Tuesday 30 September 2014

TEN WAYS TO TELL THE CLIMATE SUMMIT ISN'T ABOUT CLIMATE

This piece by Roy Spencer neatly makes the point that the latest climate summit, like all the others, is simply a front for political action. The climate is merely a convenient cover story, an excuse. Roy is one of the senior scientists behind the UAH satellite temperature data set, and he has a wealth of experience on which to base his opinion.

Monday 29 September 2014

NEW MOLTEN SALT-COOLED NUCLEAR REACTOR COULD REVOLUTIONISE ENERGY PROVISION

Here is the article which explains the new technology which appears to have exciting possibilities for cheap, plentiful, safe electricity. This looks like a much better future than relying on thousands of wind turbines with all the problems of intermittent, unreliable electricity.

Sunday 28 September 2014

CLIMATE CHANGE "DENIERS" SHOULD BE TRIED FOR TREASON AND JAILED - ROBERT KENNEDY ET AL

This article gives all the details, though I could not get the brief video clip of Kennedy to work. Hopefully all this talk is just that, but when it comes from prominent politicians it does make you wonder if such totalitarian ideas could ever be enacted.

Saturday 27 September 2014

AUSTRALIAN MET OFFICE FORCED TO PUBLISH DETAILS OF TEMPERATURE ADJUSTMENTS

The article below explains the details. It has only happened because of the determined efforts of Jennifer Marohasy and Joanne Nova. Well done, and also credit to the Australian for having he courage to publish it. The climate change lobby is very powerful.

     The Australian
     September 11, 2014 12:00AM

Graham Lloyd
Environment Editor
Sydney

THE Bureau of Meteorology has been forced to publish details of all
changes made to historic temperature records as part of its
homogenisation process to establish the nation's climate change trend.

Publication of the reasons for all data adjustments was a key
recommendation of the bureau's independent peer review panel which
approved the bureau's ACORN SAT methodology.

BoM posted a new site on its ACORN SAT website on Monday, two weeks
after being questioned by The Australian about the transparency of
its homogenisation process.

Independent researchers had been calling for publication of BoM's
methodology for more than two years.

They described publication of the data as a "big win".

A spokesman for BoM said "publication of this table meets the Bureau
of Meteorology response to the recommendations of the Independent
Peer Review Panel".

The peer review panel commended BoM's homogenisation process but said
the bureau should be more open and transparent.

It said "a list of adjustments made as a result of the process of
homogenisation should be assembled and maintained and made publicly
available, along with the adjusted temperature series".

"Such a list will include the rationale for each adjustment," the
peer review panel said.

BoM has been under fire over changes to individual temperature
records where cooling trends had been changed to warming trends.

The bureau has said changes were necessary to compensate for
non-climatic factors such as a site move or change in measuring
equipment or in comparison with nearby sites.

Defenders of BoM have accused detractors of cherrypicking examples to
question the bureau's methodology and concentrating on "a few
potential errors in the data".

BoM was unable to provide The Australian with details to substantiate
their claim of a site move at Rutherglen in Victoria where the
minimum temperature trend had been changed from a cooling trend of
0.35C in the raw data to 1.73C warming after homogenisation. The
official station record said there had been no site move at Rutherglen.

Friday 26 September 2014

ENERGY RETURNED ON ENERGY INVESTED (EROEI)

This article explains the meaning of this important concept. It is not something that has been mentioned in the media, but I think when you read about it you will think it should be. What it means is that most of the renewable energy systems that are currently being adopted are simply not viable to serve a modern society. Has anyone told our political leaders about this?  

Thursday 25 September 2014

ARCTIC ICE - WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MELTING?

This piece from "Not a lot of people know that" blog by Paul Homewood looks at the recent report that the Arctic ice is making a come back, and discusses the real reasons for the recent past when it has been melting. The truth the piece reveals is that there are several factors at work including ocean currents that have had a warming effect. These ocean currents have a warming phase for a period of years followed by a cooling phase. Reliable data on the Arctic just hasn't been long enough to  really show us what is happening.

Wednesday 24 September 2014

CLIMATE SCIENCE IS NOT SETTLED

This essay by a prominent USA politician and scientist spells out the flaws in the "science [of climate change] is settled" mantra. As the article points out, there is plenty of disagreement on the details.

Tuesday 23 September 2014

SCIENTISTS CALCULATE A "FAIR" SYSTEM TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE

This Guardian piece gives some of the ideas from the report. The "solutions" they come up with are completely off the wall and no democratically elected government could accept the kind of payment suggested for the USA to come up with. It is nothing short of a massive wealth transfer scheme based on the increasingly dodgy science that climate alarmists are coming up with. All this in the face of a pause in surface temperature that has now lasted for 17 years or more. 

Monday 22 September 2014

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA VOTES NOT TO SELL ITS FOSSIL FUEL SHARES

This report shows that it is not easy to persuade universities to divest themselves of their fossil fuel stocks. In the real world universities want their funds to perform well and are not minded to be too dogmatic about which companies they hold. Common sense trumps dogma - this is something that idealists find hard to understand.

Saturday 20 September 2014

CAN WIND AND SOLAR REALLY COMPETE WITH GAS?

This piece on Bishop Hill looks at an article in the Financial Times which appears to claim that wind and solar can compete on price in some favourable locations with gas. It seems unlikely and after a little probing by the Bishop it looks as though there is at least some fudging going on. One has to wonder why these claims are made when they are so easily shot down after a bit of digging.

Friday 19 September 2014

GREEN TAXES THREATEN NORTH EAST INDUSTRIES

This article explains how a coalition of all three main UK political parties has come together to plead for less imposed taxes on energy. If not, they say that many companies cannot survive against international competition from countries that do not impose such taxes.

At last our politicians are waking up. Read their debate here with some words of wisdom from those who realise that their constituents jobs are on the line. 

Thursday 18 September 2014

ANNOUNCING THE OZONE HOLE RECOVERY WAS POLITICAL PROPAGANDA

That is, according to this article by Matt Ridley. He makes a very convincing case, as usual. We must all be aware that we are being manipulated by some very cunning people who are very determined to get their way.

Wednesday 17 September 2014

UPDATE ON THE DATA-FIDDLING IN OZ

The story of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) being found to have altered (homogenised) the temperature data has been reported in a major newspaper, resulting in some admissions by the BoM, see here. Of course many of the main media, both in Australia and here in the UK have failed to report the story at all.  

Tuesday 16 September 2014

STOP PEOPLE OWNING THEIR OWN CAR SAYS LABOUR MP

This article explains how Alan Whitehead MP for Southampton Test has suggested that private car ownership should be a thing of the past, in order to "beat climate change". To think that this man was elected by the citizens of Southampton, my nearest city, and he repays their trust by wishing to take away their cars.

Monday 15 September 2014

MAJORITY OF CONSERVATIVE MP's DO NOT BELIEVE IN CAGW

This article refers to a recent survey of UK politicians and finds that almost half of them are climate sceptics. It is even higher among Conservatives with around 70%. Of course this was an anonymous survey and it is still a big step for any politician to come out as a sceptic. Most would think that this will alienate a section of their voters and so they will keep quiet. 

Sunday 14 September 2014

SHALE REVOLUTION TO BRING DOWN WORLD FOOD PRICES

The Financial Express, 19 August 2014 (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/shale-gas-to-drag-world-agro-prices-lower/1280505/0)

Tejinder Narang

Diminishing ethanol demand will trigger a fall in corn prices and also lead to lower wheat & rice values.

The "gale of shale" is hitting the US and the world with surplus energy. In 2000, shale was 2% of natural gas supply; in 2012, it was about 37%; and will be about 65% within the next two decades. The US is poised for shipping out shale gas in liquefied form as net exporter of energy. According to some analysts, crude oil prices may be clipped by 30% (say, from $100 to $70 per barrel) in the foreseeable future. American motorists are consuming less gasoline, thereby limiting the blend of biofuels like ethanol. The "energy security" lobby of the US is no longer supportive of biofuels.

Ethanol is produced from corn in the US. (Brazil and India produce ethanol from sugarcane.) Apart from human consumption, corn is extensively consumed by livestock as animal feed. About 970 million tonnes of corn is produced worldwide-the largest single crop in the world. Wheat is around 700 million tonnes, rice is 470 million tonnes and soybean about 300 million tonnes.

The US's maize output, the highest among all countries, is about 360 million tonnes. Out of this, 36% (130 million tonnes) of corn is consumed for ethanol. With sufficiency and viability of shale gas, the future demand of ethanol will shrink, resulting into demand compression of corn, especially in the US, and its price will move southwards in the coming years.

Saturday 13 September 2014

SHALE REVOLUTION TRANSFORMING THE WORLD

 Wells sunk as little as three years ago are being fracked again, the latest innovation in the technology-driven shale oil revolution. Thanks to the dual-deployment of horizontal well drilling and hydraulic fracturing, oil and gas firms have unlocked massive new reserves across the United States, completely transforming America's energy fortunes in just a matter of years. It's a common but very serious mistake to predict the future based on what holds true today. In this case, those who have predicted the demise of the shale revolution may soon be forced to eat their words. The pace of technological change is accelerating, redefining possibilities along the way. --Walter Russell Mead, The American Interest, 20 August 2014 (http://www.the-american-interest.com/blog/2014/08/20/refracking-ready-to-rejuvenate-shale-revolution/)

Friday 12 September 2014

CLIMATE CHANGE IN ANCIENT EGYPT WITH NO CHANGE IN CO2

This piece on the climate changes in ancient Egypt show how dramatic changes in climate are nothing new and do not require any change in CO2 levels in order to occur.

Thursday 11 September 2014

GLOBAL WARMING POLICIES HAVE LED TO WAR AND TERRORISM

This article explains the reasoning behind the headline. It is clear that by not exploiting fossil fuels fully, the West has become reliant on unsavoury regimes, and pushed up the price of them. It's a disaster of their own making and all too avoidable.

Wednesday 10 September 2014

BIAS AND FRAUD FROM THE WARMIST PROPAGANDIST MOVEMENT

This report describes in clear language just what was wrong with the paper by Cook et al which received such wide coverage by an uncritical media. It was cited by several very prominent politicians, and yet now its reputation lies in tatters. It has been completely discredited in the brief report linked above. Not only is their own reputation discredited, but it has discredited the whole warmist cause that it was designed to support. 

Tuesday 9 September 2014

UK MET OFFICE DIVERSIFY INTO WIND ENERGY

This report explains how the Met Office are now in business to promote wind energy as well as their weather forecasting. Some might say there is a conflict of interest between their role of advising the government on climate change science and offering services in the field of wind turbines. If their climate change forecasts turn out to be wrong then the wind turbines may also turn out to be a bad deal.

Monday 8 September 2014

UN HAS COMPETITION TO FIND CLIMATE ACTIVIST TO LOBBY ITSELF

This news story at the BBC tells us a lot about how the UN works. It seems that the UN are not content to wait and see what the public thinks, they are intent on grooming activists to come to their meeting and "persuade" the delegates to act in the way they want them to. Isn't this the ultimate circular argument?

Sunday 7 September 2014

MATT RIDLEY - "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING?"

Here is a good article by Matt Ridley that just about sums up the current state of play regarding this long-running scare. The more the alarmists bluster, the more foolish they look, as the real world unveils the shortcomings of their precious computer models.

Saturday 6 September 2014

PAUL NURSE ATTACKS CLIMATE SCEPTICS USING THREATENING LANGUAGE

This piece describes the views of Sir Paul Nurse the current chairman of the British Science Association. His outburst shows contempt for those who don't agree with his views. He seems blinkered to any other interpretation of the data and models.

Friday 5 September 2014

Thursday 4 September 2014

GLOBAL WARMING HAS BEEN ON HOLD FOR 19 YEARS - NEW PAPER

Here is an article in the Mail which explains the new paper. We are now witnessing a very prolonged pause indeed and those advocating catastrophic warming will have to come up with something convincing pretty soon. People are often too trusting, but most are not stupid.

Wednesday 3 September 2014

UK GRID ASKS FOR EXTRA ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLIES ASAP

This item gives the details. It appears that due to some power stations going down the fine line between supply and demand is getting rather thin and power cuts are a possibility.

Tuesday 2 September 2014

ARCTIC MELTDOWN MYTH EXPOSED

This article in the Mail simply exposes the exaggeration that has been going on. While there is no doubt that the Arctic has been warming in the recent past, this has happened in the past and could easily be largely due to natural causes.

Monday 1 September 2014

CLIMATE SCIENTISTS TO APPORTION BLAME TO CO2 FOR EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS

Remember in the latest IPCC report that they admitted that it was not possible to attribute blame for individual extreme weather events to increases in CO2. Well now it appears that some climate scientists want to go to that extra stage. This article on Joanne Nova's blog has all the details including a link to an article in New Scientist which had the original article. The repercussions of this, as the article says, are potentially massive as they suggest that it could lead to weather forecasts telling us that some extreme event was made worse by CO2. Whether they can get away with such outrageous exaggeration is something else.  As this is not (yet) mainstream science I expect a number of climate scientist will speak out against it. We will just have to wait and see.