Telegraph
"It seems that in the world of BBC news reportage there is the right kind of climate change and the wrong kind. The right kind is the sort where listeners’/viewers’ minds can instantly make the connection with CAGW. (As Any Questions phone-in guests very quickly did with the Pakistani flooding and the Ukrainian fires: these were the result of man-made CO2 emissions, no question, apparently). The wrong kind is the type they’ve been experiencing in South America recently (and before that Mongolia) where the freakish cold (which has caused fish and even crocodiles to die) is hard to reconcile with the idea of a dangerously warming planet, and therefore unsuitable for BBC news’s proselytising narrative.
But can this skewed reporting really be deliberate? Oh yes sirree it can, as this fascinating transcript unearthed by Bishop Hill shows. It’s a transcript of a 2005 studio discussion hosted by famous left-wing bad-taste tie-wearer Jon Snow and featuring George Monbiot, in which various media bods are shown arguing how best to report on climate change in such a way as to correct the public’s false consciousness on AGW (as opposed to, er, reporting the facts as they’re understood)."
---------------------
BBC says sorry to Climategate unit for grilling by John Humphrys (Daily Mail)
"For goodness sake, he was right to question the tide of innacurate science behind the global warming scam.I am a keen environmentalist, but even i know when the figures are being fudged in favour of introducing carbon tax.If you want to save this planet, stop the industrial polution. Carbon tax is just a money making scheme.The green movement has been hijacked by the corporates, and some of us know it.
- anna, notts, 08/8/2010 08:41"
Monday, 9 August 2010
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Australians' Views Shift on Climate Change
Gallup
"WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Australians' attitudes about global warming could be a factor later this month in the general election where climate change has emerged as an issue. The percentage of Australians who are aware of climate change and say it results from human activities fell from 52% in June 2008 to 44% in March 2010, while the number attributing it to natural causes increased 10 percentage points."
"WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Australians' attitudes about global warming could be a factor later this month in the general election where climate change has emerged as an issue. The percentage of Australians who are aware of climate change and say it results from human activities fell from 52% in June 2008 to 44% in March 2010, while the number attributing it to natural causes increased 10 percentage points."
Climate change: Behold, the gospel according to the UN
The Methodist Church is adopting the IPCC's report on global warming as holy writ, finds Christopher Booker (Telegraph)
"The document makes it clear that all good Methodists must take as their new Bible the latest report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, along with the famous report by Lord Stern. Inspired by this holy writ, like any Old Testament prophet it reels off all those familiar apocalyptic warnings of the catastrophes sinful mankind is bringing on the planet – floods, droughts, hurricanes, killer heatwaves, melting ice caps, sea levels rising by 20 feet (although they did get that one from the prophet Gore). "
"The document makes it clear that all good Methodists must take as their new Bible the latest report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, along with the famous report by Lord Stern. Inspired by this holy writ, like any Old Testament prophet it reels off all those familiar apocalyptic warnings of the catastrophes sinful mankind is bringing on the planet – floods, droughts, hurricanes, killer heatwaves, melting ice caps, sea levels rising by 20 feet (although they did get that one from the prophet Gore). "
Friday, 6 August 2010
Time to Cut Carbon Cutting
Guido Fawkes
"Until recently Ed Miliband was only really known as the over-enthusiastic Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. One of his first moves was to push through the Climate Change Act, mandating a cut in UK Carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. As MP’s dutifully filed through the ‘aye’ lobby they were lacking one key fact: how much would it all cost? Despite the best efforts of several backbench Tories there is yet to be a definitive answer.
Alex Salmond, spotting a chance to claim a policy as his own, responded by announcing the Climate Change (Scotland) Act. The only difference was a small increase in the intermediate target.
At least the Scots had the decency to, belatedly, estimate the cost of this misguided policy. Their figure? £8billion of central funding over the next ten years – just to cut emissions in the public sector. That’s without considering the economic effect on private businesses struggling to meet unrealistic targets. If that’s the cost to a country of 5 million people, shouldn’t someone point out that UK plc is looking at a bill of almost £100 billion in the next decade…"
"Until recently Ed Miliband was only really known as the over-enthusiastic Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. One of his first moves was to push through the Climate Change Act, mandating a cut in UK Carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. As MP’s dutifully filed through the ‘aye’ lobby they were lacking one key fact: how much would it all cost? Despite the best efforts of several backbench Tories there is yet to be a definitive answer.
Alex Salmond, spotting a chance to claim a policy as his own, responded by announcing the Climate Change (Scotland) Act. The only difference was a small increase in the intermediate target.
At least the Scots had the decency to, belatedly, estimate the cost of this misguided policy. Their figure? £8billion of central funding over the next ten years – just to cut emissions in the public sector. That’s without considering the economic effect on private businesses struggling to meet unrealistic targets. If that’s the cost to a country of 5 million people, shouldn’t someone point out that UK plc is looking at a bill of almost £100 billion in the next decade…"
Climate Craziness of the Week: NW Passage open “first time in history” and all that…
WUWT
"The international news media are hailing the archaeological find of a British naval ship the HMS Investigator on July 25 in an area far north (600 km) of the Arctic Circle that was previously unreachable due to sea ice. The HMS Investigator was abandoned in 1853, but not before sailing the last leg of the elusive Northwest Passage. ...."
---------------------------------
Ship find shows Arctic Sea Ice conditions similar to 1853 (The Hockey Schtick)
"..Interesting that the ship was lost in 1853, right at the end of the Little Ice Age, and coincidentally just 3 years after the start of the HADCRU global temperature record, from which we are led to believe the earth has warmed about 0.7C. If we are seeing "unprecedented" global temperatures and changes in Arctic sea ice, how did the HMS Investigator get this far north at the end of the Little Ice Age?"
"The international news media are hailing the archaeological find of a British naval ship the HMS Investigator on July 25 in an area far north (600 km) of the Arctic Circle that was previously unreachable due to sea ice. The HMS Investigator was abandoned in 1853, but not before sailing the last leg of the elusive Northwest Passage. ...."
---------------------------------
Ship find shows Arctic Sea Ice conditions similar to 1853 (The Hockey Schtick)
"..Interesting that the ship was lost in 1853, right at the end of the Little Ice Age, and coincidentally just 3 years after the start of the HADCRU global temperature record, from which we are led to believe the earth has warmed about 0.7C. If we are seeing "unprecedented" global temperatures and changes in Arctic sea ice, how did the HMS Investigator get this far north at the end of the Little Ice Age?"
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Snow in Brazil, below zero Celsius in the River Plate and tropical fish frozen
MercoPress
"For a second day running it snowed Wednesday in Southern Brazil and in twelve of Argentina’s 24 provinces including parts of Buenos Aires as a consequence of the polar front covering most of the continent’s southern cone with zero and below zero temperatures. ...In related news, reports from landlocked Bolivia indicate that to the east of the country in tropical areas temperatures plummeted to zero causing “millions of dead fish” in rivers that normally flow in an environment of 20 Celsius.Santa Cruz governor Ruben Costas said the province was suffering a “major environmental catastrophe” and warned the population not to make use of water from rivers (because of the dead fauna and flora) promising to send drinking water in municipal trucks.“The last time something of this magnitude happened was 47 years ago”, said governor Costas. "
H/T Climate Depot
------------------------------
1 Million Fish Dead in Bolivian Ecological Disaster (BoliviaBella.com)
"(3 Aug. 2010 - Update: The number of dead fish and other water-dependent wildlife has increased to about 6 million.)
----------
Over 1 million fish and thousands of alligators, turtles, dolphins and other river wildlife are floating dead in numerous Bolivian rivers in the three eastern/southern departments of Santa Cruz, Beni and Tarija. The extreme cold front that hit Bolivia in mid-July caused water temperatures to dip below the minimum temperatures river life can tolerate. As a consequence, rivers, lakes, lagoons and fisheries are brimming with decomposing fish and other creatures. ..."
"For a second day running it snowed Wednesday in Southern Brazil and in twelve of Argentina’s 24 provinces including parts of Buenos Aires as a consequence of the polar front covering most of the continent’s southern cone with zero and below zero temperatures. ...In related news, reports from landlocked Bolivia indicate that to the east of the country in tropical areas temperatures plummeted to zero causing “millions of dead fish” in rivers that normally flow in an environment of 20 Celsius.Santa Cruz governor Ruben Costas said the province was suffering a “major environmental catastrophe” and warned the population not to make use of water from rivers (because of the dead fauna and flora) promising to send drinking water in municipal trucks.“The last time something of this magnitude happened was 47 years ago”, said governor Costas. "
H/T Climate Depot
------------------------------
1 Million Fish Dead in Bolivian Ecological Disaster (BoliviaBella.com)
"(3 Aug. 2010 - Update: The number of dead fish and other water-dependent wildlife has increased to about 6 million.)
----------
Over 1 million fish and thousands of alligators, turtles, dolphins and other river wildlife are floating dead in numerous Bolivian rivers in the three eastern/southern departments of Santa Cruz, Beni and Tarija. The extreme cold front that hit Bolivia in mid-July caused water temperatures to dip below the minimum temperatures river life can tolerate. As a consequence, rivers, lakes, lagoons and fisheries are brimming with decomposing fish and other creatures. ..."
Colder Arctic temperatures in the melt season vs. GISS temperatures.
Hide The Decline
"..You want to know the Air temperature in 2 meters altitude. Which temperature would be most precise, the water temperature around the boat or the temperature from land ( measured at the city airport... ) ?
Now imagine the same situation, but this time you are 1150 km from land. Which temperature would you rely most on, the water temperature around the boat or the temperature from land (city/Airport) 1150 km away? Since 1987, James Hasen, and thus GISS, has used a 1200 km radius in their global temperatures based on meteorological stations and thus extended land temperatures to cover a considerable ocean area."
"..You want to know the Air temperature in 2 meters altitude. Which temperature would be most precise, the water temperature around the boat or the temperature from land ( measured at the city airport... ) ?
Now imagine the same situation, but this time you are 1150 km from land. Which temperature would you rely most on, the water temperature around the boat or the temperature from land (city/Airport) 1150 km away? Since 1987, James Hasen, and thus GISS, has used a 1200 km radius in their global temperatures based on meteorological stations and thus extended land temperatures to cover a considerable ocean area."
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Climate of emissions trading cools
The Australian
"But Australia is not alone in failing to put a price on carbon. Global warming fatigue is setting in all over the world.
Canada's cap-and-trade legislation is going nowhere. Japan's weak and divided government has temporarily shelved its ETS in parliament. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's carbon tax is blocked by the Constitutional Council. Public opinion polls show higher climate scepticism in Britain than in western Europe, North America and the Antipodes. Even when an ETS has been implemented, as in the case of the European Union, the policy has been a debacle: a collapsed carbon price, higher energy prices, and increased emissions during the first three years in operation."
"But Australia is not alone in failing to put a price on carbon. Global warming fatigue is setting in all over the world.
Canada's cap-and-trade legislation is going nowhere. Japan's weak and divided government has temporarily shelved its ETS in parliament. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's carbon tax is blocked by the Constitutional Council. Public opinion polls show higher climate scepticism in Britain than in western Europe, North America and the Antipodes. Even when an ETS has been implemented, as in the case of the European Union, the policy has been a debacle: a collapsed carbon price, higher energy prices, and increased emissions during the first three years in operation."
UEA on the New Scientist editorial
Bishop Hill
"A few days back I linked to a New Scientist editorial on the Russell review, noting that it was surprisingly critical of CRU. (It's behind a paywall now, so you will have to take my word for it.) I noticed the other day that UEA have issued a rebuttal of sorts, which is, frankly, weird.
The editorial pointed out, quite correctly, that neither Oxburgh or Russell had looked at the science: ..."
"A few days back I linked to a New Scientist editorial on the Russell review, noting that it was surprisingly critical of CRU. (It's behind a paywall now, so you will have to take my word for it.) I noticed the other day that UEA have issued a rebuttal of sorts, which is, frankly, weird.
The editorial pointed out, quite correctly, that neither Oxburgh or Russell had looked at the science: ..."
Pakistan's Floods
Roger Pielke Jr.'s Blog
"...The following excerpt from Time magazine in October, 1955 is a reminder that the region is prone to frequent and devastating floods: ......"
ED: Didn't take the BBC long to jump on a 'warmist' bandwagon...
Is climate change South Asia's deadliest threat? - it also describes THIS as 'Petty squabbles'.....
"...The following excerpt from Time magazine in October, 1955 is a reminder that the region is prone to frequent and devastating floods: ......"
ED: Didn't take the BBC long to jump on a 'warmist' bandwagon...
Is climate change South Asia's deadliest threat? - it also describes THIS as 'Petty squabbles'.....
Monday, 2 August 2010
So I was right about the BP oil spill…
Telegraph
"..Whether it’s BSE or Sars or Swine Flu or the Millennium Bug or the Exxon Valdez or Deepwater Horizon or – the biggest con of the lot – “Man Made Global Warming”, the trajectory followed by these scares is exactly the same: a vaguely plausible threat gets exaggerated by journalists, publicity- and funding-hungry “experts” and activists to the point where it seems very real and captures the public imagination; in steps the government keen to be seen to doing something to address this urgent new public concern; vast sums of money are squandered to deal with this non-existent threat; the story moves on to a new scare (repeat ad infinitum); afterwards it emerges that the supposed threat wasn’t nearly as great as had been supposed but – yesterday’s Telegraph piece being an honourable exception – this is rarely reported because the story has moved on."
"..Whether it’s BSE or Sars or Swine Flu or the Millennium Bug or the Exxon Valdez or Deepwater Horizon or – the biggest con of the lot – “Man Made Global Warming”, the trajectory followed by these scares is exactly the same: a vaguely plausible threat gets exaggerated by journalists, publicity- and funding-hungry “experts” and activists to the point where it seems very real and captures the public imagination; in steps the government keen to be seen to doing something to address this urgent new public concern; vast sums of money are squandered to deal with this non-existent threat; the story moves on to a new scare (repeat ad infinitum); afterwards it emerges that the supposed threat wasn’t nearly as great as had been supposed but – yesterday’s Telegraph piece being an honourable exception – this is rarely reported because the story has moved on."
Sunday, 1 August 2010
Yes, You Can Do This At Home
AG(data)W Begins In 1990
E.M.Smith
So What About The Graph?
"Well, first off, notice that a trend line fit to the annual data is just about dead flat right up until about 1990. (That is the very thin blue line at near the zero line) The change of “duplicate numbers” or “modification history flag” on thermometers starts to hit in about 1986-1987 but those records have a matching entry from the prior “duplicate number” until about 1990 when “the reveal” is done and the older series of “duplicate numbers” are dropped. You could put the segment break at 1987 and get similar results, but I chose 1990 as that is when the data series are left to stand on their own.
At that point we see a dramatic increase in the slope of the trend line as “AGW suddenly begins”. But, IMHO, it’s not the world that’s warming, it’s the data…
That is the most striking thing I see. Just look at the slope of that thin Hot Pink trend line! We go from nearly flat trend up to 1990 (the thin blue line) to dramatic warming (thin hot pink line) just as the “modification history” or “duplicate number” change indicates a change of processing of the data. Hmmmm.
But wait, there is more… "
E.M.Smith
So What About The Graph?
"Well, first off, notice that a trend line fit to the annual data is just about dead flat right up until about 1990. (That is the very thin blue line at near the zero line) The change of “duplicate numbers” or “modification history flag” on thermometers starts to hit in about 1986-1987 but those records have a matching entry from the prior “duplicate number” until about 1990 when “the reveal” is done and the older series of “duplicate numbers” are dropped. You could put the segment break at 1987 and get similar results, but I chose 1990 as that is when the data series are left to stand on their own.
At that point we see a dramatic increase in the slope of the trend line as “AGW suddenly begins”. But, IMHO, it’s not the world that’s warming, it’s the data…
That is the most striking thing I see. Just look at the slope of that thin Hot Pink trend line! We go from nearly flat trend up to 1990 (the thin blue line) to dramatic warming (thin hot pink line) just as the “modification history” or “duplicate number” change indicates a change of processing of the data. Hmmmm.
But wait, there is more… "
The 97% "Consensus" is only 76 Self-Selected Climatologists
The Hockey Schtick
"..However, close examination of the source of the claimed 97% consensus reveals that it comes from a non-peer reviewed article describing an online poll in which a total of only 79 climate scientists chose to participate. Of the 79 self-selected climate scientists, 76 agreed with the notion of AGW. Thus, we find climate scientists once again using dubious statistical techniques to deceive the public that there is a 97% scientific consensus on man-made global warming, but fortunately they clearly aren't buying it. "
"..However, close examination of the source of the claimed 97% consensus reveals that it comes from a non-peer reviewed article describing an online poll in which a total of only 79 climate scientists chose to participate. Of the 79 self-selected climate scientists, 76 agreed with the notion of AGW. Thus, we find climate scientists once again using dubious statistical techniques to deceive the public that there is a 97% scientific consensus on man-made global warming, but fortunately they clearly aren't buying it. "
The phenomena of disinvitation and the brotherhood of silence
WUWT
"Scientists who venture to make independent statements in public about environmental myths soon come to learn about two post-modern-science tactics used to suppress their views – namely, disinvitation and the application of a brotherhood of silence. How these tactics work is explained in this article. .....The same self-appointed guardians of the sanctity of IPCC climate propaganda also strive ceaselessly to prevent invitations from being issued in the first place. For example, when it was suggested to a Sydney metropolitan university that I might give a talk on the campus, their Distinguished (sic) Professor of Sustainability responded that:
he would not be interested in allowing anyone to present a point of view which did not support the fact that human-generated carbon dioxide has caused global warming."
"Scientists who venture to make independent statements in public about environmental myths soon come to learn about two post-modern-science tactics used to suppress their views – namely, disinvitation and the application of a brotherhood of silence. How these tactics work is explained in this article. .....The same self-appointed guardians of the sanctity of IPCC climate propaganda also strive ceaselessly to prevent invitations from being issued in the first place. For example, when it was suggested to a Sydney metropolitan university that I might give a talk on the campus, their Distinguished (sic) Professor of Sustainability responded that:
he would not be interested in allowing anyone to present a point of view which did not support the fact that human-generated carbon dioxide has caused global warming."
Peru declares state of emergency amid plunging temperatures
Guardian
"Peru has declared a state of emergency after hundreds of children died from freezing conditions that have seen temperatures across much of the South American country plummet to a 50-year low. In 16 of Peru's 25 regions, temperatures have fallen below -24C.
..."Over the past three or four years we have seen temperatures during the winter months get lower, and people are unable to survive this," said Silvia Noble, from Plan Peru, an NGO. "This cold weather is now extending into areas that never saw these low temperatures before and children and elderly people are especially at risk as they are not physically strong enough to last month after month of sub-zero conditions."
H/T Climate Depot
"Peru has declared a state of emergency after hundreds of children died from freezing conditions that have seen temperatures across much of the South American country plummet to a 50-year low. In 16 of Peru's 25 regions, temperatures have fallen below -24C.
..."Over the past three or four years we have seen temperatures during the winter months get lower, and people are unable to survive this," said Silvia Noble, from Plan Peru, an NGO. "This cold weather is now extending into areas that never saw these low temperatures before and children and elderly people are especially at risk as they are not physically strong enough to last month after month of sub-zero conditions."
H/T Climate Depot
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)