This is tragic, and hard to watch.
[NOTE: I’ve moved the video below the “read more” line, don’t go there if you don’t want to watch. I’ve put up his picture here instead. -A]
Good news- I found this Danish News report. (Google Translation)
He’s apparently OK for now. He wears a pacemaker and apparently it did something.
Good luck and godspeed to him.
Michael (18:57:45) :
In terms of joules of energy, no. You need to look at it from a thermodynamics perspective. Cooling is the same as warming except that outgoing radiation exceeds incoming instead of visa-versa. The size of the imbalance varies over time subject to all the same climate mechanisms in play as for warming. And the same unknowns!
There’s a long way to go before assertions can be made about a solar minimum that may or may not persist. Fundamental physics still needs to be done to prove Svensmark’s cosmic ray mechanism. Watch this recent video about the CLOUD project at CERN to see where things are at about now.
Even if the results vindicate Svensmark’s theory in principle, quantitative evidence of its operation in the atmosphere is still required. CLOUD may suggest what to look for and where best to find it but that could take years. For what it’s worth (and I’m no scientist), when all that’s done I wouldn’t be at all surprised we still don’t have the full picture. Don’t make a leap of faith as others would have you do for the extent of CO2’s role.
The Independent’s conclusion writes off a hypothesis still in play in favour of one that’s already been falsified by Lindzen & Choi’s ERBE based quantitative evidence + inadequate correlation with the temperature record. A “travesty” indeed, never mind Climategate.
John A,
“I’m not going to watch the video, but I wish Dr Svensmark well. I would behave the same way if it was Phil Jones.”
I agree entirely. Or Mann or Hansen. I may deplore the way they behave but (unlike some of those quoted in the Climategate emails) I would not wish harm to any of the AGW proponents. Such is not the way of proper scientific discourse.
I wish Dr. Henrik Svensmark a speedy recovery. I am a proud owner of his book The Chilling Stars, which is an excellent read. I would highly recommend that regular visitors here purchase a copy.
Svensmark was just about to answer to the “fact” that solar activity has been stable for the last 50 years and as such it can not be forcing warming, whereas Co2 has been rising for the same 50 years and thus can be the cause of the warming.
I wonder what Phil Jones’ reaction was?
Best wishes and a full recovery for Dr Svensmark!!!!
He’s a hero in the struggle against the AGW hoax…
May God bless him!!!!
Glenn (23:21:02)
Excellent, is that the sound of banjos in the background?
I loved the story about the guy who shot his mower, ‘I can do that, it’s my mower and my yard!’ A real life version of ‘The Straight Story’.
And the one who tried to get the wheel (lug?) nuts off with a shotgun but got hit by the ricochet when they fought back.
There is a two page article by Steve Connor, arch warmist with the Independent, which claims that Svensmarks’ work is ‘deeply flawed; and that this ‘sees the sun setting on sunspot cycles and warming’.
It would appear to me that a serious investigation of what Connor is saying is merited, since if it does not stand up then Connor must consider his title of journalist to be in some danger.
If it does stand up, then attention must move to carbon dioxide, since there is still no proof there…..and it’s about time THAT theory was debunked as extensively in the Media as this one apparently has been…..
What would Phil Jones say?
I hope he recovers. He doesn’t look well in that photo. There’s a small fanclub on facebook, if anyone is interested.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=7803307909
I know Dr Svensmark by reputation only. Integrity and outspokenness such as his is very important in these awful times of political and scientific corruption. I wish him a swift recovery.
For the comfort of fellow bloggers distressed by the video and I believe without impinging too much on Dr Svensmark’s privacy, he appears to have experienced 3 shocks from an implanted defibrillator, one while seated, second while leaning on the bench and third while lying down off camera.
These shocks are administered by a defibrillator (AICD) the size of a mobile phone implanted under the skin in people prone to lethal cardiac rhythms, who may have heart disease or may be otherwise perfectly well – may even be professional athletes.
If the device detects the heart rhythm suddenly accelerating to dangerously rapid rates or enter a lethal disorganized rhythm called ventricular fibrillation, they charge a capacitor and discharge up to 700 Joules across the heart to restore normal rhythm, often saving the person’s life. The person typically reports being “kicked in the chest by a mule”, but is OK to walk within a minute or two of the incident. Occasionally if the person gets very excited and raises his heart rate rapidly and the device is not set perfectly, a shock can be delivered “inappropriately” causing pain but no harm (it is possible this happened in this case). The devices have capacity to deliver several hundred shocks.
The reason I explain this, is threefold:
1. Dr Svensmark was probably and thankfully not in as big a danger as it appeared and is likely to return to his excellent work very quickly.
2. The video actually shows a wonderful event – the pinnacle of advanced medical technology intervening to save a person’s life, which previously more often than not used to lead to tragic sudden cardiac death of a young person.
…and finally, at the risk of being slightly opportunistic,
3. When one person’s life is at stake, the science and claims of efficacy of medical devices such as the defibrillator are extensively tested by an independent almost adversarial FDA, and research and manufacturing facilities are regularly inspected without notice by government investigators some of whom carry firearms. They spend days inspecting every and any document for compliance with quality standards and for fraud. We and the government expect nothing less, and it has been so for decades. Why, oh why, is Climate Science excused from any of this scrutiny. Why is it blindly accepted even in the face of evidence of compromise of quality from ClimateGate and well before that, when it will affect the lives of millions, possibly billions of people. I just don’t understand it.
I sincerely hope that Dr Svensmark is as well as I hope and I wish him a speedy recovery.
@Michael: Thanks for your tip on the story below, which makes several valid points in sharp language.
The Wages of Climategate
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/12/the_wages_of_climategate.html
It sees the story the same way I did from the beginning, when I said within a day that I “smelt blood” and that the impact from the hack wouldn’t be because of its damage to the temperature record, which would be minor, but to the loss of the alarmists’ halo. Although intangible, this loss would be near-fatal in the long run. Their halo was their “Teflon.” It gave their pronouncements the authority of science.
All the best Mate!
regards
Michael
He obviously has an implanted AICD. VTAC, a racing heart beat, gets you an internal shock that feels much like being kicked in the chest. It just means it’s working properly. I’ve had mine for years!
Get well soon, Dr. Svensmark! Oh, and try not to lose your temper, the device can’t tell the difference between that and VTAC.
I think that the UK Telegraph is one of the more balanced newspapers. They even have an item on the “alternative” COP15 here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/copenhagen-climate-change-confe/6762640/Copenhagen-climate-summit-global-warming-caused-by-suns-radiation.html
where Svensmark is quoted: “Professor Henrik Svensmark, a physicist at the Danish National Space Center in Copenhagen, said the recent warming period was caused by solar activity.
He said the last time the world experienced such high temperatures, during the medieval warming period, the Sun and the Earth were in a similar cycle.”
Lord Monckton is also busy at work: “Lord Monckton, a former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, said he was speaking to delegations from the US and Canada about question marks over the science. ”
In view of the Timesonline article quoted above things seem to be happening that may first modify and then perhaps eventually nullyfy the IPCC position if global temperatures start declining and HAD/CRU & GISS/NASA temperature timeseries are analysed and any bias removed.
I suspect he has an ICD (Internal Cardio Defibrilator) and it gave him a couple of shocks. I myself have one and have had two (appropriate) shocks for ventricular tachycardia, and his reaction is entirely consistent with receiving ICD “therapy”. Like someone has said, the feeling is not unlike running headlong at a locomotive coming full speed at you. The good news is that these little devices are very effective, and if it was “therapy” from the ICD he will live many more years to be a thorn in the sides of the AGW’ers.
Two articles in the UK newspaper “The Independent” today – one on the front page! Both purporting to debunk Svensmark, although no evidence is given – just the some “trustme, I’m a scientist” stuff from the usual suspects.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/sunspots-do-not-cause-climate-change-say-scientists-1839867.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/sun-sets-on-sceptics-case-against-climate-change-1839875.html
For those not in DK who might be interested. Svensmark is still hospitalized for observation but ‘doing well under the circumstances’.
He regained consciousness shortly after collapsing and have apparently had a similar experience before with his pacemaker.
As per latest news reports.
With hopes for speedy recovery.
Dr. Henrik Svensmark is one of many respected scientists that have integrity in this field. The reactions from some betray their clouded and muddled thinking. We must have always open debate and scrutiny. I wish him well.
Yes, this happened to my Gran a lot before she had her pace-maker fitted. She would “fall asleep”, just randomly. I saw it happen once and thought she had expired in front of us.
Hmm … interesting link posted in one of the comments at the Independent:
http://www.pepke.dk/BerlingskeTidende.pdf
Have a soon recovery Prof.Svensmark!
[quote]Something needs to be done about the Weather Channel. They never stop spewing their global warming propaganda.[/quote]
The Weather Channel is owned by NBC, which is in turn owned by GE. GE also owns GE Energy which stands to make a fortune off of carbon credits and various government grants for “green power” like hydro, electric and solar.
The stance the MSM has taken regarding the climate isn’t based on science or even politics. It’s based on cash. See this video for more details:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bdneX1djD0
I also want to wish the best to Dr. Svensmark.
In the first of Annabelle’s linked stories, Paul Crutzen is quoted as accepting Peter Laut’s critique of Dr. Svenmark’s theory. It appears that both Crutzen and Laut may have agendas of their own.
Quote from Crutzen’s biography page on Wikepedia:
“Professor Crutzen has proposed a method of artificially cooling the global climate by releasing particles of sulphur in the upper atmosphere, which would reflect sunlight and heat back into space. The controversial proposal is being taken seriously by scientists because Professor Crutzen has a proven track record in atmospheric research”.
Peter Laut’s Wikepedia page isn’t doing him any favors either:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_laut
I noticed that the article in reference #9 links to Stephen Schneider at Stanford. Stephen recently had problems with a dissenter in Copenhagen.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/12/025137.php
This excellent video describing the CLOUD experiment was posted by others earlier in another thread and I thank them for it. It is a presentation on Cosmic Rays and Climate by Jasper Kirkby. Kirkby is the creator and driving force behind the CLOUD experiment. In their book Chilling Stars, Dr. Svensmark and Nigel Calder describe how Kirkby becomes interested in Svensmark’s theory after attending a lecture by Calder, along with his struggles to get the experiment approved.
http://cdsweb.cern.ch/record/1181073
Annabelle (02:52:36) :
Two articles in the UK newspaper “The Independent” today – one on the front page! Both purporting to debunk Svensmark, although no evidence is given – just the some “trustme, I’m a scientist” stuff from the usual suspects.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/sunspots-do-not-cause-climate-change-say-scientists-1839867.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/sun-sets-on-sceptics-case-against-climate-change-1839875.html
Sorry Anthony, I always had a high regard for your ethical way of moderating this blog, but the posting of this video I find insensitive, sensationalistic and a demonstration of poor taste.
REPLY: If it were a covert video, or one filmed privately I’d agree with you. However this video was aired on live public television, seen by millions. Reality is sometimes distasteful. And of note, I did not post this to YouTube, where it will get thousands more views, without the simple caveat like I posted.
Why then did you click below the “read more” line and ignore the warning I posted? -A