UN LEADER BANS AWKWARD QUESTION AT POPE'S PRESS CONFERENCE

I ought to have been writing headlines for the Sun!
This article explains what happened at a Vatican press conference held before a climate conference. The Pope seems to be getting involved with the UN in trying to control the climate. Is this a case of religion mixing with science, or is climate change in fact just another kind of religion?

BBC CORRESPONDENT JUMPS ON THE FOSSIL FUEL DIVESTMENT BANDWAGGON

This article is a one-sided bit of alarmist nonsense from the BBC. No comments are allowed so it is beyond criticism, except elsewhere on the blogosphere such as here. I refer to my previous post here for a full rebuttal.

WORLD TEMPERATURE DATA TO BE EXAMINED BY EXPERT PANEL

This article explains how a group of top scientists has been set up to examine the temperature data behind the global warming figures. This is  as a result of a great deal of criticism by a number of people who have found that the data has been altered so that the warming of the twentieth century has been exaggerated.

Update
Alarmists are already trying to undermine this, as expected - see this article.  

OCEAN WARMING MUCH GREATER IN MEDIEVAL WARM PERIOD

This piece refers to a very interesting paper which produces evidence that the oceans were about a degree C warmer during the Medieval Warm Period than in the Little Ice Age. If true this is a remarkable find, since scientists are currently arguing over changes of as little as 0.01C. If the oceans have changed as much as 1 degree in the fairly recent past then the tiny changes being argued over are, in comparison, pretty inconsequential. No wonder this paper has received no publicity.

ACTIVIST LINKS BOAT DEATHS TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Here are the depths to which some climate activists will go to further their "cause". It is interesting to read the comments, which I am surprised to see have not been removed (so far).  I am sure such tactics will backfire, but it is still amazing that anyone would think of using such tragedy in this way.

USA OIL INDUSTRY KEEPS INNOVATING AND PRICES FALLING

This piece in the Telegraph explains how oil keeps pouring out of its wells with ever increasing efficiency, so much so that the Middle East is struggling to keep up. This, like so much else, was not predicted by the experts in government. The result could be that fossil fuels will remain abundant and cheap for years to come.

THE GW PAUSE WILL LEAD TO A FEEBLE CLIMATE DEAL IN PARIS

According to this article in the Daily Express. While most world leaders continue to pat lip-service to the climate change orthodoxy, they are likely to refrain from making any tough binding commitments. This will further marginalise the few ultra-greens who risk punishing their people by giving them expensive energy. 

2015 - IS IT THE WARMEST START EVER?

This article on GWPF website looks at the hype around 2015 being the hottest start ever and concludes that it is more what the alarmists hope and even if there is a record it is likely to be within the margin of error. 

WHY FOSSIL FUEL DIVESTMENT IS POINTLESS

This piece explains the reasons. It is hard to understand why those advocating this are not aware. In fact they really are aware and it is just one more pointless gesture, just like the attempts to reduce fossil fuel use, knowing that there are currently no reasonable alternatives. We are currently living in the era of pointless (though very costly) gestures.

Here is a piece from a few months back where a university decides not to divest itself of its fossil fuel shares.

CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY IN THE UK - THE DEBATE

This TV recording is of an election debate between the five political parties taking part in the UK general election. It features their energy spokesmen and the debate is around energy and climate change policy. Unfortunately only one party has a sensible policy and they have no chance of putting it into practice.

EVEN OBAMA'S TAX BILLIONS FAIL TO SPEED UP THE CHANGE TO RENEWABLE ENERGY

This article gives the details of the latest prediction of energy sources up to 2040, when renewables will still account for less than 4% of the total energy used in the USA. It must make hard-pressed taxpayers wonder what is the point of all the subsidies.

LORD MONCKTON WILLING TO BET $500,000 THAT ICE SHEETS WON'T MELT IN A DECADE

This article gives the details. He is challenging a prediction made by a scientist who stated that the whole of the Antarctic and the Greenland ice sheets would melt in a decade. It is a laughable prediction and I am astonished that any reputable scientist would make it.  

UK OIL FIND NEAR GATWICK MUCH LARGER THAN ORIGINALLY THOUGHT

Here is the good news for us hard-pressed Brits. Time to open the champagne, except that the hard bit is still to come - keeping the eco fanatics from getting in the way.

CHINESE WATER TO TORTURE THE CLIMATE?

This article gives the details of the rising number of desalination plants being built in China, with the resultant increase in energy required, leading to the inevitable rise in CO2 emissions. So what are the Chinese to do, have clean water or reduce CO2 emissions? It is obviously a no-brainer, but those who really believe that increases in CO2 will lead to Armageddon have a problem; is it really right to save the planet by condemning people to live unhealthy and miserable lives without clean water? 

FRANCE'S GREEN SOCIALISTS 'BURIED SHALE REPORT'

France’s refusal to countenance exploiting shale gas deposits will cost it up to €293 billion and 225,000 jobs over the next three decades, according to a confidential government report. The report, which came down in favour of waterless fracking, was leaked to the media yesterday after it had been shelved by President Hollande’s Socialist-led cabinet. France’s radical shale gas laws make it an offence even to look for the fuel. “Shale gas is no longer on the agenda,” said Ségolène Royal, the environment minister, who is Mr Hollande’s former partner. --Adam Sage, The Times, 8 April 2015

GERMANY HEADING FOR POWER CRISIS

The economic viability of some 53 percent or 39 of the power plants planned for construction in Europe’s largest economy by 2025 has been called into question, German energy industry association BDEW said in a statement on Monday. The association said investors were nervous because of lacking profitability for coal- and gas-fired power stations because of competing energy supplies from subsidised renewable power, and a tougher carbon emissions regime. Germany, which is due to phase out nuclear energy by 2022, could face supply bottlenecks in the next few years. --Vera Eckert, Reuters, 13 April 2015

Germany's Irsching gas-fired power plant, one of Europe's newest, is to be shut down in April next year, its operators said on Monday, as competition from renewable energy pushes conventional stations out of business. Irsching is one of many power stations in Germany that are running at a fraction of the time needed to be profitable, replaced by solar and wind energy which has priority access to the grid. The statement, which puts pressure on the German government to come up with a solution for modern but loss-making power plants, did not say what impact the decision would have on jobs. --Reuters, 30 March 2015

PUBLIC SUBSIDIES FOR WIND FARMS OUTLAWED BY UK PARLIAMENT

This post gives the details, which I was unaware of. I don't know whether this decision can be overturned, but even so it is an encouraging gesture. Note the low turnout shown by the vote. A lot of MPs were not there for the vote.

INDIA SHUTS DOWN GREENPEACE, FREEZES FUNDING, SUSPENDS LICENCE

 The Hindu, 10 April 2015

Devesh Pandey

Greenpeace India's all seven bank accounts have been frozen with immediate effect. 

Citing various grounds for the suspension of the FCRA registration of Greenpeace India and the freezing of its accounts, the Union Home Ministry on Thursday alleged the organisation did not inform the authorities concerned about transfer of foreign contributions received in the designated account to the FCRA utilisation account and then to five other accounts.

The seven accounts in IDBI Bank, ICICI Bank and Yes Bank have been frozen with immediate effect.

Listing the alleged violations, the order said the NGO under-reported and repeatedly mentioned incorrect amount of foreign contributions. It's foreign account opening balance for 2008-09 was incorrectly reported nil in the auditor's certificate. Greenpeace India had later described it as a typographical error.

The MHA also charged the NGO with incurring over 50 per cent of foreign donations on administrative expenditure during 2011-12 and 2012-13 without prior approval; and wilfully suppressing details on salary payment by Greenpeace International to “Greenpeace activist” Greg Muttitt, who worked on secondment with Greenpeace India for over five months in 2013-14.

Economic interest hurt

Stating that acceptance of foreign contributions by Greenpeace India has prejudicially affected the public and the economic interest of the country in violation of the Section 12 (4)(f)(iii) and Section 12(4)(f)(ii) of the FCRA, the government said the act also amounted to violation of the conditions of grant of registration certificate.

Accordingly, the Central government has suspended the registration of the organisation, including its branches and units, under the FCRA, for six months beginning Thursday. The organisation can make a representation in this regard within 30 days.

The order comes against the backdrop of MHA reports raising concerns that the United Kingdom has been showing interest in the organisation's India operations. “The UK Parliament had invited Greenpeace India to 'testify' against the Indian government in a formal hearing. A UK-based TV channel had also sought to internationalise related issues last year,” said an MHA official.

The government also took exception to Greenpeace India's participation at the Istanbul Coal Strategy Conference-2012. “At the Istanbul Conference, US-based funding agencies projected India as the primary target for thermal power plant activism,” said the official.

Sponsored by US-based Climate Works Foundation (CWF) and World Resources Institute, the Conference had identified 999 thermal power plant sites in the world, of which about half were in India.

The official said the Conference had resolved to focus on the Singrauli region in India.

CAPITALISM VERSUS THE THIRD INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Another thought-provoking article from the Scientific Alliance looks at the idea put out by some writers, that capitalism must be overthrown in the third industrial revolution. What these writers seem to overlook is that this revolution is not being driven by the "masses" at the bottom end of society, but by the philosophers at the top. I don't see how this revolution can succeed if it is not a popular mass up-rising. People will not fall so easily for these latter-day Karl Marx's with their ideas of utopia. However they can do a lot of damage trying.

JAPAN'S NEW ENERGY POLICY - MORE COAL

Japan has 43 coal power projects either under construction or planned, representing combined capacity of 21,200 megawatts, according to a statement from the Kyoto-based Kiko Network. The projections would account for about half of what Japan could emit in 2050 under the current government’s target to cut emissions by 80 percent by that date, the group said. -- Chisaki Watanabe, Bloomberg, 9 April 2015

INDIA TO DOUBLE COAL PRODUCTION

India Won't Bow To Western Pressure On CO2 Emissions, Modi Says
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government aims to double Indian coal production to 1.5 billion tons by 2020. The Modi government, which came to power in May last year, is desperate to increase coal production to facilitate economic growth. The International Energy Exchange projects annual coal consumption in India to grow by 177 million tons, or an average 5% a year, through 2019. --Rosemary Marandi and Kiran Sharma, Nikkei Asian Review, 3 April 2015 (http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/Modi-looks-to-double-coal-production-by-2020)

INTRODUCING THE BRITISH UNIVERSITIES INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ASSOCIATION

No, I've never heard of it either, but a look at this website  reveals that they are deeply into the climate change boondoggle. Don't you just love the discussion on "Trade unions and climate change in the UK: prisoners of neoliberalism or swords of climate justice?" at their forthcoming seminar. What on earth does it mean? (any answers in the comments please.)

When you scratch the surface, you soon find another organisation, usually, though not exclusively, left wing, which has transformed itself into a bastion of climate change. Perhaps they have found a lucrative source of government (or EU) funding. Never mind the science, this subject has now become a must for any organisation, or so it seems.  This is not just confined to the UK, it is all over Europe and the USA as well. 

NATIONAL TRUST JUMPS ON CLIMATE CHANGE BANDWAGGON

This article looks at the new campaigning stance being taken by the NT. They may put off some of their existing members, who expect them to stick to preserving our heritage, and not spending charity money on political activism.

Roger Helmer discusses this in more detail.

GLOBAL WARMING, SOME GOOD SLIDES FOR A SCEPTIC

I came across these slides the other day and thought they were worth sharing with readers. The first one was shown in the film, The Great Global Warming Swindle. It shows the Earth's temperature going back a billion years. A simple set of slides that tell a story. The climate is much more complex than climate alarmists are prepared to admit. And they don't want you or I to know about it. 

OBAMA'S CO2 REDUCTION PLEDGE TO THE UN COULD BE HALTED BY LEGAL ACTION

This piece looks at the legal action being applied to try and stop the latest Obama pledge to cut CO2 emissions in the USA. Even if the legal process only slows it up it could then be overturned by a new less enthusiastic president. 

TORNADO INCREASE - ANOTHER CLIMATE MYTH

This article gives the statistics about tornado activity in the USA, and it shows that there is no trend towards an increase, let's tell it to the alarmists.

THE TIP OF THE CLIMATE SPENDING ICEBERG

This article gives a good idea of what those of us who believe alarmist climate predictions are wrong, are up against. It is massive and it will require great effort and determination to try and counter it. The challenge is still worth making. Like any massive task it has to done bit by bit. By exposing the weakness of the alarmist case and the huge damage it is inflicting on ordinary people's lives, gradually people will understand that it has no substance. Just like an iceberg in the ocean it will melt away, very slowly! 

UK CLIMATE POLICIES TO COST £90 BILLION BY 2020

Here are the facts which show that the huge cost will accumulate between now and 2020. This equates to £3485 for every household in the country. I wonder why the government has not informed us of this?

CLIMATE POKER AS MOST GOVERNMENTS DELAY UN CLIMATE PLEDGES

Reuters, 29 March 2015

Alister Doyle and Valerie Volcovici

OSLO/WASHINGTON - The United States will submit plans for slowing global warming to the United Nations early this week but most governments will miss an informal March 31 deadline, complicating work on a global climate deal due in December.

The U.S. submission, on Monday or Tuesday according to a White House official, adds to national strategies beyond 2020 already presented by the 28-nation European Union, Mexico, Switzerland and Norway.

Together, they account for about a third of world greenhouse emissions. But other emitters such as China, India, Russia, Brazil, Canada and Australia say they are waiting until closer to a Paris summit in December, meant to agree a global deal.

"It's not the ideal situation," said Niklas Hoehne, founding partner of the New Climate Institute in Germany which tracks submissions, known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).

In 2013, the United Nations invited INDCs by March 31, 2015, from governments "ready to do so" - the early, informal deadline was meant to give time to compare pledges and toughen weak ones.

Late submissions complicate the Paris summit because it will be far harder to judge late INDCs.

A USA POLITICIAN RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT WHO SPEAKS AGAINST CLIMATE ALARM

This video shows a politician running for the Republican nomination for President in 2016 being interviewed. The whole interview is worth watching, but in particular a section from around 15 minutes in, when he explains his thoughts on global warming. He has the courage to say what he believes, which is that it is not a cause for alarm. How refreshing to see a politician running for this high office who is prepared to do that. If only we had someone like that leading one of our major parties. Does he stand a chance - I certainly hope so.