10kclimatechallenge
10kclimatechallenge
Are you the next great climate scientist? Awarding $10,000 for the proven reproducible rate of CO2 forcing. (Verified by the UN IPCC)
Atmopshere Questions
These are all the questions I found related to this topic in the 3000+ pages of IPCC AR4 and AR5.
AR6 is coming!
A very interesting and important question in AR5 that we could be hearing much more of in AR6 is if CO2 is the “control knob on climate” for water vapor the most important greenhouse effect by far.
The IPCC goes on “greenhouse gases, primarily CO2, are necessary to sustain the presence of water in the atmosphere. Therefore, although CO2 is the main anthropogenic control knob, water vapor is a strong and fast feedback that amplifies any initial forcing by a typical factor between two and three” (AR5 FAQ 8.1 Page 667)
The IPCC goes on to claim if all CO2 and other greenhouse gases were completely removed this would cause water vapor to drop rapidly and “would plunge the Earth into a frozen state.” (AR5 FAQ 8.1 Page 667)
The first thing I notice that is different here is the IPCC makes an unusually strong statement as if they are 100% sure of this. Usually, the IPCC assigns probabilities to everything, like “very likely” or “medium confidence”, as I understand this idea of a CO2 being a control knob is very controversial.
For example, the question was brought up in a testimony to the subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee. MIT scientist Dr. Richard Lindzen, suggested that such a hypothetical removal of all the CO2 in the air would translate into a global cooling of about 2.5 degrees. Dr. Cicerone, who was also on the panel, expressed disagreement although didn’t really provide a better answer of his own.
Seems to me this is a complex question as you would have to consider the rate of change of the temperature over the effected time period.
Plus, from the IPCC I do not see any proof offered on how they know CO2 is needed to produce water vapor or is “the control knob”. Maybe there is a lab experiment that could prove this? Or are models needed like in the proving of CO2 forcing? All this is not addressed.
Maybe there is a planet out there with just H20 in the atmosphere to understand all this more for a possible answer?
Is CO2 a Control Knob? - Above
So Many Atmosphere Questions.
Next, there are other new questions since AR4 that are addressed in AR5, like the increase of water vapor seen in the upper troposphere and cosmic rays.
For example, the IPCC states there exist questions about the relationship between “cosmic ray flux and observed aerosol or cloud properties are weak and local at best”. (AR5 Section 7.4.6.3 Page 614)
The Questions Chapter
Over 150 climate questions from AR4/AR5.
Questions and more questions.
This section highlights all the important climate questions described in the UN’s IPCC assessment reports, AR4 and AR5. AR6 is coming soon!
AR4 and AR5 make up the most complete and current climate information out there, a road map for future generations. However, they are not the easiest reads because information on any particular subject is found throughout the 3000+ pages of these reports.
You make think over time there would be less questions as the climate gets figured out, but from AR4 to AR5 the number of question and material increased by several fold.
One reason for this increase in climate questions from AR4 to AR5 is the fact many predictions made in AR4 were missed, and things have been learned.
The IPCC examines most of these in more detail throughout AR5 using AR4 as a base for the science.
Inspiring the next generation
You might be on the same path?
Sharing what I have learned in my 35 years of being a “climate activist”.
Be an informed climate activist or maybe even the next great scientist.
AR4 and AR5 are road maps for the next generation of climate scientists.
I am awarding $10,000 for the proven rate of CO2 forcing to the next great scientist of our time.
Review of the IPCC AR4 and AR5
Collection of 9200 peer-reviewed climate studies. This is the science with 100s of questions, contradictions, missed predictions, areas lacking data, and more.
Following the Science
Become an informed climate activist!
10kclimatechallange
All the Chapters
My Personal Climate Journey.
35 years and counting. You may be on the same journey.
Review of IPCC AR4 and AR5
Why AR4 and AR5 are so important.
Theory Chapter
Breaks down CO2 forcing and why models are important.
Temperature Chapter
What is warming? Entire earth? Oceans? Surface? What to know.
Model Chapter
Why use models? How are they doing?
Ocean Chapter
Role of the world's oceans that stores over 90% of Earth's heat.
Atmosphere Chapter
Is the atmosphere cooling or warming the earth?
Gases Chapter
Focus on CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
Civilization Chapter
Looking at past climate change affect on previous civilizations.
Question Chapter - ON LINE
Summary of every important question I found in AR4/AR5. More than 150 of them.
Prediction Chapter
Summary of every important prediction I found in AR4/AR5.
What is the IPCC?
UN’s IPCC Assessment Reports 4 and 5 (AR4 2007 and AR5 2014). These UN reports include over 600 authors from 32 different countries assessing 9,200 peer-reviewed studies so they are the all-inclusive on the current state of climate science putting out new reports every seven or so years.
AR5 explains the United Nation’s IPCC was created in 1988 to provide world governments with “clear information on the state of today’s climate science as well as potential impacts, and options for adaptation and migration based on regular assessments”. (AR5 Section 1.2.1 page 123)
Weather versus Climate
Is the weather or the climate easier to predict?
