SOUTHERN OCEAN SINK WORKING FINE SAYS NEW STUDY

Southern Ocean ‘Sink’ Turns The Tide On Climate AlarmThe Australian, 11 September 2015

Graham Lloyd
 The Southern Ocean has recovered its ability to suck vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, overturning fears the natural “sink” had stalled with dire consequences for future climate change.



Acting like a giant lung, the Southern Ocean carbon sink accounts for about 40 per cent of the ocean uptake of anthro­pogenic carbon dioxide.

Climate scientists had feared the uptake of carbon dioxide by the Southern Ocean had slowed in what was feared to be a “feedback” response to human ­activity.

New research published today in the journal Science reveals that rather than stalling, the amount of CO2 being ­absorbed by the Southern Ocean was on the rise again.

It is thought that changes in weather — particularly wind patterns and temperature in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans — were responsible.

The findings have invigorated debate about how well scientists understand the natural variations in the earth’s climate.

Lead author Nicolas Gruber, from ETH Zurich, said the research did not address directly whether fluctuations in the sink strength were because of natural or human-induced variability.

“The starting hypothesis is that they are a result of natural variations,” Dr Gruber told The Australian.

Benny Peiser from the London-based Global Warming Policy Foundation said it was “not the first time that lengthier observations have led to the demise of a short-term climate scare”.

“The fact that researchers now acknowledge they cannot predict future trends indicates that they don’t fully understand the underlying physics and mechanisms,” Dr Peiser said.

Contributing author Dorothea Bakker, from the University of East Anglia, said the variation in the Southern Ocean carbon sink was larger than expected on the basis of the growth of atmospheric CO2 alone.

“The Southern Ocean behaves like a giant lung — breathing in and absorbing vast amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, and releasing it later in the year,” Dr Bakker said.

“The seas around Antarctica absorb significantly more CO2 than they release. They basically help to slow down the growth of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and lessen the rate of climate change.”

CSIRO Southern Ocean expert Steve Rintoul, who was not part of the research team, said the new analysis showed the strength of the Southern Ocean carbon sink varied with time more strongly than expected. “The weakening and strengthening of the Southern Ocean carbon sink reflects changes in ocean temperature and carbon dioxide driven by variations in the winds blowing on the ocean surface,” Dr Rintoul said.

He said the wind changes were caused by human activities such as greenhouse gases emissions and by natural variability. “The results show that overall, the Southern Ocean sink is keeping pace with the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. “This is in contrast to some earlier studies based on model experiments and atmospheric data that concluded the Southern Ocean carbon sink was weakening.”

GWPF science spokesman David Whitehouse said the recovery of the Southern Ocean carbon sink “could be yet another explanation for the surface temperature hiatus”.

He said the research was “another alarmist claim removed by science, showing that the ‘settled science’ isn’t settled at all.

“The fact is that the current models do not fit the observations, so there we have a vital part of future climate prediction shown to be not predictable,” Dr Whitehouse said.

“No one knows why the Southern Oceans are doing this, and no one can say what will happen next. It seems the Southern Ocean, along with a little bit of help from the sun, means that future climate projections, especially decadal ones, have become far more uncertain.

“The closer you look at widely held certainties, the more complex and less understood they become — that’s the science of a complicated earth.”

UK POWER NETWORK PERILOUSLY CLOSE TO BLACKOUTS BY 2016 IF WIND DROPS

Picture a cold and dark wintery evening in November and millions of householders across the country are switching on their kettles at the same time after a long day at work but suddenly there is a big problem.

Another creaking coal-fired power station has been shut down and with barely a breeze blowing to fire up the thousands of wind turbines that Britain has increasingly relied upon to keep the lights turned on, the entire electricity network has become overloaded.

Suddenly, the doomsday scenario of a nationwide energy blackout and power curfews on a scale not seen since the bleak winter of enforced economic hardship of 1979 becomes reality.

This is the fear of experts like Anthony Price, director of Electricity Storage Network, who argues that policymakers have allowed the system to become too vulnerable to outages, which could cost the economy billions of pounds in lost output and productivity.

“As a society we run the risk of paying the price eventually for running everything with the very minimum of spare capacity available,” said Mr Price. “If something does go wrong with the existing generating system we really have no where to run to meet demand.”

His concerns were brought into sharper focus last week with the announcement that the Eggborough power station in Yorkshire would close in March 2016. The plant generates around 4pc of the UK’s electricity and its shutdown at the end of the winter will place a further squeeze on the safety cushion for avoiding a blackout across large areas of the country.

Conventional fossil-fuel burning power stations like Eggborough and the Longannet coal-fired plant in Fife that is also due to close in March are still the most reliable means to produce electricity for the grid, despite the dramatic shift over the last decade towards renewables such as wind or solar.
 
“Things are moving into uncharted territory in terms of security of supply,” said Peter Atherton, utilities equity analyst at Jefferies. “We have never had such a low ratio of conventional power plant capacity compared with renewables and the problem is going to get worse.”

The announcement in May by SSE that it would be closing the giant Ferrybridge power station in Yorkshire by March 2016 has also raised the stakes for regulators who are duty bound to ensure Britain has enough power. Based on the recent closures, power supply levels published by Ofgem show that Britain will be perilously close to blackouts by the winter of 2016 if wind levels prove to be too low to generate adequate electricity for the grid.

According to Mr Atherton the problem started with the Labour government under the former Prime Minister Tony Blair which committed Britain to unachievable targets for building renewable energy capacity.

The suspicion is that Mr Blair went into European climate talks in 2007 not even knowing the difference between energy – which covered everything from transportation to home insulation – and electricity. Almost a decade later, this possible schoolboy error by Mr Blair and his negotiating team could lead to blackouts for the “first time in living memory”, Mr Atherton believes.

“Germany and Spain for example don’t have the same security of supply problem as we do. We are unique in that we have a problem with supply and affordability of power,” he said.

The Coalition and the new Conservative Government have essentially continued along with the same unrealistic policy which has committed Britain to generating around 80pc of its power from renewables and nuclear by 2030. Another problem according to Mr Atherton is the need to build more latency into the renewable network.

He estimates that to replace 1 gigawatt of conventional coal or gas generated power capacity it requires the equivalent of around 3.5 gigawatts of renewables.

“The problem is that the closure programme for conventional plants like Eggborough is running to time but the new build programme is now about four years behind schedule. There is a big mismatch between what is getting shut down and what is getting built to replace it,” said Mr Atherton.

GREENPEACE THE EMPLOYER FROM HELL

This piece reveals the uncomfortable truth about this supposedly worker-friendly organisation which campaigns for so many left-wing causes, which is that they are as cut-throat as any other business and the bottom line is their number one priority. In fact they have become just another multi-national business.

GLOBAL WARMING IS ALL ABOUT OVERTHROWING CAPITALISM SAYS NAOMI KLEIN

This article looks at her recent book in which she explicitly admits that climate change is not about science at all, but it is about changing the world. Why on earth don't the Western political leaders wake up to this reality before they sign up to impoverish their citizens for a false prospectus?

More on this here.






 

POOR NATIONS STILL AFTER CLIMATE MONEY

This article looks at the proposition that the developed nations are somehow "responsible" for the damage caused now and in the recent past by their historic emissions of CO2. This seems to be a complete fiction because (a) temperatures have risen by such a small amount that this could not have made any difference to weather extremes and (b) there has been no increase in extreme weather events over the past hundred years of records. Despite the points just mentioned, as you will see in the linked article, our political leaders seem ready to concede that this historic responsibility is a reality and are about to concede billions of pounds to put it right.

KATRINA - AFTER 10 YEARS WE CAN SEE HOW THIS EVENT WAS USED AS PROPAGANDA

Here is a good article which looks at the way hurricane Katrina was used to make a false case for the threat of increased hurricane activity in the Atlantic, blamed of course on increased CO2 emissions. Now a decade on we can see that this threat has not materialised. Hurricanes have always been a threat and remain so. Had there been an increase,  due to natural variation, they would have said "look, we told you so."

FORMER METEOROLOGIST DISCLOSES YEARS OF CENSORSHIP ON NATURAL WEATHER CYCLES

This article gives the details of yet more evidence of manipulation of freedom of speech to hide any alternative to the man-made global warming mantra.

UK SUMMER - HOW DID THE MET OFFICE PREDICTIONS WORK OUT?

Here is an article which looks at the extraordinary way the Met Office shifts its position as their predictions start to unravel. Even their explanations for the weather are inconsistent. I think we all know that weather forecasting is extremely difficult, but by making out that they can do far more than they can they end up looking very foolish. It's time for them to come clean and admit that they know far less than they claim and stop the propaganda.

OBAMA'S ALASKAN CLIMATE PROPAGANDA

This piece looks at the reality of what is actually happening to the climate in Kivali in Alaska where President Obama was seen on our news broadcasts yesterday telling us that there was a catstrophe going on due to sea level rise and increased storms and that this was all due to increases in CO2. Thanks to Paul Homewood we can see the true picture which is that the real cause of the climate change there is retreat of a glacier which has been going on for over 100 years. How strange that the President didn't mention it.

UPDATE Yet more data from Paul Homewood.

HOW THE WARMIST ARGUMENTS DON'T STACK UP

This article was written as a rebuttal of arguments put on an Australian TV programme that supposedly put both sides of the climate change debate, except that they didn't. Instead they deliberately put a very weak case for the climate sceptics and then went on to demolish it, in other words the programme was simply propaganda. The article is a brilliant tour de force by Jo Nova and is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the weakness of the warmist case.

UK NORTH SEA OIL INDUSTRY HEADING FOR THE SCRAPHEAP

The Sunday Times, 23 August 2015

Danny Fortson
 The North Sea stands out as one of the world’s most expensive places to operate. Most companies are now operating at a loss. A domino effect may mean that North Sea production will dwindle rapidly in a few years.


Sometimes one company perfectly captures the course of an industry. For the North Sea, that company is Fairfield Energy. Launched a decade ago with $200m from a clutch of savvy investors, led by American buyout firm Warburg Pincus, Fairfield’s plan was to scoop up old oil fields cast off by the industry giants and breathe new life into them.

In 2012 Riverstone, the energy specialist then run by Lord Browne of Madingley, ploughed in another $150m. The renowned former BP boss even joined the board, endorsing Fairfield’s strategy of squeezing the last drops from decades-old platforms whose output had slowed to a trickle.

Yet forces were gathering to dash the company’s plans. The offshore industry’s operating costs doubled in just five years as contractors used a buoyant crude price to ratchet up day rates for drilling rigs and boats. Unions won better salaries and shorter working hours.

The 60% drop in the oil price since last summer to $45 a barrel was the final nail in the coffin.

Rather than styling itself as a saviour of Britain’s oil industry, Fairfield has decided there is more money to be had from feasting on its carcass. Three months ago it took the first steps to transforming itself into a decommissioning specialist. Its old fields have been closed or put up for sale, and it has begun hiring experts to dismantle platforms.

David Peattie, the former BP high-flyer who was parachuted in just two years ago, will leave after a buyer is found for Fairfield’s one reservoir that is producing oil. Browne stepped down from the board this year and at the same time left Riverstone.

A Fairfield source said: “We were set up to put off decommissioning for 10 to 20 years. Now we’re doing the opposite. It’s quite amazing really.”

Fairfield’s transformation from saviour to undertaker is a stark example of the forces battering the industry. The North Sea was once the biggest single contributor to the exchequer, but this year it will hand over little more than £1bn, compared with more than £11.5bn just three years ago, according to the specialist adviser Hannon Westwood.

The Office for Budget Responsibility reckons that the Treasury’s take between 2020 and 2040 will dwindle to a total of just £2bn, a 94% reduction on previous forecasts.

The day when the North Sea goes from asset to liability is not as far away as one might think, not least because the taxpayer is on the hook for roughly 60% of the estimated £30bn decommissioning bill.

Indeed, next year a ship equipped with the world’s largest scissors will chop the top off the first of four platforms in the Brent field, about 110 miles east of the Shetland Islands. The reservoir, after which Britain’s benchmark crude is named, pumped an astonishing 4bn barrels before it was shut down in 2011. It will be the North Sea’s biggest decommissioning project yet. [...]

In the face of that collapse, the North Sea, where rig cooks can bring home £50,000 a year, stands out as one of the world’s most expensive places to operate. Most companies are now operating at a loss.

Only nine of the 120 companies in the North Sea are profitable and, thus, pay tax, according to Ian Norbury at Hannon Westwood. This will get worse.

So far this year only two new projects have been approved, against seven last year and ten in 2013. Exploration is on track to hit a record low, with as few as eight wells planned this year. “The cupboard is bare in terms of planned wells,” said Norbury.

Half a century after the founding of the North Sea industry, its biggest fields are mostly dried up. What remains is the crumbs that are not worth the time or investment of the biggest players.

GREEN GERMANY: HALF THEIR POWER PLANTS FACE CLOSURE

Deutsche Welle, 24 August 2015
 Germany’s shift to renewable energy sources will have a greater impact on operators of traditional power plants than originally thought, according to new data from the country’s grid supervisor. Fifty-seven traditional gas and coal power plants are set to close in Germany as a consequence of Energiewende, or energy transition, which has diminished the profitability of operating non-renewable power plants.

That’s nine more than had been slated for closure at the beginning of the year, Germany’s leading Bild tabloid reported on Monday, citing figures from the Federal Network Agency.

Energy industry advocates have warned that a heavier reliance on wind and solar power could put Germany’s energy supply security at risk.

Hildegard Müller, head of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), told Bild that modern power plants were an insurance policy against power shortages and deserved to be financially compensated as such.

“The situation for existing power plants is getting worse,” Müller said. “An ice age is looming for the construction of new plants too. Every second planned facility is hanging by a hair,” Müller said.
 Higher costs
Four years after German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced her decision to phase out nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, the costs of adding more renewables to the energy diet of Europe’s largest economy have exceeded initial estimates.

Citing a recent estimate from a leading German economic think tank, the business daily Handelsblatt reported Monday that annual costs of 28 billion euros per year were being handed down to German consumers for the Energiewende.

That means an average household, or one that consumes some 3,500 kilowatt hours in a year, pays about 270 euros annually for Germany’s pivot toward green energy.

“The energy transition began with the assumptions that energy costs in this country would remain manageable and remain internationally competitive. Neither have materialized,” Barbara Minderjahn, the chief of Germany’s Association of the Energy and Power Industry (VIK), told Handelsblatt.

SHALE REVOLUTION (2) COULD DEPRESS OIL PRICES FOR A GENERATION

City Wire, 26 August 2015

James Phillipps
 Shale oil is undergoing an unheralded productivity boom – the scale of which has not been seen since the early days of IT – that will depress oil prices for a generation.

That is the stark view of Neptune head of research Chris Taylor, which has led his firm to minimise exposure to the oil majors across its fund range.

Oil bulls are admittedly a rare breed in the current climate, with recent moves in the futures market signalling that the price will recover much more slowly than many have predicted. The Black Monday sell-off saw oil prices sink to a six-year low and down to levels not seen since the height of the financial crisis. WTI slumped to slumped to $38.24 while Brent dived to $42.69 and few are prediciting an imminent strong rebound.

However, Taylor believes even current prices may be too optimistic as investors continue to focus on legitimate global growth concerns, but underestimate and misunderstand the massive advances being made in horizontal drilling.

‘If you think about traditional oil, they have been pulling it out of the ground for around 150 years so they know what they are doing and can squeak out productivity gains of around 2-3% a year,’ he said.

‘Shale oil only really started in 1998, in any meaningful way, and we are seeing massive productivity gains, which can be as much as 20-30% a year and they can maintain that level for longer than people think.’

Taylor points to the hard numbers in Exxon’s first quarter report as an indicator of just how stark productivity growth has been. In an update on its US Bakken shale oil field, Exxon revealed its return on investment per $1,000 spent has grown from 12.5% in 2011 to 40% in 2014, which is equivalent to a 321% rise. This has resulted in a collapse in the field’s breakeven rate from $115 a barrel in 2011, down to $35.8 in 2014.

‘A 321% productivity gain over four years is incredible. I have never seen an industry move like this since maybe very early IT at the beginning of the PC rollout and it hasn’t even finished yet,’ Taylor said.

‘This is the biggest ever supply side disruption. The incremental supply increases are not only big by anyone’s standards, they are an overwhelming supply disruption and the beauty is it’s onshore, so cheap and easy to turn off
and on.’
 Rigs down, output up
The surge in productivity has resulted in a collapse in the number of rigs in use, which Taylor believes has hoodwinked many investors.

The rig count hit an all-time high of 1,600 at the start of the year, but this number has since collapsed by 43%, yet output has continued upward.

This echoes a similar pattern in gas extraction when the rig count ‘spookily’ peaked at 1,600 in 2009 before collapsing by 58%. Although the number stabilised over the next three years, it has since shrank by a further 64% and Taylor expects a similar pattern with oil.

The slump in the gas price to around $2.8/BTU has exerted further pressure on the cost of oil. Historically, owing to oil’s higher calorific content, it was priced around eight times gas, but if this metric is used, then oil has much further to fall.

‘If gas is at $4, then oil should be nearer $32, not $45 and gas is nearer $3.’

He said such is the glut of US supply increase, its productivity gains were the fourth highest ever by a single country in 2014 and the 10th highest in 2013, with the 2015 figures yet to be factored in.

The US added 1.5 million barrels per day last year and 1.3 million in 2013, which is of such a magnitude that it is sufficient to more than fill the gap in production left by much of Libya and Iran being offline.

‘Historically, supply side disruptions have been very big and instant [for example, through war], but the US productivity gains are not only big enough to offset it very quickly, they can exceed it. This gives you a better ability to dampen out volatility and oil price swings, and structurally the oil price must track lower,’ Taylor said.

‘Another problem the oil price has is that if you look at shale reserves globally, they are massive and very well spread. The likes of Argentina and China have not even started, and long-term, when they get going, there will be a massive amount of supply coming through.

‘You are going to see relatively cheap and abundant hydrocarbon resources for some time yet, with US shale fields alone not expected to peak until 2040. That is a generation of cheap supply.’

CHINA CURBS RENEWABLE ENERGY SUBSIDIES

Bloomberg News, 21 August 2015
 China’s wind and solar developers are getting much less than they anticipated in handouts from the government because of a quirk in subsidy policies, threatening to stymie growth in the world’s biggest market for clean energy.

The issue relates to the support China pays power suppliers as enticement to develop clean energy projects. Surcharges slapped onto electricity bills to fund the subsidies are too low, leaving a gap between what was promised and what’s being paid out, said Meng Xiangan, vice chairman of the China Renewable Energy Society, an industry group.

Left to continue, the trend may foreshadow a reckoning for what has become the engine of growth in the global renewables industry. While China’s hunger for energy is unsated, less money flowing to developers could ultimately constrain China’s capacity to generate power from nonpolluting sources.

“This will weaken enthusiasm for investment and go against the development of renewable power in the long run,” Meng said.

Additional delays could ultimately eat into cash flow at companies such as China Longyuan Power Group Corp., China Datang Corporation Renewable Power Co. and others.

About 30 billion yuan ($4.7 billion) to 40 billion yuan may be owed by the government to developers in unpaid subsidies, said Li Junfeng, director general of the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation. Some developers have been waiting since before 2012 for payments they’ve yet to receive, Li estimates.

A fax sent to the Ministry of Finance, which retains responsible for allocating the subsidies, wasn’t answered.
 Consumer Impact
“Though the government is working to fill in the shortage in the subsidies, this can’t be done at one kick,” said Gong Siwen, an analyst at Northeast Securities Co. in Shanghai. “The government has to consider the impact on electricity bills after a possible lift in the surcharge.”

The issue could undermine efforts by China’s renewables developers to raise financing from outside China, said Nick Duan, a Beijing-based analyst from Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

USA SENIOR POLITICIAN PUTS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON CLIMATE

Here is a link to a letter written by Dennis Hedke a member of the Kansas House of Representatives. In it he corrects a number of errors made in a talk by a climate change alarmist. It is good to see a senior politician speaking on this controversial topic.

THE FOLLY OF THE EU CLIMATE POLICY

This speech is an excellent summary of the futility of the EU trying to set an example to the rest of the world on cutting CO2 emissions.

UK JOINS EASTERN EUROPE TO FIGHT BINDING NEW GREEN EU LAWS

Britain and Germany will line up on opposite sides of a European Union green energy debate starting next month on how to meet agreed renewable fuel targets for the next decade. The 28 member states agreed climate and energy goals last October, but to make it easier to get a deal, the decision went only as far as a framework. So far, the 2030 renewable goal is binding only at EU-wide level and the challenge is to ensure it is met as the bloc as a whole cannot be fined for infringement. Germany, which is pushing through its Energiewende, or shift from nuclear to green energy, wants binding laws. In the opposite camp, Britain aligned with the Czech Republic in a joint paper urging a “light-touch and non-legislative” approach. --Barbara Lewis, Reuters, 19 August 2015

FREE SEX FOR CLIMATE CONFERENCE ATTENDEES

Here is the link to an article from 2009 for the Copenhagen conference. Now I understand why they are called COP conferences! I wonder if the ladies in Paris will follow suite?

GREEN PROPAGANDA THE FUN WAY

I came across this article the other day and thought what a clever ploy it was.  Climate sceptics could also use this idea to instil a more balanced view into young minds. Just a thought!

COULD HOURS OF SUNSHINE BE THE CAUSE OF WARMING?

This seems an obvious question to ask and to answer it I naturally turned to the blog that has become a mind of information on all things related to climate change, Paul Homewood's "Not A Lot Of People Know That" Blog.  I simply typed "sunshine hours" into his search engine and a list of relevant posts came up. This one has a lot of very useful data and seems to give the expected answer that the average temperature is indeed linked to the hours of sunshine. So there we have it.


  

THE REAL DANGERS OF ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE CO2

This article by Matt Ridley clearly exposes the nonsense at the heart of policies to reduce CO2 emissions. Why are our politicians so gullible?

IS GLOBAL COOLING ON THE WAY?

This video is by an expert in meteorology and he describes clearly what factors are causing the variations in climate that we have been experiencing over the past and why the present climate is driven by natural cycles, not man's CO2 emissions.

ARCTIC DRILLING GETS THE GO AHEAD FROM USA

This article explains the details. It seems odd That President Obama is going to such great lengths to close down coal-fired power stations and at the same time opening up the Arctic to extract more fossil fuels.

ARCTIC METHANE WARMING THREAT DEBUNKED

This piece gives details of a new paper that shows that if the Arctic permafrost were to warm then the bacteria in the soil would actually remove more methane from the atmosphere. This is the complete opposite of the scare story that has been put forward by climate alarmists who have claimed that methane would be released into the atmosphere.

GLOBAL WARMING HAS NOT RESUMED, DESPITE THE BLATANT PROPAGANDA TO THE CONTRARY

This article explains very clearly why it is wrong to say that global warming has resumed, or that there has not been a pause. Both these arguments have been made by scientists of a warmist persuasion who seem intent on keeping the global warming issue alive.

THE BATTLE FOR COAL IN THE USA

This article explains what is actually going on as coal company shares hit rock bottom with some filing for bankruptcy. But this is not the end for coal, far from it, the world is still hungry for the fuel, so this is just a short-term setback (one which will leave many current shareholders deeply out of pocket). In the longer term coal will rise again under new ownership.  

GREEN WITH IRONY

 From my friends at CFACT

Radical Green ideologues live in a world divorced from reality.

California Greens from Governor Brown on down have been blaming California's drought on global warming, oblivious to the fact that rain and drought in the U.S. are historically normal.

They never miss an opportunity to try and use natural weather events as an excuse to attack free market Capitalism.  They particularly love to attack oil.

How ironic that when the time comes to try and mitigate the problem, it's the prosperity and ingenuity that flows from freedom to which they turn -- and to oil.

Californians just rolled 96 million plastic balls (at 36 cents a piece) into a reservoir that serves Los Angeles in an attempt to shade the water and curb evaporation.

What are the plastic balls made from?  Oil.

This reminded us of the Seattle enviros who paddled kayaks to protest an oil platform oblivious to the fact that their own kayaks in effect came out of oil wells.

The Greens may not get the irony, but CFACT's readers do.  This week over 10,000 of our friends shared our "meme" about California's plastic balls with over a million and a half of their friends on Facebook.  The kayak meme (below) blew away all records. Over 300,000 shared that one with over 31 million of their friends!

The EPA certainly provided a fine example of Green irony this week when they released polluted water from a Colorado mine and turned the Animas River yellow.

Imagine how the Greens would be howling for blood had the polluted water gotten away from a productive business rather than feckless bureaucrats.

The Green-Left despises the freedom that nurtures them.  They have little notion of the hardships in store for them and for the environment if they succeed in strangling it.

THE CLIMATE ALARMIST PROPAGANDA UNITS

I stumbled upon this article while reading a recent piece relating to an organisation which Roger Black, the ex BBC science correspondent, joined. What was particularly interesting was the list of alarmist climate change organisations, all well funded, and basically doing the same job of feeding alarmist propaganda (dressed up as science) to the media in the hope of persuading us that there is no doubt whatsoever about the issue that the climate is changing radically and we are all doomed unless CO2 emissions are cut drastically.

This comment below the article caught my attention: "Why the urgency and why the compulsive need to boost levels of public compliance regarding “action on climate change”, though (aside from the obvious motivation of wanting people to agree with them, and also the desire to wield power)? It’s still not 100% clear to me what’s driving all this activity. Those who want CO2 mitigation have largely got what they want, in the UK at least – the three main political parties committed to it, the Climate Change Act ensconced in the law books, the EU committed to it, the United Nations committed to it, the majority of the media and NGOs and charitable foundations on side. What more could they reasonably expect to gain, even if a higher percentage of the public acknowledged the “strength of the scientific consensus”? What practical difference would it make?"

The writer has discounted one answer to his question, which is that there are people who genuinely believe what they are doing, rather like nineteenth century missionaries, or today's radical Muslims. Being convinced they are right does not, of course, make them right, but such people want to convince everyone else.
 

EPA v THE PEOPLE

The Climate War is going up a gear in the USA. Since President Obama has pursued his emission reduction policy via the Environment Protection Agency, bypassing the Congress a huge resistance has emerged as explained here.

97% CONSENSUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE FINALLY DEBUNKED

This post gives the details of how the 97% figure was dreamt up and how it was used as propaganda, only for it to be finally demolished for the nonsense it always was.

DECARBONISING ENERGY IS LIKE "PUSHING WATER UPHILL"

The headline is taken from an article in the Financial Times - see this link (£) here. I found this passage particularly significant:
"Ms Rudd (the Climate Minister) is on shaky ground when she warns green technologies not to expect permanent subsidy. Decarbonising energy is the economic equivalent of pushing water uphill. Carbon-intense methods of driving a turbine or car may always outperform new technologies. Coal, oil and gas are widespread, densely packed with kilojoules and easily stored. Wind, solar and nuclear energy lag well behind. Only a high and rising price for carbon can level the field. Requiring government action to enforce, this is subsidy by another name."

That is indeed exactly the point - we are now moving backwards in terms of technology and cost, and for what exactly? The last line is very prescient -  the only way these policies can succeed is by pushing up the price of fossil fuels. 

CO2 EMISSIONS STILL RISING - SO WHERE IS THE WARMING?

This piece gives full details of CO2 emissions around the major nations. It seems to me that there is no prospect of emissions falling in the foreseeable future, despite the rhetoric of Western leaders.

NOW THIS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS CLIMATE CHANGE

But nobody is suggesting taking any precautions about This. Just like CO2 emissions we cannot be sure if or when anything might happen, but if it did it would be far worse.

A TALE OF DOOM-MONGERING CLIMATE SCIENTISTS

This report in the Daily Mail highlights the blunders made in a vast number of research papers alleging that the oceans are becoming acidic, when it is clear that this will not happen. We live in a propaganda filled world.

IS THE AMOUNT OF GLOBAL WARMING STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT?

This piece tells the story of a series of questions made in the UK House of Lords which lead to an extraordinary revelation. No - the warming is not statistically significant. Read the link to find out why.

WHAT'S THE POINT OF THE MET OFFICE?

This 30 minute BBC radio 4 programme contains some interviews with climate change sceptics that some have sad would not be permitted. Quentin Letts seems to have got away with it somehow.

MORE EVIDENCE OF DATA FIDDLING BY THE UK MET OFFICE

This post looks at what is going on with the latest version of the temperature record from the Met Office. The latest adjustments may be small, but the general trend is towards a cooler past and a warmer recent past, thus exaggerating the trend.

THOSE WARMIST CLIMATE CHANGE DENIERS

Here is the latest column from our friend, Christopher Booker. He has hit on an important truth - that it is the climate alarmists who are the "deniers" since they wilfully ignore all the evidence that does not fit their world-view.

UK MET OFFICE GIVEN BIG BONUSES FOR WHAT?

Here is the story and it seems they have given themselves bonuses for simply forecasting the weather. They seem no better now than they were five years ago.

TAILOR-MADE PROPAGANDA HEADING OUR WAY TO CONVINCE THE SCEPTICS

This article shows the way climate alarmists are thinking about their way forward. The problem for them is that we already know what they are up to and so it is unlikely to work. Unfortunately even if it doesn't work we will still end up paying for the daft policies. 

EVERYTHING YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW IN ONE BOOK - YOURS FOR $995

This is the latest edition of the Climate Change Consulting Report. You will be horrified to know that this "business" is now reputed to be worth $1.5 trillion. Why? I've no idea, but it explains why every college, university, charity, etc. is jumping on to this never-ending bandwagon. There is a lot more on this over at Jo Nova's blog here.

IS THE UK FRACKING INDUSTRY DEAD BEFORE IT STARTS?

Here's a good look at what is happening and how one major participant sees the future. The fact is that if the government wants it to happen then it has got to do more to make it happen. This is exactly what is happening in the house-building industry where many councils have been reluctant to grant permission. In this case they are forcing councils to allocate more building land.

GOOD-BYE TO EU STEEL MAKERS

Here are the sad details of the demise of one of Europe's great industries along with the hundreds of good jobs that go with it. Of course it is not going entirely all at once, but if new plants are being built out of the EU it is just a matter of time before the older plant becomes obsolete. Such policies are the knock-on effect of climate change policies and if these continue then other energy intensive industry will surely follow.

THE CLIMATE BANDWAGON KEEPS ON ROLLING

As a councillor I get sent a lot of stuff on climate change. Here is an example of an expensive waste of time, or an easy way to make a profit out of climate propaganda. Why on earth would anyone want to pay £300 to be given more propaganda on this topic?  You would think there was already enough in the mainstream media.

THE TOP TEN GLOBAL WARMING LIES

This article is a great rebuttal of all the misinformation being peddled about the climate scare. Well worth reading and repeating.

WHO SAID SCEPTICS WERE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS?

If you thought that climate sceptics were likely to believe in conspiracy theories, then read this! Does this man really believe that only he and three other UK scientists are experts on Arctic ice thickness? He seems to live in a climate alarmists bubble and needs to get out more - but of course he can't, as this would allow the "assassins" to get him. Time for him to get a disguise and disappear.

DIESEL VEHICLES CAUSING THOUSANDS OF EXTRA DEATHS TO "PREVENT CLIMATE CHANGE"

This article highlights the collateral damage of the futile attempt to prevent the climate changing. It is a sad story of making the wrong choice for the wrong reason.

UK PRESS AND THE HOTTEST MONTH/YEAR HEADLINES

Here's a good piece dissecting the claims, often mad in the UK press recently, that this month/year will be the hottest ever, based on a forecast of a few hot days.  Of course they want to sell papers and these claims make for dramatic headlines. The reality is that it becomes like the story of the boy who cried wolf.

HOW THE SOLAR INDUSTRY DISTORTS THE FIGURES TO MAKE ITSELF MORE COMPETITIVE

Here's the lowdown on what the solar industry don't want you to know. By cherry picking the best data they create a false rosy picture and ignore the extra costs  and problems the solar energy creates for the grid.

UK TO GO NO FURTHER OR FASTER THAN OTHER NATIONS SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE MINISTER

This piece looks at the latest speech by the new minister. It sounds as though some common sense is at last coming from the government, though there is still a long way to go. 

UK GREEN PROJECTS TO SUFFER 40% BUDGET CUT

This article looks at the proposed cuts and the knock on effects to the government's green agenda. Clearly something's got to give.

NOAA DATA TAMPERING EXPOSED

Here is the evidence of data tampering. No justification is given, and the old data is simply removed as though it never existed. How very sinister!

GIGANTIC NEW COAL MINE APPROVED IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Here is a link to the details and the controversy caused.  Australian PM, Tony Abbott is a strong leader who speaks a lot of common sense, which the greens hate him for. The whole GW issue is riddled with inconsistent nonsense which this highlights.

CLIMATE CHANGE PROPAGANDA BY THE NATIONAL TRUST

This article shows us what is being done by the National Trust here in the UK to promulgate fear into the population. As the length of the pause continues to increase this kind of opportunism will only look more and more like fear.mongering.

THE BEAR FACTS - POLAR BEARS ARE THRIVING

This article explains why the recent papers claiming that polar bears are under threat are untrue. The more these kind of claims are undermined the more the alarmist case falls apart.

GEOTHERMAL HEAT DISCOVERED UNDER ANTARCTICA

This piece shows that warming can come from many sources. It is nothing to do with CO2.

UK POWER CUTS - THE MARGINS GET TIGHTER

This article looks at the likelihood of the UK suffering blackouts this winter and it seems the possibility is growing, though the government assures us that all is well, but then they would.

GREEK POWER CRISIS

This article explains the way Greeks look at their energy bills. Perhaps we will do the same when the green taxes ratchet up our bills.

STATES SET TO DEFY OBAMA CLIMATE RULE

This article gives the details. I do admire the independent mindedness of the state governors in the USA. In many ways the US states seem to be more independent than the nations of the EU.

MINI ICE AGE WITHIN 15 YEARS SAYS NEW RESEARCH REPORT

This report in the Telegraph gives the details. This is yet another report which goes against the global warming projection. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next 20 years.

UK GOVERNMENT WATERS DOWN ECO HOME REGS

Here is a link to this news which is warmly welcomed, if you can excuse the pun. At last the government seem to realise the folly of driving up the cost of homes with no benefit whatsoever for residents or the environment.

ECO HOMES TURN INTO OVENS IN HOT WEATHER

This Mail article looks at the problems with increasing the insulation and draught-proofing of homes. It works in the winter but causes severe over-heating in the summer. The obvious solution, which climate alarmists will not like, is to install air-conditioning. So much for low carbon !

BBC RATCHETS UP ITS ALARMIST PROPAGANDA

This article from Roger Helmer MEP's excellent blog explains in simple English why the BBC is wrong to be so biased in its reporting of issues related to climate change, but I doubt that they will change as their alarmist position has become so embedded that it is very unlikely to change.

THE GLOBAL COAL RENAISSANCE

This article confirms the fact that fossil fuels such as coal are going to be the major source of energy throughout the world for many years to come. All those alarmists who say coal must be kept in the ground need to wake up and face reality - it's not going to happen!

REFRACKING IS THE WAY TO INCREASE YIELDS

 This article gives the details, including the very impressive statistics which should give the UK government the impetus to get on with sweeping aside the opposition and get fracking going here.

UK CHANCELLOR TO REIN IN GREEN SUBSIDIES

This article looks at the cost of wind and solar energy and how they are spiralling out of control. It seems that he is now ready to rein them in, though he cannot do anything about those already committed to.

THE MYSTERY OVER BRITAIN'S "HOTTEST DAY"

Christopher Booker looks at the evidence for Britain's hottest day, claimed by the Met Office during the recent hot spell that lasted for a few days. I wonder if the Met Office would have gone to so much trouble to claim a record cold temperature?

UN URGES DEVELOPED NATIONS TO TRANSFER 100 BILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR

If climate change is not all about the money, I think we can conclude from this that it is certainly a very important aspect which helps to keep it going despite the apparent lack of warming in recent decades.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Monday urged developed countries to create a credible plan to commit 100 billion U.S. dollars per year by 2020 to support developing countries to adapt to climate change.

"I strongly urge developed countries to provide a politically credible trajectory for mobilizing 100 billion dollars per year by 2020 to support developing countries in curbing emissions and strengthening their resilience," Ban said at a high-level event on climate change.

The UN chief said he would "proactively engage with leaders from both the global north and south to make sure this goal is met and is considered credible by all."

He expressed disappointment with what he called the "snail's pace" of climate negotiations currently taking place in the lead up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting set to take place in Paris on Dec. 7-8.

"I really count on leaders, presidents, prime ministers and ministers to exercise their political direction so that this negotiation will move much faster," Ban said.

Full story

HYDRO-ELECTRIC DAMS DESTROYING WILD LIFE

This article gives the details showing how research reveals that these major infrastructure projects are far from environmentally friendly. A PLOS ONE study reveals the drastic effects of the major Amazonian Balbina Dam on tropical rainforest biodiversity. It reveals a loss of mammals, birds and tortoises from the vast majority of islands formed by the creation of the Balbina Lake.

GERMANY'S GREEN ENERGY REVOLUTION IS RUNNING OUT OF MONEY

This article gives the details. Proof that there is no guarantee of success even if you throw billions at it. Other nations will be watching and hopefully learning from the Germans' painful experience.

ARCTIC ICE RETURNING

This piece gives the details which show a story that is the opposite of what is being pushed by the alarmists.

USA SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN EPA CLIMATE POLICY

This piece explains what has happened and the effect on Obama's climate agenda. This seems to be a major blow for the climate alarmists, and will undermine their attempts to by-pass the Senate and Congress.

Update. Below is an extract sent to me by CFACT.

Professor Willie Soon and CFACT senior policy advisor Paul Driessen co-authored an article regarding the EPA’s mercury rule that provides valuable perspective.  In it they note:

"The latest government, university and independent studies reveal that those power plants emit an estimated 41-48 tons of mercury per year. However, U.S. forest fires emit at least 44 tons per year; cremation of human remains discharges 26 tpy; Chinese power plants eject 400 tpy; and volcanoes, subsea vents, geysers and other sources spew out 9,000-10,000 additional tons per year!”

All these emissions enter the global atmospheric system and become part of the U.S. air mass.

Thus, U.S. power plants account for less than 0.5% of all the mercury in the air Americans breathe. Even eliminating every milligram of this mercury will do nothing about the other 99.5% in America’s atmosphere."

USA CONGRESS TRIES TO KILL OFF OBAMA'S CLIMATE POLICY

This piece gives the details. I guess that, in the longer term, a lot depends on who becomes the next president and whether he or she supports the policies of Obama.

UK FRACKING DECISION WILL BE MADE ON MONDAY

This article gives the details of the planning case being decided in Lancashire by the Council. Legal advisers have warned the councillors that they have no legitimate grounds for refusal.

DIMMER SUN COULD CAUSE A NEW MAUNDER MINIMUM IN 2050 SAYS MET OFFICE REPORT

Here is the article which cites the report. Before you start thinking of a frozen Thames, the Met Office are quick to say that this will not actually stop global warming, it will just slow it down for a while. Even so this is a surprising admission and I can only conclude that it is an attempt to get their excuse in early to explain the continued lack of warming. How long can a theory of global warming continue without said warming showing up?

IS THIS THE REAL REASON FOR THE PAUSE?

This article looks at average temperatures for the earth's surface at different times throughout the year and in the northern and southern hemispheres and finds some interesting connections.

THE CLIMATE WAR IS DESTROYING THE REPUTATION OF SCIENCE

This excellent article by Matt Ridley is a real tour de force of the damage being caused to the reputation of science by the distortions and exaggerations being put out by those determined to keep the fear of climate change through global warming alive.

UPDATE ON DATA TAMPERING IN AUSTRALIA

Here is the update which looks at the review being carried out to see what has gone wrong. The point is that all the revisions seem to go one way - to show greater warming, which seems to most people to be a little fishy.

GOOD ARTICLE ON OCEAN 'ACIDIFICATION'

This piece gives a concise overview of the topic and concludes that it is in fact a scare story and that there is no evidence that shows that the slight reduction in pH due to take up of CO2 by the oceans is causing, or is likely to cause any harm to marine life.

NEW YORK POLITICIANS TRY TO STOP FRACKING IN THE UK

This article from the BBC news explains what is happening. There is clearly a determination among these politicians to prevent fracking from taking place here in the UK. I suppose it is possible that they are doing this for purely altruistic motives, but on the other hand they may be true believers in the cult of CAGW (catastrophic anthropogenic global warming) and this is to push the 'cause'. I hope the councillors of Lancashire will ignore this and give the approval for the test drilling to go ahead.

ROYAL SOCIETY WON'T CHANGE ITS MIND ON CLIMATE FOR 50 YEARS

Even if there is no more warming, or indeed cooling occurs they have said that they will not change their position for 50 years from now, according to this report.

THE STATE OF THE CLIMATE DEBATE IN THE USA

This lecture given to the UK's House of Lords by Prof Judith Curry gives a great deal of insight into how the politics is playing out there. What is apparent is that there is far more debate and disagreement in the USA than in Europe or the UK, and so the response of the USA is much more uncertain.

MESSAGE FOR THE POPE ON CLIMATE POLICY

This short video from a USA think tank is aimed at the Pope to try and get him to see how damaging climate change policies are to the poor. I wonder if he is listening?  

EVIDENCE FOR SUN AFFECTING GW IN NEW STUDY

Here is the link to the new study. It focuses on the role of the stratosphere and the link to ozone levels, which are the main greenhouse gas at that level.

PAPERS PROMOTE ALARMIST PRESS RELEASES WITHOUT QUESTION

This article looks at the kind of thing being put out. It is low grade stuff and each point can easily be debunked as the author has done for the piece on beer. What is so bad though is that the reporters put it out unquestioningly and many readers simply accept it in the same way. Some will ignore it, but it still adds to the myth that we are being subjected to serious climate change, when in fact temperatures have hardly change for 17 years, but this is hardly ever mentioned.

BRILLIANT SPEECH BY UK MP DESTROYS REASON FOR CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY

This short speech by a back bench Conservative MP is really worth watching. The MP, David Davies, shows himself to be both moderate and well-informed. Sadly the House of Commons was only sparsely populated and this speech has so far only reached a small audience .

More from this MP here in this video of a debate. Here is a link to the Q and A session that followed the debate.

GLOBAL WIND SCAM DAY

This article looks at the downside of wind energy as the wind industry celebrate "Global Wind Day" today, 15th June. 

THE SCIENCE TOO BIG TO FAIL

This article is a great run down on where global warming is today. It contains some good ideas, here are some that stood out for me:-

"The IPCC has become to science what FIFA is to soccer; bloated, un-accountable and out of touch."

 “The IPCC is un-reformable and the Fifth Assessment Report should be the IPCC’s last.” Yet both the science and the process have become too big to fail."

 

GREEN DEAL A LIKELY CASUALTY OF GOVERNMENT CUTS

This report gives the details. So much for the "green dream". When idealism comes up against realism there is only one winner. This says all that needs to be said about the fate of the /climate Change Act. It will gradually be watered down and finally ditched.

UK's NEW CLIMATE CHANGE MINISTER SAYS 'MORE ATTRACTIVE BUILDINGS' WILL HELP US LIKE NUCLEAR POWER

That is according to this article in the Independent. She also said that she was going to arrange to meet with Lord Lawson and hoped to "win him over" to the climate alarmist position. These are the pronouncements of our new Energy and Climate Change Minister, Amber Rudd, and I think it tells us rather a lot about her and her ideas on her brief. She seems to have a lot of confidence, though sadly misplaced.

FRACKING DECLARED SAFE BY THE EPA

The USA's Environmental Protection Agency has carried out a thorough investigation of fracking and given it a clean bill of health according to this article. Surely this should reassure all those, except the green zealots who will never be convinced.

GREAT NEWS - UK WILL SURVIVE CAGW

That is according to the article discussed here. The logic of the article makes very good sense. Survival depends on being wealthy and so being able to adapt. Logically this means that what poor nations need to do is start generating cheap energy and develop, just as the Western nations have done. But this logic somehow escapes the climate change zealots. Instead they want the West to give large hand-outs to the poorer nations in return for them not developing. This isn't going to happen. 

ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE PAUSE IN GW DEBUNKED WITH EASE

This article looks at the new paper that tries to remove the pause in global warming from the record and is not impressed. The more this kind of thing is debunked the more damage is done to the whole concept of catastrophic man-made global warming or as it is now known "climate change".

EU DIVIDED OVER CO2 EMISSION POLICIES

Here are the details of the arguments. If some countries are severely disadvantaged, then it does not seem likely that the policies can be agreed. If the EU cannot agree then what chance is there for the talks in Paris?

SOUTH UK OILFIELD MUCH BIGGER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT

According to this report the oilfield, near Gatwick airport, contains oil worth £300 billion and it won't even need fracking. Drill baby, drill!

EU CLIMATE POLICIES DESTROYING USA's FORESTS

This article from the Washington Post explains how the demand for wood pellets for EU biomass power stations is actually leading to a loss of forests in the USA. Not what the Greens would have wanted and it is causing some members of the Green Movement some angst. 

FRANCE DESPARATE TO GET A DEAL IN DECEMBER PARIS TALKS

This article looks at the pre-conference meetings that the French are organising to try and broker a deal on CO2 emissions. However hard they try, there is no way they will get an agreement of any worth, as the Indians and Chinese are not interested, neither are the Japanese or the Australians. Only a fudge will be achieved to try and save face.

CLIMATE CHANGE DOOM MERCHANTS FORCED TO FACE REALITY

The reality is that the doom merchants got it wrong as can be seen in this piece. It is clear that this sort of good news story never makes the main TV news for the simple reason that it does not fit the global warming narrative.

DRAMATIC CLIMATE CHANGE TOOK PLACE 10,000 YEARS AGO

It is important to understand that climate change has always occurred and there have been some dramatic examples from the past, much more dramatic than what is happening now. Here is a good example from around 10,000 years ago in the region of what is now the Sahara Desert.

IMF PROPAGANDA IS JUST DISHONEST

When the IMF recently published a paper which made out that fossil fuels were heavily subsidised, they were using the word subsidised in an entirely new way. As this article explains, they were simply engaging is blatant propaganda.  This seems to be an attempt to convince the political elite that they must step up their war on fossil fuels for the greater good of humanity.

Roger Helmer MEP has a good article on this subject on his blog.

ATLANTIC CURRENT TO CAUSE COOLING OVER THE NEXT 20 TO 30 YEARS

This report from a study by Southampton Oceanography Centre confirms earlier reports that the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation is about to go into a negative phase and cause temperatures to drop slightly.

CLIMATE PROPAGANDA PUSHED AT CHILDREN TO BE STEPPED UP

This article explains how fictional novels aimed at children are using climate alarm themes in the hope of influencing young minds. In a 1984-style scenario that George Orwell might have dreamt up they are plumbing new depths in their propaganda campaign.

TURKEY TO DOUBLE COAL POWER BY 2020

Here are the details. Here again we see a nation quite openly planning to ignore the pleas to lower emissions in favour of producing cheaper energy to power its economy.  They are not the only nation to take this course. See here for India,  here for South Africa, Here for Japan, not to mention China.
 See here for all the nations who prefer to use cheap power rather than lower CO2 emissions.

UN CLIMATE GRAVY TRAIN PREPARES FOR MASSIVE FUNDING FROM DEVELOPED NATIONS

This report of the draft text for the climate agreement to be agreed in Paris in December should act as a warning to all taxpayers - you are about to be ripped-off! Here is a flavour of what's being proposed:

The document states, “a. Developed country Parties to provide 1 per cent of gross domestic product per year from 2020 and additional funds during the pre-2020 period to the GCF [Green Climate Fund]…”

CAMERON APPOINTS CLIMATE ACTIVIST TO KEY JOB

Here are the sad details. His action clearly shows that he is in thrall to the global warming scam and so he is not likely to look at any evidence that in any way contradicts it

UK COAL POWER PLANTS CLOSING AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AS BLACKOUTS LOOM

This piece explains what's happening here in the UK since the Conservatives won the recent general election. Our coal-fired power stations are becoming uneconomic and so the power companies are having to close them. Unless the government do something to stop this we could soon be facing power cuts and a very unpopular government.

DESPARATELY SEEKING THE HOTSPOT

This piece looks at the search for the holy grail of global warming and again fails to find it. It is the missing signature that would demonstrate that CO2 could be causing a warming of the atmosphere. Its absence suggests that the modest  warming that has happened during the twentieth century is likely to be due mainly to natural causes.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE?

Here's a good account of what's happening so far. What a shame that so much effort is being put in to a scheme that is not necessary and will lead to a waste of precious fossil fuel energy and inevitably lead to an increase in the cost of energy.

INVESTORS BELIEVE FOSSIL FUELS ARE HERE TO STAY

That is the message of the market and those who think they know better should read this article. Those who think that a decisive agreement will be reached in Paris that will even stop world-wide fossil fuel use from rising are not facing reality. Once that is taken on board it becomes clear that there is for the foreseeable future a huge market for fossil fuel, and where there is a demand there will be a supply.

LISTEN TO NIGEL LAWSON TALK ON THE PROSPECTS FOR PARIS CLIMATE DEAL

Here is a link to the interview.

COLD KILLS FAR MORE PEOPLE THAN HOT WEATHER

This piece explains that cold weather kills twenty times more people than hot. A fact that receives little mention on the TV news. It is yet another fact that does not back the idea that mild global warming is a major threat to the planet.

$89 TRILLION TO FIX THE CLIMATE, SAYS WORLD BANK

That extraordinary sum is seriously put forward, according to this article. How could any organisation arrive at such a sum, and why should they expect to be taken seriously? What is the point of mentioning this figure? I cannot even think of a plausible explanation other than they have finally completely lost the plot. The total world GDP is only $70 trillion. It is complete madness.

THE MARCH OF GREEN ACTIVISM THROUGH USA COLLEGES (AND UK TOO)

Here is part of a report into the infiltration of green activism into colleges that is quite disturbing. It has already happened and most of us are unaware of it.

WHY FOSSIL FUEL DIVESTMENT WON'T WORK

Here's another good piece by Matt Ridley explaining why selling fossil fuel company shares won't work to bring about the end of fossil fuels.

Here's a previous post on the same subject.

INDIA TO OPEN 40 - 50 NEW COAL MINES IN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS

It is quite clear from this report that whatever is agreed in the next big climate conference in Paris next December, there is not going to be any reduction in world emissions of CO2. India, and China have already committed to massive increases in fossil fuel power stations, more than enough to make up for any small savings by the developed nations.

EL NINO CONDITIONS LIKELY THROUGHOUT 2015

This report explains what is happening in the tropical Pacific. It can have a strong effect on the weather in many parts of the world. It can be linked with monsoons in Southeast Asia, droughts in southern Australia, the Philippines and Ecuador, blizzards in the United States, heatwaves in Brazil and extreme flooding in Mexico. However it is unlikely to have much influence on the UK weather.

IS SEA LEVEL RISE MEASURABLE?

This piece takes a look at the latest papers on the subject. One comment from TonyM seemed to hit the nail on the head:
"It is mind boggling to believe that measurement of sea levels that cover 70% of the Earth’s surface, can be miles deep, and are in constant turmoil, can be measured with millimeter accuracy. They are subject not only to sinking ocean bottoms, but to melting and growing glaciers, the ongoing motions of the tectonic plates, the temperature of the water, the amount of wind, and who knows what other forces, . Sea level rise measurements seem to have the same believability as average global temperature calculations. The forces and variables that determine them are so many, so chaotic, and so poorly understood, that these calculations are nothing more than excercises in writing computer programs."

 

BBC GW PROPAGANDA IS BEYOND A JOKE

Christopher Booker has once more expressed what many of us feel about the unremitting propaganda on global warming being pushed out by our national broadcaster. The public are being softened up in readiness for the next treaty for which our UK government is a ready cheerleader.

AUSSIE PMs ADVISOR SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE IS A FRONT FOR UN POWER GRAB

This article gives the details of an article written by the chairman of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s Business Advisory Council, Maurice Newman, in which he dared suggest that the real climate change agenda was “concentrated political authority”.  He has accused the UN of attempting to subvert democracy, of attempting to establish a worldwide authoritarian regime, with political power concentrated in the hands of UN officials. This is powerful stuff written by someone very close to the PM, so close that it is doubtful that it was written without the knowledge or consent of the PM himself. If only someone close to David Cameron would do something similar.

CLIMATE CHANGE PSYCHO-BABBLE

This new paper by a group of psychologists purports to explain why climate scientists are not giving out more alarming predictions about the future. Apparently it's not because their computer climate models have been found to be inaccurate, or that temperature records are showing an 18 year pause in warming. No, it's simply that they have succumbed to the arguments and language used by sceptics. Those nasty sceptics have been implanting naughty words like "pause" or "hiatus" and totally confused the poor climate scientists. How beastly can these horrible sceptics get?

A SENSIBLE CLIMATE CHANGE ARTICLE IN THE GUARDIAN

This piece published in the Guardian is by a climate scientist, Tamsin Edwards, and it contains a lot of sense. Does this mean that the alarmism is finally being tempered with realism? I doubt it, but at least the fruitcakes who inhabit that paper will have the opportunity to read a little common sense and that must be a good thing.

WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE SUN?

Here is the answer. Exactly how much of our weather is controlled by the sun we do not know, but perhaps we are about to find out. I would not be surprised to learn that it has more influence than CO2.

VATICAN BURNS WITH GLOBAL WARMING ENTHUSIASM

This article looks at what lies behind the decision of the Catholic Church to sign up hook, line and sinker to the climate alarmist position.

"The Big Question. Why? Why is the Catholic Church entering into the fray of doubtful global warming science? Why now and why with such shrill apocalyptic exaggerated rhetoric?  Why strident calls for supranational government control at the same time the actual evidence for doom grows weaker and weaker?"

ON SEA LEVEL DO YOU TRUST THE MODELS OR THE MEASUREMENTS?

Here is a paper that gives you the information to decide. The author of the paper  writes that "there is basically no significant warming or change of salinity within the accuracy limits of the measurements," leading him to contend that "the lack of any significant difference in the spatial distribution in latitude, longitude and depth from one year to another year shows that the theoretically proposed increased heat is missing." Interesting!

SPACE & SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL PRESS RELEASE - COOLING CLIMATE IMMINENT

Here is the press release which makes the prediction. It is no more certain than any other prediction, but it should be considered. How ironic it would be if all the hype about warming was completely wrong and instead we got cooling.

UPSET THE GREENS AND THEY WILL TURN VERY NASTY

This is what those caring green activists will do to protect the environment.  It seems that we are living in a world in which anarchy is becoming increasingly the rule. We must watch our backs if we upset these people who seem to have little or no fear of the law.  They seem to be adopting the ways of the hard-line Muslim fundamentalist, a sort of green Taliban.

LABOUR'S DECARBONISATION PLEDGE WILL COST AT LEAST £200 BILLION

This article in the Telegraph calculates the cost of Ed Miliband's election pledge to decarbonise the UK power sector by 2030. The figure of £200 billion is considered to be a low estimate, as the true cost is likely to be a lot higher. Unfortunately the Conservatives are not exposing this Labour catastrophe as they are too afraid of incurring the wrath of the green lobby. UKIP is the only party with a sensible energy policy, but have no chance of delivering.

SO THE NEPAL EARTHQUAKE WAS CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE

That is the proposition put forward in this article.  The biggest argument against this proposition is that we have not had any global warming for the past 18 years and no significant climate change over the majority of the planet; therefore this could not have been the cause of the Nepal earthquake. Also even if slight changes of climate were to cause earthquakes it is simply not possible to prevent the climate changes that occur naturally, and have done so since the Earth was formed.

SOUTH AFRICA TURNS TO FOSSIL FUELS FOR ENERGY

One of the most energy-starved regions on the planet, southern Africa, is gearing up to build a fleet of more than a dozen coal plants to eliminate rolling power cuts. South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania are all in the process of putting together agreements with independent contractors to build coal-fuelled thermal electric plants. If there’s one thing that southern Africa has plenty of, it’s coal. According to the Southern Africa Development Community’s master plan for energy, proven coal reserves are about 32 billion tonnes of economically recoverable reserves; the estimated total resources are more than ten times that figure. --Gavin du Venage, The National, 25 April 2015

CHINA SAYS YES TO GREEN MONEY, NO TO GREEN ACTION

This piece from Jo Nova has a paragraph that sums up the Chinese attitude to climate change very nicely. Here it is:

 

In 2013 China and India had plans to add half a million megawatts of coal fired electricity each. Australia is the largest coal exporter in the world, but China digs up ten times more coal than we export, and when they run out that, they have 200 years of shale gas to use as well. To show us how serious they are they’ve bravely agreed to unenforceable long term climate commitments with no consequences. And to be on the safe side, their population projections show their emissions would peak in 2030 anyway, so they are promising nothing more than business-as-usual. The Chinese obviously don’t give a toss about their emissions, but they will put their hand up to say “thanks for the climate money”. Eighty percent of Chinese people were skeptical  in one Gallup International poll. Guess they aren’t as stupid as some others.

GREEN POLICIES ARE KILLING AFRICANS - NOT CLIMATE CHANGE

This piece explains the reality of enacting measures to reduce emissions of CO2, or in the case of Africa prevent them from rising. It brings home the true cost of denying poor nations access to the relatively inexpensive fossil fuels such as coal. Yet that is the policy of nations like the UK and the USA.

THE COSTLIEST MISTAKE BY A POLITICIAN EVER

That, according to Christopher Booker (and I am not disagreeing with him) is the Climate Change Act brought in by Ed Miliband. At £50,000 for each of us it is enormous.