OPINION/COMMENTARY

Malthusian Warming

Two science studies (1, 2) were published last week that advanced the view that, even if we stop producing greenhouse gases immediately, global temperatures will continue to increase for decades to come. This effect is attributed to the long time necessary for the Earth's climate, especially the deep ocean, to readjust to the radiative forcing from greenhouse gases we have already put into the atmosphere. The fundamental concept is not new. It has long been recognized that if the Earth allows a radiative imbalance to persist (an important distinction) that it will take decades for much of the resulting temperature change to be realized by the deep oceans. Radiative balance is the most important paradigm in climate change research. Sunlight is essentially the only energy source for the climate system, and must be exactly balanced by the loss of infrared (heat) radiation to space in order for the temperature of the system to remain constant....

===