Some have said in the past that Jim Hansen of NASA GISS is no longer a scientist, but an advocate. Today, by his own hand, I believe that description rings true.
Click for video
Here is what Greenpeace is using Dr. Hansen for:
It’s time to take a stand on global warming. Dr. James Hansen, an internationally-recognized climate scientist, calls for Americans to take part in the Capitol Climate Action on March 2 at the Capitol power plant in Washington DC — expected to be the largest display of civil disobedience against global warming in US history. Dr. Hansen warns that unless we stop burning coal, the country’s largest source of global warming pollution, young people will inherit a dramatically different world than the one we know. For more info visit capitolclimateaction.org.
Let us hope that nobody is injured or killed at this demonstration. Hansen may run afoul of the Hatch Act, see below.
For those of you that wish to write letters, here is the info:
Jim Hansen’s email: jhansen@giss.nasa.gov
His supervisor is Robert Strain at Goddard Space Flight Center: rstrain@gsfc.nasa.gov (which apparently does not wor)
So try: public-inquiries@gsfc.nasa.gov
Here is what the US Office of Special Counsel says about the Hatch Act as it applies to Federal Employees, of which I believe Dr. Hansen is one. You can file complaints online here with the office of Special Counsel
Federal employees should also be aware that certain political activities may also be criminal offenses under title 18 of the U.S. Code. See 18 U.S.C. §§ 210, 211, 594, 595, 600, 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 610.
Permitted/Prohibited Activities for Employees Who May Participate in Partisan Political Activity
These federal and D.C. employees may–
- be candidates for public office in nonpartisan elections
- register and vote as they choose
- assist in voter registration drives
- express opinions about candidates and issues
- contribute money to political organizations
- attend political fundraising functions
- attend and be active at political rallies and meetings
- join and be an active member of a political party or club
- sign nominating petitions
- campaign for or against referendum questions, constitutional amendments, municipal ordinances
- campaign for or against candidates in partisan elections
- make campaign speeches for candidates in partisan elections
- distribute campaign literature in partisan elections
- hold office in political clubs or parties
These federal and D.C. employees may not–
- use official authority or influence to interfere with an election
- solicit or discourage political activity of anyone with business before their agency
- solicit or receive political contributions (may be done in certain limited situations by federal labor or other employee organizations)
- be candidates for public office in partisan elections
- engage in political activity while:
- on duty
- in a government office
- wearing an official uniform
- using a government vehicle
- wear partisan political buttons on duty
Sigh. Apparently it isn’t enough the AGW proponents have helped create the worst recession in a generation and destroyed the auto industry. Now they want us to all be cold and in the dark too.
BTW, the Europeans have a worse lending crisis than we do. Half of Poland’s mortgages are in Swiss francs, and the zloty has dropped by half.
Worst than Poland situation is the unending and continuous lending process which are the “stimulus bills”, there is no “greenhouse effect” here either, instead a “cooling process”. Everything follows the same laws, going up and down.
CO2 absorbs only a small % of IR in three limited narrow wavebands. The wavelengths corresponding to these bands are also filtered out in a relatively short distance. Doubling CO2 to 7oo ppm would therefore absorb no more IR and would not cause atmospheric warming.
The air volumetric heat capacity is 3,277 times less than that of water. You won´t use a bottle filled with air to heat your feet in your bed, nobody ever used one, a bottle filled with water is used instead.
OT but I don’t know where else to post. But here is a doozy:
“Lower increases in global temps could lead to greater impacts than previously thought, study finds”
see http://www.physorg.com/news154632699.html
A lead author, Stephen H. Schneider, Stanford University professor of biology and interdisciplinary environmental studies and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment,
Says it all.
DaveE.
The problem for Realists is not the fields of expertise, but the institutional clout of the authors:
The IPCC
The National Academy of Sciences (in their )
Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School
Stanford University
The Woods Institute for the Environment
Stratus Consulting
All intimately identified with the governmental, academic, and bureaucratic elites who have embraced the ‘scientific consensus’ of AGW. The bigger the institutional imprimateur, the more the media swoon over proclamations, pronouncements, and ‘official’ alarms, like this one.
What Realists need are many more establishment figures to break with the Alarmists and speak out—loudly and soon, to the point where they cannot be ignored. There may well be a ‘tipping point’—not a climactic one, but a political one, after which the rush to stop the engine of American progress will be unstoppable.
/Mr Lynn
From the link provided by jack mosevich:
According to physorg, less global warming will cause greater global warming. Comedy gold.
It’s a highly sensitive environment….
So easily perturbed. The slightest nudge in any direction will send the environment catastrophically spiralling out of control towards a nightmare state.
Why it hasn’t spun out of control in the last 500 Million + years is just not answered.
I think the protest at the Coal Power Plant in Washington should be supprised by a counter demonstration.
Spread the word via all the pro CO2 blogs, call the oil and coal industry, the cement industry, the construction industry, the car industry, the aviation industry, the meat industry, the farmers and the unions.
In Poland the miners kicked ass of Greenpeace protesters who want to kill coal and they are right. The climate madness and the Government plans will cost a lot of jobs
and raise the price for energy.
It is time to organize and hit the street.
Better surprise Hanson and start with mobilizing the coal industry.
jeez (02:10:11) :
“A stable climate for the last billion years.”
On the very long-term time scale, weathering of rocks removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (locking away the CO2 as carbonates that are deposited in ocean basins) and acts as a negative feedback to the slow build up of CO2 from volcanoes. But that is no help in preventing to our present large scale increase in CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere since the rate of weathering is far too slow.
On shorter time scales the climate has been anything but stable, as a short perusal of ice cores stretching back for the last 800,000 years or so attests. These reveal violent convulsions in climate that would, if they occurred in the near future, impact severely on our ability to survive. The last interglacial, the Eemian, for example, experienced temperatures probably only slightly above present temperatures with resulting sea-levels 4-6 metres higher than at present. That last factor alone, irrespective of direct climatic effects, would cause huge disruption and dislocation of civilisation.
The 10,000 years of the Holocene, that has seen the evolution of agriculture and human civilisation, have been unusually climatically stable. It is that relative climatic stability that we put in severe jeopardy by failing to heed the warnings that scientists such as Hansen are, with increasing urgency, impressing upon us.
Oh yeah, that has me rolling on the floor laughing!
So, you’re suggesting that “scientists such as Hansen”, with their “increasing urgency”, are doing us all a favor! AWESOME!
I see it a different way. I see “hippy generation” boomers “such as Hansen” doing their best to destroy our current civilization, by demanding that we dismantle technology and live as our ancestors did. That would include a life expectancy of 30 years or so, but hey, we have to bring down our population somehow.
Hansen et al are nothing more than aging hippies, using their little bully platforms to push their 60s drug-culture idealistic communistic agenda. Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, do this don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?
Really funny!..and their inheritors the “playstation” and “x-box” boomers foretelling the future with their “climate models”
Uh, no. The climate has not gone into a “run away” state in a billion years despite the current penchant for believing in positive feedbacks, and despite C02 levels 10 times higher than today. Ice ages, warm periods, all have occurred within a narrow range that allows life to survive. It is the regulating affects of water and the biosphere that are likely responsible, despite varying TSI over long periods (not currently).
BTW, a 4 to 6 meter change in sea level over thousands or even hundreds of years would not be particularly disruptive to civilization. People have the ability to move. Life is change.
I think the time is ripe for blame shifting. Often times, the current troubles are assigned to those we don’t like or agree with. Terrible backlash events have happened in our human history when this happens. And it always seems to happen. It’s like we revert to our toddlerhood and blame the broken cookie jar on just about anything. Some folks here are now doing that. The downturn in our economy cannot be assigned with a straight face to greenies. As much as we dislike them. Neither can the problems with banks or car manufacturers. Come on folks, if we can discuss weather and climate from a reasoned and scientific basis, we can also do that with the economy.
“The downturn in our economy cannot be assigned with a straight face to greenies.”
No, but it CAN be blamed on the Leftist Democrats. And, since they and the hysterical greenies are in bed together, and the Dems ihave both the power and desire to impose the lunatic loser psuedo-green policies on on us, who else’s fault would/will it be? (and, yes, “Conservatives” who don’t stand up to them, or worse side with them, are also at fault).
Face it. Greenie policies stifle the economy, and no we can’t talk about them rationally because those who caused the problem and who stand in the way of fixing it and who want to destroy what they’ve already screwed up don’t want to. They aren’t a part of a rational discussion, because they refuse to be rational.
You can’t reason with cult followers, which it appears Jim Hansen may be. I mean, what part of his relationship with good buddy “Supreme Master” Ching Hai doesn’t scare you?
http://suprememastertv.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=featured&wr_id=215&goto_url=
And if little Jimmy Hansen doesn’t scare you, maybe a “Benevolent Messages from Mars: ‘Be Virtuous& Save the Earth’.” will…?
http://suprememastertv.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=featured&wr_id=237&goto_url=&url=link2_0
riiiiiiight!
Remember that the Nazis were big on cults, Thule society being one, and sociopaths like Mad madame Blavatzki led the way philosophically. After all, you can’t have a cult movement without some philosophical glue to hold the mess together.
http://www.ewtn.com/library/NEWAGE/NAZIOCCU.TXT
Dismiss the connection if you will, but you may come to wish you hadn’t.
I emailed the public relations hack and they responded that Dr. Hansen is entitled to his personal opinions which is true. What is not true is that he presents them as personal.
See my reply to their form email reply above.
DaveE.
There is a dress code for the demonstration. Sort of.
First they say:
“We will be there in our dress clothes, and ask the same of you.”
But then when you click the “dress clothes” link it says:
“Dress how you like – it doesn’t need to be a business suit. Folks from different cultures have different ways of “dressing up” – feel free to do what feels right.”
Talk about mixed messages!
This “protest” is mostly symbolic. To some extent, the goal is to garner some media attention, plus they are trying drum up support for their failing cause, and to “rally the troops”. Incredibly, and with great hubris, they seem to be modeling themselves after the civil rights movement. They “know” they are on the side of good, since they are “saving our planet”.
I have no doubt that the “protest” will be peaceful. Both sides will know the drill. When arrested, protesters are instructed to go limp, thus offering no resistance, but also making the police have to work for those arrests. The arrested ones will be considered “heroes” and “martyrs” for the cause. If only they knew What foolish, misguided hypocrites they are instead.
DaveE
“Granted, our sub-prime mortgages won’t affect the rest of the world, but they are/were there.”
Thats not true. Because of the way the sub primes were packaged up and sold down the line to apportion off the risk,most of the banking systems of the world were tainted.
“Thats not true. Because of the way the sub primes were packaged up and sold down the line to apportion off the risk,most of the banking systems of the world were tainted.”
Exactly what I said. “Granted, our sub-prime mortgages won’t affect the rest of the world”
DaveE.
“EAT BEANS OR DIE!”
http://suprememastertv.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=sos_video&sca=sosv_4
There is no sane discourse with madmen.
The little redhead slowly backs out of the thread without further ado or poking of the bear, leaving the heaving mass to discuss the “leftist world domination agenda” and the destruction of all civilization, to join the AWG group who are discussing the “conservative world domination agenda and impending destruction of all civilization”.
http://motls.blogspot.com/2009/02/supreme-master-presents-james-hansen.html
[snip]
I was afraid that might have been a bit over the line.
Ok, how about just posting this,…
http://unjobs.org/authors/the-supreme-master-ching-hai
….and asking, “Why is this Ching Hai so seemingly intimate with the UN?” …or am I misreading the fact that she has so much material on a UN website dedicated to UN-related employment?
Robert Bateman (22:27:46) :
I thought the same thing the traffic lights should be on a different system.
but when one goes it all goes.
I am outraged that a publicly funded administrative authority uses his position to promote his own agenda. Would it help if we all write our legislators demanding his resignation or firing?
@Mark Hugoson (07:41:09) :
It’s in here…
http://icecap.us/images/uploads/Falsification_of_CO2.pdf
I also contacted NASA at this address public-inquiries@gsfc.nasa.gov and asked if they are aware of what James Hansen being on the featured on the front page of Greenpeace’s web site helping to organize a protest could be doing to their reputation.
Dr. Hansen’s supervisor, Robert S. Strain has the following E-mail address:
Robert.D.Strain@nasa.gov
An alternate E-mail address for Hansen is:
James.E.Hansen@nasa.gov
(Some years ago, NASA decided that all of their government employees would have only an E-mail address ending in @nasa.gov. Contractors may still use an E-mail address that includes the initials of the particular center at which they work.)
Pam Gray’s mockery, (17:43:27), of concern over the likes of Dr. Hansen is misplaced…
Revealing the Bolshevik red that can always be found beneath the green facade of environmental fanaticism, Hansen is now calling for the arrest of oil company CEOs.
Their crime: providing the energy required for modern civilization to function. The charges are to be something along the lines of “high crimes against humanity and nature.” Specifically, they are accused of spreading doubt about the global warming hoax.
http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2008/06/hoax_whore_jame.html
Gee, maybe Pam is right, I mean why should I be concerned? After all, they are only targeting the “climate criminals” after all. If I just shut up and play ball, maybe they’ll let me have some rice to go with my beans.
Malcolm Hill (21:44:55) : Why cant you Americans get your house in order. […] But he is allowed to engage in activities that contravene your own laws. I give up. America is going down the gurgler faster than a co2 molecule on heat.
We were a Republic. We are now a Democracy.
IMHO, it stems from the change of our constitution such that the Senate was elected rather than a representative of the state (i.e. each state appointed their senators). At that point (and with the addition of an elected president) we came to be very much more a direct democracy and much less a republic and eliminated the protections of states rights. And as even the ancient Greeks found out:
“No democracy long survives once the populace finds that they can vote for themselves the largess of the public purse”.
That’s a paraphrase because I’m too tired to look up the correct quote right now… but it is truth.
We are now a socialist democratic system and political favor is what matters. We will learn the hard way that democracy fails and socialism fails spectacularly (that is how it is always learned). It will take about 50 years. 25 if we’re really lucky. Until then expect lots of ‘largess’ to be spread around… at least until the banks fail… Oh, wait, they already did that…
The bottom line is that AlGore style machinations and getting the government to mandate that folks must buy your product will be the way to make money. Honest work will be less valuable. The economy will slowly strangle. (There’s a reason Economics is called “The Dismal Science”.)
The CO2 tax will be a big part of it.
A couple of historic quotes:
James Madison warned: ‘Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.’
Alexander F. Tyler stated: ‘A Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largess out of the treasury with the result that democracies always collapse over a loose fiscal policy, always to be followed by a dictatorship.’
Al Gore must be going the March 2nd demonstration in DC. Check out the weather outlook:
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/stormwatch/?from=hp_news
– Cliff
Anthony, thanks for posting the information about the Hatch Act. It should be clear that none of Hansen’s behavior – in expressing his own views as a citizen on matters that he has every right to be interested in – runs afoul of that law.
Shame on those who want to use the power of government to stifle his Constitutional rights of free expression and assembly. Are you one of them?
Nope, he got to do and say anything he wanted today:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/03/02/jim-hansens-newfound-peers-at-the-capitol-climate-action/
Thanks for the clarification, Anthony – for a moment I thought you were trying to suggest that scientists employed by government who attempt to exercise their rights as citizens were somehow criminals or, if not, are somehow to be condemed for having the nerve to comment on matters of public interest.
Glad to hear it ain’t so.
But it seems like you confused a few there, though; maybe it was suggestion that people might want to write to Hansen’s superviser and others at NASA, and offering a couple of email addresses, that through people off.
He’s back…
Leading climate scientist: ‘democratic process isn’t working’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/mar/18/nasa-climate-change-james-hansen
Protest and direct action could be the only way to tackle soaring carbon emissions, a leading climate scientist has said.
James Hansen, a climate modeller with Nasa, told the Guardian today that corporate lobbying has undermined democratic attempts to curb carbon pollution. “The democratic process doesn’t quite seem to be working,” he said.
Speaking on the eve of joining a protest against the headquarters of power firm E.ON in Coventry, Hansen said: “The first action that people should take is to use the democratic process. What is frustrating people, me included, is that democratic action affects elections but what we get then from political leaders is greenwash.
“The democratic process is supposed to be one person one vote, but it turns out that money is talking louder than the votes. So, I’m not surprised that people are getting frustrated. I think that peaceful demonstration is not out of order, because we’re running out of time.”
Hansen said he was taking part in the Coventry demonstration tomorrow because he wants a worldwide moratorium on new coal power stations. E.ON wants to build such a station at Kingsnorth in Kent, an application that energy and the climate change minister Ed Miliband recently delayed. “I think that peaceful actions that attempt to draw society’s attention to the issue are not inappropriate,” Hansen said.