More Signs of the Apocalypse
(Posted by John Goetz)
From the Belfast Telegraph, Sunday, 31 August 2008:
Expert called in amid fears for O’ Connell Bridge
Concerns are being expressed about the future of Dublin’s O’Connell Bridge.
An independent expert has been called in to examine the landmark over fears it is falling apart because of global warming.
Dublin City Council insists the bridge is structurally sound after routine repairs last week.
The National Conservation and Heritage Group believe higher tides caused by climate change are eroding the bridge’s structure and may have dangerously weakened its foundations.
What is interesting is that there does not seem to be a news story or report anywhere that describes how the tides have changed, or who the supposed expert is that made the assertion. It must be true because the newspaper said so, right?
I tried searching for the National Conservation and Heritage Group (NCHG) website and could not find it. The closest I got was the Northern California Hummer Group. I am guessing the two organizations do not have a lot in common.
Must be that rise of 2 mm in sea level. Raise the alarm! Head for the hills! The tides are rising because of global warming!
It’s the fault of all those obese people; they eat too much, they breathe too much, they’re weighing down the bridge.
A Dogpile search of this group yielded a hit on a Boston.com article on Aug. 31, stating that Damien Cassidy is the Chair of the group, consisting mainly of high-ranking politicians. The Boston.com article is entitled “Concern Raised Over Stability of O’Connell Bridge”.
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One suspects their expert suffers from the Irish condition known as: “Too much of the creature taken.” Many Irish are wont to exagerate “a wee bit” under that condition, generally induced by more than one “wee dram”.
We obviously need to send a large check to Ireland and also to this wonderful organization. We are truly sorry that we have damaged your old bridge.
There must be a list of AGW “experts” that can can be called upon, with the stipulation that they remain anonymous, to put the “official” AGW stamp on any story. Convenient. No muss, no fuss. It’s money in the bank.
OT.
For the continental United States, the snow cover is .7% today, yesterday it was .2%. It will be interesting to watch this as the fall and winter progresses.
http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/
You can see other dates within their dataset at this same site.
I guess this needs an alarmist headline:
SNOW COVER TRIPLES!!
Will they get government money for the repairs if the ‘expert’ agrees? Something tells me that’s the real reason.
http://noconsensus.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/climate-change-a-manufactured-consensus-follow-the-money-baby/
Bruce is probably right – Money in the bank.
Sigh… another scaremongering story… I’m sure everyone is overdosed on these apocalyptic tales and yawning with boredom. If a bridge can’t withstand a rise of only several millimeters of tide it doesn’t deserve to remain standing.
Silly me. I thought tides were caused by the moon. AGW has made the moon’s pull on the earth stronger? That’s scary.
If they really meant sea level, and 2mm rise causes damage, I’d sue the contractor, or at least the maintenance crew.
A bit OT, but in 30Aug08 ScienceNews, the cover story is that volcanic eruptions may trigger global cooling. Article is here (you may need to register):
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/35245/title/Disaster_Goes_Global
Curiously, nothing about the recent Alaskan volcanoes. May have been too recent for publication.
This group may be a one-man show:
http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=6677
What aggravates and angers me is the automatic implication that AGW is the cause for global warming/climate change. AGW has morphed into a synonym for climate change and/or global warming. The AGW premise is independent of the climate change/global warming argument.
Bruce, if it is indeed a one-man show, I find it quite alarming that this person’s opinion was picked up by several news organizations.
The Irish are well-known for telling tall tales.
Sometimes I wonder how many of these AGW stories get a run when some over-earnest young journalist gets his or her leg pulled.
According to the excellent Numberwatch:
http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/warmlist.htm
the Minneapolis bridge collapse was also blamed on global warming.
Are we sure the suddenly acidified ocean isn’t eating away the foundations?
Oh, just another bridge. Gosh, what a relief.
Thought some irreparable harm had come to Guinness. Like its yeast cultures had mutated, or something.
Rascally headline grabber.
I know this is off-topic, but it’s certainly worth a mention :
Climate ‘hockey stick’ is revived
And another one:
Scenarios for possible climate changes in Germany to the year 2100.
It’s a Google translation, so it’s a bit rough.
I find it extraordinary that several news organizations picked up this unsubstantiated solo drivel and previously ignored the Nongovermental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) report.
I tried searching for the National Conservation and Heritage Group (NCHG) website and could not find it.
I found a link to someone asking the same question dated Jan 2008 under architectural planning. Not really sure if the question was answered. However a post by Lotts on 29 JAN 9:17 AM (6th post) yielded the name Damien Cassidy. I found the following document from the (Irish?) National Roads Authority with the name and address and an objection on page 8,
http://www.nra.ie/PublicPrivatePartnership/TollingDocumentation/file,14180,en.doc
Mr. Damien Cassidy
The National Conservation and Heritage Group
26 Westmoreland Street
Dublin 2
Also found this article and quote:
http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2007/03/25/story22033.asp
I think poster Lotts may have it right that this is a one person army. damien Cassidy seems to be the only spokesman for the group.
Bit short on time today. I’ll see what I can do later,
HTH
Not a one-man-band:
“Damien Cassidy, a solicitor and NCHG chairman, said he noticed a fracture after council officials completed restoration of a balustrade and several pillars last week.” …… “Mr Cassidy, who makes up the NCHG with former Dublin mayor Maurice Ahern, MEP Eoin Ryan and TDs Joe Costello and Chris Andrews, said authorities were ignoring the impact of rising water levels.”
Full story in Monday’s Irish Independent:
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/oconnell-bridge-is-falling-down-due-to-global-warming-1466723.html
Mike86 (08:27:24) :
I think the eruption started a week or so before, but it hadn’t made it made it into the press, the first I heard of it was here. The SN article came out the same day as Anthony’s post.
BTW, I sent SN a note last night suggesting it’s time for a new article on the sun and mentioned the spotless month (as we understand it) & the Livingston/Penn observations.
Rising seas around British coasts? Treat with some suspicion. Here in the UK we are treated to climate propaganda by the BBC on almost a daily basis. One of the things that is often trotted out is the number of times that London’s Thames Barrier has had to be shut because of “rising seas threatening London”. This is used as a gauge of “rapidly rising sea levels” for global warming. Hmm, only thing is what they DON’T tell you. The Thames River Barrier is now subject to different operating rules, and is often closed to retain water in the Thames River. This has the effect of greatly increasing the number of times that it’s closed compared to once or twice a year when it was first constructed in 1982. Also, it’s been reported that it is sometimes closed as a matter of routine checking. But again, these closures are all recorded as actual closures. The Environment Agency that monitors this barrier have tried to separate the figures, but only came up with differing sets of numbers to different enquiries! What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive? (Sir Walter Scott)