PRESS RELEASE
A new organisation was created in Dunblane, Scotland to advocate a pragmatic approach to issues like Global Warming and renewable energy.
“Scotland was literally and physically made by our climate: The ice ages formed our valleys; our cuisine of porridge from oats is because our climate doesn’t suit wheat; and it was the colder climate of the 1690s & the famine that followed, that led to our loss of our independence. According to historians, up to a quarter of Scots died in just a few years. Imagine if it happened today? That is why climate and energy are so important in Scotland” said Mike Haseler, the newly appointed chairman.
The Scottish Climate & Energy Forum plans to take on “the pernicious groups” which appear to want to tear up the Scottish landscape and destroy our economy. “They have got away with this so far because pragmatic people like us haven’t had an organisation to ensure the public were told the truth about the real science. The physics of CO2 is that doubling this trace gas will only warm the world by around 1C. This is not a catastrophe. It isn’t unprecedented. It isn’t even bad in a cold country like Scotland” said Mike Haseler who has a Physics and Electronics degree from St. Andrews University.
Whilst Scotland is the home of some prominent climate Sceptics like Lord Monckton, who has been on numerous speaking tours, and Andrew Montford, author of the “The Hockey Stick Illusion; Climategate and the Corruption of Science”, the Scottish Climate & Energy Forum is the first Scottish organisation which aims to represent the pragmatic scientific view on climate and energy which almost all “sceptics” support.
The association now plans to develop educational material. “It doesn’t need a rocket scientist to explain that the claims of doomsday warming are not based on sound science. They are only computer projections. In 2001, they predicted warming. It has not warmed since. This scientific evidence tells us we should reject these flawed models which are based on a doomsday global warming theory. That is how real science works. That is why Scotland needs the Scottish Climate & Energy Forum.”
Notes for Editors
-
The Scottish Climate & Energy Forum is an Association which aims “to support government, communities and the people of Scotland to make the best decisions on climate and energy for the benefit of us all.”
For more information see:
- Website: http://scef.org.uk
- Twitter: @ScotClimate
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/443377085697210/
Contact
Name: Mike Haseler Tel: 0141 776 1523
Chairman of the Scottish Climate and Energy Forum
7 Poplar Drive, Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, G66 4DN
Telephone 0141 776 1523
Email chairman@scef.org.uk
Website http://scef.org.uk
Right, that’s Scotland solved.
Next!
More of this in more countries.
It isn’t only Scotland that need organisations like this …
They don’t call them ‘canny’ Scots for naught.
“..it was the colder climate of the 1690s & the famine that followed, that led to our loss of our independence…”
Umm? The Scots merged with the English in 1707 because they were bankrupt after investing heavily in a mad colonial scheme in Darien, and losing all their money. The English agreed to bail them out if they agreed to a joint union, which had been an English aim ever since the two countries started having joint monarchs 100 years earlier.
The treaty negotiations were entirely conducted between the upper classes of both countries, who were not starving. Whether or not the common people on either side were suffering privations due to the climate was completely irrelevant. The Scots nobility wanted their wealth restored, and were happy to agree to a single parliament to achieve this. The common Scots weren’t, and I suspect the common English were none to happy either – but no one listened to them….
“…According to historians, up to a quarter of Scots died in just a few years. Imagine if it happened today?”
Noo ye’v given awa’ thair plan, Mike. Thay wull nae be chuffed wi’ ye.
“…It isn’t even bad in a cold country like Scotland” said Mike Haseler
Like it. Self interest should win in the end.
Well done Scotland!!
The good old common sense and the enlightenment of the sons
of Adam Smith at work…..good move….JS
Adam Smith would be pleased.
He always knew the Scottish school showed greater wisdom.
Excellent article from yesterday’s Telegraph about how Scotland is wrecking its landscape and potentially its tourism industry with wind power.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/9366706/Wind-farm-pylons-steel-giants-of-the-glens.html
Uncannily, the Australian carbon tax of $23 per tonne (not sure if it’s tonne of C or CO2) started yesterday.
It’s all been driven through Labor by the lunatic Greens. Their policy document states:
“2. we have only 10-15 years to use our collective human intelligence to address the crisis of climate change and to prevent catastrophe.”
“15. Australia to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as is feasible and by no later than 2050 ”
http://greens.org.au/policies/climate-change-and-energy/climate-change-and-energy
Our government carbon tax doco states that global warming is our fault:
“Science predicts a number of “fingerprints” that we should expect, if current climate change models are correct. Indeed, these have been observed – including more warming at night, more warming at higher latitudes, and upper atmosphere cooling. Furthermore, climate models have projected the ensuing global warming to a high level of accuracy, verifying that we have a good understanding of the fundamental physics behind climate change.”
http://www.carbontax.net.au/category/climate-change/
not to mention “FLAWED FORECASTS” by the Met Office!
anyone following the insanity of the roof decisions at wimbledon last week, will appreciate Djokovic’s jibe at them:
30 June: AP: Djokovic rallies past Stepanek at Wimbledon
When a drizzle delayed the start of the third round, tournament officials decided Djokovic’s match should be played inside. An odd spectacle ensued: The roof closed as the sun came out and outside court covers came off.
“I was a little bit surprised, when I saw sunshine, that the roof is closed,” Djokovic said. “Obviously they’re relying on a forecast that I don’t think is very reliable here. But OK.”
http://www.wkrn.com/story/18916332/djokovic-rallies-past-stepanek-at-wimbledon
Ah, good, nice timing for me returning to my homeland Scotland soon.
Best of luck to the Scottish Climate & Energy Forum.
From historical evidence, global cooling is far more dangerous than global warming.
Scotland Famine 1693-4
Famine in Scotland: The ‘Ill Years’ of The 1690s p 191
Finland Famine 1694-7
Great Famine of Finland (1695–1697)
Neumann, J.; Lindgrén, S. (1979). “Great Historical Events That Were Significantly Affected by the Weather: 4, The Great Famines in Finland and Estonia”. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 60 (7): pp775–787. doi:10.1175/1520-0477(1979)0602.0.CO;2. ISSN 1520-0477.
Dr Burns.
The Labor Party also said ” There will be no carbon tax under a Government I lead” & “No it is not correct This is an hysterically incorrect claim made by the conservatives’ Wayne Swann said that.
Simply, their veracity is open to doubt.
As for climate model predictions the less said the better. Look at the prjections DR Hansen made to the US Congress in 1988 and actual result. He was not even close. As someone said, “nice try but no cigar”!!!!
Well done, Mike. Scotland’s energy ‘policy’ is an unfolding disaster. Read again, (if you can stomach it) our unanimously adopted ‘Climate Change Declaration’, and weep. And for what? This is not the heralded ‘re-industrialisation’ of Scotland as gov purports: instead, it’s a wholesale sell-out to the CAGW faddists. Madness.
It’ll be interesting to see government’s reaction to Fife’s recent request: http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/fife-council-calls-for-ban-on-wind-farm-applications-1-2361647 . That, of course, is if either choose to publically communicate.
Anyway, power to your elbow from ‘neath Craigleith.
I seem to recall that the core of the Royal Society was formed by Scots.
They are pretty good at enlightenment ;-).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Enlightenment
I didn’t know Lord Monckton was Scottish. My opinion of that land just went up–again. That dear hero will probably read this comment and find out that the book “The Millionaire Next Door” says that Scottish immigrants to the United States have been its single most prosperous demographic group. Two hundred years ago, Scots had a lot to do with the founding era and the prosperity this country has enjoyed (Lord Monckton probably already knows that).
Now that I have mentioned this, other Scots will likely grab that book as well, and become even more prosperous. Of course, everyone else can get it, too.
Seems the Scots remember the “Clearances” and see the resemblance to Agenda 21.
Adam Smith tried to stop the federalization of America. He failed. Now people worship their indenture papers and call it protection. It’s been downhill from there. But now the pace is picking up.
Barking dogs don’t bite. Talking people don’t resist.
Oh, you will be free, eventually- when you have nothing left to lose.
Until then, yadda-yadda is like vaseline. You’ll try different brands of it as long as you still have any hopey change. It’s a habit. Habits are hard to break. Australians will never ever lose the carbon tax. Americans will never ever escape socialized medicine. Europe is already near the culdesac at the end of the one-way street.
There might be a way to stop it in America, but it can’t be done by talking or voting or paying more taxes – that’s just giving it up instead of fighting it. Slavery on the installment plan is the global strategy. You know it is. What’s the point of another bunch of talking heads? They aren’t going to feel remorse for selling you out while they take your money to give you hope. They can’t do anything. It would take every individual to DO something. Truth doesn’t matter, courage doesn’t matter. They have air superiority and you won’t even have anybody to shoot at. It’s a foregone conclusion that you stand no chance of winning this war against you – particularly when you think it’s a debating society event.
Bye bye, America. It was the land of the free for a little while. There were enough scraps of liberty left in the bowl to live on. It’s time to head to South America before they arm the drones.
Monckton isn’t even remotely Scottish, if anyone cares to look.
More power to your elbow, Mike Haselar and the organisation.
Some of us Kiwis are struggling with the mad reasoning underpinning the ETS our government foisted upon us back when Kyoto was a bandwaggon. Now it’s getting cooler the reasoning behind our ETS looks even sillier.
garcad says:
July 1, 2012 at 7:16 pm
Oh Garcad, it was depressing to read your post. Why?
Because I know, deep inside, that what you wrote is true….
Just why one should trust the heritage of a notable engineer in times of need……”Beam me up Scotty.”
Well done, this sure is needed in NZ – the lunatics are in charge here, as witnessed by
http://www.palmerston-north.info
Braw!
A breath of cold air well done
In the finest tradition of reliance on the dependable:
“Beam me up Scotty”
Good to hear of this. Here in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, people from Scottish Development International promote Scottish firms (which is good ) but so often they are also pushing renewables, despite recognising that they are not yet close to cost effective. The more the skeptic view is heard, the more chance they will promote real business as opposed to subsidised non-profitable business.
I hate to say this, but how can 1 person working from his back bedroom be called an organisation?
I’m not even sure this “press release” should adorn the pages of WUWT.
JMHO
Dr Burns says:
July 1, 2012 at 5:23 pm
It’s all been driven through Labor by the lunatic Greens. Their policy document states:
“2. we have only 10-15 years to use our collective human intelligence to address the crisis of climate change and to prevent catastrophe.”
——-
Well, the Greens have lead the way with zero emissions of intelligence.
Scotland is home to Lord Monckton as stated by the OP. That has been misunderstood. No harm, no foul. In fact he owns an estate in Scotland. I expect he is a part-time resident.
Dr Burns says on July 1, 2012 at 5:23 pm
Uncannily, the Australian carbon tax of $23 per tonne (not sure if it’s tonne of C or CO2) started yesterday.
In BC we now pay a carbon tax of $30 per tonne of CO2 equivalent. The tax is the weight of a fossil fuel that generates one tonne of CO2. The tax on nat. gas is 30% of the commodity price. This really hits home owners very hard because nat gas is for space and water heating.
Scotland in the 1690s was wretched but it was more than climate. The rulers of the day threw all their capital away establishing a colony in the Americas. It failed. They had to sign the Act Of Union so England would bail them out so it’s safe to say nobody’s eye was on the weather at home in this era.
DaveR says:
July 1, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Monckton isn’t even remotely Scottish, if anyone cares to look.
And you’re [SNIP: Come on, name calling adds nothing to the discussion, Do you have something substantive to add? -REP], which anyone can clearly see.
MangoChutney says:
July 1, 2012 at 10:52 pm
I hate to say this, but how can 1 person working from his back bedroom be called an organisation?
Mango – I can assure you that there is more than one person behind SCEF – there have been a number of meetings and many discussions between founding members and potential supporters of this organisation in the last 8 months. Mike instigated and has taken a leading role in this process but there are many others who have been involved.
Mango Chutney,
To follow your comment, that would mean that WUWT isn’t an organisation either.
The new forum is excellent news. The more the merrier. Good luck Scotland, I think you’ll do well.
It is really sad. I visited Scotland many years ago (1972 and 1975), when the Highlands were completely pristine, with lots of one-lane roads and hardly any traffic. Since then I have seen the destruction of landscape in Spain, where the coast near Gibraltar is completely spoiled with windmills (even if that is in the main corrodor of migratory birds to/from Africa). And now they are doing the same in Scotland. Seems that we need to be in a hurry to see it again, before most of the landscape is destroyed…
@lalogus & oldseadog
I’m not saying SCEF isn’t worthwhile – every little helps, and I’m sure that SCEF has good intentions, which I would support, but the website looks just like any other blog which relies on amalgamating feeds from outside sources such as The Telegraph etc. The “About Us” page tells us about Mike and prominent Scottish sceptics, who as far as I can see, are not part of SCEF, but are included on the “About Us” page because they live in Scotland.
Issuing a “Press Release” is just ridiculous from a blog and won’t even register in any rag of importance. Please correct me if I am wrong.
WRT WUWT, I’m not sure WUWT is an organisation (again, correct me if I am wrong), although Watts has clearly produced good work to counter the cAGW fallacy.
JMHO
I’ve just come back from the Orkney islands (a few miles North of the North East corner of Scotland). Wind turbines are now absolutely everywhere, and it is becoming difficult to find a view in that magnificent landscape without them.
The isle of Sanday had 3 60m 2.75MW turbines installed on its southern peninsula in 2004 – the site was purchased by Scottish and Southern Energy for £8.3m.
They are now being decommissioned just 8 years later. The existing turbines are no longer in production, there is a lack of replacement parts for maintenance. There are being replaced with 5 smaller turbines. Scottish and Southern Energy called this “repowering”
http://www.sse.com/Spurness/TheProject/
It is scenarios like this which expose such installations for the folly that they are. Even in a wind-rich environment such as Orkney, these behemoths cannot deliver on many of the claims made on their behalf – cheap, low maintenance, low impact and so on, whilst still being unable to provide a 24 hour base load into the grid.
Yes, I’m tilting at windmills. But it is so important to do so.
Ahh…. Scotland the home of England’s wind turbines.
Very glad to see my countrymen fighting back against the idiocy. (yes I was born in Scotland , even though I’m now an Aussie.)
Wind turbines are one of THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY DESTRUCTIVE devices ever invented by man.. so naturally it is the poster child of the psuedo-environmentalist.
I have NEVER understood how any “Green” party could possibly accept these monstrosities, …
but its all in the final agenda, isn’t it.. never really about the environment.
“psuedo-environmentalist.” ie WWFools, GreenPieces etc….
Still time to act before the “flower of Scotland” changes from the handsome but prickly (how appropriate!) thistle to the wind turbine.
Scots Wha Hae Wi’ Wallace Bled
Scots, wha hae wi’ Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led
Welcome to your gory bed,
Or tae victorie!
Now’s the day an’ now’s the hour.
See the front of battle lour
See approach proud Edward’s pow’r
Chains and slavery!
Wha would be a traitor knave?
Wha would fill a coward’s grave?
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Let him turn and flee!
Wha for Scotland’s king an’ law
Freedom’s sword would strongly draw
Freeman stand and freeman fa’,
Let him on wi’ me!
By oppression’s woes and pains
By your sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins
But they shall be free.
Lay the proud usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in ev’ry foe,
Liberty’s in every blow –
Let us do or dee!
Rabbie Burns knew a thing or two about freedom and oppression.
Sios na coimhich bhorb gur bas! – Lay the proud usurpers low!
“Proud usurpers” may be translated as “bird shredders” and their sycophantic supporters in the context of this post.
On tae victory! No gu buaidh is sith!
pps, its all very well to have a “forum” but it will need to have real teeth to lead the fight against the idiotic English AGW idiologists. Only real teeth, swords, guns, and maybe rebuilding the Hadrian Wall will keep those morons in check !!
Fight the good fight, brave lads.
Let the rose of Scotland rise again, against the bitter despite of the AGW cult.
Perhaps the following finally pushed people into action before it’s too late and disaster strikes.
What would have happened is Scotland solely relied on its own wind and solar? What would happen if all of Europe followed green Scotland, what then?
If there are any Scottish readers here you should send your MP this story and ask how sensible is it to litter your countryside with wind turbines that fail when you need it most?
I am delighted to hear of some common sense somewhere in this land. More importantly though, I wasn’t aware of such scientific certainty, “The physics of CO2 is that doubling this trace gas will only warm the world by around 1C.” How is he so sure of even that if CO2 is rising & the world is cooling? If the Sun is shutting down for a while I certainly hope it does a bit more than that! Just when weasle words were needed they insert definite articles. Why couldn’t have just said “may only”?
The Scottish Enlightenment
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scottishenlightenment/index.asp
The Scottish Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that ranged across the fields of philosophy, chemistry, geology, architecture, poetry, engineering, technology, economics, sociology, medicine and history.
The 18th century is often described as Scotland’s ‘Golden Age’.
In this learning resource you will come face to face with David Hume, James Hutton, Robert Adam, Joseph Black, James Watt, Alison Rutherford and Adam Smith.
These Enlightenment figures were outspoken; they argued that it was vitally important for people to think for themselves rather than simply believing what they were told.
Their ideas were often controversial. In Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen great thinkers sought to understand the natural world and the human mind.
Today, many historians believe that the ideas and advances that emerged from the Scottish Enlightenment helped to shape the modern world.
Mike Haseler, great.
Please feel free to raid my website for info, ideas, joining the dots, educational material… I also did a presentation with commentary (link on page that clicking my name takes you to).
I am actually the opposite of lukewarmer – freethinker in good Scots tradition – I don’t think CO2 increase is even due to us, and is not even capable of raising the temperature one degree, even if (a) we had enough fuel to burn to double its concentration and (b) Henry’s Law and photosynthesis did not kick in. But having said that, just like Lord Monckton (who is a Scottish laird) I can say very well why even if the temperature went up one degree with CO2 (which I say it won’t and can’t), it would not be a disaster and there’s nothing we can do at remotely practical cost to prevent it.
What concerns me most is the degradation of Science itself. And I always think of Scotland as a place of clarity in education and science. So anything I can do to help let me know.
I visited Scotland earlier this year literally to pay my respects to Clerk Maxwell around Edinburgh and Lord Kelvin at Glasgow – in order to help my own studies which require correcting an ancient problem these truly great scientists and truly upstanding and praiseworthy individuals unwittingly started, that wrong-footed Climate Science right from the start IMHO. More on request.
And youv’e all forgotten the Royal Bank of Scotland (now owned by English taxpayers) and Fred the Shred. Both very poor adverts for Scotland.
@garcad
You need to have a bit more faith in humanity my friend. Tyranny has never won anywhere, otherwise, you would’nt be free to comment on this blog. I have a deep respect for the Scots and their fierce self identification. While their country may be infected now with a dark green malignancy, they will baulk at the site of their wonderful highlands despoiled with multiple examples of the GREEN CRUCIFIX. Look up the derivation of “Canny”
AndyG55 says:
July 2, 2012 at 2:08 am
“English AGW idiologists…” (sic, unless you’re being clever with a deliberate misspelling) English AGW?? – what about the lunatic leader of the SNP Herr Salmond, who wants Scotland to have 100% renewable energy delivery by 2020? Is he English?? This is the Scottish moron that has allowed, nay, encouraged the vast destruction of Scottish upland forest to plant these behemoths.
“..it was the colder climate of the 1690s & the famine that followed, that led to our loss of our independence…”
I think not – gambling the entire Scottish treasury on Darien in Panama had much more to do with it. They were absolutely broke, and the act of union was the only way out.
Fast forward to 2012, and the Euro is broke, the US$ is downgraded, the £sterling is ……………. oh never mind!
Yes, Firey. Here’s a video of the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, saying “There will be no carbon tax under a Government I lead”. Now she’s introduced it.
The video proves she’s a blatant liar. She’s in good company with her climate alarmist mates.
Did not know about the formative meeting in Dunblane, but joined today.
sophocles says: Right, that’s Scotland solved.
We’re just another nail for the coffin.
Remember Aragorn at the Black Gate
and Aragorn’s
speech to armies of the West
Even when surrounded, there is hope!
Dodgy Geezer says: “..it was the colder climate of the 1690s & the famine that followed, that led to our loss of our independence…”
Umm? The Scots merged with the English in 1707 because they were bankrupt after investing heavily in a mad colonial scheme in Darien, and losing all their money.
The 1690s famine (known as the “ill years”) was economically ruining to Scotland and the reason it needed something like the Darien Scheme.
The Darien expedition to Panama should have been far more of a success. It was not a fling in the dark as many historians portray it, but was advised by someone who had lived with the natives in the area not long before. However despite this local knowledge it was a massive failure. The locals refused to trade and the climate was not at all conducive. This is usually blamed on poor leadership and poor selection of site. However looking at the nearest climate indicators (Mexico) shows that all of the four measures available were abnormal during this period. Something that was unprecedented during the entire couple of centuries the study covered.
It is therefore quite possible that not only was the climate in Scotland responsible for the 1690s famine which bankrupted many, but this climatic “event” may have been worldwide and the cause of the abnormal weather seen in Mexico, which presumably was also present in panama and likely the main reason for the failure of the Darien scheme (which almost bankrupted the whole nation).
And the 1690s was toward the latter half of a period known as the Maunder Minimum.
OK, there are some holes that need filled by proper research — research we are not going to get in a hurry for obvious reasons — but the balance of evidence does suggest climate was a factor, if not the factor leading to the loss of independence. The irony is that Scotland is now “leading the world” on global warming alarmism, aiming for 100% of energy from renewables. But of all the governments in the world, the Scots have least to fear from CO2 warming (mid-summer our heating is still on this year!), and most (given our history) to fear from another Maunder-type minimum.
Unfortunately the Scottish greens have yet to learn that you dont save the environment by trashing the countryside.
I fear its too late to reverse the madness whereby Scotlands finest landscapes will be ruined by the Turbines, their approach roads, or the pylons needed to take the electric to where it is needed.
Wind/wave would be a far better soloution.
tonyb
The Scottish enlightenment did indeed gift many clear and rational thinkers to the world. That country also built a reputation for engineering that was second to none. Let’s hope those days can return (I can hear the strains of ‘Flower of Scotland’ all of a sudden) and that the current generation of Scottish engineers is allowed to produce proper and practical solutions to problems without interference from government or pressure groups.
Following are a few quotations from the great Scottish economist Adam Smith.
I challenge the leftists to quote anything of similar clarity of intellect and proven effectiveness from the Marxist school – whether it be Groucho, Chico, Gummo, Zeppo or Karl.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/adam_smith.html
On the road from the City of Skepticism, I had to pass through the Valley of Ambiguity.
Adam Smith
All money is a matter of belief.
Adam Smith
Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production; and the interest of the producer ought to be attended to, only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the consumer.
Adam Smith
Great ambition, the desire of real superiority, of leading and directing, seems to be altogether peculiar to man, and speech is the great instrument of ambition.
Adam Smith
Happiness never lays its finger on its pulse.
Adam Smith
I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.
Adam Smith
It is not by augmenting the capital of the country, but by rendering a greater part of that capital active and productive than would otherwise be so, that the most judicious operations of banking can increase the industry of the country.
Adam Smith
It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.
Adam Smith
Labour was the first price, the original purchase – money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labour, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased.
Adam Smith
Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things.
Adam Smith
Man is an animal that makes bargains: no other animal does this – no dog exchanges bones with another.
Adam Smith
No complaint… is more common than that of a scarcity of money.
Adam Smith
No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.
Adam Smith
The climate is changing because of the rapid due north shift of the magnetic north out of Canada and into Siberia. The magnetic pole has been in the Northern Hemisphere for at least 80,000 years and drives the amount of glaciation in Canada & Greenland. The amount of CO2 in the air is probably not what has driven it all those years. Now, let’s see what happens when this moves to the opposite hemisphere.
Agriculture will have to adapt a great deal in Canada, the US and Europe.
MangoChutney says: @lalogus & oldseadog
First SCEF is not a website. We are an organisation intended to work with government and the media to see some common sense. The team at SCEF are getting better and better at creating press releases. Team effort really does seem to work well when trying to write for the press about something this complex because all skill levels are useful.
Issuing a “Press Release” is just ridiculous from a blog and won’t even register in any rag of importance. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Are you suggesting WUWT does not count as “any rag of importance”? I suspect the readership is far bigger than many Scottish papers!
But yes! Sceptics have to be realistic. Getting letters & press releases into papers is not an easy job for the professional, so it is certainly going to be an uphill task for amateurs on “blogs”. Anthony does a great job, so not only is WUWT incredibly important, but so is the effort by all the other people who try to get our story out by whatever means they are able.
But, from my discussions with journalists, they are largely blameless for the lack of coverage of sceptics. They have a job to do. That job entails a few reporters on the little “real news” and then filling the paper by taking press releases from all the organisations who do bother to send them out and just quick editing of those of most interest to publish.
That’s why good press releases get published. They are easy and quick fillers and they save time and money. The press can only do their job – and that is to fill papers with lowest cost material that people will read. Even if the press are dying to get material from sceptics they do not have the knowledge of our subject or the time to take very complex web articles and turn them into stories that they can publish. They are generalists. But when it took me, someone who has read extensively on the subject, four hours to understand one sceptic article, there is no way a journalist is going to do that. They would be fired!
We cannot expect the press to treat us any different from any other organisation. We must create the material they need, in very-near to print form. That is what a press release is! It is the distillation of a complex issue into a story that a journalist can copy and paste into their paper.
But the real truth is that, if you want the sceptic view in the press … and don’t send out press releases … don’t blame the press!
This reminds me that common sense is a misnomer. Too few people have it and the more education one has, the less common sense they possess. Academics, politicians and bureaucrats have a defective gene that makes them immune to common sense. Perhaps there is a virus that explains it?
the “pernicious groups” are the the pusillanimous pussyfooters and the nattering nabobs of negativism and just listen to them now griping about the consequences of the poverty, misery, hate and death that their support for failed secular, socialist liberal utopianism and jihad against capitalism have brought about. It’s good to see sane and rational people stand up to the schoolteachers of Climatism.
@Scottish Sceptic
You’ve updated your website since this morning!
When I checked your website this morning the “About Us” page asked me to login, now it tells me you are a group of 6 individuals including Mike and have been formally constituted since 27th June 2012. Also Andrew montford has been dropped from the sceptics page
I’m sorry, Mike, I applaud you for your efforts, but I think you are over egging your influence a little and, whilst I think your views on WUWT are valid, your “press release” misleads our host into thinking SCEF are something they are not.
Perhaps you could list your publications and successful attempts at influencing the Uk or Scottish Parliament or MSM
Apologies if that upsets you, but that is my honest opinion from what I can glean from your website and google
” … a joint union, which had been an English aim ever since the two countries started having joint monarchs 100 years earlier”: of what rubbish. For 100 years the Stuart monarchs wanted a union, the Scottish and English parliaments didn’t.
Here is the Denny end of the pylothon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syp0DkiAkhM
Spent much of my childhood climbing Dumyat (duh-my-at). Can almost see my old house.
I could see the Wallace Monument from my old house (at about 1:02 in the video).
“Gateway to the Highlands”
The formation of the new association is a fine idea, but its efforts will be largely fruitless. As always, it’s politics driving this thing. The ruling Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) stays in power largely by its strong dependence on the Greens. Their requirement on Alex Salmon is “no new nuclear in Scotland ever and shut down the existing ones fast as you can”.
Antinuclearism and building wind turbines everywhere is Salmon’s price for staying in power. Until that equation changes, nothing is going to alter Scotland’s insane energy policy.
The only thing on the horizon that I can see is the slow waning of the Scottish independence movement along with the waning of oil reserves in the North Sea. Scottish independence fantasies arose in recent decades with the discovery and development of North Sea oil. It will be interesting to see if such fantasies survive the decline of oil and gas production. It’s already lost most of its shipbuilding; soon it will be back to just its traditional industries of sheep, whisky and exporting mercenary soldiers.
1. It is ironic/tragic that the immense rapid industrial building capacity of the modern global economy enables the sudden appearance of so many huge follies.
2. Neither wind nor wave nor any other dispersed remote energy source is viable, and all have horrific unintended consequences.
You are perhaps not up to date on the latest estimates of unconventional (fracking) gas (and oil) reserves under the North Sea. They may dwarf everything recovered there to date. An interesting twist, no?