Water Vapor Study Proves Climate Change Skeptics Right?

Rev up the Hummers, crank up the AC and leave the lights on all night because human induced climate change has been proven a myth. This is what the hard core anthropocentric climate change skeptics want you to think and they will use any shred of "evidence" to "prove" their point.

Study Basics

The latest "proof" being expounded on certain (generally conservative) blogs and news networks is an intriguing collaborative study conducted by scientists from NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory (ERSL), the University of Colorado, and the University of Bern. ERSL's site explains the research reveals that the 1980's and 90's experienced an increase in water vapor in the lower stratosphere (about ten miles up from the Earth's surface). However, since 2000, this level has been decreasing. More specifically, water vapor has decreased about 10% since that year. This fluctuation is occurring in areas where it is believed water vapor has big effects on climate change.

Al-Goreaphobia

There we have it folks, climate change is all just a giant hoax originated and perpetuated by Al Gore so he could get rich. Come on, this is giving the man a whole lot of credit, and my guess he was already rich before he made "An Inconvenient Truth". Granted, the film makes some spurious claims and makes some bold predictions that scientists really could not possibly make, and it needlessly added to the politicking of a scientific issues, but...wow, he must really be a political mastermind to pull off this scam. A political mastermind, who could not beat George Bush to become President of the United States, hardly deserves such recognition. Many climate change skeptics continue to place him on this pedestal of calculated shrewdness.

The Study's Climate Change Implications

Anyway, back to the issue at hand. According to the study's journal article abstract , the 10% decrease "acted to slowthe rate of increase in global surface temperature over 2000to 2009 by about 25% compared to that which would have occurreddue only to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases." This seems to be completely ignored by the detractors. The ERSL article points out the researchers acknowledge they don't know the reason for the recent water vapor loss. I would not count on this trend to continue and offset the increase in greenhouse gasses so that the delicate climate balance can remain. Reinforcing this feeling is the fact that there is just not a whole lot of water vapor in the stratosphere to begin with, leaving us little room for more of this offsetting.

What this research does is reinforce that climate is a complex system that we do not fully understand. In addition, it confirms that climate prediction model accuracy leaves much to be desired because of these misunderstandings and general lack of data.

What this research does not change (or even claim to change) is the basic physics of greenhouse gasses. Increasing the amount of them in our atmosphere will no doubt alter our weather systems and long term climate.

Alternative Energies, Not Just for Climate Change "Alarmists"

In the mean time, even if you believe humans can not change the climate, or you simply don't care, consider all the other hideous environmental, health, and political issues fossil fuels cause, and leave the Hummer at the dealership. You can do this and still remain a climate change skeptic.