<Thank you Dan for the information that

“The Earth's magnetosphere will keep us safe.”

I do not fully understand the reasoning behind your statement but despite that fact I would believe it if we were not ‘heating’ the atmosphere from the ‘inside’ with nuclear radiation. As I understand it, there has been thousands of nuclear power plant leaks that have expelled hundreds of tons of radioactive material into the atmosphere. Since the decaying nuclei generate ‘heat’ in the surrounding material and since that material is in the atmosphere it seems to me that the atmosphere must become ‘warmer’ under such circumstances. I was wondering if anyone anywhere is studying such a possibility?





I’m sure somebody is. Have you tried a search of your own on the web?

Yahoo
Google

There has been concern raised on these pages before regarding the old Soviet fleet of atomic vessels, which rumor has is rusting away in harbors. Dunno how true that might be.

As for my motive for asking such a question; I guess that it stems from the fact that I am living on a disability pension and have a lot of time on my hands.

Oh, no... So -- you’ll be back...?
;^)

I’d like to thank everyone that responded in such informative fashion. And since everyone talked about the ‘heating’ effects on the atmosphere, I assume that no one or at least very few people are considering the evidence that some parts of the environment is actually ‘cooling’.

The data is still out on the global warming/cooling debates. The majority of the votes in are for the warming trend, and in this the majority state the trend is due to the Sun’s cycles, with the Sun currently entering a slightly warmer phase. Evidence in geologic formations, and even in tree rings, support this theory. Others insist the warming is due to people and industry, where still others insist the planet has its own ways to heat itself, such as volcanic activity, clouding and oceanic currents. Personally, I believe it’s a combination of the three, but I include the plant and animal kingdoms in the mix, with the Sun being the major contributor, followed by the Earth, then plants & animals, and finally with what comparatively little we have managed over the eons.

Cheers,
Dan