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Global Warming linked to sheep

RichardR

Master Poster
RichardR
Joined
Nov 21, 2001
Messages
2,274
Specifically sheep in New Zealand:

The hypothesis begins with the simple observation that most sheep are white, and therefore have a higher albedo than the land on which they typically graze (see figure below). This effect is confirmed by the recent Sheep Radiation Budget Experiment. The next step in the chain of logic is to note that the sheep population of New Zealand has plummeted in recent years. The resulting decrease in albedo leads to an increase in absorbed Solar radiation, thus warming the planet.
Click to expand...
More at the link. Especially, note the graphs.
 
I believe that you have overlooked a very important part of this problem: feral sheep. Look at all those hits! They are an incredibly destructive force, and they are not limited to tiny islands in the antipodes, but are EVERYWHERE. Eating every green thing in sight and reducing the carbon processing capabilities of the Earth, not to mention breathing out CO2 and farting CH4 everywhere! If we don't do something RIGHT AWAY, we'll be buried in feral sheep!!1! Quick, go buy a gun and help us DO something about this! And ignore the vested interests and their paid science shills claiming sheep can't have anything to do with this; we all know why THEY want to keep sheep. Do your part! Have mutton for dinner!
 
When they say "most sheep" I am guessing they mean domestic sheep. I don't know the world population of wild sheep - do domestic sheep outnumber wild sheep? I'm not real sure how to find out.

There is also a very strong demand for naturally colored wool, at least in the US cottage industry for hand woven goods. I help shear several flocks in NM every year and I doubt there are more than 10 white sheep in those flocks of several hundred colored sheep each. (This would be Navajo Churro sheep, the source of the famous Navajo blankets.)

I just wonder if the statistics came from a single source of sheep. New Zealand, say. And if that is the case, I would wonder what percentage of the Earth's surface is occupied by New Zealand, and how relevant that would be to the whole system. Wouldn't you have to account for sheep numbers, white or colored, world wide to get accurate figures? As far as I know, numbers of domestic sheep are falling in the US. (This according to some stuff sent my by the USDA. It may or may not be true.) Again, I don't know the numbers of wild sheep.
 
I keep hearing them in my dreams, those chilling cries: "Baaaaa<snarl>." I think they're following me.
 
Amapola said:
When they say "most sheep" I am guessing they mean domestic sheep. I don't know the world population of wild sheep - do domestic sheep outnumber wild sheep? I'm not real sure how to find out.

There is also a very strong demand for naturally colored wool, at least in the US cottage industry for hand woven goods. I help shear several flocks in NM every year and I doubt there are more than 10 white sheep in those flocks of several hundred colored sheep each. (This would be Navajo Churro sheep, the source of the famous Navajo blankets.)

I just wonder if the statistics came from a single source of sheep. New Zealand, say. And if that is the case, I would wonder what percentage of the Earth's surface is occupied by New Zealand, and how relevant that would be to the whole system. Wouldn't you have to account for sheep numbers, white or colored, world wide to get accurate figures? As far as I know, numbers of domestic sheep are falling in the US. (This according to some stuff sent my by the USDA. It may or may not be true.) Again, I don't know the numbers of wild sheep.
Click to expand...

Er...you know this is an April Fool? Or am I missing the gag in your reply? It's been a long day :D
 
Well, whales are big, and whales are light-colored on the bottom. If we can just get the whales to flip upside down, then perhaps we can reverse the Albedo offset.
 
It's not just sheep, it's cows and methane, and human flatus too!

Okay okay, methane IS a greenhouse gas.
 
:dl:

Classic!

I hear NZ farmers are all switching to black sheep next year.
 
Heretics!

The Good Book tells me that it's the reduction in pirates wot causes GW, and so I refuse to believe all you so-called scientists.
 
And why isn't anyone mentioning the baby sheep? Why this silence of the lambs...by the way, would anyone care for a nice...chianti?
 
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