The ozone hole above the Arctic has got the doomsayers red around the ears. It is the subject of reports at www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/72206/title/Record_Arctic_ozone_mini… and www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405102202.htm 'Record depletion of Arctic ozone layer causing increased uv radiation in Scandinavia' and at http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/04/05/arctic-ozone-hole-in-march/ – in the Science News story the hole is actually a thinning – quite different. The ozone layer is in fact on the move – heading towards central Europe and the Russia-China border. It almost certainly has something to do with the very cold spring in northern Eurasia but never mind. In the Antarctic ozone thinning is a regular occurrence in the autumn months – as winter sets in. However, you will all be reassured by the news that global warming is to blame – because the high latitudes are so cold. Apparently, greenhouse gases trapped warmth over the surface but when the cold weather set in they were unable to rise high into the atmosphere to warm the stratosphere – yes, these guys do seem to believe what they say. Rather than the ozone being a mobile gas capable of moving around in the atmosphere it is said that industrial compounds, banned in the 1990s, are still having an effect – it is man-made chemicals that have zapped the ozone.
Meanwhile, at http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/04/06/stratospheric-water-vapor-may-have… …. David Whitehouse comments on a research paper that involved measurement of stratospheric water vapour over Colorado. It seems it has been declining for the last few years and therefore may contribute to current cooling. In the paper it is implied that water vapour contributed to the warming between 1980-2000 when there were increased levels of this, the major gas that makes up the atmosphere, above our heads. In fact, one third of the warming in that time may be due solely to water vapour. When this is added to the natural warming of the 60 year solar cycle AGW virtually evaporates – into thin air (just like the ozone).