Tigermike 3,053 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 The Global Warming ChallengeRoger Cohen gets taker on wager Posted in global warming by climatebet on February 23rd, 2008 Warming skeptic gets taker on wager February 22, 2008 By Dale Rodebaugh | Herald Staff Writer The Durango resident who stirred public debate with a $5,000 wager that the Earth’s average temperature in 2017 would be lower than in 2007 has an official taker - albeit to slightly different conditions. Dr. Richard Grossman, a Durango gynecologist and obstetrician and occasional columnist for The Durango Herald, waited until the dust settled to work out conditions of the bet with Roger W. Cohen, who issued the challenge. “I think part of Roger’s goal was to keep the issue of global warming in the public mind,†Grossman said Thursday. “It was certainly part of mine in accepting. I believe there is strong evidence of global warming and that much of it is caused by humans.†http://theclimatebet.com/ Warming skeptic gets taker on wagerFebruary 22, 2008 By Dale Rodebaugh | Herald Staff Writer The Durango resident who stirred public debate with a $5,000 wager that the Earth's average temperature in 2017 would be lower than in 2007 has an official taker - albeit to slightly different conditions. Dr. Richard Grossman, a Durango gynecologist and obstetrician and occasional columnist for The Durango Herald, waited until the dust settled to work out conditions of the bet with Roger W. Cohen, who issued the challenge. "I think part of Roger's goal was to keep the issue of global warming in the public mind," Grossman said Thursday. "It was certainly part of mine in accepting. I believe there is strong evidence of global warming and that much of it is caused by humans." The faceoff is the result of Cohen's letter on the op-ed page of the Herald on Jan. 20. Cohen bet the average global temperature will be cooler in 2017 than in 2007. He stipulated: • He would cover only one bet (be it by an individual or a group). • An escrow account would hold $10,000. • Data from HadCRUT3, the Hadley Centre in Britain's meteorological office, would be used to determine global temperature. • He would donate his winnings to a local charity. In its final form, the wager compares the average global temperature of 2005-07 and the average global temperature of 2015-17. Each bettor will deposit $5,000 with the Community Foundation of Southwest Colorado for the benefit of Durango Nature Studies. Interest will be paid periodically to Durango Nature Studies, as will the principal on Jan. 1, 2018, if the bet goes to term. The only snag would be if Grossman or Cohen presents evidence from a recognized geological authority that a volcanic eruption with a Volcanic Explosivity Index, called the VEI, of 5 or greater occurred after Dec. 31, 2012. The condition was suggested by Grossman because a powerful volcanic explosion could hurl enough debris into the atmosphere to lower global temperature, which occurred as recently as 1991. Grossman said averaging temperatures over three years eliminates some of the inevitable temperature swings. "Dick is right to be concerned about the cooling effect of volcanoes," Cohen said. "You can see their effect in temperature records from the 1980s and early 1990s." The VEI, devised in 1982 by Chris Newhall of the U.S. Geological Survey and Steve Self at the University of Hawaii, measures how much volcanic material is ejected, how high material is thrown and how long the eruption lasts. Volcanic activity is ranked from 0 to 8, with each number indicating an explosion 10 times more powerful than the previous number. By way of comparison, Mauna Loa is a 0, Mount Etna in 2002-03 was a 3, Mount Vesuvius (Pompeii) in 79 and Mount St. Helens in 1980 were a 5, Krakatoa (1883) in Indonesia and Mount Pinatubo (1991) in the Philippines were a 6, and the explosion that formed Crater Lake in Oregon in 4860 B.C. was a 7. Grossman wanted the beneficiary of the wager to be Durango Nature Studies, where he is a board member and his wife, Gail, is a volunteer. Grossman is scheduled to explain in more depth his position Sunday in his periodic column in the Herald. link But “Senator Gore declined†Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auburn85 432 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 i'm pretty sure a deal could be worked out. i'm sure someone would be able to pay for his carbon credits to get him to the appropriate venue to debate in a forum where the side that questions global warming is like that of holocast deniers. in reality, they should just play an inconveinant truth and argue where they see fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rexbo 104 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 The only snag would be if Grossman or Cohen presents evidence from a recognized geological authority that a volcanic eruption with a Volcanic Explosivity Index, called the VEI, of 5 or greater occurred after Dec. 31, 2012. The condition was suggested by Grossman because a powerful volcanic explosion could hurl enough debris into the atmosphere to lower global temperature, which occurred as recently as 1991. Um, they forgot the other snag; debris from the nuclear explosions over Israel when Iran follows through with their threat. With Obama in the White House over the next 4 years negotiating a Neville Chamberlain type deal with Ahmadinejad, Global Warming will be the least of our concerns... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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