Take part in the great BBC Climate Change Experiment!

[maninthemoon]

The BBC is conducting a vast experiment in climate change and you can take part!

 

Basically they need you to download the software that will allow you to run a weather model, to help predict what will happen to the weather in the future. The software runs in the background so you use your computer normally. Thousands of participants are needed in order to run as many models as possible, with each one being slightly different to take account of the millions of variables. Remember that 10,000 computers are equal to the worlds most powerful super computer and the beeb wants many more than this.

So if you are serious about global warming now is your chance to help find out what is really happening.

 

Visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/climatechange and you can make a difference.

 

Thanks for reading mitm.

[KLB]

In regards to the poll attached to this thread, I think there is little doubt that what we are expierencing is a combination of natural cycles made worse by what we do. For about 150 years we have been coming out of a little ice age (http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/lia/little_ice_age.html). What worries me is what is going to happen as all of the CO2 is released from the arctic and sub-arctic tundra as the permafrost melts.

[maninthemoon]

On top of that, what happens to people living in these areas? Imagine trying to move around when the ground has turned to mush or is flooded. No fun if you are a caribou trying to migrate either.

[bluesmudge]

I've tried the software out a month or so back now - its awful, its meant to quietly work out when best to use the CPU, and adjust its priority depending on what you're doing - to put it lightly it doesn't.

 

I would only do this if you're not expecting to do any computing that requires alot of CPU time, if i had a spare computer i would only run it on that.

[herpguy]

I don't like the poll choices. When you say "definetly a problem" I totally agree. But isn't it also a problem if it is a natural cycle made worse by humans. And don't forget that a natural cycle doesn't mean that it won't cause problems.

 

Btw, I posted a poll about what you think is causing global warming here.

[bascule]

False dichotomy. Your poll suggests that climate change via a natural cycle would not pose a problem. Climate vulnerabilities remain regardless of whether climate change is primarily natural or anthropogenic.

[Prime-Evil]

I wonder if there is less total biomass, especially because of deforestation and charcoal burning since 1500, and this has made the world more vulnerable to increased carbon dioxide levels caused by fossil fuel burning.

 

Where do I get data on global biomass levels since 1500 ?

 

My current best guess:

Year 1800: 1 Billion People 0.03%, Trees 75%, Total 1,000 Billion Tons Carbon

Year 2000: 6 Billion People 0.33%, Trees 50%, Total 500 Billion Tons Carbon

Year 2100: 10 Billion People 1.00%, Trees 25%, Total 250 Billion Tons Carbon

 

Just guessing. Any good studies on historical biomass levels?

[maninthemoon]

I've tried the software out a month or so back now - its awful' date=' its meant to quietly work out when best to use the CPU, and adjust its priority depending on what you're doing - to put it lightly it doesn't.

 

I would only do this if you're not expecting to do any computing that requires alot of CPU time, if i had a spare computer i would only run it on that.[/quote']

Sorry you had a problem with this. I am running it on a machine with a 1.8 Gb processor with only 512Mb of memory and using the machine for everything else too. I have had no problems at all and wondered if the program has not installed properly or that some other process is hogging resources.