The Realists Take on Climate Change

As we are told of yet another “hottest year on record”, our daily news reports are full of “hot testimony”, for example the heatwave in Moscow, Russia is described in this report:

“The heat has caused asphalt to melt, boosted sales of air conditioners, ventilators, ice cream and beverages, and pushed grain prices up. Environmentalists are blaming the abnormally dry spell on climate change.

On ‘black’ Saturday, temperatures in Moscow hit a record high of 38 degrees Celsius with little relief at night, making this July the hottest month in 130 years. The average temperature in central Russia is 9 degrees above the seasonal norm.”

As usual, WWF regard this as proof of global warming,

“Certainly, such a long period of hot weather in unusual for central Russia. But the global tendency proves that in future, such climate abnormalities will become only more frequent”, says Alexey Kokorin, the Head of Climate and Energy Program of the World Wide Fund (WWF) Russia.

He fails, of course, to say what caused the previous heat wave of similar magnitude 130 years previously, as was mentioned in the report. Such is the nature of environmental reporting these days, that such questions equally do not arise in the minds of those willing reporters who swallow every crumb of global warming thrown to them. Never ever mentioned are historical instances such as the seven month long European heatwave of 1540, when the River Rhine dried up and the bed of the River Seine in Paris was used as a thoroughfare.

Recent reports claim June was the warmest on record, but it seems to fly in the face of reports of record cold from around the world.

Reports from Australia say, “Sydney recorded its coldest June morning today since 1949, with temperatures diving to 4.3 degrees just before 6:00 a.m. (AEST).” “Experts say it is unusual to see such widespread cold weather in June

In the southern hemisphere reports of cold have appeared frequently but rarely make the mainstream media.

“The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency in more than half the country due to cold weather.”

“This week Peru’s capital, Lima, recorded its lowest temperatures in 46 years at 8C, and the emergency measures apply to several of its outlying districts.”

The new Met Office report, saying that the effects of climate change are now “unmistakable”, is interesting. It seems to be the most comprehensive measure of global change yet, taking into account atmospheric temperature changes at sea level and in the upper atmosphere, ocean temperatures, and sea level rises. We are told “unequivocally that the world is warming and has been for more than three decades”.

What to make of this?

Well, it depends. If you’re a reader on these blogs, almost certainly you’ll say that this is yet another example of the conspiracy by various shadowy forces – the government, grant-hunting climatologists, the Met Office, Al Gore, Big Windfarm – to enforce ineffectual yet economy-crippling measures on the public in an attempt to stop an imaginary threat. You may use the phrase “ManBearPig” at some point.

Conversely, if you work in the press office of an environmental charity, you may see this as an opportunity to push the fear of global warming a bit harder: it’s definitely happening, you could say, and we all know global warming is going to be a catastrophe, so quick, let’s throw a few more billions at it, eh?

Driven by a constantly expanding need for electricity, Chile is considering building seven new dams and a transmission line through its southern wilderness. This isolated land of condors and monkey puzzle trees is home to the third largest reserve of frozen freshwater in the world—the Southern Ice Field. Critics say the environmental risks have not been fully examined, and the risk to southern Chile's unique ecosystems is unacceptably high. Proponents of the dam project argue that hydroelectricity is a clean source of energy, just waiting to be tapped. Chile needs the 3500 MW/yr of power to meet its development goals and lacks indigenous oil or coal reserves. Moreover, the electricity from the dams would displace dirty generation, greatly reducing Chile's greenhouse gas emissions. Give all the benefits, why are so many people, within Chile and without, so opposed to the dams—opposed to the point of preferring new coal plants?

The HidroAysen project is the most ambitious dam proposal in the history of Chile. Along with proposing the construction of 5 dams on two of Patagonia's most pristine rivers, the Pascua and Baker, it plans on building a 2000 km high-voltage transmission line North to Santiago, creating the world's longest clear-cut. The proposed dams would flood rare temperate rainforests and some of Patagonia's best ranching lands. The rainforest areas that the dams and transmission lines would eliminate do not exist anywhere else on the planet—more than 50% of the plant species found in southern Chile are found nowhere else. Along with altering Chile's environment from the south to the Central Valley, the project threatens future damming of other rivers in Patagonia. Activists fear, that once the transmission line is in place, rivers such as the Puelo, Yelcho, Palena and the Futaleufu will also be scheduled for damming.

With virtually no coal, oil or natural gas, Chile imports more than 95% of its fossil fuels. Half the country's electricity comes from plants fueled by Argentinean oil or gas and Columbian coal. The other half comes from existing hydropower schemes, many of them in the central zone around the Biobío River. As a result, Chile has the most expensive energy in South America. Add to that often contentious relationships with neighboring countries and Chile's energy position is a disaster waiting to happen.

Click source to read FULL report from Doug L. Hoffman

The word “hide” has obviously attracted a lot of attention lately – “hide the decline” even occasioning its own song.

Today I’d like to discuss the following remarkable instructions by a NASA employee in the recently disclosed NASA emails (available at Judicial Watch): Robert please move to the CU site and hide this after Jim checks it. Darnell please send it out to Jim’s email list. Jim said if I don’t want to you should do…

What is that they are planning to “hide”? And why would they be “hiding” it in the first place? And why would Hansen think that one of his employees wouldn’t “want” to send something out to Jim’s email list?

Click source to download PDF file from SPPI

We recently posted in our "Reply to article" section Global warming alarmists can't stand the heat by Peter J. Havanac, Meteorologist., the following is a reply from Michael E. Mann!!

Here's the context surrounding a flawed 2003 research paper.

By MICHAEL E. MANN

In "Warming alarmists can't stand the heat" (July 26), the Star Tribune allowed Peter J. Havanac to do a grave disservice to its readers by making false statements about me and other climate scientists.

Havanac repeated false allegations (based on illegally hacked e-mails) of supposed scientific misconduct by scientists at the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia (for example, the supposed destruction of e-mails) that have now been rejected as false by three separate investigations in the U.K. A similar investigation by my university has exonerated me of any of the wrongdoing alleged by climate-change deniers like Havanac. Unfortunately, these exonerations cannot stop individuals like Havanac from repeating the false allegations. Only the possession of decency can do that.

Havanac parroted the false claim that I sought to "undermine" a journal that "contradicted views held by ... global-warming alarmists." His claim was based on a thorough misrepresentation of a single example: a deeply flawed paper published in 2003 by the journal Climate Research. That paper, by Willie Soon and Sallie Baliunas, claimed that recent warming is not unusual.

London. An article. 'The Profits of Doom', in the July 22 2010 issue of the influential British news weekly, the Times Higher Education, moves the debate on man-made climate change on from increasingly sterile scientific disputes this week, and places it firmly in the political arena.

The special six-page feature article argues that Climate change is serious business – in more ways than one. Somehow capitalist ‘bootleggers’ have co-opted the environmental ‘Baptists’ to fulfil their raison d’être – making money. Thanks to the ‘greenwash’, the solutions could be worse than the problems.

In the article, the British writer and philosopher, Martin Cohen, contrasts the high moral claims of those who warn of the threats to the planet and 'future generations' with the practical reality that the policies advantage certain Western agendas, notably the dismantling of their heavily subsidised (and hence very expensive) coal industries and the promotion of nuclear power. Unprecedented amounts of money have been made available to researchers to come up with 'evidence' to back a pre-existing and highly partisan political agenda.

Panelist says issue must be reframed before time runs out.

The battle to get Americans to accept the science behind climate change has been “lost,” an expert at the Aspen Environment Forum declared Wednesday, but there's still a way to win the war to reduce carbon emissions.

Jonathan Foley, director of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota, said leaders on climate change need to concentrate on changing behavior in ways that appeal to people — and also happen to reduce carbon emissions.

“Climate scientists — stop talking about climate science. We lost. It's over. Forget it,” Foley told a surprised audience during a featured panel discussion on the last day of the three-day forum.

Click source to read more!!

The Our Climate App will prove to be an enduring tool for all open-minded individuals who yearn for the uncensored truth about the Earth’s weather-climate system.

Enjoy!”

Dr Willie Soon

“Do you need snappy, accurate and intelligent assessments of the various aspects of the global warming issue? Then check out the Our Climate application – it’s simply the best ‘climate-to-go’ source out there.”

Prof Robert (Bob) Carter
James Cook University
Behind the scenes a veritable who’s-who of the skeptical world has been working away on yet another way to reach people, especially young people

For those of you with iphones, if you want the latest graphs, blog information, or answers to questions at the pub debate, there is an option from the iphone store with dozens of excellent articles of the right size, lots of pictures, graphs, quizes, world-wide polls, and more.

The skeptics community grows stronger through projects like this. Kudos to Lubos, and Willie Soon especially, as well as Richard Lindzen, Roy Spencer, Fred Singer, Henrik Svensmark, Will Happer, Bob Carter, Craig Idso, Paul Reiter but also folks such as yours truly, Lord Christopher Monckton, and Anthony Watts.

The big credit goes to Paul at Aeris Systems in Perth — it’s been his baby and untold hours of work over more than 6 months.

Link for iPhone App - Our Climate

Link for iPhone App Store

Click source for more and many thanks for all those who have been involved with this project, also see comments below from Lord Beaverbrook

Do you believe in miracles? I experienced one while writing the attached memo. It was the culmination of decades of sustained effort with many obstacles along the road.

[I had difficulty in responding to all the emails that I received during recent months. If I have not responded to your email, please send me a copy. All my received emails from the end of December through to 11 July were accidentally deleted.]

Extract.....I had no sooner distributed this memo than I received another request. Would I please address a committee of decision-makers on the climate change issue? They had already heard the views of the other side.

How could I refuse? In my enthusiasm I decided that this time I would go for their throats. The organisers became worried and asked me to cool it. I told them that it was like asking me to kill a snake with a toothbrush.

Nevertheless, I settled down. Like the generals on both sides during WW II, I calmly planned my offensive. It had to be short and hold the attention of the audience. This in turn required simple, understandable illustrations and photographs. Fortunately I have many to choose from.



CLICK to read Climate change. The end of the road? by Will Alexander