NASA finds yet another confirmation of global warming.

So you want more proof that global warming is happening? NASA has recently found some.

It seems that the various bits that get discarded by launch vehicles during the process of putting satellites up into orbit are staying up there. What normally should happen is that these discarded stage-rocket pieces encounter trace gasses in the upper stratosphere, decelerate due to the drag, and then return to earth, burning up in the lower atmosphere.

Well, wouldn't you know it, the increased CO2 is retaining more long-wave radiation near our planet's surface. That means that while it makes the lower-most layers of the Troposphere (below the clouds, where we are) warmer, less long-wave radiation can reach the upper stratosphere to make it warmer. Since this reflected long-wave radiation makes up a significant warming factor in these highest layers, we are seeing, paradoxically, that the uppermost stratospheric layers are growing cooler. That's right, global warming is heating the surface, while cooling the upper stratosphere. The result of this cooling is that these high-altitude layers are thinning out as they cool, with the air molecules growing closer to the planetary surface.

NASA noticed this cooling trend in an interesting way. While tracking the discarded stage-rocket pieces, they noticed they were staying in orbit, and not returning to Earth. This got a few heads busy, and they began to research why. When they found the cooling trend in the upper stratosphere, they knew they'd found the culprit, since fewer air molecules could decelerate these bits of space debris. But they also knew they'd found a problem. If those extra pieces of space junk end up staying in orbit for far longer, it drastically increases the odds of another rocket or satellite crashing into one of those pieces.

So, now global warming now threatens everyone's cable TV reception. Maybe that will finally get people off their gas-guzzling lazy asses!

Notice how this directly contradicts the right-wing media machine, which consistently tries to tell people that global warming isn't happening because the upper stratospheric layers are growing warmer. No, not according to NASA, they aren't! Talk about yet another blatent Fox-News lie! And if you want confirmation on this, check it out on Planetary Radio, as podcasted on the Planetary Society's website, www.planetary.org. None other than Bill Nye himself reported NASA's findings.

I think Senator Al Franken said it best: You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

Eric