The Latest On The CLOUD Experiment at CERN
By Sebastian Lüning and Fritz Vahrenholt
On May 10, 2013, at the online Austrian ORF, there was a rare interview with the CLOUD Experiment director of the European European Organization for Nuclear Research, Jasper Kirkby. Within the scope of the CLOUD project, it is being investigated to what extent solar activity has on cloud formation via the mechanism of cosmic radiation and the impact this could have on the Earth’s climate (see Chapter 6 of our book “Die kalte Sonne“). Here’s an excerpt of the worthwhile interview:
ORF: What is the relationship between solar activity and cosmic radiation?
Kirkby: Cosmic radiation consists of high energy, charged particles. When they reach our solar system, they are deflected away by the magnetic field of the sun. Foremost by the magnetic field of the solar plasma. When the sun is active, less cosmic radiation reaches the Earth. The relationship to the solar cycle: When there are many sunspots, the Earth receives 10 – 30% less cosmic radiation.
Is this relationship sure?
Yes, it is solidly confirmed. We also know that cosmic radiation ionizes every cubic centimeter of the Earth’s atmosphere. Unsure so far is whether or not this also could have a climatic impact. Clouds are extremely important for the Earth’s climate. If I could magically eliminate all clouds from the atmosphere, then 30 watts of additional heat energy would reach every square meter of the Earth.
To put this number into context: The warming of the atmosphere through the impacts of man is currently pegged at 1.5 watts per square meter. Small variations in cloud cover could have large impacts.
What do your experiments show?
At this point in time we cannot say if cosmic radiation impacts the climate. So far up to now we have investigated the production of condensation nuclei for cloud droplets – particularly those that are formed from gas, i.e. gas-to-particle-conversion”. They represent about half of the condensation nuclei in the atmosphere. The remaining nuclei come from soot and dust.
What gases are involved in this process?
We have looked at sulfuric acid and ammonia. The results of the first trials: Cosmic radiation enhances the formation of condensation nuclei from gases by a factor of 10. But that alone is too little to have a significant impact on cloud formation. According to our latest experiments, there has to be another gas or vapor involved that enhances this process. We suspect organic substances.
Which ones?
The results are currently being reviewed by a journal. Unfortunately I can’t tell you more. Only this much: The results are very interesting. Over the course of the year there are going to be some publications on the subject.
Let’s assume that you are able to show that cosmic radiation indeed does contribute a lot to cloud formation. What would that mean?
I think that the experiments are important in two ways. Firstly, they would show that there is a natural source to climate change. And the other point is that it would change our understanding of anthropogenic climate change. We know quite a bit about greenhouse gases. What we know little about are aerosols. These are particles that come from industry floating in the atmosphere. They surely have a cooling effect. However, we have no idea just how great this effect is. It may be small, but it may be very big. Maybe it is even big enough to offset the additional CO2 in the atmosphere.. We don’t know.
Continue reading at ORF.at.”
Image source: NASA, public domain image.
Imagine the special interests all trying to exert pressure one way or the other. From the interview, it seems the results aren’t going to please everybody. The following statment tells me they’ve found that something is missing and that the cosmic factor is real….
“According to our latest experiments, there has to be another gas or vapor involved that enhances this process. We suspect organic substances.”
Interesting stuff, inference being: it’s all about NATURAL variability and solar influence, and the best answer is – “we just don’t know”.
Consensus – gentlemen?
“When the sun is active, less cosmic radiation reaches the Earth. The relationship to the solar cycle: When there are many sunspots, the Earth receives 10 – 30% less cosmic radiation.”
Forget about Man Made CO2=Global Warming [our puny input – it never was a factor] but the above paragraph is a ‘chilling’ warning.
As the sun goes quiescent, dig out your warm clothes AGAIN this winter and for the foreseeable future [and how long is a piece of string?] – because NH Temp’s are set to ‘go south’.
Are you listening in Brussels?
>>Are you listening in Brussels?<<
The Bureaucrats in Brussels are only interested in banning olive oil jugs from restaurants.
How many freezing winters in a row make a LIA?
“According to our latest experiments, there has to be another gas or vapor involved that enhances this process. We suspect organic substances.”
Methane perhaps? That would be ironic
Algae produce DMS, Dimethyl sulfide when they feel the water is getting too warm – this is something that Lovelock found out and it lead him to his original Gaia theory, not as a mysthical godhead but as a self stabilizing feedback loop characterized by the involvement of life forms – ; trees produce VOC’s; maybe with the same purpose.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/07/31/walking-the-plank-ton
It is ironic that Lovelock has on the one hand found evidence for self stabilization in nature, yet he was at the same time through all the decades heavily involved with the CO2 alarmists and profited big time by selling hyper alarmist books (“the last humans will be a few breeding pairs in the arctis”).
A good salesman.
“One of country’s leading environmentalists has described wind turbines as “monuments of a failed civilisation”.”
http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/Gaia-founder-North-Devon-based-Professor-James/story-18031234-detail/story.html#axzz2TrKST4Fc
He’s all in favour of fracking by the way
Yeah that might be so, and Lovelock might actually be an intelligent fellow. My problem with him his that he plays the catastrophist alarmist when he needs to sell books. So when is he acting and when is he honest. I tend to register such people but wouldn’t ever trust them.
Remember: The southern hemisphere has less aerosols but, as far as I know, the same climate reactions!
If the missing substance is the DMS produced by algae, the SH has an abundance of that.
I’m quite sure that the water vapor is forming more clouds through more cosmic rays.
Clouds have a cooling factor, as more sun light is reflected back and the resulting rain will cool the ground and air below the clouds, too.
I’ve seen quite a lot of cloud cover last year over Ireland. Last year was quite wet and cold, even if the annual average it hides. But that’s average and you can hide the Titanic for example in a lake that is in average only 10 cm deep.
The potato harvest last year and other factors show the impact better.
The winter was quite cold and long into the spring that the farmers had not enough hay and it had to import it. Again, the cloud cover was noticeable.
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“….He’s all in favour of fracking by the way….”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Of course he is that was the whole point of CAGW!
As Obama Promised: Energy Prices to Soon Skyrocket
Obama Pushes Natural-Gas Fracking to Create 600,000 U.S. Jobs
The whole CAGW – War on Coal is what is know as a Broken Window Fallacy It is a method for transferring wealth from the poor to the rich with no real benefit to society.
Too bad the rank and file socialists/environmentalists can’t see they have been used to benefit the 1% they are always screaming about.