ANNUAL HOLIDAY - BLOGGING PAUSES

Despite global warming, England is still not warm enough for my other half, and so I regret to say, this website's editor is going on vacation and it is unlikely that any new posts will be put up for the next fortnight; that is unless I can access the blog from Gran Canaria. As I am not good with technology, that is rather unlikely!

After I have finished raising my carbon footprint, I hope to return and carry on unearthing the sad, stupid, and hypocritical news stories on this subject; as well as highlighting the courageous words and actions of those who try to bring us the truth.

In the mean time I strongly recommend readers to visit the many excellent websites listed on the links down the right hand side of the blog.

MORE SCARE STORIES

More scare stories from a so-called "research group"(no doubt taxpayer funded) to try to frighten us into accepting that we must accept the "medicine" in order to cure the planet's climate. Woe, thrice woe!

BIG CHARITIES IN BED WITH GOVERNMENT

This report from the excellent EU Referendum Blog shows the incestuous relationship between charities and other non-governmental bodies and government. These organisations have become so large that they could not survive without tax handouts such as those generously provided by the EU and others. Next time you hear them support the views of the EU, or for that matter a national government, remember it is not done to bite the hand that feeds you!

Here's a summarised extract: "As for Bond, the umbrella group for anti-poverty groups it's a network organisations with over 300 members. Much of its activity is in fact advising its members on how to obtain EU funds, for which purpose it has even set up a specific unit called the EC Funding Group.

Through Bond, however, these 300 members link with Concord, the European NGO confederation for Relief and Development. It consists of 42 member organisations: 20 international networks and 22 national platforms. Its aims are to co-ordinate the political actions of NGOs for Relief and Development at European level and to stimulate exchanges of information among NGOs but also with the European institutions.

Concord, in turn, is linked with the act4europe programme, which is directly funded by the EU commission. This organises and administers the EU Civil Society Contact Group and produces the NGO guide.

It also hosts the Green 10, an informal platform of environmental NGOs, which is headed by the European Environmental Bureau. It is funded by the EU, and by the governments of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom as well as the secretive Sigrid Rausing Trust". Oh what a tangled web they weave!

I bet similar arrangements exist in many other nations.

ICONIC POLAR BEAR PICTURE IS A FRAUD

This article explains the story behind the infamous picture of polar bears supposedly stranded on a melting ice-berg. No surprise that, like so much else to do with this subject, it turns out to be nothing of the sort.

ELECTRICITY PRICES GO UP AS WIND FARMS PROFIT FROM SUBSIDIES

This article in the Times explains the complex web of subsidies that along with higher electricity prices push up the profits of wind farm companies. This is how we are all being fleeced by the government and the wind farm industry under the guise of global warming. There will be plenty more to come as the government fall in line with the EU directive for a massive increase in wind farms.

NEW LINK

Visitors are recommended to visit The Science and Public Policy Institute. There you will find much information and many articles on the latest news on climate science. There is a permanent link to this website and many others on the right hand side.

A SHORT HISTORY OF FEAR

This is a book about various scare stories. The author's view is that the GW scare will favour big business in the West at the expense of the third world, but those on the left have embraced it as they believe it will result in a more equal society. What the left have over-looked in their naivety is that however the system is set up, there is always a competition and those who can manipulate the system will win. Read the full piece here.

RUSSIAN SCIENTIST FORECASTS NEW ICE AGE

Here is another report, this time from a Russian scientist, forecasting a period of much colder weather by the middle of this century. Personally I would not put money on any weather forecast beyond tomorrow, but this one is just as likely as any other, except you won't see this on the main television news.

WHILE WE CUT EMISSIONS LOOK AT INDIA

While governments in the West are introducing ever more draconian methods to cut our CO2 emissions, just look at this report in the Washington Post about the rapid growth of the motor car in India. What this all means is that world CO2 emissions will rise no matter what we do, and you can bet the blame for global warming will still fall on the West!

EU ENERGY PLAN TO COST US ALL

This report from the BBC gives details of the EU proposals to cut CO2 emissions by an average 20%. While some of the more prosperous nations have to make significant cuts, some of the poorer ones are allowed to increase their emissions to "catch up". The Green lobby are unhappy because they don't think it is enough, while for the rest it is the increased costs which will be felt the most, with it reported to cost every family £520 a year. This does not include all the increased bureaucracy and waste that all these schemes produce. We will have to wait and see if the governments can agree to accept the individual cuts assigned to them.

The Greens are right, of course, to point out that if the CO2 theory were correct these cuts are but a feeble token gesture. On the other hand if CO2 does not drive climate then these costs are all pain for no gain.

FACTS BEING SUPPRESSED

If readers scroll down to January 11th, I referred to a piece in the Canada Free Press dealing with the philosophy and religious aspects of the GW debate. This was the first article of a series and the second article is now available.
Here Dr. Ball and Tom Harris look at how the facts are being suppressed, while false propaganda is used to misinform the general public and the politicians.

A good example of this was on the BBC main news last night when an item was shown concerning sea-level rising on the remote Pacific Atoll of Tuvalu. In an interview a politician from Tuvalu said that the sea-level rise was due to emissions from the West and so we must provide all the money needed to save his island. This view was never challenged. Indeed it was accepted without question as a fact.

Many scientists believe that these changes are not driven by human gas emissions, but are a natural phenomenon beyond human control. Clearly, for third world politicians this second explanation is not what they want. Much better to be able to blame the West and then make out a bill for compensation.

CARBON TRADING CHAOS COSTING US ALL

The pathetic attempts by governments to "save the planet from global warming" are already costing every one of us as is shown in this article from yesterday's Telegraph. The more governments meddle in the free market the more it costs all of us. The sooner the voters can show their annoyance by a sharp downturn in the opinion polls the quicker the politicians will get the message. My guess is it might not be long, with economic uncertainty being only too clear. But will any opposition party offer an alternative?

LIST OF SCEPTIC SCIENTISTS KEEPS GROWING

More and more highly qualified climate scientists are now coming forward to assert their objections to the so-called "consensus" theory of CO2 induced climate change. Here is one report concerning Argentine scientists, and this one refers to another group in the USA. The opposition is not "one or two fringe extremists" as the mainstream media likes to portray them, but several hundred well qualified experts. Sadly the number of politicians prepared to speak up for them is not growing at nearly the same rate. Many of them hitch themslves to the biggest passing bandwagon in the hope of being re-elected.

AUSTRALIAN CARDINAL SPEAKS OUT

Here's an interesting view of the global warming controversy from a senior Australian Cardinal. It continues the religious theme from yesterday's article; for example, he says "It is true that some of the more hysterical and extreme claims about global warming appear symptomatic of a pagan emptiness, of a Western fear when confronted by the immense and basically uncontrollable forces of nature".

There is a sort of battle for the hearts and minds of thinking people which is reminiscent of religious belief. The green movement is a cause without a belief and many of the extremists think they have found it. If you strip away the apocalyptic predictions the whole thing becomes almost pointless.

NICE BUT DIM

Author and would-be climate alarmist Phillip Pullman is acclaimed as a "new brand of environmentalist". He gives his views in today's Telegraph. Here are a couple of quotes.

On those preaching the alarmist message - "So, the questions, the stories that the global warming prophets tell us (let's call them that, to distinguish them from the sceptics), take their place right slap-bang in the middle of the prophetical tradition, along with the prophets of the Old Testament". - So it is a religion!

On polar bears - "Now, they're all going to be extinct if there's no ice left, unless they put them all in zoos or round them up and put a fence round them and throw them a seal or two from time to time. But that's no life." - But Phillip, how did they survive for the last few million years then?

MORE OF THE SAME

This article in my local paper is typical of the way the public is fed a diet of climate change propaganda.- "By 2050 average temperatures are expected to have increased by as much as 3.4C. The extent of the changes depends on our carbon emissions." - says South East Climate Change spokesman. What is interesting is the comments from the public underneath the on-line article. Clearly there are still a lot of people who are not convinced by all this. Long live the cynical public!

MEDIA TROT OUT BIASED NONSENSE

In this piece by a statistician we can see how lazy journalists often put out so-called "information" which does not stand up to close scrutiny. Of course most readers simply accept the headline at face value, and so the myth becomes accepted as fact.

ANTARCTIC - INCREASING OR DECREASING?

There has been some news recently about increased loss of ice in the Antarctic. It was alluded to in the revived News at Ten reports, and also in this report from the USA. However,as reported in Ice Cap, it is mid-summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Ice extent remains well (one million square kilometers) above the 28 year average and an impressive 3 million square kilometers above last year at this time!.

There is clearly a lot of year to year variability in the record but the demise of the Antartic icecap seems to be anything but imminent. Most of the warming and melt in recent years has been in the vicinity of the Antarctic Peninsula, a small portion of the Antarctic which reaches above the Antarctic Circle and is a choke-point for the circumpolar ocean currents, and is more susceptible to variations. There’s also an active subsea volcano in the area, perhaps leading to the warm water upwelling in the study.

Whatever is happening to the Antarctic, it is not caused by CO2 and there is nothing we can do about it.

CO2 IRRELEVANT - WORLD PREDICTED TO COOL

It can be difficult for someone who is not a graduate scientist to understand the detailed and complex papers produced by climate experts. On the other hand the mainstream media often present climate change in terms that are so simplistic that they are nothing more than soundbites with no science at all. Here is a lecture given by a scientist that, in my opinion, is readable, clear, and well-presented. It displays the evidence using clear graphs and easy to read data. At 24 pages it is not too long, and yet it covers the subject.

LONG TERM WEATHER PREDICTIONS FLAWED

Climate scientists are using over-simplified models to predict long term trends in the weather of the south western U.S.A. according to Professor Pielke. There is a tendency for scientists to try to do more than they are capable of, perhaps in order to justify their research grants and please those that pay them. If you are supposed to be an expert it is difficult to say "I don't know the answer", but it would be much better if more experts were prepared to admit their limitations.

WEBSITE TO VISIT

The purpose of this site is to act as a resource centre for those who want to see alternative views to the main alarmist message. One site worth visiting is that of the Natural Resources Stewardship Project (NRSP). I have added this link to the side bar. I now have 40 links on the side, and almost 100 posts, which just proves the massive range of opinion opposed to the so-called "consensus" view which is given overwhelming dominance in the media.

ANOTHER DISASTER MOVIE

Climate alarmist and actor, Leonardo Di Caprio, has decided to go one better than Al Gore and make an even more apocalyptic disaster movie, which goes under the guise of a "documentary". Cinema-goers have always enjoyed a good disaster, which is why he, no doubt expects it to make a good profit. I'm sure he will also convince a few vulnerable minds that his fiction is likely to happen; on the other hand it might just convince many that this is so over the top that the alarmists are finally losing the plot.

SEA LEVEL RISES IN DOUBT

This piece in today's Telegraph throws into serious doubt the extreme predictions of sea level rises predicted by scientists and others such as Al Gore. Apparently scientists have discovered that ice still persisted even when the world was far hotter than even the most extreme climate alarmist was predicting.

EXTREMISTS, RELIGION AND HISTORY

Here is a thoughtful piece in the Canada Free Press, written by Dr. Tim Ball, a renowned environmental consultant, and Tom Harris, a Canadian engineer. The article discusses the historical conflicts between science and religion, and the influence of Charles Darwin, and how our views of the environment and the climate are affected by the past. I am not saying I accept everything the authors are saying, but it is an interesting view all the same and well worth reading.

CONCISE SUMMARY OF LATEST SCIENCE ON G.W.

This five page summary of the latest science explains clearly why there is no longer any consensus behind CO2 being the driver of our climate. Despite this, it will be some time before those who have nailed their colours to the mast will feel able to begin distancing themselves from it.

NUCLEAR WASTE PROBLEMS SORTED

This report in today's Telegraph confirms the report on Tuesday's post that nuclear power is to get the go-ahead.

AUSTRALIAN CLIMATE REVIEW

The Australian Labour Party have set up a review of climate, similar to the Stern review carried out here in the UK. The Carbon Sense Coalition have just submitted their paper to this review. At 24 pages it is an excellent tour-de-force of the whole range of issues in the "climate change debate". It ought to be essential reading for all political leaders thinking of inflicting draconian measures in the vain hope of controlling the climate.

NUCLEAR POWER A STEP NEARER

This report in today's Telegraph predicts that Gordon Brown is going to decide on nuclear energy to provide 20% of our electricity, and not rely on the vagaries of the wind - a wise decision.

LORD MONCKTON'S BALI DIARY

Lord Monckton attended the recent Bali conference on climate change as a journalist known for his non-alarmist views. He was not welcome in Bali along with other climate sceptics. After nearly not being admitted he was eventually allowed in. Here he writes about his experiences as a non-believer among the alarmist faithful.

GLOBAL COOLING ABOUT TO OCCUR SAY SCIENTISTS

Scientists who study the behaviour of the sun are now predicting we are about to enter a period of distinctly colder climate. If true we will need all the energy sources we can get to keep warm.

MORE PROBLEMS FOR LOW ENERGY BULBS

It seems that change always brings about unintended consequences. This article in the Telegraph highlights yet another serious problem for a minority of users. In a free society we ought to allow people to make their own choice of things like lighting, but we are increasingly being governed by the nanny state who like to tell us what is good for us.

MEDWAY COUNCIL VOTES FOR COAL POWER STATION

Medway Council has voted to pass plans for a new Coal-fired power station. Fuller details are in this article in today's Telegraph. The final decision rests with the government, but clearly local councillors can see that this is a sensible approach. We cannot throw our future to the mercy of the wind.

ENERGY SAVING LIGHT BULBS BLAMED FOR MIGRAINES

This article from the Telegraph highlights a concern over the withdrawal of traditional light bulbs leaving people with no alternative, even though the new low energy bulbs can trigger migraines.

FOX NEWS BUSTS TOP TEN CLIMATE MYTHS OF 2007

Read this interesting and well-researched article here where Fox News exposes ten intriguing climate myths of 2007, including advice that planting trees in the northern areas causes global warming! No doubt these myths and others will again appear in 2008.

NEW YORK TIMES PREDICTS MORE PROPAGANDA FOR 2008

As I have commented before, it is surprising that more of the public have not yet been brain-washed by the continual stream of propaganda on GW coming from the media. Here this article in the New York Times explains what is going to happen in 2008. We can be fairly certain they are right, but I believe the public are not as gullible as some might think, as long as they are able to see at least a glimpse of the other side of the argument.

CONSERVATIVES REJECT VIEWS OF ENVIRONMENT SPOKESMAN

Conservative Home is one of the busiest political websites in Britain, and if the views of visitors replying to this post are typical, and my experience suggests they are, then there is clearly a big difference of opinion between politicians and the public. Clearly there is still a long way to go, but, considering the massive propaganda exercise, a lot of GW sceptics remain reassuringly unconvinced.

Happy New Year!

FUTURE ENERGY MUST BE NUCLEAR

Whatever one believes about climate change, it makes sense to use nuclear energy as a major part of our future electricity generating system. The government must make a decision in the next few months and this Telegraph article explains why nuclear is the best option. As usual the reason will be subject to all sorts of "spin" about how it will reduce our CO2 emissions, though it will no doubt be pointed out by the green lobby that concrete manufacture produces a lot of CO2. The main reason is security of supply, with less dependence on imported oil and gas.

ALARMISTS PICK GORE AS THEIR HERO

According to the Telegraph in the latest edition of a green magazine, they have been voting for those who have been the best at furthering their alarmist cause, and guess who was the winner? No, it wasn't Gordon Brown, but Al gore, whose example leaves a lot to be desired, which just goes to show that propaganda wins over facts every time!

I wonder who would take the plaudits in a similar pole for the climate realists? Their name would be on this site's links I am sure. I would give a lot of marks to Steve McIntyre, whose tireless work on temperature revealed that the 1930's were as hot as the 1990's in the USA. For me that was a very significant moment. I would also give a lot to Stuart Dimmock and his successful legal challenge. His backers risked £200,000 in taking the case to the High Court against the whole might of HM Government and the limitless taxpayers purse.

Who would you nominate?

SURFACE WEATHER STATIONS SURVEY

Here is a site dedicated to surveying surface weather stations. If stations are badly sited or not well maintained then the records of temperature will be inaccurate and it is this data throughout the world that forms the basis for the global temperature records on which alarmists believe we face apocalypse. Check the site for yourself and see the examples uncovered so far, and this is in the most advanced nation, the USA. Imagine what the situation may be like in the third world?

ARE OUR CHILDREN BEING TAUGHT FACTS ON G.W?

Since the landmark court case in which a High Court Judge decided that Al Gore's film contained 9 points of exaggeration compared with the most recent IPCC report, schools in England and Wales have been issued with new written guidance. It is extremely difficult to know whether that guidance is being followed. The only people who can verify this are the students themselves. I believe it is important for us to do our best to try to contact students to try to establish whether the court is being obeyed. If anyone reading this can contact a student, please ask them, and get them to send their experiences to the Straight Teaching website.

ANOTHER GREAT WEBSITE

One of my main purposes in having this site is to bring together a wealth of material to show that there is no scientific consensus. Just a look at all the great links on the right proves the point, and here is another, "CO2 Science" which discusses the shortcomings of climate models, the temperature record of the past century, and the medieval warm period which is covered by a whole project among others.

I give you this quote from an article on computer models: "If these wonderful models cannot correctly determine the annual mean vertical profiles of temperature and water vapor in our current atmosphere, why should we believe anything about what they suggest about the future?" Indeed!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

I have not found anything new for today, so please take your pick from all the excellent links.

BALI - A VICTORY FOR COMMON SENSE?

In this article the author argues that the outcome of the Bali talks was not a victory for the global alarmists, but in fact the moment when the USA, Canada, Australia, and a few others finally rejected a system of targets that penalised them unfairly. Time will tell, but we may have an interesting series of negotiations to come.

EU TO ADD £2,000 TO COST OF A CAR

Yet another example of extra costs to the public of the dash to reduce CO2 emissions. This report from the Telegraph explains what is being planned.

ETHANOL AND LIGHT BULBS

By the time the evidence against the CO2 theory becomes overwhelming we will have already made significant and costly changes to our lifestyles. This article from the USA discusses some that are in the forefront, and explains some of the unintended consequences of them

MELANIE PHILLIPS SUMS IT UP VERY WELL

Melanie Phillips sums up the latest reports on G.W. in her Spectator Blog. Let's hope that 2008 sees a downturn in world temperatures, then won't it be fun to watch all the politicians shifting their opinions, hoping we don't notice.

400 SCIENTISTS OPPOSE G.W. THEORY

The number of scientists who are questioning the conclusions of the UN IPCC is growing all the time. This report shows the number has now grown to 400. There may be a majority of the world's experts now opposed to what the politicians are doing, and they claim they are acting in response to the "science". Amazing!

ANTARCTIC TEMPERATURES STABLE

Here's an interesting piece of research showing that the average temperature of the whole of the Antarctic has barely changed over the last 30 years, despite the large increase in CO2. I bet this item won't make the news!

GORE A HYPOCRITE?

When you click on this link, you will have to scroll down to see anything. In this piece Marlo Lewis looks at the ex Vice President's lavish lifestyle and asks the question "Is Gore a hypocrite?" The answer he gives could apply to many in the alarmist camp. At the heart of the matter, this is really a question of belief, or faith. How often have we found that the leaders of religious groups have turned out to be people who say one thing and do another?

THE PROBLEMS WITH CARBON TRADING

Neil O'Brien, Director of the Open Europe think tank is interviewed in the USA . Here you can read the transcript or watch the interview. At one point O'Brien says: "if we do get to a serious price [for carbon] you'll see a relocation of aluminum, cement, paper, and pulp, all these things to countries that are just one country outside the E.U." Exactly, and unless the whole world adopts a level playing field, we will simply export our emissions and our jobs.

SCIENTIST URGES IPCC TO TELL TRUTH

Today's post highlights a letter from the Director of The International Arctic Research Centre, Alaska in which he asks the IPCC and the media to stop using images that are perfectly natural and normal to try to frighten the public into believing that the planet is on the edge of disaster. From someone who has great knowledge of the subject his words are very important, but I doubt they will appear on any news bulletin (unlike those of a certain ex Vice-President of the USA). I know whose words I would believe.

CLIMATE TALKS REVIEWED

This article from the National Review Gives a good overview on the politics behind the ongoing world climate talks. In the last paragrph the article says "2007 was roughly the same temperature as 2006, 2005, 2004, and so forth, back to 2000. After rising steadily and noticeably between 1980 and 1998, global temperatures have flattened out for the last decade, even though the climate models say they should be continuing to increase." We can be fairly certain that this will not be the message put out by the mainstream media!

CO2 EMISSIONS COMPARED

Here's an interesting article comparing emissions from various countries, some have signed the Kyoto Treaty, and others not. One thing seems certain, and that is that Kyoto has failed even to deliver its modest target. How much less likely then, that its successor will deliver. The world's leaders are all talk and no delivery, which in this case is probably a good thing, because if they did, they would soon be out of office due to the negative effects on the economy.

GLOBAL CARBON TAX BEING PROPOSED

Many people suspect that behind all the hype on GW lies a hidden agenda, which is to bring about an embryonic world government. Modelled on the development of the EU, this will come about gradually, and to give it a boost it will require impending disasters on a world scale. Goverment, as we all know, does not come cheap, and so the idea of a carbon tax would be an important step on the road to such a goal.

IPCC "CONSENSUS" MYTH EXPOSED

One of the most powerful arguments made by those who propagate the global warming alarmist CO2 theory is "it must be true because 2,500 top scientists all agree that it's true". This is an argument trotted out time after time by politicians. Here is an excellent article which debunks that argument once and for all.

WELL SAID, JOHN REDWOOD MP!

There are many mainstream politicians who are opposed to the direction being taken by the EU and the UN, but unfortunately only a few have the courage to speak out. With developments due to take a serious turn we urgently need more of them to speak up. Here senior Conservative, John Redwood, sets out his views. Well said, John!

ALL CAUSED BY G.W.

For those who like long lists Here, courtesy of a fascinating site called Numberwatch is a complete list of all the things attributed to global warming. Every one of them is linked to a source, though some may not work any more. So, if you have some spare time on your hands, you can spend an odd hour or more checking them all out. You just couldn't make it up! (Though someone did)

U.S. FIGHTS REARGUARD ACTION AT BALI

The U.S. negotiating team are trying hard to fend off the other developed nations who appear to be content to sign a deal which commits them to reduce CO2 emissions by 25 - 40% by 2020, which excludes "developing" nations like China and India. This report in the Telegraph paints the Americans as the "bad guys", but to me they seem to be the only sane people in this barmy conference. For a start there is a massive difference between 25% and 40%, so by giving such a range, it is obvious that it means no one will go beyond the 25%. If the "science" is giving such a range as being required, then that suggests that the "science" is at least a little vague!

If China and India are exempt, then in effect we are simply exporting our emissions (and our jobs and wealth!) to the east, with little or no reduction in overall CO2. These alarmists cannot have it both ways - either we must drastically reduce CO2 across the whole world or we are simply engaging in some sort of world social engineering project. To me it looks much more like the latter.

Finally, those who have seen the article - doesn't Hilary Benn look ridiculous holding a placard and joining the demonstration, supposedly trying to influence his fellow delegates to sign up. Anything for a photo-opportunity.

And then there's this; Friends of the Earth executive director Tony Juniper said: "The US are behaving like first class passengers on a jumbo jet who believe an emergency in economy class does not affect them". - But if the passengers in economy are the cause of the problem too, then not giving them the same rules is useless.

OPEN LETTER TO U.N. 100 SCIENTISTS SIGN

A new letter from 100 scientists sets out an alternative agenda to the severe cuts proposed by the alarmists at the Bali conference on climate change.

SCIENTISTS AT BALI CONFERENCE URGE "TAKE NO ACTION"

A group of scientists attending the lavish Bali conference on global warming told delegates that doing nothing was the best option. See the report here. This report is packed with further information and links to other material that is well worth reading.

POPE CONDEMNS CLIMATE CHANGE SCAREMONGERS

In this article from today's Mail the Pope makes a sensible contribution. If only more leaders would speak out we might not be in this mess.

WHOSE CO2 IS IT?

Statistics always leave room for argument as to their reliability. This article in the Telegraph highlights just what arguments will be made over CO2 emissions. It ought to be obvious that if we stop making things, our emissions go down, but when we import them the emissions are down to the other country that made them. This new report wants the other countries emissions to be down to us. With that logic China will be able to right off all its exported goods CO2 to us. The hard-line greens are determined to force us to cut our standard of living.

TILTING AT WINDMILLS

Here is an excellent article illustrating with clarity the insanity of relying on wind power for 20% of our electricity. Yet that is what our government is determined to do. Of course they will not be in power when the lights go out!

COUNCILS UNDER PRESSURE

Unless you are a local councillor, you have probably never heard of the Loal Government Association (LGA). It was set up in 1997, supposedly to provide a voice for local government, but what has happened is that, in my opinion, it has been used as a vehicle in order to push an agenda. The taxpayer funds a glossy weekly magazine which is sent to every councillor in the country. It is also available online.

In the latest issue you can see how the "climate change" issue is being pushed. Look at the example of "smarter travel" being pushed. 24 employees telling residents how to travel - the nanny state is growing into an interfering busybody. What you won't find from the LGA is any reference to any doubt about the cause of climate change. This is the message coming from government all the time.

As a councillor myself I can only use my vote and very limited influence to try to prevent my own local authority from spending money on such schemes.

GREENS ARE LIKE CND

When I read about more people marching* in support of "stopping global warming" my first reaction was one of disappointment and resignation. Then I recalled the CND marches back in the sixties. The CND could put thousands of supporters on the streets in several countries. Like today's GW alarmists, they believe passionately in their cause. They also believed in unilateral cuts, just as CND believed in unilateral disarmament. They are idealists who are sincere, but their idea is unworkable, because it goes against human nature. Just as the world can never rid itself of nuclear weapons, because we cannot trust each other, the same is true of emitting carbon dioxide. I find it hard to believe that western governments are unilaterally going to commit to anything that leads to their nations living standards being cut, while those in the developing nations continue to improve. Once any serious economic downturn became apparent, the government would be booted out.
*Further reports (thanks to Tom Nelson) suggest the numbers have been exaggerated by the BBC (nothing unexpected here then!)

NEW REPORT BY INTERNATIONAL BODY

Most international reports on climate change are from the alarmist camp, so it makes a refreshing change to read one which talks common sense. It just reinforces the point we make on this site, that there is no consensus, and governments need to listen to the voice of common sense; not just the doom merchants.

G.W. TO REDUCE 'FLU

We seldom hear of any advantage of a slightly warmer climate, but here is an article which mentions one.

SEA LEVEL DATA DISPUTE

Here is an interesting blog. In this article some important sea level data is being disputed. Like so much information on our climate there does not seem to be any consensus.

EU FUNDS GREEN ALARMISTS

Here is an extraordinary story of millions of pounds of our taxes being squandered by the EU to fund green lobby groups like WWF to lobby the EU. Isn't this a case of politicians funding those who they agree with? Where is the balance?

SAVE THE RAIN FORESTS - GIVE 'EM THE MONEY!

This article in today's Telegraph quotes from a report by the WWF which warns of the massive destruction of the rain forests. While not doubting the importance of these massive areas, the solution to the problem offered by the report is missing the point altogether.

The report says, "At the international negotiations currently underway in Bali, governments must agree a process which results in ambitious global emission reduction targets beyond the current phase of Kyoto which ends in 2012. Crucially this must include a strategy to reduce emissions from forests and help break the cycle of deforestation."

They go on to say "All opportunities to govern Amazon frontier expansion must be seized. One of the most promising approaches to the large-scale conservation of Amazon forests is to compensate tropical nations for their reductions in heat-trapping gas emissions from tropical forests."

Here we see the real agenda which is for us to subsidise these nations. These rain forests are important for a whole host of reasons, and the nations that have them need to preserve them in their own interests. The destruction of these forests is being blamed on climate change which is allegedly down to CO2 emissions, when the real blame lies with their destruction for profit and the failure of the governments in the third world to protect them. Giving them bigger handouts is unlikely to be effective.

WARMING NOT GLOBAL

There never has been such a thing as "global warming". This is a catch-phrase that has simply been dreamt up by a spin-doctor. While some parts are warming, others experience cooling. Look at this report from Montreal for example.

IS THE SUN COOLING?

This article in the Independent shows how complex our climate is, and how foolish we would be to rely on one unproven fad (that CO2 drives the climate) and ignore what is staring us in the face - the sun.

ADAPT OR DIE

Another scary prediction by an international organisation has hit the news. Like a lot of such predictions it makes bleak reading, and yet the message is not one of prevention, but of adaptation. This is a sensible approach. We cannot predict the future, but we do know that sea levels are likely to carry on rising, as this has been going on for centuries at about 7 inches a century. We also know that in some places the land is sinking, for example in southern England it has been sinking at about 24 inches a century. Obviously these changes need to be factored in when planning for sea defences.

COMMON SENSE FROM THE USA

This report from the USA shows what the UK government should be doing with our "Climate Change" bill, that is if we have any MPs with the guts to stand up to the alarmist consensus here. Unless they do we are consigned to an expensive and restricted future.

ANOTHER SCARE STORY!

This story in today's Telegraph confirms what we already knew; that if CO2 is the cause of GW then it is no use half the world cutting back if the other half is left to carry on regardless. If you believe that CO2 causes GW then we're all doomed! Lucky, then, that there is plenty of good scientific evidence that it doesn't! It's such a miserable life being an alarmist.

SHOULD WE LAUGH OR CRY?

Just take a look at this report about the latest lavish conference on the climate; and that's before taking into account all the hot air from the meeting!

DOWNING STREET PETITION

Here is a link to a petition which our UK visitors might care to sign. I doubt it will have any effect on the Prime Minister, but on the other hand at least it will let him know that not everyone is of the same view.

THE COST OF RATIONING CARBON UNDER KYOTO

this report shows the cost of carbon trading to those nations who signed the Kyoto Treaty and have not made the requisite CO2 emission cuts, (due to economic growth, for example). The actual costs will be born by the workers and taxpayers of the nations. They are already paying a real price now, for an unproven "benefit" at some unspecified time in the future. It is the nearest thing to a penance in the modern world. The developing nations and the USA have so far escaped.

POLAR BEARS DOING O.K.

Here is a report on eureferendum blog showing how our big furry friends are coping well with climate change after all. Alarmists can relax, unlike the baby seals. Isn't nature cruel?

COUNCIL LEADER MAKES RASH PROMISE

This report shows that some council leaders are falling over themselves to sound "good" on climate, without having any clear idea of how to achieve it. This "I'm the greenest" syndrome is a worrying trend, and council tax payers will be picking up the bill.

HOORAY, FORESTS CAN SAVE US!

This report shows the "experts" have done their sums again and found that forests absorb more CO2 than they thought. How many other sums have they got wrong?

NO CONSENSUS AMONG GREENS - IS PLANET DOOMED?

Never mind the scientists, this article from the Times shows the thinking of one prominent green activist. His calculations would seem to suggest that CO2 will never be reduced.

CLIMATE BILL MEETS STRONG OPPOSITION IN U.S.

This article explains how opposition is mounting against a bill in the U.S. to drastically cut carbon emissions. The cost to the public is causing much concern.

MADNESS OR WHAT?

This article points out the complete nonsense at the heart of attempts to cut CO2 emissions. If bio-diesel has to replace fossil fuel then new places have to be found to grow the palm-oil. How ironic that in the process more CO2 is released than if the fossil fuel was used in the first place. How fortunate that CO2 isn't the cause of global warming!

IS AL GORE PROFITING FROM G.W.?

Here's a story which suggests that while "saving the planet", Al is also doing himself a bit of good at the same time. I'll leave readers to make up their own minds on the issue. Of course he has to pay his large energy bills, so who could blame him?

BIG BROTHER WILL BE WATCHING US ALL

This report in today's Telegraph gives an insight into what sort of response is now being asked for by climate alarmist groups in response to the perceived "global warming" crisis. Most people would agree that improvements to home insulation are a good thing, but look a little closer and you will see that this is far from a voluntary scheme being proposed. There would be massive "encouragement" in the form of energy performance certificates, presumably extended to all properties, not only those on sale. This is state intervention on a massive scale, intruding into people's private homes and demanding they reach a standard set by the state. The recommendations go far beyond insulation, to strict energy controls on all appliances, and many other enforcement measures, as well as use of taxation as a stick as well as a carrot. The cost, at £13billion per year, would be a massive cost to taxpayers.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what is to come in order to tackle a "crisis" that has not been proved to exist.

CHRISTOPHER BOOKER WRITES ON G.W.

Read the latest views of the well-known exponent of bureaucratic madness here. Thank goodness we have people like Christopher to stand up for ordinary folk against the ever-expanding state.

DO TURKEYS VOTE FOR CHRISTMAS?

Some prominent voices in industry are urging the CBI to press for large increases in energy costs. No it isn't a joke according to this article from the Telegraph. Where is the voice of the ordinary citizen who cannot pass the extra cost on by increasing prices?

THE SCIENTIFIC ALLIANCE

There are many groups of scientists and others who try to put forward a rational and balanced view of the science on issues such as climate change and energy provision. One group that is well worth looking at and supporting is The Scientific Alliance which campaigns for science to be used wisely for the benefit of us all.

SOLAR CYCLES

Today's post is to point to an in-depth scientific paper looking into sunspot cycles in great detail. Published in September 2006, this paper is a good reference document.

We have still much to learn about our sun, the most important factor in our climate.

CANADIAN PM SHOWS SOME COMMON SENSE

This article in the National Post explains how Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister insisted that the Commonwealth should not issue a communique stating that they would agree to cut CO2 emissions unilaterally. He insists that any agreement must include all nations. At least this is a spark of reality setting in. In practice agreement will be highly unlikely and delivery even more unlikely!

PRESENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE OCEANS IS INADEQUATE

Scientists are aiming to improve their very sparse knowledge of the world's oceans. See this report in the Telegraph for details. Clearly our present knowledge cannot be sufficient to be confident about all the complex interactions occurring there.

THE MEDIEVAL WARM PERIOD

Here is another very interesting site called "CO2 Science". It contains a very detailed project on the Medieval Warm Period with a brilliant interactive map feature linking sites all over the world. Well worth a visit.

AUGUST 2007 LECTURE BY FRED SINGER

Today's post is to recommend you to read this summary of a lecture by Professor Fred Singer in which he explains in an understandable way how the science points to global warming being natural rather than man-made. The lecture was given to high school students and the write-up has a few extra hyphens in the wrong pl-ace, but don't let it put you off. Professor Singer makes the case in a very persuasive manner. Read Fred Singer's question and answer session here

CAN TRUTH BE TRUMPED BY CONSENSUS?

This very thought-provoking article suggests that it can in the short term, but in the end the truth will out. However in the mean time a lot of damage can be done. David Bellamy and Jack Barrett make a very powerful case against the alarmists in this clear well-argued piece which certainly makes a lot of sense.

NEW STUDY - MEDIEVAL TIME WAS WARMER THAN PRESENT

This 2007 study shows by using data not obtained from tree rings that the Medieval Warm Period was warmer than the present.

CO2 CUTS THREATEN JOBS AND PROSPERITY

Here is an article which examines the effect of governments bringing in legislation to drastically cut CO2 emissions.Note that the US bill proposes a cut of 50%, in the UK our government is going for at least 60%.

TEN ARGUMENTS EXAMINED - PART THREE

5. THE ATMOSPHERE IS NOT BEHAVING AS MODELS WOULD PREDICT.
Climate models are not accurate as this article discusses. More information here supports this.
6. CLIMATE IS MAINLY INFLUENCED BY THE SUN
There is a strong argument for this in this article. Also see this 2007 article for more evidence.
7. A CARBON DIOXIDE RISE HAS ALWAYS COME AFTER A TEMPERATURE INCREASE NOT BEFORE
This is true, and even the BBC have had to admit it. It is the strongest argument and the counter to it is weak. Without any evidence they blame CO2 anyway and claim things are "different" today.
8. LONG-TERM DATA ON HURRICANES AND ARCTIC ICE IS TOO POOR TO ASSESS TRENDS
As with 7, the BBC have to accept there is no evidence of a link.
9. WATER VAPOUR IS THE MAJOR GREENHOUSE GAS; CO2 IS RELATIVELY UNIMPORTANT
Again it is true and has to be admitted.
10. PROBLEMS SUCH AS HIV/AIDS AND POVERTY ARE MORE PRESSING THAN CLIMATE CHANGE
This one follows logically if we believe the CO2 theory is unproven.

TEN ARGUMENTS EXAMINED - PART TWO

Continuing from yesterday, I am looking at the next arguments put forward by the BBC.

3. THE EARTH HAS BEEN WARMER IN THE RECENT PAST
It is simply not possible to be certain about past temperatures, as records are very incomplete and only go back a very short time. However the evidence which does exist is not nearly as clear cut as the BBC have stated. To say that there is no evidence of the Medieval Warm Period outside Europe is untrue. Readers can look at a whole lot of evidence on the excellent John Daly website.

4. COMPUTER MODELS ARE NOT RELIABLE
Climate is such a complex and chaotic area that to confidently state that it is possible to make long term predictions is simply not credible. If it were possible, then why don't scientists prove their accuracy by making specific short term predictions? We know the answer - they cannot do it. Without accurate computer models the whole theory falls apart! For more on this see here.

TEN ARGUMENTS EXAMINED - PART ONE

The BBC website has listed ten ARGUMENTS against the CO2 theory and then tried to counter them. Do their arguments add up? Over the next few days I am going to look at each one and evaluate it.

1. EVIDENCE THAT THE EARTH'S TEMPERATURE IS GETTING WARMER IS UNCLEAR
The BBC does not attempt to argue against two fundamental points;
one is that the surface temperature record is very incomplete, and the other is that attempts to reconstruct past temperatures using proxies, such as tree rings are not proven to be accurate. The fact that we have had warming of 0.4C in the last 40 years is not disputed.

2. IF THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS RISING, IT HAS NOW STOPPED
I would not argue that we know it has stopped. What is interesting though is why an El Nino event should raise the average global temperature. Surely the ocean movements can only move heat from one place to another?

CHRISTMAS PRESENT IDEAS

HERE is an idea for a present to counter the relentless propaganda our young people have to contend with.

Or THIS is another very interesting read.

Finally there's THIS to make someone feel better.

T.G.G.W.S.

Here are the video links to the 9 sections of the film The Great Global Warming Swindle. I have put them all together for convenience. The whole film is about 80 minutes long and visitors may prefer to view it in sections, though if you have the time it is good to see it right through.

PART 1 , PART 2 ,PART 3 , PART 4 , PART 5 , PART 6 , PART 7 , PART 8 , PART 9

LATEST IPCC REPORT SPICES UP OLD NEWS

The following extract is from the BBC news website today. It has also been the lead story on the radio news bulletins. (There has not been much news today.)
"Delegates to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) summarised thousands of pages of scientific analysis, bringing together elements of the three reports already released this year" - The report then goes on to say that climate change "MAY bring abrupt and irreversible impacts. The impacts COULD include the fast melting of glaciers and extinctions." They might have gone on to add that a super volcano in Yellowstone Park may erupt at any time soon, or that one of the Canary Islands could be about to break up and cause a huge tsunami to destroy the East Coast of the USA.

We can all appreciate that we face many potential threats, changes to the climate among them. What is needed is not increased scare-mongering, but sound science, including a clear admission of what is not known. What these apocalyptic reports do is actually make us less ready to believe any reports at all. If anyone wants to read the full BBC report it can be accessed HERE

THE HISTORY, SCIENCE AND POLITICS OF "GLOBAL WARMING"

HERE is an article by Richard Lindzen which explains in a very readable way the science and how it has been hi-jacked for political aims. This article was written in the early 1990's and it is interesting to see how relevant it is to what is happening today.

WHO ARE THE NIPCC?

Those who have read the article by Roger Helmer MEP (see below) may have spotted a reference to a group of scientists referred to as the NIPCC. A search of the web has revealed the following article HERE which explains a little more about them.

And even more info on this and other related matters HERE

INTERESTING US WEBSITE - Arctic circulation reverse

HERE is a website worth looking at. The report on Arctic circulation changes is particularly interesting. I will also put it on the links list.

LOOK AT WHAT THE NEIGHBOURS ARE DOING

While our own government are bringing in ever more costly regulations, costing British jobs, we are importing more and more goods made in China, where there appears to be little or no regulation at all. Just take a look HERE If our government were really serious about the environment,why don't they stop importing goods from China until they clean up their act?

YET MORE EVIDENCE OF A LACK OF CONSENSUS

Click on the link HERE

IPCC DISSENT BY ROGER HELMER MEP

A startling new revelation from the UN's International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) blows apart the myth of scientific unanimity. New information suddenly revealed by the IPCC, apparently to pre-empt embarrassing disclosures under Freedom of Information laws, shows that significant numbers of the panel of 2,500 climate scientists - usually described as "unanimous" in their support of man-made global warming - have registered serious concerns, which the IPCC serially rejects even while claiming a "consensus". It is becoming obvious that this climate-change consensus is a journalistic fiction.

An illustrative example of how the IPCC treated substantive, often damning critiques and contrary views presented by its own panel members is to reject it, not with typical rebuttal, but with the claim that the alleged error happens to be their "standard practice". And therefore, it is good, goes the "logic".

The IPCC is driven by a central group committed to the climate change orthodoxy, with specific sectors of the work farmed out to appropriate specialist groups. It is becoming increasingly clear that the ideologically-driven central group is exerting "politburo" control over the whole project. It systematically rejects and denigrates dissenting opinions, whether from within or outside the IPCC.

Papers are submitted by panel members to the IPCC for inclusion into its reports. Both the selection and editing of these papers is in the hands of the central group, who also draft the Executive Summary - the only section (if any, beyond the press release or those of pressure groups) that most politicians and journalists read. These summaries have been consistently shown to adopt a more hard-line alarmist position than is justified by the underlying science. The summaries are political spin, not science.

Meantime the Oregon Petition dissenting from the alarmist consensus has attracted the voluntary and verified signatures of over 17,000 qualified scientists who have serious doubts about the anthropogenic hypothesis and who oppose the Kyoto Protocol.

Commenting on these revelations, Roger Helmer MEP, a member of the European parliament's Temporary Committee on Climate Change, said:

"This is the moment when we realise that the self-proclaimed Emperor has no clothes. Far from being a monolithic group of 2500 scientists committed to the idea of catastrophic, anthropogenic global warming, the IPCC panel itself is riven with dissension and is desperately struggling to keep the lid on this internal dissent.

"We need to examine whatever it is that scientists do actually agree upon before we do huge -- further -- damage to our Western economies in an attempt to avert a highly speculative risk".

Mr Helmer chaired a conference on climate change in the European parliament in Brussels on July 4th, which was addressed by celebrated climatologist Professor Fred Singer, and other experts including Hans LaBohm, a former adviser to the Dutch Foreign Ministry and himself an expert panelist of the IPCC who disagrees fundamentally with their conclusions.

These experts have produced a challenge to the IPCC conclusions, presenting an alternative science-based view in the name of a larger coalition of experts most with experience as IPCC authors or expert reviewers, called the Non-Governmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC).

ANOTHER SCIENTIST LEAVES THE IPCC

Vincent Gray is not a household name. but he is a leading scientist who was a member of the IPCC, and he has decided that the system has been hi-jacked for political ends and so he has decided to leave. Read the full account of why HERE and page 2 here

Another scientist has also decided to leave previously. See HERE

CONGRATULATIONS TO CLIMATE AUDIT

Congratulations to Steve McIntyre and his Climate Audit blog for his success at being voted Science Blog of the Year in a recent poll. Steve has worked tirelessly to expose the shortcomings in the methods used by some climate scientists to ascertain the temperatures in the past. He has campaigned for all scientists to make all their data and methodology accessible to others; something that some scientists refuse to do. It only makes us ask, "what have they got to hide?"

Steve's site is our first link and has a vast amount of material, much of it only understandable to those with a good knowledge of statistics. His work has shown recently that 1998 was not the hottest year ever in the USA; it was pipped by 1934. In fact four of the hottest years on record were in the 1930's. Statistics are renowned for being subject to manipulation, and with so much depending on the outcome it is good to know that Steve is keeping a check on it.

HILARY BENN PLAYS KING CANUTE

"One of the great memories of my life was walking alongside the thousands and thousands who marched in Edinburgh on that summer’s day two years ago to Make Poverty History. In 2009, I want to be able to march alongside millions to Make Climate Change History".

Hilary Benn, the Labour government minister responsible for the Climate Change Bill, made the above comment in a speech on 29th October 2007. It is an odd situation for a member of a government to go on a march to encourage his own government to take a particular action. He could have simply argued his point with his cabinet colleagues; but that would not be seen by the public.

Of course we would all love to make poverty history (and conquer disease and eliminate crime etc), but we all really know that poverty will always exist and no amount of marching will eradicate it. It is a political slogan, a grandiose pipe-dream which cannot happen until all the corrupt regimes that result in their people remaining in poverty are eliminated.

What does he actually mean by "make climate change history"? Does he mean that he hopes to keep the climate exactly as it is today? That is the actual meaning of what he said. If so, does he really believe that we can prevent the forces of nature. In reality, there is no way mankind can control the forces that change our climate and to suggest that we can is being dishonest. It seems that despite our great increase in knowledge and understanding, we are still vulnerable to someone coming up with a simplistic soundbite.

We know that the climate is constantly changing all over the world in different ways. Some changes are beneficial, such as increased rainfall in a dry area, or slight warming in cold regions. Others are obviously harmful changes, but the point is that there are many different climates changing in many different ways. Simplistic slogans are a meaningless response and Benn should know it. He wants to stop the bad changes and allow the good ones. This is a child-like form of gesture politics. Where are the grown up politicians?

60 TOP SCIENTISTS URGE CAUTION

If anyone believes the argument is over, ask them to read the following letter from no less than 60 top scientists working in the field. All their names and posts held are listed beneath the letter. For every scientist who speaks out there are many more who dare not do so for fear of being marginalised and denied funding.

April 06 2006, an open letter, published in the Financial Post of Canada

Sixty scientists call on Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, to revisit the science of global warming.

Dear Prime Minister:

As accredited experts in climate and related scientific disciplines, we are writing to propose that balanced, comprehensive public-consultation sessions be held so as to examine the scientific foundation of the federal government's climate-change plans. This would be entirely consistent with your recent commitment to conduct a review of the Kyoto Protocol. Although many of us made the same suggestion to then-prime ministers Martin and Chretien, neither responded, and, to date, no formal, independent climate-science review has been conducted in Canada.

Much of the billions of dollars earmarked for implementation of the protocol in Canada will be squandered without a proper assessment of recent developments in climate science. Observational evidence does not support today's computer climate models, so there is little reason to trust model predictions of the future. Yet this is precisely what the United Nations did in creating and promoting Kyoto and still does in the alarmist forecasts on which Canada's climate policies are based.

Even if the climate models were realistic, the environmental impact of Canada delaying implementation of Kyoto or other greenhouse-gas reduction schemes, pending completion of consultations, would be insignificant. Directing your government to convene balanced, open hearings as soon as possible would be a most prudent and responsible course of action.While the confident pronouncements of scientifically unqualified environmental groups may provide for sensational headlines, they are no basis for mature policyformulation. The study of global climate change is, as you have said, an "emerging science," one that is perhaps the most complex ever tackled.

It may be many years yet before we properly understand the Earth's climate system. Nevertheless, significant advances have been made since the protocol was created, many of which are taking us away from a concern about increasing greenhouse gases. If, back in the mid-1990s, we knew what we know today about climate, Kyoto would almost certainly not exist, because we would have concluded it was not necessary.

We appreciate the difficulty any government has formulating sensible science-based policy when the loudest voices always seem to be pushing in the opposite direction. However, by convening open, unbiased consultations, Canadians will be permitted to hear from experts on both sides of the debate in the climate-science community. When the public comes to understand that there is no "consensus" among climate scientists about the relative importance of the various causes of global climate change, the government will be in a far better position to develop plans that reflect reality and so benefit both the environment and the economy.

"Climate change is real" is a meaningless phrase used repeatedly by activists to convince the public that a climate catastrophe is looming and humanity is the cause. Neither of these fears is justified. Global climate changes all the time due to natural causes and the human impact still remains impossible to distinguish from this natural "noise." The new Canadian government's commitment to reducing air, land and water pollution is commendable, but allocating funds to "stopping climate change" would be irrational.

We need to continue intensive research into the real causes of climate change and help our most vulnerable citizens adapt to whatever nature throws at us next.We believe the Canadian public and government decision-makers need and deserve to hear the whole story concerning this very complex issue. It was only 30 years ago that many of today's global-warming alarmists were telling us that the world was in the midst of a global-cooling catastrophe. But the science continued to evolve, and still does, even though so many choose to ignore it when it does not fit with predetermined political agendas.

We hope that you will examine our proposal carefully and we stand willing and able to furnish you with more information on this crucially important topic.

CC: The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment, and the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources

Sincerely,

Dr. Ian D. Clark, professor, isotope hydrogeology and paleoclimatology, Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Ottawa
Dr. Tad Murty, former senior research scientist, Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, former director of Australia's National Tidal Facility and professor of earth sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide; currently adjunct professor, Departments of Civil Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Ottawa
Dr. R. Timothy Patterson, professor, Dept. of Earth Sciences (paleoclimatology), Carleton University, Ottawa
Dr. Fred Michel, director, Institute of Environmental Science and associate professor, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa
Dr. Madhav Khandekar, former research scientist, Environment Canada. Member of editorial board of Climate Research and Natural Hazards
Dr. Paul Copper, FRSC, professor emeritus, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ont.
Dr. Ross McKitrick, associate professor, Dept. of Economics, University of Guelph, Ont.
Dr. Tim Ball, former professor of climatology, University of Winnipeg; environmental consultant
Dr. Andreas Prokoph, adjunct professor of earth sciences, University of Ottawa; consultant in statistics and geology
Mr. David Nowell, M.Sc. (Meteorology), fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, Canadian member and past chairman of the NATO Meteorological Group, Ottawa
Dr. Christopher Essex, professor of applied mathematics and associate director of the Program in Theoretical Physics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont.
Dr. Gordon E. Swaters, professor of applied mathematics, Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, and member, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Research Group, University of Alberta
Dr. L. Graham Smith, associate professor, Dept. of Geography, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont.
Dr. G. Cornelis van Kooten, professor and Canada Research Chair in environmental studies and climate change, Dept. of Economics, University of Victoria
Dr. Petr Chylek, adjunct professor, Dept. of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax
Dr./Cdr. M. R. Morgan, FRMS, climate consultant, former meteorology advisor to the World Meteorological Organization. Previously research scientist in climatology at University of Exeter, U.K.
Dr. Keith D. Hage, climate consultant and professor emeritus of Meteorology, University of Alberta
Dr. David E. Wojick, P.Eng., energy consultant, Star Tannery, Va., and Sioux Lookout, Ont.
Rob Scagel, M.Sc., forest microclimate specialist, principal consultant, Pacific Phytometric Consultants, Surrey, B.C.
Dr. Douglas Leahey, meteorologist and air-quality consultant, CalgaryPaavo Siitam, M.Sc., agronomist, chemist, Cobourg, Ont.
Dr. Chris de Freitas, climate scientist, associate professor, The University of Auckland, N.Z.
Dr. Richard S. Lindzen, Alfred P. Sloan professor of meteorology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Freeman J. Dyson, emeritus professor of physics, Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton, N.J.
Mr. George Taylor, Dept. of Meteorology, Oregon State University; Oregon State climatologist; past president, American Association of State Climatologists
Dr. Ian Plimer, professor of geology, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide; emeritus professor of earth sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
Dr. R.M. Carter, professor, Marine Geophysical Laboratory, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
Mr. William Kininmonth, Australasian Climate Research, former Head National Climate Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology; former Australian delegate to World Meteorological Organization Commission for Climatology, Scientific and Technical Review
Dr. Hendrik Tennekes, former director of research, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
Dr. Gerrit J. van der Lingen, geologist/paleoclimatologist, Climate Change Consultant, Geoscience Research and Investigations, New Zealand
Dr. Patrick J. Michaels, professor of environmental sciences, University of Virginia
Dr. Nils-Axel Morner, emeritus professor of paleogeophysics & geodynamics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Dr. Gary D. Sharp, Center for Climate/Ocean Resources Study, Salinas, Calif.
Dr. Roy W. Spencer, principal research scientist, Earth System Science Center, The University of Alabama, Huntsville
Dr. Al Pekarek, associate professor of geology, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Dept., St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minn.
Dr. Marcel Leroux, professor emeritus of climatology, University of Lyon, France; former director of Laboratory of Climatology, Risks and Environment, CNRS
Dr. Paul Reiter, professor, Institut Pasteur, Unit of Insects and Infectious Diseases, Paris, France. Expert reviewer, IPCC Working group II, chapter 8 (human health)
Dr. Zbigniew Jaworowski, physicist and chairman, Scientific Council of Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection, Warsaw, Poland
Dr. Sonja Boehmer-Christiansen, reader, Dept. of Geography, University of Hull, U.K.; editor, Energy & Environment
Dr. Hans H.J. Labohm, former advisor to the executive board, Clingendael Institute (The Netherlands Institute of International Relations) and an economist who has focused on climate change
Dr. Lee C. Gerhard, senior scientist emeritus, University of Kansas, past director and state geologist, Kansas Geological Survey
Dr. Asmunn Moene, past head of the Forecasting Centre, Meteorological Institute, Norway
Dr. August H. Auer, past professor of atmospheric science, University of Wyoming; previously chief meteorologist, Meteorological Service (MetService) of New Zealand
Dr. Vincent Gray, expert reviewer for the IPCC and author of The Greenhouse Delusion: A Critique of 'Climate Change 2001,' Wellington, N.Z.
Dr. Howard Hayden, emeritus professor of physics, University of Connecticut
Dr Benny Peiser, professor of social anthropology, Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, U.K.
Dr. Jack Barrett, chemist and spectroscopist, formerly with Imperial College London, U.K.
Dr. William J.R. Alexander, professor emeritus, Dept. of Civil and Biosystems Engineering, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Member, United Nations Scientific and Technical Committee on Natural Disasters, 1994-2000
Dr. S. Fred Singer, professor emeritus of environmental sciences, University of Virginia; former director, U.S. Weather Satellite Service
Dr. Harry N.A. Priem, emeritus professor of planetary geology and isotope geophysics, Utrecht University; former director of the Netherlands Institute for Isotope Geosciences; past president of the Royal Netherlands Geological & Mining Society
Dr. Robert H. Essenhigh, E.G. Bailey professor of energy conversion, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University
Dr. Sallie Baliunas, astrophysicist and climate researcher, Boston, Mass.Douglas Hoyt, senior scientist at Raytheon (retired) and co-author of the book The Role of the Sun in Climate Change; previously with NCAR, NOAA, and the World Radiation Center, Davos, SwitzerlandDipl.-Ing. Peter Dietze, independent energy advisor and scientific climate and carbon modeller, official IPCC reviewer, Bavaria, Germany
Dr. Boris Winterhalter, senior marine researcher (retired), Geological Survey of Finland, former professor in marine geology, University of Helsinki, Finland
Dr. Wibjorn Karlen, emeritus professor, Dept. of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, Sweden
Dr. Hugh W. Ellsaesser, physicist/meteorologist, previously with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Calif.; atmospheric consultant.
Dr. Art Robinson, founder, Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, Cave Junction, Ore.
Dr. Arthur Rorsch, emeritus professor of molecular genetics, Leiden University, The Netherlands; past board member, Netherlands organization for applied research (TNO) in environmental, food and public health
Dr. Alister McFarquhar, Downing College, Cambridge, U.K.; international economist
Dr. Richard S. Courtney, climate and atmospheric science consultant, IPCC expert reviewer, U.K.

WHAT IF?

What if the alarmists are right and we are facing apocalypse unless we stop emitting CO2? Surely we ought to do it just in case? These are arguments I often get put to me. So let's take a flight of fancy for a moment - let's pretend that scientists really have found the key to our climate and it's down to man-made CO2.

First of all to make a significant impact every major power in the world would have to agree to make big cuts, and this is the biggest problem of all. If all the nations who signed up to Kyoto had met their obligations it has been calculated that by the end of the 21st century it would have kept the planet 0.1C cooler. So we are talking of much more cuts than that. Are we even seriously going to ask the government's of India, Brazil and China to take part in these cuts? I think we all know the answer to that is no.

"But", I hear people say, "we in the developed world have caused all the past emissions and so it is our fault. We must stop our emissions and then the rest will follow." This is an argument to appeal to our sense of guilt, but it doesn't make any sense. If we now believe that only drastic cuts in CO2 will save us, then it is pointless half the planet making drastic sacrifices, while the other half continues to carry on increasing their emissions. George Bush is right, it has to be either everyone or it won't work. By being the first nation in the world to have a legally binding reduction target, we are simply making a futile gesture. Unless everyone else follows we will be enduring costs and hardship for nothing.

LET THE DEBATE BEGIN

The government believe the subject of climate science is now settled. They say the debate is over and the only thing left to do is to stop CO2 emissions. This website is a focal point for those who disagree with this analysis. We believe that climate science is only just beginning and that there is still a huge amount to learn