Now you can enjoy Earth View in your browser. You just have to download Google Earth Plugin and enjoy Google Earth in your browser itself.
Users can perform these all things. Its very similar to Google Earth.
- fly to the location of their choice
- zoom, pan and tilt using the navigation tools on the left side of the screen
- explore 3D buildings and terrain
- search for businesses and get directions
Click here Google Earth Plugin
Enjoy the plugin!
In February 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated in their Fourth Assessment Report that human actions are “very likely” (i.e. with 90% or greater probability) the cause of global warming, indicated by an increase of 0.75 degrees in average global temperatures over the last 100 years. This statement is the result of very tough discussions on a worldwide scale between thousands of climate researchers whether human activity is the main cause of global warming. The results of this discussion were presented to the public in many publications, for instance in Martin Durkin´s documentary “The Great Global Warming Swindle”, presented in March 2007 at UK´s Channel 4. The main message of this production was that man-made global warming is “a lie” and “the biggest scam of modern times.” Martin Durkin and coworkers argue that the scientific consensus on climate change is the product of “a multibillion-dollar worldwide industry, created by fanatically anti-industrial environmentalists, supported by scientists peddling scare stories to chase funding and propped up by complicit politicians and the media”. The documentary showcases scientists, politicians, economists, writers, and others who are sceptical of the scientific consensus on anthropogenic (or man-made) global warming. Some of the scientists, opposing the main stream of greenhouse gas theories, simply argue that it has not yet been ascertained whether humans are the primary cause of global warming or if there are other natural variations responsible for this phenomenon like increased solar activity, cosmic rays or variations in natural climatic cycles. There is also a series of scientists questioning the temperature records used in the databases as temperature differences attributed to the greenhouse effect are reasonable small (fractions of a ºC). The so-called “urban heat island” effect leads to a local warming in more populated areas, showing slightly higher temperatures due to to increased heat generated by cities, rather than a global temperature rise. Anyhow, this argument was confuted by the IPPC, indicating that the effect of the urban heat island on the global temperature trend is no more than 0.05 °C (0.09 °F) degrees through 1990.
Other facts presented by the film were shown to be incorrect or misinterpreted. The film asserts for instance that records of atmospheric CO2 levels since 1940 show a continuing increase, but during this period, global temperature decreased until 1975, and has increased since then. Anyhow, it is well recognized that this cooling was driven mostly by aerosols (i.e. pollution) in the atmosphere. There is nothing contradictory about this cooling when all sources of radiation changes are considered. A second argument that easily can be invalidated is the impact of the so-called “solar variation theory” on global warming. According to the authors, solar activity (and involving cosmic rays as well as heat from the sun aiding cloud formation) is currently at an extremely high level and directly linked to changes in global temperature. The film argues that solar activity is far more influential on global warming than any other anthropogenic or natural activity on Earth. What the film does not mention is that solar activity has declined over the last 30 years – at the same time as the major spike in global temperature.
But there are some statements related to the influence of the oceanic mass and water vapour on climate change which are more difficult to confute. Water vapour makes up about 98% of the greenhouse gases by volume and provides something between 40 to 80 percent of the natural greenhouse effect. It probably has the largest impact on the planet’s temperature and climatic conditions, much larger than CO2. Water particles in the form of clouds act to reflect incoming solar heat, but the film argues that the effects of clouds cannot be accurately simulated by scientists attempting to predict future weather patterns and their effects on global warming. This argument probably is correct and it is well recognized that water vapor is responsible for the natural warming up of the surface temperature to approximately 30-35ºC. Anthropogenic greenhouse effect, according to the film’s argumentation, is only about 2% of the total “natural” greenhouse effect, which corresponds to a 0.6-0.7 ºC increase in temperature. This estimate is somewhat smaller compared to the results of much more sophisticated simulations (0.9 – 2.7ºC), but there is undoubtedly an anthropogenic effect of CO2 increasing the average surface temperature.
One example of the complexity of climatic simulations is the prediction of future storm events considering global warming effects. According to a recently published study, published online by research meteorologist Tom Knutson in the journal Nature Geoscience and resumed in the New York Times (May 18, 2008), global warming isn’t to blame for the recent jump in hurricanes in the Atlantic. The study predicts that by the end of the century the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic will fall by 18 percent. In the past, Knutson has raised concerns about the effects of climate change on storms. His new paper has the potential to heat up a simmering debate among meteorologists about current and future effects of global warming in the Atlantic. And Knutson is not alone with this view. Another group of experts, those who study hurricanes and who are more often skeptical about global warming, also say there is no link between global warming and hurricane frequency. They attribute the recent increase to a natural multi-decade cycle. According to the prediction, the number of hurricanes touching land in the US and its neighbors will drop by about 30 percent because of wind factors. However, the biggest storms, those with winds of more than 110 mph, would only decrease in frequency by 8 percent. The biggest decrease is forecasted for storms with winds between 39 and 73 mph (normal tropical storms), who would decrease by 27 percent.
It’s not all good news from Knutson’s study, however. His computer model also forecasts that “hurricanes and tropical storms will be wetter and fiercer. Rainfall within 30 miles of a hurricane should jump by 37 percent and wind strength should increase by about 2 percent”, Knutson’s study says.
There are already critical reactions on this new publication. MIT hurricane meteorologist Kerry Emanuel claims that the computer model used by Knutson is not adequate enough to look at storms and according to Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist from the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., Knutson’s computer model is poor at assessing tropical weather and ”fail to replicate storms with any kind of fidelity.” It also does not considering well enough the intensity, duration and size of the storm events, as not only the number of hurricanes is important to evaluate.
Positive feedback comes from NOAA hurricane meteorologist Chris Landsea , who wasn’t part of this study, praised Knutson’s work as ”very consistent with what’s being said all along.” ”I think global warming is a big concern, but when it comes to hurricanes the evidence for changes is pretty darn tiny,” Landsea said.
If humans had already colonized Jupiter, Neptune and Mars, it would certainly be all our fault. In fact, the United Nations Planetary Climate Change Council would be receiving the Nobel Peace Prize right about now. Their scientific statement would refer to Jupiter, Neptune and Mars as being in danger of man-made, irreversible, global climate change due to green house gas emissions.It would be said that all scientists in every nation would be in agreement concerning a dubious future for each of these planets with humans as the cause. There would be no skeptics or doubters. Any dissenting opinion would be dismissed and ridiculed. Of course, there would still be time to save these planets from climate change holocaust, if humans would only change their behavior. The problem for the proponents of man-made global warming is that planets, like Jupiter, Mars, and Neptune, do not have any known inhabitants. So, humans cannot be responsible for the global climate change occurring on each of these four planets today. Just think about that for a moment. Global warming and climate change occurring on planets in this solar system that cannot be connected to any man-made cause.Of course, the warming of the Earth during the last century is absolutely man-made if you listen to many of the devoted disciples of global warming. However, isn’t it somewhat presumptuous to assume that humans have the power to control global climate change on Earth? Isn’t it is also presumptuous to assume that global climate change is not part of a long term planetary cycle and that even the sun does not play a major role? No, the true believers of man-made global warming are devoted to a cause. Their cause is to save the planet from a global warming holocaust in the next century brought on by the release of CO2 emissions caused by the reckless consumption of man. While many planets in our solar system are warming without any human intervention, the Earth has been experiencing dramatic cooling. Last year, dramatic global cooling was measured by all four agencies that track the Earth’s temperature (the Hadley Climate Research Unit in Britain, the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, the Christy group at the University of Alabama, and Remote Sensing Systems Inc in California). It is now estimated that the Earth cooled by about 0.7C in 2007 which is the fastest temperature change on record. In addition, the global cooling trend has continued into the first five months of 2008.Of course, faced with the current cooling trend, past climate predictions of global warming for our immediate future are suddenly at risk. In fact, as global temperatures fall, the 0.3°C global average temperature rise which had been the prediction for the next decade by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will soon have to be revised and explained. Already, some scientists are coming up with a possible reason to keep the true believers faithful to the cause. It is a sort of global warming interrupted rationalization because many researchers now expect a “lull” for up to a decade while natural variations in climate apparently cancel out the increases caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions. So, it now could be a much colder decade ahead even as the world continues to fight man- made global warming. Meanwhile, it will be increasingly difficult to explain to one billion starving people across the planet, that there is a global food shortage while nations grow corn to use as bio fuel to counter man-made global warming, even though the planet is in fact dramatically cooling.However, a recent edition of Time Magazine has a recipe that may prove helpful to avoid world starvation while saving the environment at the same time. In another of their many stories on the environment and society, the magazine has a feature on eating insects. A video featured at Time.com actually shows people how to cook them.Eating insects means the world would consume less meat. Eating less meat would result in less carbon emissions which would result in relief from man-made global warming. Time.com will show you how to cook beetles, grasshoppers, silkworms, and centipedes. Of course, eating the insects raw would use less energy and be even better for the environment.If you want to listen to the proponents of man-made global warming, just forget the fact that other planets in the solar system are warming dramatically without any human inhabitants. Also, disregard the fact that the Earth is currently experiencing a dramatic cooling trend. So, fight to save the planet from global warming by ordering your new heavy winter coat and continue to advocate growing corn for use as bio fuel. To the true believers of man made climate change, the next decade may be global warming interrupted but for the good of the planet people should be eating raw bugs anyway. The truth is that all of this man-made global warming hysteria continues to make very little common or economic sense to me.
James William Smith has worked in Senior management positions for some of the largest Financial Services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Visit his website at http://www.eWorldvu.com
“Hell was full, I came back!”
This is a funny quote which was written on back of a Bike. I don’t understand why they write on the bike, Is that he is so helly person? Or Earth is also another hell? I didn’t understand at all but got huge laugh
Surabhi Mudra is performed by touching the tips of Little Finger ( Water ) of left hand to the Ring Finger ( Earth ) of the right hand, and again Little Finger ( Water ) of right hand to the Ring Finger ( Earth ) of the left hand. Same way the Middle Fingers ( Space ) of both the hands should touch the Index Finger ( Air ) of the other Hand. Keeping the Thumbs ( Fire ) extended.
This mudra can be performed for 15 Minutes in a day. This mudra is very much helpful for curing Rheumatism.