex