Dust Storms Spread Deadly Diseases Worldwide, But May Ease Effects Of Climate Change: Researchers

The Observer:

Huge dust storms, like the ones that blanketed Sydney twice last week, hit Queensland yesterday and turned the air red across much of eastern Australia, are spreading lethal epidemics around the world. However, they can also absorb climate change emissions, say researchers studying the little understood but growing phenomenon.

Read the whole story: The Observer

Comments

[RomeoMD25]

Warmer temperatures are beneficial and won't raise the sea levels as the fanatic tree-huggers want you to believe. Here is an experiment anyone can do to show melting Ice DOES NOT raise the water level:
1- add water and ice to any container (measuring cup etc.)
2- note the water level (may use a marker to mark the water level)
3- wait for all the ice to melt.
4- note the water level again.

You will find that the water lever remains the same even after all the ice has melted.

[Weehawk]

Except for one thing: this ice is on LAND.

[Spiky Kitten]

The north pole is land?

[texfly]

Romeo, Romeo, how dumb art thou Romeo.

[texfly]

Here's an experiment that is more like what sea level rise means:

1) Place a gallon container of boiling water, filled to the brim, on your lap.

2) Have a good friend slowly put a 1-lb block of ice into the container.

3) Measure the intensity of your scream.

4) Submit the results after you get out of the hospital.

[OliverTwist]

"However, research increasingly suggests that the dust could be mitigating climate change, both by reflecting sunlight in the atmosphere and fertilising the oceans with nutrients. Iron-rich dust blown from Australia and from the Gobi and Sahara deserts is largely deposited in oceans, where it has been observed to feed phytoplankton, the microscopic marine plants that are the first link in the oceanic food chain and absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide. In addition, the upper layers of the rainforest in Brazil are thought to derive much of their nutrient supply from dust transported across the Atlantic from the Sahara."

"Mitigating"?

Atmospheric particulates block input of sunlight to the surface and thereby cause unreflective surfaces to become cooler, but also cause plantlife to receive less light and grow less or even die, and deposit particles on relective surfaces which cause them to be less reflective and become warmer.

"Mitigating" seems a stretch.

[texfly]

Besides that the particles eventually settle and you're back to square one. Remember Mt Pinatubo?

[fumes]

gotta love that balance of nature!

[elmerfude]

We just had another dust storm where I live. It absorbed so much CO2 that the coffee at Starbuck's was noticeably cooler. I have also been able to verify your theory that it cools off when the sun goes down--except when a chinook wind comes up and causes a dust storm.

[DallasDon]

"It's the End of Days!" According to Sarah Palin.

And I thought twisters, sandstorms and dust devils were bad in Texas. How do you go about removing 23 million tons of sand from a city? That's one really big cat box.

We're all gonna Die!

[wilray]

Everything has to be wrapped up by 2012. I haven't even been to Disneyland Yet.

[So Calif Ind]

The best way for liberals to cut their carbon footprint is to not have children. If you truly believe that we desperately need to do something then quite having children. Show the world by example liberals.

[SharonWantsToTalk]

That is such a cop out as well as an ineffective means of how not to effect climate change. We need all our minions, our offspring included, to carry on the mantra of carbon reduction. Us liberals will continue to have children. And we will also continue to teach them that each generation including their own,are the stewards of this planet. And as such they need to treat it with the dignity and respect afforded to any life form, even non liberals.

[Colloquielle]

And let the crazy people breed us out? I don't think so.

[ZbigniewZancriewicz]

"...quite having children." ???

Huh?

[OliverTwist]

There it is. The final solution that some think will save them from global climate change and from resource depletion as well at the last minute. And all they need to do is ----- nothing.

Bad idea.

[OliverTwist]

There it is. The final solution that some think will save them from global climate change and from resource depletion as well at the last minute.

And because global climate change will bring about unsurvivable conditions for much of the world's population, all they need to do is ----- nothing.

Bad idea.

[toxicbrainpoison]

Sure cause we all remember how GREAT Black Friday was for our environment. Dust storms are a symptom of a soil erosion problem exacerbated by drought and look what happened 70-80 years ago. Thousands of farmers picked up and tried to relocate because their livelihoods and economies just fell apart under those storms and it wasnt until they blackened the skies of the White House that FDR went for it.

[rivahcat]

Doesn't matter. The world ends on 12/12/2012. Haven't you heard???

[LeftoftheLeft]

Well it's about time.

[YankinCanada]

I have my towel at hand

[sviolette]

So what are you saying? The earth will survive but it will kill us? Jon Stewart's friend is right the earth hates us.

[toxicbrainpoison]

soil rehabilitation and reforestation where possible. that will help. it will retain more moisture.

[HHUA]

Can you blame her?

[fumes]

zing!