Got flux: Dinosaurs, CO2 and your mama

By: Harry Fuller
Topics: Science

If you don't believe in evolution, please don't read this blog. You'd get hives.

Dinosaurs 4.0 went extinct about 65 million years ago. For more than 400 million years the Earth's climate has been fluctuating in ways scientists can reconstruct. New research says atmospheric CO2 levels can raise and lower temperatures in a predictable way. Over the past 420 million years doubling CO2 has raised the Earth's temperatures as much as 5 degrees Celsius.

So maybe those last dinosaurs sensed something was wrong. Here's a snatch of conversation: "Hey, Bronto, don't eat those ferns. They make you emit greenhouse gases."

Probably the dinos didn't talk it over. And we know what happened to them and their favorite ferns.

So if you sense something's wrong, you can watch the scientists who are watching the carbon dioxide. Our own federal government now provides a carbon dioxide tracker with bright colors. Red is very bad; blues are pretty good. But there's no data since 2005. You gotta ask, are they hiding something--or just dino slow?

And let's circle back to those final dinosaurs. They fell away, and our ancestors, the smart mammals, took over, right? No, the Earth was not suddenly populated by forerunners of today's primates, rodents and bovines. Researchers have tracked down evolution data on more than 4,500 mammal species. The dominant mammals of today were a little slow in taking hold. The first dominant mammals included sloths and now extinct hoofed predators--once king, many now extinct. Nature plays no favorites. Our gang of mammals, our ancestral mama, all relative latecomers, appearing around 20 million years ago. Hmmm. Dinosaurs, sloths, slow to track the carbon dioxide. What, me worry?

Harry Fuller escaped from television work to be executive editor at CNET News.com.

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by leighschu February 5, 2010 11:01 AM EST: Each car maker has built some poor cars in the past, and the Asian ones are no exception. Back in the 60's when Honda first sold it's S-600 the car was so bad that few of them ran more than 2000 miles. Honda's response was to abandon the whole market for a few years along with the owners of those cars. In the 70's when the real influx of Japanese cars started the only ones that were good were the Mazda (as long as you didn't count the Wankle engine powered ones) and one of the Datsun models, the Toyota's being cheap and behaved that way, poorly finished and not durable. None of them were resistant to rust though they had lots of company in that category since very few of the domestic ones were till the later 70's and none of the European ones stood up including Mercedes. As you can appreciate I am not under 40 so have a perspective the young drivers don't but can vouch that since the later 70's I have owned and operated a fleet of Fords, accumulating well over 20 million miles with virtually zero faults, most of these being company vehicles driven by non-owners who had little regard for the vehicle. I have driven and ridden in Toyota's product but have never been inclined to buy one since I have't found them particularly comfortable. In fact the only time I have had a car quit on me while on the road was a brand mew Toyota Avensa in Ireland with 700 kms on the odometer. I was amazed at the way the Toyota 'help line' blew me off, telling me it must be my fault. It was an electrical problem which a helpful auto tech found, having seen lots of them in Toyota's lately he told me.

By the way, the real big problem Toyota are trying to hide is a comptuer glitch that takes over the car leaving the driver with no control. If you still wish to drive a Toyota, when it goes out of cotrol aim it somewhere away from me before you crash.; Reply to this comment


by sluggo13333 February 4, 2010 8:47 PM EST: This issue towards Toyota and the negative Press they are receiving comes after the government has taken partial ownership of the ex-worlds biggest automaker-in-need-of-a-boost. Hmmmm? I read below that there are less than 50 recorded issues concerning the gas pedal. The actual number is ten. Out of 2.3 million vehicles! I think that this witch hunt should be another example of lazy, sensationalist journalism!; Reply to this comment


by sluggo13333 February 4, 2010 8:46 PM EST: This issue towards Toyota and the negative Press they are receiving comes after the government has taken partial ownership of the ex-worlds biggest automaker-in-need-of-a-boost!! Hmmmm? I read below that there are less than 50 recorded issues concerning the gas pedal. The actual number is ten!!! Out of 2.3 million vehicles! I think that this witch hunt should be another example of lazy, sensationalist journalism!; Reply to this comment


by sluggo13333 February 4, 2010 8:46 PM EST: This issue towards Toyota and the negative Press they are receiving comes after the government has taken partial ownership of the ex-worlds biggest automaker-in-need-of-a-boost!! Hmmmm? I read below that there are less than 50 recorded issues concerning the gas pedal. The actual number is ten!!! Out of 2.3 million vehicles! I think that this witch hunt should be another example of lazy, sensationalist journalism!; Reply to this comment

by book_of_wally February 4, 2010 7:51 AM EST

I was going to buy a Toyota but now with all these problems I will buy an American car instead and be safe.

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by starving1968-2 February 4, 2010 8:20 AM EST: Uh huh.


by robbyr2 February 4, 2010 9:49 AM EST: Don't buy the Chevy Cobalt that is being recalled for a steering problem!


by starving1968-2 February 4, 2010 7:36 AM EST: The timing of this is perfect. I plan on buying a Tundra near the end of this year, and hopefully this will drive prices down even further!; Reply to this comment

by formrusmcsgt February 4, 2010 5:48 AM EST

Toyota obviosly got lax and it shows.

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by sjc_1 February 4, 2010 1:21 PM EST: When you makes lot of cars all over the world, stuff happens.


by rightbehind February 4, 2010 12:04 AM EST: I think this whole thing has been blown out of proportion. What's the tally? Less than 50 out of how many millions. People should be aware of the mechanical condition of their vehicles. Little lubrication on moving parts goes a long way to help them last.; Reply to this comment

by robbyr2 February 3, 2010 8:49 PM EST

So far, the vehicles under recall are all American-made Toyota's. Some like the Tundra have a higher US content than the Silverado/F150 pickups. And the problem is apparently with their American-made accelerator pedals...

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by newsworthy8 February 3, 2010 11:38 PM EST: Interesting, I am so glad you made this comment.


by newsworthy8 February 3, 2010 7:39 PM EST: I think the Toyota vehicles are class A, along with Honda. This is a very unfortunate situation for Toyota. I wouldn't even hesitate to buy another Toyota. These vehicles are reliable and hold value, and basically last. The American car maker like Chev, Ford are like vultures, they see some avenue for cheap shots and want to take advantage it. Don't get me wrong, I would any day buy a American made vehicle which can compare to the Toyota and Honda. They just don't make them. They might be getting close, but have a ways to go.
Sorry, I look after what I have to spend to drive, not Chevrolet or Ford.
America..build a competative car and it might sail..Other fine automobiles are BMW and Mercedes, these are the best.
Bye....; Reply to this comment