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AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY involving Met Éireann is using birch trees to predict how changes in our climate will affect plants.
The study, published in the International Journal of Biometeorology, monitored in minute detail the timing of when the ‘bud burst’ occurs, when buds on the tree begin to ‘burst’ and the leaf appears.
Along with researchers in the United States, France, and Italy, scientists in Ireland are using a recently developed mathematical model that predicts the annual growth cycle of birch, known as DORMPHOT, combined with a model predicting a warming trend up until the year 2100
It found an ‘advancing trend’ in the timing of birch bud burst.
This would have a greater effect on the northwest of the country than anywhere else.
“These results could have implications for future forest planning, species distribution modelling, and the birch allergy season,” Met Éireann said.
There are more than a dozen gardens in Ireland capable of this kind of study, known as phenological gardens, with four of these recognised for international studies.
One of these is located at Met Éireann’s Valentia Observatory in Cahirciveen, Co. Kerry.
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And the amazing thing is apparently the only way to change it to put a tax on Fuel, Those trees must be clever.
There are many other ways to tackle this crisis for humanity – our Government could add to their free insulation scheme for low-income homeowners by providing free or very cheap insulation for everybody and there are a host of other energy conservation measures that could be taken if they really cared enough – saving everybody money and reducing our carbon emissions. It’s not just about tax. It seems to me a bit ignoble anyway that we should be focusing on tax when the best scientific evidence tells us we are causing irreversible change to the global climate that will persist for more than 100,000 years and may well signal the demise of humans on this planet. There is a moral imperative here, even if you are anti-science and not 100% convinced – just imagine if the scientists are right?
Nothing to do with “anti-science” But if it’s cold outside and your kids are freezing because you can’t afford to heat your home it’s little comfort knowing you saving the plane.
Anybody remember Global warming? Had to be changed to a vague “Climate change” term because the bullsh*t couldn’t be held up to scrutiny….
I think it had to be changed because some sceptics kept pointing out that in some places the effect of climate change was to make the climate colder. So yes, a PR exercise to convince people of what all the overwhelming evidence indicates is happening.
No warming for almost 18 years but the alarmists still have no shame.
Stephen, they mean different things. The term climate change is not new and has been around for ages: the clue may be in the initials IPCC!
The world’s experts and the world’s national and international institutions in all areas of science state that our current rapid global warming can only be explained by the massive amount of carbon we have pumped into the atmosphere in the past hundred years. People who wish to dispute their evidence need to provide some credible counter evidence – but this is never the case.
No warming for 18 years?! That’s not what all of the world’s expert bodies think!
The true picture of a warming planet from the National Climate Data Center of the NOAA, and as verified by every reputable national and international scientific institution on the planet:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2014/5
Global Highlights
The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for May 2014 was record highest for this month, at 0.74°C (1.33°F) above the 20th century average of 14.8°C (58.6°F).
The global land surface temperature was 1.13°C (2.03°F) above the 20th century average of 11.1°C (52.0°F), the fourth highest for May on record. For the ocean, the May global sea surface temperature was 0.59°C (1.06°F) above the 20th century average of 16.3°C (61.3°F), making it the record highest for May and tying with June 1998, October 2003, and July 2009 as the highest departure from average for any month on record.
The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the March–May period was 0.74°C (1.33°F) above the 20th century average of 13.7°C (56.7°F), making it the second warmest such period on record, behind 2010.
The March–May worldwide land surface temperature was 1.26°C (2.27°F) above the 20th century average, the third warmest such period on record. The global ocean surface temperature for the same period was 0.54°C (0.97°F) above the 20th century average, also the third warmest March–May on record.
The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the January–May period (year-to-date) was 0.66°C (1.19°F) above the 20th century average of 13.1°C (55.5°F), the fifth warmest such period on record.
http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-butterfly-population-increased-by-a-third-1385869-Mar2014/
wrote the journal in March, then in July it became
“The number of butterflies almost halved last year for some species and the flying insect population is way down. That has a knock on effect because birds can’t get enough food.”
And they expect us to believe every word they say?
Another wild life item this week here mentioned that our last two winters were very cold [ which anyone who pays the heating bills could have told them ]
And the reports of increasing cold are coming in from all across the globe.
The true picture of a warming planet from the National Climate Data Center of the NOAA, and as verified by every reputable national and international scientific institution on the planet:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2014/5
Global Highlights
The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for May 2014 was record highest for this month, at 0.74°C (1.33°F) above the 20th century average of 14.8°C (58.6°F).
The global land surface temperature was 1.13°C (2.03°F) above the 20th century average of 11.1°C (52.0°F), the fourth highest for May on record. For the ocean, the May global sea surface temperature was 0.59°C (1.06°F) above the 20th century average of 16.3°C (61.3°F), making it the record highest for May and tying with June 1998, October 2003, and July 2009 as the highest departure from average for any month on record.
The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the March–May period was 0.74°C (1.33°F) above the 20th century average of 13.7°C (56.7°F), making it the second warmest such period on record, behind 2010.
The March–May worldwide land surface temperature was 1.26°C (2.27°F) above the 20th century average, the third warmest such period on record. The global ocean surface temperature for the same period was 0.54°C (0.97°F) above the 20th century average, also the third warmest March–May on record.
The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the January–May period (year-to-date) was 0.66°C (1.19°F) above the 20th century average of 13.1°C (55.5°F), the fifth warmest such period on record.
The fact that the planet is warming is beyond dispute – the only way you could think otherwise is to believe non-scientific sources of information from people who do not know what they are talking about and have no expertise – perhaps they are influenced by the billions fossil fuel interests have invested in creating doubt about the robust science behind AGW.
Here is a list of the 274 authors and review editors who brought together the thousands of papers from around the world for the last IPCC report – they are all nominated by the countries of the world and outstanding experts in their fields, professors from the top universities of the world: https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/ar5/ar5_authors_review_editors_updated.pdf
Here is a list of the scientific institutions of the world who state that our current rapid global warming can only be explained by our massive carbon emissions over the last hundred years (hint, there is not ONE reputable institution that does not support this): http://opr.ca.gov/s_listoforganizations.php
Saying that cold winters disprove global warming betrays a deep ignorance of the science.
Michell ; you’re panicing and yet you are right to worry .
We may have gone beyond tipping point, we may have nothing to worry about or something in between but an interesting fact is that the limestone in the burren was analysed and it was found to contain microorganisms that can only live within 4degrees or so either side of the Equator.
If I was to get involved in the climate debate I would focus all my efforts on the reaffforestation of the rainforests !
Hi Dermot, I am not sure quite what the point is about the paleo records in the Burren! We do know from paleoclimatology however what the climate is entering a period of rapid warming that is taking us into a climate that has NEVER been seen in the time humans have been on the planet (whatever about times millions of years ago when it was indeed hotter, but with different flora and fauna)… and the rapid pace of that change certainly IS unprecedented – what would have happened over hundreds of thousands of years in the distant past has happened over a hundred years… any abrupt change in the past (through natural forcings such as massive volcanic activity or meteor activity) has certainly, the paleo fossil records tell us, led to mass extinction.
I do object to being told I am panicking when that panic is so well justified by the science though, and the scientific community is, in unison, saying: yep, panic now, because what we are doing is “catastrophic and irreversible”. I just wonder how much of the evidence you have read, because if you do really study it, it is pretty frightening.
Good night Dermot and I wish you well.
Ah, I see Dermot you may be talking about living micro-organisms – wow, that is weird alright. I agree about the rainforests, but that alone will not work, since we are seeing a big increase in forest fires the world over with massive swathes of forest going up in smoke and releasing large amounts of carbon, which then contributes further to global warming, which then contributes further to forests drying out and catching fire, and so on in a vicious circle. Research carried out under the auspices of INPE – Brazil’s National Space Research Institute – shows that a warmer and drier environment for the region could convert from 30% up to 60% of the Amazon rainforest into a type of dry savanna.
I am tempted to say we are done for, but can’t give up the ghost while I still have my son to look me in the eyes and I need to guard his future…
Switch the record off Michelle. You sound like a series of IPCC press releases.
I use ash trees to tell me when to spread fertiliser on my farm ; the roots of an ash tree are deeper and more knowledgeable to the tune of nature than any Teagasc advisor let me tell you !
Valuable tree indeed Dermot, burns green [if you really have to] and its still safe to plant spuds while you can still see through it as it is the last to come into leaf. I have a good lot ready for the cold winters ahead as the planet cools, folks need to plan ahead and I pity those who built homes with no chimneys. Even the IPCC is backing away from the warming scam as the observations show their predictions to be way off so we need to get rid of that carbon tax and allow people to heat their homes without being robbed blind by green loons.
BTW have you seen this latest from the cult? “Middle-class families should stop buying large fridges in order to save energy and tackle climate change, a government-commissioned report has suggested” Must be the mercury in their tuna yoghurt.
Where is your evidence that the IPCC is ‘backing away from the warming scam’???!!! What a remarkable claim, running counter to all of the evidence…
Mercury poisoning is my guess for the Irish rejecting fish since the famine , although it does go deeper if one considers recent iron Age archaeological interpretations.
I have turf so I am cool on that one and in fairness to the cold I have to say that I absolutely loved the frozen ground ; it turned my whole farm into a concrete feedlot and the cattle were much happier out on the land frozen and all as it was instead of being cooped up in a shed avoiding rain.
We shouldn’t but a freezer they say? Well that’s the first thing on my shopping list, kill a lamb pop it in and munchy munch !
There was a farmer now deceased who used to cut and burn Firewood all the time … he never cut down a tree though , he would take a branch here and there different branches from different trees every year . now there was one cool guy !
There are sycamore trees that are still alive 2,000 years later … they are used for coppicing …2,000 years old is very impressive !
I don’t buy into the scientific data for climate change by the way ..the study is about three hundreds years too young and even if I am wrong Mother Nature will cool herself without any of our help !
I must agree there about the cold, much better than damp soggy winters which are ideal for the spread of all sorts of pestilence including TB. The Antarctic has had the most ice ever and latest reports indicate the number of pairs of Adélie Penguins have increased 53 percent in the last 20 years and the total pairs of Emperor Penguins have increased between 36 and 76 percent during the same time. Maybe it’s time to ppppppick up a penguin :-). Then again we could import some of that extra ice and build some ice houses to store our meat in? I used to do my own lamb and pork but not these days, can’t manage the lifting,
Lucky you with the turf Dermot, and as for not taking the whole tree I hope to be coppicing from the stumps of what I have felled in recent years. I also allow the top branches to dry out then put them thru a chipper which makes nice firing in wood burner stove.
Ah the stove ; there should be no home built without one ; the best investment I have ever made ; considering my investments might I suggest this is not investment advice from an “expert”.
Remember the ‘Hockey Stick’ that Mann used to invent ‘Global Warming’ ? That was based on data from just one single tree, just imagine what wonders this use of lots and lots of trees will bring.
Australia has abolished the carbon tax ,we can pray that our lot in the Dail will do likewise and stop impoverishing us.
Don’t hold your breath, almost all of that lot are incapable of an original thought.
Is there a specific climate change denying forum all you crazies are coming from? Similar to all the crazy racist people here.
Multi, “crazies”, eh ? Good to see you keep an open mind. Presumably you admit to two opinions; yours and the wrong one. None so blind as those who will not see.
If you want to investigate the other side of the ACC debate then there are some very good sites out there, contributed to by people who actually analyse the outpourings of the pro-ACC lobby. You won’t find them comfortable reading, however.
OK so, you are trying to pretend that there is not a massive body of freely available irrefutable evidence from all of the different earth sciences – including paleoclimatology – that is endorsed by ALL of the reputable national and international scientific institutions of the world… What is that about?
Bait. Hook. Never fails.
@Joseph, the words ‘box’ ‘mad as’ and ‘frogs’ comes to mind ;-)
Fognostical, I’ll take that as a compliment. Grown very weary with reading the regurgitated pap spouted about ACC and the 97% of something or other, so will now sit back, in my frog box, and watch it unravel. Australia seems to have caught on and N Korea is getting there.
@Joseph, the fact that you worked for Exxon as well makes we doubt your own objectivity on this issue.
I think it is South Korea Joseph. But in any case it looks promising that the silly carbon taxes have fallen into disrepute.
@ Joe , I was referring to the green nutter, not to you dear chap :-)
Multi, worked for, not owned by. Still possible to be objective and principled as, I believe, those who know me would confirm. I can understand your doubts but I have no hidden agenda, thoroughly enjoyed my career and feel no need to hide it. I’m sure there are current employees who share my views on ACC and others who do not, with yet more in between. The world is not simply black & white and I find it deeply worrying that such complex, and little-understood, science has turned into an almost-religion in some quarters. Informed debate is in danger of being excluded altogether, as evidenced by the BBC’s decision not to air any non-believer views. That is not healthy.
Foggy, damn. Now I’m disappointed.
Fran, S Korea indeed. No idea where N Korea is heading. Apologies.
The Irish Government (sic) have recently drastically reduced the afforestation grant ; Therefore one can only assume that they are not committed to forest Ireland.
Rumour has it the Ents are not impressed one bit !
Woebetide any man who insults Eire’s Ents !
And now the special branch is monitoring the weather….
have your say