News Roundup - Hour 2
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-04-16/news-roundup-hour-2
Soldiers from B Company 2-187 Infantry 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) perform their sensitive sites exploitation (SSE) in an Afghan village near the Pakistan border (2002)
SGT Ronald Mitchell for the U.S. Army Korea IMCOM
World leaders agree to secure all nuclear material within four years and China's economy grows by double digits: A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.
Guests
David Wood
national security correspondent, PoliticsDaily.com.
Elise Labott
senior State Department producer for CNN.
Martin Walker
foreign affairs writer, United Press International.
Comments
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Why did President Obama shut out the press coverage of the nuclear summit?
i believe ms labott used a poor choice of words when she commented that being in the "valley of death" was a waste of time. The kids that died there didn't think so.
I have a PhD in Oceanography and as much as I think climate change is a very important issue, please don't imply that volcanic eruptions or earthquakes can be caused by climate change. that is absolutely impossible. earthquakes and for sure volcanic eruptions might contribute to climate change but not be cause by it.
let's avoid to make statements that might sound popular but are absolutely not based on any scientific fact.
I listened with dismay to the panel's response to human impact on frequency of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Cognizant of the fact that they do not have background in science (and specifically geology), I want to "set the record straight." While humans can and do have a significant impact on the atmosphere and the biosphere, most geologic processes proceed on an altogether different pace and scale. Large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are not occurring with any more frequency than they have for millions of years. What has changed significantly is our population and thus, our exposure to these natural hazards. We have not had a statistically larger number of magnitude 6+ earthquakes this year, but we have had them in more populated areas than in years past. This is not due to any increase in human activity...but simply a result of unfortunate placement and growth of our communities in tectonically active areas.
As usual, the show could not end without at least yet another snipe at Israel and the "settlements" as being THE culprit standing in the way of world peace, love and happiness. This has become typical in the palestinian propaganda pogrom against the Jewish state. Once again, it must be reiterated that the "settlements" represent no more than 2% of the entire area of the West Bank and Gaza. As for the much ballyhooed "demographic threat," Jews as of today are still the majority west of the Jordan river, and the Arab birth rate has fallen substantially as more Arab women have to get out there and work. Once again I have to reiterate that the solution to the problem is for the Muslim world to recognize the right of the Jewish state to exist in peace and sit down at the negotation table without preconditions as if ISrael were the vanquished having to give in to diktats and ultimatuts. Thank you.
I agree with those who were disturbed by the host's and panelists' apparent lack of understanding of natural phenomena. Have we become so enamored with "climate change" theory that "experienced" journalists can no longer intelligently discuss natural occurrences? Their responses to the listener's question about the recent earthquakes and the volcanic eruption were very disappointing and frankly rather frightening (these people are interpreting the news for us?). Is it possible that Diane might revisit this on Monday with a more scientific discussion?
I wonder if Ms. Rheam is aware that her comment that increased volcano activity might be due to AGW is as ridiculous that suggesting that an increase in people getting broken legs in Germany might be due to increased child obesity in the USA.
I was truly shocked that a respected broadcaster that has hosted debates about climate change on NPR could be so utterly ignorant of the most basic fundamentals of the subject. Even Al Gore doesn't attribute Volcano activity to AGW although he most probably would if he thought there was any chance he could do so without ruining his credibiltyy all together ( as Ms. Rheam did on Friday).
... please don't imply that volcanic eruptions or earthquakes can be caused by climate change. that is absolutely impossible.
I don't think this is correct. Just doing a quick search on Google Scholar, I see a lot of articles in the mainstream literature (e.g., Journal of Geophysical Research) that connect the vertical shifting of tectonic plates to the loss of ice mass at the end of the last ice age.
I'd be interested in what current researchers in this field have to say about it. At first glance it seems unlikely that current melting could be connected, but there does seem to be at least some potential relationship, and it is not "absolutely impossible."
Absolute impossibility is itself a stretch, since we don't know what we don't know.
GMG
I agree that "Absolute impossibility is itself a stretch" because, as you say, we don't know what we don't know.
However; Though it might be the case that volcano activity might be linked to AGW it is, like a possible link between broken legs in Germany and childhood obesity in the USA: extremely unlikely!
I think that it is far more likely that Diane Rhem hasn't the scientific background to form her own opinion and being the true party apparatchik that she is has bought the Al Gore line hook, line and sinker.
As far as I know, is no known or suspected connection between broken legs in Germany and childhood obesity in the USA; there is a known connection between the behavior of tectonic plates and the atmosphere via ice mass loss.
Go to scholar.google.com and search for glacial isostatic rebound, and you will see many scientific articles about it.
There is also a summary at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-glacial_rebound. Interestingly, from the latter:
"One of the possible impacts of global warming triggered rebound may be more volcanic activity in previously ice capped areas such as Iceland."
Here's an article about it in the mainstream press:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/7604188/Volca...