...it's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there...

March 28, 2004

Nonsense

Correct me if i'm wrong but does the caption make sense with this picture?

If that's a nuclear power plant, i think that would be steam coming out of the cooling towers.

Last i heard, water vapor was not a greenhouse gas.

This is simply further proof that all journalists are idiots.


Update: Okay, i stand corrected. Water vapor is a greenhouse gas, and as Pixy Misa and Mythilt pointed out, a very significant one. In fact, according to this web page, water vapor is bad, while clouds are good.

Does this mean that i owe all journalists an apology? Fuck no, they're still idiots.

Update 2: i was going to have some hot tea this afternoon, but i decided against it. i was afraid the steam from the hot water might contribute to global warming. Sheesh!

Posted by annika, Mar. 28, 2004 |
Rubric: The Huh? Files



Comments

Right on Annika

Posted by: Chuck on Mar. 28, 2004

As if any more proof was required.

Posted by: Dave J on Mar. 28, 2004

Technically it's not really steam. Steam is invisible. But, it is water vapor.

Just to be technical.

Posted by: Bastard on Mar. 28, 2004

Um, annika... Water vapour is a greenhouse gas. Quite a significant one too.

Still, the picture doesn't fit the story.

Posted by: Pixy Misa on Mar. 28, 2004

First, water is a green house gas (According to a Harvard(!) study, it is the most important gas in climate changes, something the watermelons can't admit of course.)

Secondly, that might not be a nuclear plant, some oil fired plants use the same style cooling towers. (It is water condensate from steam that you see though.)

Posted by: Mythilt on Mar. 29, 2004

How the heck can water vapor be a greenhouse gas?

And if water vapor is a greenhouse gas, how the heck can we ever hope to stop so-called global warming? Do we outlaw clouds?

Please explain or provide links.

Posted by: annika on Mar. 29, 2004

Well, I know it's a literal greenhouse gas, i.e., that greenhouses are usually pretty humid. Beyond that, whether it's a greenhouse gas in the usual environmental sense of that term I'll leave to peole who know about such things, although for some reason the idea has my bullshit detector going off.

Posted by: Dave J on Mar. 29, 2004

I read that website, and it just gave me a headache. I ain't gonna worry 'bout it.

Posted by: notGeorge on Mar. 29, 2004

Water vapor is not a gas at all, so it could possibly be a greenhouse gas.

Posted by: Brant on Mar. 29, 2004

That is, it could not possibly be a greenhouse gas.

Posted by: Brant on Mar. 29, 2004

Water vapor is a gas in the sense that it doesn't conform to a topless container like a liquid. I guess that, colloquially, we'd think of it as a "mist", but if it's airbourne then it's concidered a gas.
It's a greenhouse gas, but the term "greenhouse gas" isn't a positive or negative description. Water vapors' ability to trap heat keeps the rivers from freezing solid during the night. It's only the EXCESS of greenhouse gasses that could cause problems by overheating the climate.

Oh, and yeah, plenty of journalists are idiots. Just recently President Bush was flying to the White House on Marine One, and some ditzy reporter on the White House beat said something like: "...and President Bush has unboarded from Air Force One and will be arriving here shortly aboard... oh, "Helicopter One" I guess we could call it..."

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