As many of you know, the Weblog Awards ended Tuesday. Today WUWT was certified as the winner in the “Best Science Blog” category. The vote totals were unchanged from 5PM EST Tuesday. I had thought perhaps the last minute surges drummed up on Daily Kos and Huffington Post might have changed the outcome, be we persevered.
I’d like to sincerely thank all of you in the WUWT community of readers, contributors, and moderators, for creating (and maintaining) an atmosphere in which this could happen. Thanks also go to many friends who run other blogs and websites whom network and share content with us.
There are two other people I’d like to thank and to congratulate. Steve McIntyre of Climate Audit, who won last year and made a strong third place showing this year. Steve has been an inspiration to me in the last year.
I’d also like to congratulate Dr. James Hansen, of NASA GISS, whom was recently awarded the 2009 Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the American Meteorological Society (AMS).
The award states: The Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal is presented by AMS to researchers making outstanding contributions to the understanding of the structure or behavior of the atmosphere.
I may disagree with some of Dr. Hansen’s methods and findings, but the above is certainly true. Congratulations are in order to him.
Congratulations to Anthony. This blog, and a few others, have provided an opportunity to discuss science in a respectful, intellectually open, and diverse atmosphere – which is a rarity these days.
One of the most important quotes I have seen recently was from former NASA atmospheric scientist, Dr. Joanne Simpson, after she retired.
Since I am no longer affiliated with any organization nor receive any funding, I can speak quite frankly.
http://climatesci.org/2008/02/27/trmm-tropical-rainfall-measuring-mission-data-set-potential-in-climate-controversy-by-joanne-simpson-private-citizen/
Anthony,
A fantastic and well deserved recognition. Your honor is deserved, I think many in the blog world underestimate your talent for presentation. Thank you for your efforts and I look forward to consecutive years.
Jeff
Stephen Hill said:
“Congrats! Best site on the planet!! Special thanks go to Al Gore for giving us a reason to get interested in Weather and Climate”
Don’t forget, also for inventing the internet, without which this website would not be possible.
Thank you , Anthony and moderators ( and anyone behind the scenes) for your efforts. An accolade well deserved !! The best “edutainment” around !!! 2 years ago I would never have believed we could leave the pro-AGW blogs in the dust. Even DeSmogblog was left standing at the starting line this year. The media is starting to pick up on the realities of the C02 myth-conception. Regarding Hansen, I must fervently disagree. When he said that those who disagree with him should be jailed was the clincher for me. That is unforgivable and very revealing. In keeping with the civil nature of this blog, perhaps a thread on what we (pro and anti-AGW’rs) agree upon (sustainability and stewardship) instead of what we disagree on (climate drivers, etc.). My goal is a bright future where no one suffers and wants. Clean water, healthy food should be available to all. I think many pro- AGW supporters would be surprised at how environmentally friendly many of us live. Perhaps we could open the door to some great dialogue. We should all take the high road as you do, Anthony .
David Ball,
“perhaps a thread on what we (pro and anti-AGW’rs) agree upon”
That’s a good idea… Anyone with a single brain cell working wants clean air, water and sustenance… An article that details the points of agreement (there are many) would be nice every month or two… I don’t think anyone here would argue about the great strides that have been made against that good old fashioned pollution since the 60s.
Mike Bryant
Congratulations, Anthony. You’ve come a long ways since my first visit in the early months of the blog when a long thread was 5 or 6 comments.
As I head to bed, it’s 13 below zero in northeastern Indiana with a wind chill of -39. Please ask Dr. Hansen to blow some of that global warming up our way.
Congrats! Next year, Watts for 2010 Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal!
Aussie John,
We in the northern hemisphere have our own reliance upon native intuition. If you want to watch a Yankee warmer trying to come to grips with the recent “cool” news (e.g., recent NCDC releases), look at the facts amassed by Robert Hotz in his article in the WSJ, “The Warming Earth Blows Hot, Cold and Chaotic”.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123085070980447477.html?mod=todays_asia_marketplace
But, alas, science is… mere fact. Note the last paragraph.
There seems to be a theme here.
Anthony,
Well-done, and thanks for the great web site, done in a civilized manner.
To mangle a poem by John Keats:
Congratulations on your win! I’ve been a lurker for over a year now and have thoroughly enjoyed the educations provided by you and your posters. This is the type of forum that I imaged was necessary for the advancement of science back when I started studying engineering. As climate is not my field, I haven’t posted until now as I couldn’t add anything constructive and pertinent.
Geologic modeling and the economic recovery of minerals therefrom is my field. As such, I have a taste of how mathematical models work, how fussy they can be, and how difficult it can be to tease the “right” answers from them. Thanks to all of the regular posters for helping to teach me so many of the right questions to ask in testing the climatic (climactic?) models.
And to think, it all came from a question of whether heat was retained more by a type of paint or whitewash…. long live the questioning, inquisitive mind!
Ouch. the eyes can really mislead…. I imaged nothing, but I did imagine.
Also congratulations on a wonderful year, Anthony, and the recognition you deserve.
Hansen is the proverbial curate’s egg: good in parts. He has done lots of worthwhile science and no doubt had to fight his own detractors very hard in the early days. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to have had the breadth of vision to value open science but merely sought to close minds in his own direction. That deficiency may cost the world a lot of money and a lot of lives but it will be a while before history writes its assessment.
“One of the most important quotes I have seen recently was from former NASA atmospheric scientist, Dr. Joanne Simpson, after she retired.”
Oh, really?
Quoting Dr. Simpson: “Decisions have to be made on incomplete information. In this case, we must act on the recommendations of Gore and the IPCC because if we do not reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and the climate models are right, the planet as we know it will in this century become unsustainable.”
Simplistic nonsense. I’d remind Dr. Simpson that making decisions on incomplete information is what got us into Iraq. Ignorance is neither bliss nor a sound basis for precipitous action. Fear is not per se a valid argument.
Congratulations and well done to Anthony and everyone associated with this blog. The award and recognition is richly deserved.
I’d like to say, congrats are in order. And as a long time ‘lurker’ (hate the expression, even when spelt right!) I believe is well deserved! As a person somewhat amature in the science and mathematics involved but intuitavely aware and, therefore, wary, of the extra heat involved in the discussion, I think I, along with many others, are gratefull to you and CA and many others (Lubos anyone) for bringing some good sense and, to tautologise latin, some sanity to the discussion. You, along with CA and others, and with my porridge (yes, I do eat the stuff!), allow me to smile and restore my confidence in the rationality of good people, people with bon voluntas, My field is history and, therefore, from the long perspective that gives me, I see the mad and damaging delusions mankind has afflicted itself with. Recently, very bad. Therefore, it is not the science, conditioned one hopes to rational argument, that worries me but its’ abuse. Anyway, congratulations, Lewis.
Congratulations, Anthony!
Congratulations Anthony on both the win and the manner in which you conducted the contest. I confess to mainly voting for CA (cause I enjoy the detailed stats stuff) but I did break ranks and slip WUWT a sly vote one day 🙂
Congratulations Anthony-very well deserved.
I have checked back through my historic records to 1660 and you are definitely the first web site with ‘Watts’ in the name to win the award within that period. However, obviously that does not mean it is ‘ unprecedented’ merely that our records prior to that date are fragmented. If anyone can find references earlier than 1660 please let me know…
TonyB
Compliments to all – except JH.
Whilst attempting to find where our esteemed Ministry of Truth has buried the CET record that used to reside here;
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/fourofour/hadleyredirect.html#/CR_data/Daily/HadCET_act.txt
we found this from 1973;
http://www.rmets.org/pdf/qj74manley.pdf
Page 4 (392)
“A further reason for bringing theis Table up to date lies in the fact that careful cross-comparison indicates that temperatures observed at the long-standing and well-regarded Radcliffe Observatory at Oxford are gradually becoming less representative, notably since 1960; this is probably in the main attributable to the growth of the city.”
The more I read this the more I wonder what hidden gems lie within. I wish I could trust my OCR software to reproduce this table from the images, as scanned, as it hails form 1973 and we could easily see any “future ” adjustments.
http://www.rmets.org/pdf/qj74manley.pdf
It would appear that the CET text is now available by request. So, this once great nation’s entire temperature record is no longer available for public consumption?
congratulations
This is certainly deserved.
You made a fantastic effort with this site.
Well done Anthony
Hope next year there will be at least 100 000 votes needed for you to win again and it will as more people will open eyes.
To mr, J Hansen award ?
I put it this way . Bad dog owners when their pet barks on visitors before they even knock the door then try to kill the visitor are calmed down by the owner by patting them over head and back . That means to the the dog , good boy do it again next time…..
Best present for Mr. J Hansen would be a book about meteorology and climatology
Many congratulations: The 2009 Nobel Prize follows!
Massive congratulations to you for this wonderful blog. It is a superb body of work with references to many many other fine studies.
And despite disagreeing with much of the information that Dr Hansen has produced, I share your congratulations to him for his award.
Dr Hansen et al have undoubtedly advanced the understanding of how the atmosphere and climate work massively. How? Well many more scientists are involved in climate research and they are discovering a massive amount of new information whilst debunking some of the more outlandish rubbish produced in favour of AGW by Hansen and his acolytes. If not for Hansen’s alarmism, we would not have produced so much more better science with which to discredit him with.
I agree that he should receive some credit for waking people up and advancing the science, even if it is in a direction that he vehemently opposes.
“Quoting Dr. Simpson: “Decisions have to be made on incomplete information. In this case, we must act on the recommendations of Gore and the IPCC because if we do not reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and the climate models are right, the planet as we know it will in this century become unsustainable.””
I would argue that we already know that the climate models are wrong, as none of them predicted the cooling phase we are currently in, nor are they correct in predicting a high level tropospheric heat island that in reality does not exist. The tropospheric heat island being an essential central mechanism in creating the positive feedback loop that leads to the tipping point of critical warming scenarios. This high level atmospheric heat island was an essential part of the mechanism in these models according to the alarmists, right up until the Aqua satellite system proved that it does not exist. Now they claim it was never essential at all.
Aqua satellite 1 – alarmists 0.
Anthony,
Congratulations and thanks!