Deepest Solar Minimum in Nearly a Century:

[Kathryn41 3,205]

and then of course today we get the news that the Sun is alive and well and developing solar activity on the far side of the sun:

Space Weather News for May 6, 2009

http://spaceweather.com

NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft is monitoring an active region hidden behind the sun's eastern limb. On May 5th, it produced an impressive coronal mass ejection (CME) and a burst of radio emissions signalling the passage of a shock wave through the sun's outer atmosphere. Activity has continued apace today, May 6th, with at least two more eruptions. The blast site is not yet visible from Earth, but the sun is turning the region toward us for a better view. Is a new-cycle sunspot in the offing? Readers with solar telescopes could see it emerge as early as May 7th or 8th. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images, movies and updates.

[GaryC 7]

So Gary, do you think the elimination of the rain forests is a good thing for the human species? Down 50% and counting...

What about ocean acidification?

Particulate pollution that aggravates lung disease?

All those things are very serious and should be addressed. You get no argument from me. My only bug-a-boo is the insane idea of man made global warming. All other real pollution I want reduced.

[Peikko 1,575]

Fair enough. I guess I don't like the dominance of the 'global warming' agenda any more than you do, but for slightly different reasons I suspect.

[yogib37 3]

So Gary, do you think the elimination of the rain forests is a good thing for the human species? Down 50% and counting...

What about ocean acidification?

Particulate pollution that aggravates lung disease?

All those things are very serious and should be addressed. You get no argument from me. My only bug-a-boo is the insane idea of man made global warming. All other real pollution I want reduced.

It just want to make people feel relax and know that someone is working on a solution to the problem.

The Late Great George Carlin maybe said it best, 'the earth has been through worst things then humans, humans are just a nusese, and will one day shake us all off like a bad case of fleas.'

IMHO

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

So Gary, do you think the elimination of the rain forests is a good thing for the human species? Down 50% and counting...

What about ocean acidification?

Particulate pollution that aggravates lung disease?

All those things are very serious and should be addressed. You get no argument from me. My only bug-a-boo is the insane idea of man made global warming. All other real pollution I want reduced.

It just want to make people feel relax and know that someone is working on a solution to the problem.

The Late Great George Carlin maybe said it best, 'the earth has been through worst things then humans, humans are just a nusese, and will one day shake us all off like a bad case of fleas.'

IMHO

True. A few million years after humans are gone, you will be hard pressed to find any sign we were ever here. We may be barely a footnote in the long history of the planet.

[Pooky 3,786]

So Gary, do you think the elimination of the rain forests is a good thing for the human species? Down 50% and counting...

What about ocean acidification?

Particulate pollution that aggravates lung disease?

All those things are very serious and should be addressed. You get no argument from me. My only bug-a-boo is the insane idea of man made global warming. All other real pollution I want reduced.

It just want to make people feel relax and know that someone is working on a solution to the problem.

The Late Great George Carlin maybe said it best, 'the earth has been through worst things then humans, humans are just a nusese, and will one day shake us all off like a bad case of fleas.'

IMHO

True. A few million years after humans are gone, you will be hard pressed to find any sign we were ever here. We may be barely a footnote in the long history of the planet.

A few million years after humans are gone? Try a few hundred years. There's a fascinating series on Discovery at the moment which delves into just how fast nature will re-take the planet if humans should disappear overnight.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

So Gary, do you think the elimination of the rain forests is a good thing for the human species? Down 50% and counting...

What about ocean acidification?

Particulate pollution that aggravates lung disease?

All those things are very serious and should be addressed. You get no argument from me. My only bug-a-boo is the insane idea of man made global warming. All other real pollution I want reduced.

It just want to make people feel relax and know that someone is working on a solution to the problem.

The Late Great George Carlin maybe said it best, 'the earth has been through worst things then humans, humans are just a nusese, and will one day shake us all off like a bad case of fleas.'

IMHO

True. A few million years after humans are gone, you will be hard pressed to find any sign we were ever here. We may be barely a footnote in the long history of the planet.

A few million years after humans are gone? Try a few hundred years. There's a fascinating series on Discovery at the moment which delves into just how fast nature will re-take the planet if humans should disappear overnight.

I watched some of that. I gave what I think was a safe number, but as you said, nature will obscure much of what we have done quickly. We still, however, find signs of prehistoric life all over the place. And some of our manufactured artifacts will endure for a long time, although buried under sediment and vegetation. We are still discovering civilizations from thousands of years ago. But then again, we are the ones doing the looking, and it may be easier for us to recognize where humans have been, more so than a non-human visitor.

[Pooky 3,786]

A few million years after humans are gone? Try a few hundred years. There's a fascinating series on Discovery at the moment which delves into just how fast nature will re-take the planet if humans should disappear overnight.

I watched some of that. I gave what I think was a safe number, but as you said, nature will obscure much of what we have done quickly. We still, however, find signs of prehistoric life all over the place. And some of our manufactured artifacts will endure for a long time, although buried under sediment and vegetation. We are still discovering civilizations from thousands of years ago. But then again, we are the ones doing the looking, and it may be easier for us to recognize where humans have been, more so than a non-human visitor.

Prehistoric Life? Is George Burns still alive?

[Danno 1,228]

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[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I'd take Heston's word for it. The guy was so old - that he was probably there at the dawn of time.

[Danno 1,228]

I'd take Heston's word for it. The guy was so old - that he was probably there at the dawn of time.

It's quite possible

[yogib37 3]

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WOW.. that is really well said and it almost was like a poem

but I have to agree with him. The earth will not miss us one bit