THE RETURN OF THE ARCTIC ICE

This week's Booker column looks at the incredibly harsh winter endured by Canadians. While, as he says, this is severe weather, not climate change, it is remarkable that we have seen none of it on our UK TV news bulletins, whereas if there are any heat related stories they are given ample coverage. I wonder why this is?

EDUCATION REINFORCES OUR VIEWS ON GW

Seventy-four percent of Republicans with a college degree say it is exaggerated, compared with 57% of those with high school education or less saying the same. Democrats are much less likely in general to say that the seriousness of global warming is exaggerated, but those with a college degree (15%) are significantly less likely to say this than those with a high school education or less (27%). The relationship between education and views of global warming among independents is generally similar to that shown among Republicans.

These opposing trends by party suggest that higher levels of education reinforce core partisan positions; in this case, Republicans' strong tendency to question or deny global warming and Democrats' inclination to affirm it. The trends also suggest that partisanship rather than education is a main lens through which Americans view global warming and its effects, particularly for those who claim allegiance to one of the two major political parties.

These results come from an aggregation of more than 6,000 interviews conducted as part of Gallup's annual Environmental Poll conducted each March from 2010 to 2015. Over that time, Americans' views about the seriousness of global warming have been steady: 43% on average have said it was generally exaggerated, 24% generally correct and 31% have said it was generally underestimated. Longer term (http://www.gallup.com/poll/107593/Partisan-Gap-Global-Warming-Grows.aspx?utm_source=riley%20dunlap&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=tiles) , though, Republicans' and Democrats' views about global warming have increasingly diverged.

INDIA TO BE THE BIGGEST WORLD IMPORTER OF COAL

The tides of the world's seaborne coal trade are shifting rapidly as top consumer China seeks to rely more on domestic output while cutting its use of the polluting energy source.

India, the world's second-largest coal consumer, is stepping into the breach, pulling in more coal cargoes amid a price slump.

India's coal imports could rise by more than 8% this year to 170 million metric tons, research firm Wood Mackenzie estimates, putting them almost on a par with those of China, which imported 207 million tons last year.

"India is [now] at the center of the seaborne thermal coal market, given Chinese demand is slowing down," said Prakash Sharma, research director for Pacific coal markets at Wood Mackenzie.

India's coal reserves in the ground are among the largest in the world. But production by state-owned Coal India Ltd. has failed to keep pace with demand growth, which has increased the need for imports.

Full story (http://www.wsj.com/articles/india-rises-as-importer-of-coal-1427452063)

A RATIONAL ENERGY POLICY FOR THE UK

Here is a refreshing change - an energy policy that makes sense. Unfortunately it is not from either of the Parties that will form our next government.

A PRIEST WHO SPEAKS AGAINST THE CLIMATE RELIGION

Here is an interesting piece which shows there are religious people who have not been taken in by the global warming brigade.

SEX, LIES AND DECEIT - WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT GLOBAL WARMING COULD ENCOMPASS ALL THIS?

My headline refers to the goings on of the recently resigned head of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC as it is usually known. Donna Laframboise has been covering the events in some detail as they have unfolded. I have seen virtually nothing of the story in the press and none at all on television news bulletins. I know Mr Pachauri was not a household name, but neither was Dominic Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the IMF who had similar problems, but in his case there was lots of coverage. I find it strange that the media have decided to be so shy about this. While his behaviour has no bearing on the actual science of global warming, it undoubtedly does have a bearing on how the public perceives the integrity of the IPCC. 

NEW USA FRACKING REGULATIONS TO INCREASE COST OF POWER

The administration's new rules for hydraulic fracturing on federal lands will add to the cost of shale oil and gas drilling operations and hamper an industry that's been front and center in the economic recovery. Given this president's allegiance to the environmental lobby, this may be the whole point of the new rules - to stop fossil-fuel development in order to make expensive renewable energy the only alternative. But a new study from the Brookings Institution - hardly conservative in its orientation - suggests the biggest victims of these new rules will be the poorest Americans, who'll have to pay higher energy costs. --Editorial, Investor's Business Daily, 24 March 2015 (http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/032315-744736-epa-fracking-regulations-costly-to-poor.htm)

USA REPUBLICANS TO DELAY OBAMA'S NEW POWER PLANT REGULATIONS

House Republicans are preparing a bill that would delay implementation of the Obama administration's climate rule for power plants and let state governors veto compliance plans. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's panel on energy and power, unveiled the draft legislation Monday that he worked on with Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), the full committee chairman, and other members. The draft bill would delay the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rule until all court challenges are over and let governors block any plans to implement the regulation - whether from the state or imposed by the EPA - if they think it would significantly increase electricity rates or harm reliability. --Timothy Cama, The Hill, 23 March 2015 (http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/236656-house-gop-seeks-to-delay-epa-climate-rule-gives-states-vetoes)

THE CLIMATE PROPAGANDA WAR HOTS UP OVER CYCLONE PAM

This piece highlights the exaggerations being put out as facts by activist climate scientists. This is desperate stuff and may well be counter-productive as more of the public realise they are being fed with propaganda rather than given balanced information.

Christopher Booker has also commented on this in his weekly column in the Telegraph.
 

HAGUE'S CLIMATE ADVISOR IN RANT AT SHELL BOSS

William Hague was the UK's Foreign Secretary until quite recently and the man who wrote this was his senior Climate Change Advisor for six years. You may well be asking at this point why on earth our top politician on foreign affairs need a climate change advisor at all. It also begs the question, what other advisors do our ministers have and how much do they get paid; who appoints them and does the minister take any notice of them? Perhaps they have astrologers - who knows? Putting all these issues to one side, just look at what this man is saying and ask yourself, is this the sort of thing a leading international politician should be listening to? Remember he was in post for six years and even from this one article one can get a good idea of his train of thought. This is not the sort of scientific advice that would be of any use to a balanced politician. Either Hague, a bluff Yorkshire man, ignored him for six years, in which case why didn't he get rid of him after a few weeks? Or he has been brainwashed by him, in which case let's hope his successor is someone with a stronger mind.

Here is a short extract:
"The story of the world is as old as antiquity. It is the story of the writing on the wall. The warning to the last King of Babylon at his last great feast that he has been weighed in the balance, as it is written in the Book of Daniel.The high carbon, resource-profligate modernity you helped build is a new Babylon. Every bite from its fruit poisons the tree from which we pluck it.King Belshazzar of Babylon plundered goblets of gold from the Temple of Solomon. We take our plunder from an ecological fabric we no longer recognize as our first Temple. But if it crumbles we die both in body and in spirit."

He sounds more like a religious fundamentalist who might have been found speaking at Hyde Park Corner, or walking down the street waving a placard warning that "the end of the world is nigh!" Of actual science in his article there was none, and remember he was the Foreign Secretary's chief advisor on Climate Change. I wonder what other advisors he has on this subject. Time to get rid of them, I say.

THE WEAKNESS OF THE NEXT CLIMATE TREATY

This article from the Scientific Alliance looks at the attempts by the EU to bring about a new World agreement to lower CO2 emissions. It is clear from the article that it is doomed to failure and despite the enormous financial cost the level of CO2 is certain to increase, as the developing nations will not give up their aim to industrialise their economy.

PACIFIC ISLANDS SEA LEVELS - A COMPLICATED PICTURE

This article looks at the details and it does not show any correlation with CO2 levels. In fact sea levels around Vanuatu have varied by as much as 18 inches during the last 20 years showing no definite trend as shown in the graphs in the article.

HOW DRIVERS MAY FIND THEY LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR VEHICLES BY STEALTH

This article looks at the coming technology of "intelligent vehicles" that will make motoring increasingly safe by letting computers take over critical decisions from us. While this sounds very good, it has possible sinister spin-offs which we will not like. Big Brother is alive and well in the future of motoring.

JAPAN POWERS AHEAD ON COAL

Having sensibly ditched their suffocating CO2 emission reduction targets, Japan is now giving the green light to new coal-fired power stations and so cutting the price of its energy. They will be hoping that this will lead to a renaissance of the world's third largest economy. Here is the story which we can only envy.  

EU SLIPPING BEHIND AS GREEN POLICIES START HURTING

This article gives the details of how the EU is losing ground to not only the USA which has energy prices at half the level, but also the emerging economies. Things will only get worse until the EU learns the reality of competition. How much more will it take, and how many more jobs will have to disappear?

FOSSIL FUELS WILL SAVE THE WORLD, SAYS MATT RIDLEY

Here is Matt's compelling article which explains the reality of how the world depends on fossil fuels and that there is no way that renewables can replace them. The figures are incontrovertible, we have un almost unlimited supply of fossil fuels, they are by far the most cost effective form of energy and they are also the most concentrated and reliable form of energy. Until some new cheaper form is invented or discovered there is no way we are going to change.  

THE WORLD'S CLIMATE, A FULLER SUMMARY

This short guide to the climate has just been published by the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) in response to a guide produced by the Royal Society (RS). The GWPF has attempted to include all the points that were either glossed over or left out by the RS. The result is a very readable and thorough document that should be read by all those interested in this controversial subject, including students and reporters.  The report has been endorsed by a number of very prominent climate experts and simply cannot be dismissed.

LABOUR CONTROL FREAKS TO CONTROL ENERGY PRICES

Here are the details. This is a step too far and it will drive investment away just when it is needed. Will the public see it like that, or will they believe that Mr Miliband is going to be their champion against the evil capitalists? It is hard to tell. It may be that they will fall for his promise. No wonder political leaders continue to pursue such policies, despite knowing that they will be damaging.

SWISS VOTERS REJECT CARBON TAX TO REPLACE VAT BY 92% TO 8%

Here is the story which you will not see on the main stream news. I wonder why? I find it rather compelling and it would be good to hear the views of the Swiss people. They just don't seem to be interested in reporting this type of story. What they love is "human interest" stories instead where they can get interviews with tearful friends or relations. Sad that the news has become a sort of documentary, but that is what the broadcasters think the public wants.

WILL THE UN BRING IN A GLOBAL CLIMATE COURT?

Here is the detail of the latest attempt by the UN to gain power over national governments. Here is the key proposal:

An “International Climate Justice Tribunal in order to oversee, control and sanction the fulfilment [sic] of and compliance with the obligations of Annex I and Annex II Parties under this agreement and the [1992 UNFCCC climate treaty].” The Senate must forcefully declare that the

Paris deal is invalid if it purports to bind us, in any way, without ratification. This breathtaking power grab is cause to act.

HEAD OF EPA EXPOSED IN INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR

This you tube video shows the head of the USA Environmental Protection Agency being grilled over her request for an increased budget. She evaded answering questions on the rate of global temperature rise compared with model predictions. She was exposed in a way you don't often see the establishment exposed. Good to watch. Not something I have seen here in the UK from politicians. 

EU ADOPTS NON-BINDING CO2 TARGET FOR PARIS SUMMIT

Here are the details showing that the EU is prepared to sacrifice its industry in the hope that it will persuade others to follow. You will have noticed the words "non-binding" in the headline and there is the get-out clause if they have the sense to use it. Also in the article I note that the diplomats state that they are unlikely to reach agreement as to how these cuts are to be shared out within the member states. Quite a big stumbling block I would have thought. It will be interesting to see what other commitments are received by 31 March. Also what agreement is made in December in Paris. I expect it will be a fudge.

MORE CLIMATE PROPAGANDA ON THE BBC

This piece looks at a recent climate change programme on BBC4 (which only has a small number of viewers). I saw the programme myself and totally agree with the article. It was a blatant attempt at one-sided propaganda with no balance.  The clever idea was to use mathematicians to present the programme, possibly because climate scientists are not trusted very much after the leaked emails. However it soon became apparent that this was a "hard sell" of the orthodox climate change doctrine. Any contrary ideas, if mentioned at all, were summarily dismissed.

QUAKER'S FORTUNE MISUSED TO FUND TERRORISTS AND CLIMATE ACTIVISTS

This article looks at the way the Rowntree fortune is being lavished on various left wing causes which it is very doubtful that Mr Rowntree himself would have approved. It just shows that if you are going to leave a fortune in trust, you must make sure you specify precisely what your money should be used for.

"IT'S OK TO LIE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE" - YALE PROJECT

Here is another revealing piece. It shows that some leading people in the movement to promote climate alarmism are quite prepared to lie. Here is a key quote:

There have been a number of studies that have shown that some people will change their views of climate change based on extreme weather. It’s not enough to simply experience a heat wave — it then needs to be contextualized. It needs to be interpreted by thought leaders and trusted people in a community and by the media and scientists saying, ‘This is an indication of global warming”

So now we know!

CHRISTIAN AID SUPPORTS LEFT WING MARXIST POLICIES

Here are the details of this shocking disclosure. It is yet another indication of the forces that are attempting to overthrow western free market economies. While I accept that the West is not perfect, it is certainly the most pleasant way of life and for Christian Aid to try and bring about its demise is a real concern considering how widely respected and supported it is. I am surprised that this is not more widely exposed in the mainstream media.

UN TRUE AIM OF WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION REVEALED

This article reminds us of the ultimate aim of those at the United Nations who push climate change alarmism. Despite this aim being stated quite openly, it is never stated in the main television news, or in any programmes focusing on climate change, so the majority of the public are unaware of it. 

THE UK POLITICIANS MAKING A KILLING OUT OF CLIMATE POLICIES

Christopher Booker reminds us of the big money that politicians are making, quite legally, from bein hired by green energy firms which benefit from the very policies that these same politicians are pushing through parliament. It is odd that such an obvious conflict of interest is allowed to go unchallenged.

RENEWABLE ENERGY BOSS GETS INTO FORMULA 1

Just because someone earns a living promoting renewable energy does not mean that they necessarily lead a low energy life-style. Here is a case in point. Business is business and outside work this man obviously does not practice a planet-saving way of life. Good for him, I say. As long as he does not try to preach to the rest of us. I'm sure some of his customers would disagree, the kill-joys.

IPCC IN DRASTIC NEED FOR REFORM

IPCC Needs To Transform To Scientific Organisation – Think TankSputnik International, 26 February 2015

Daria Chernyshova

Global Warming Policy Forum urged drastically reform of UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change following the resignation of the IPCC chairman amid sexual harassment allegations.
 

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Daria Chernyshova — One of the world’s most influential organizations in the sphere of climate change — the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — should be drastically reformed, the Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) urged Wednesday following the resignation of the IPCC chairman amid sexual harassment allegations.


“[The] IPCC is seen as a green lobby-group rather than a scientific authority. And that is a problem because governments themselves need to trust this organization,” GPWF director Benny Peiser told Sputnik news agency Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Rajendra Pachauri stepped down as the chair of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning IPCC. He was accused of sexual harassment by a researcher. The IPCC unites presidents and prime ministers attempting to tackle climate change, and the IPCC chairman is seen as one of the most influential people advising governments in the area of energy and climate policy. Pachauri was at the IPCC helm for over 13 years.

In his resignation letter, Pachauri said that “For me the protection of Planet Earth, the survival of all species and sustainability of our ecosystems is more than a mission. It is my religion and my dharma.”

Interpreting the letter, the GPWF director stressed it is very alarming that [the outgoing IPCC chairman sees] “the whole issue of climate change as [a] religion.” He noted that the IPCC has been one-sided and not objective, as it pushed out all those who disagreed with the “group’s religion.”

“The organization is extremely one-sided, it has pushed out anyone who has not accepted the general philosophy, the gist of the organization and instead of issuing balanced and objective reports, it has tended over the years to exaggerate the issue,” Peiser told Sputnik adding that the IPCC should include critical scientists, who are not a part of the organization at the moment.

At the same time, Peiser noted that the organization’s reports were quite good, but the “leadership cherry-picked the negative aspects and ignored the positive aspects that were also covered in the reports.”

“The lack of moderation, lack of balance and the lack of credibility – that is at the core of the problem and all we are asking the governments to do is to make the IPCC a more reliable and less alarmist organization that the governments could trust,” Peiser said.

Full story

IS THE EU BACKTRACKING ON ITS CLIMATE COMMITMENTS?

“Watering Down” EU Climate Targets Risks Undermining UN Climate DealResponding to Climate Change, 26 February 2015

Ed King

The European Commission’s latest set of proposals for a UN climate deal could “severely undermine” efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, UK climate and energy chief Ed Davey has warned.

He said the UK strongly objected to plans – released on Wednesday – that would see naturally occurring carbon sinks like forests and wetlands used to meet the EU’s emissions reduction target of 40% on 1990 levels by 2030.

In a letter to European climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, dated February 24 and seen by RTCC, Davey said Brussels’ credibility as a climate leader is under threat.

“Implying that the land-use sector is included has the potential to severely undermine ambitions, as land is a sink and could impact ambition by 1-2%,” he wrote.

“This is not insignificant and the inclusion or not of land within the -40% was very clearly not agreed in the October [2014] Council.”

A perception the EU is trying to wriggle out of its climate commitments could impact alliances with other countries in the run-up to Paris, where a UN deal is set to be agreed in December, he added. [...]

European officials released the ‘Road to Paris’, outlining the bloc’s proposed contributions for the UN pact, on Wednesday.

At the launch Canete called them “ambitious” and said they proved the EU was “leading the way”. Europe would be the first major emitter to deliver its climate pledge to the UN, he said.

But civil society observers who have closely analysed the documents issued by Brussels say they contain loopholes and ignore past decisions made by member states.

In addition to land use and the 40% target, concerns have been raised over the Commission’s claim that domestic EU commitments cannot be increased ahead of Paris.

There is also concern that the Commission has downgraded the Europe’s 2050 emissions reduction goal from 80-95% to 80%.

Full story