By Ken Haapala, Executive Vice President Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP)
On Monday President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic gave the inaugural lecture of the Global Warming Policy Foundation entitled “The Climate Change Doctrine is Part of Environmentalism, Not of Science.” He stated that to him the claim that humans are causing dangerous global warming is not the central issue. That has long passed; man is not causing dangerous global warming. The major issue is the public policy debate of the role of man and society; that government, politicians, etc. seek to use the false claim of global warming to seize increasing power, thereby undermining democratic principles. The entire speech with end notes is reproduced as Article # 1. An article written by President Klaus summarizing the speech, which was published in the Financial Post, is referenced under Challenging the Orthodoxy.
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Article #2 is an articulate review of many of the positions of global warming skeptics written by Warren Meyer and published in Forbes magazine. Of course, not all will agree with this review but it contains many of the major points frequently mentioned by skeptics.
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On October 14, NASA-GISS issued a press release declaring “Carbon Dioxide Controls Earth’s Temperature.” This is based upon a modeling study published the next day in Science Magazine and a companion study that has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Geophysical Research. “The bottom line is that atmospheric carbon dioxide acts as a thermostat in regulating the temperature of Earth” and, of course, the IPCC asserts humans are responsible for increasing carbon dioxide.
The press release does not explain what caused the warm periods over the past 10,000 years, some warmer than today, during which time the IPCC asserts carbon dioxide concentrations were quite stable until the 20th Century.
Roy Spencer and Roger Pielke Sr. posted on their respective web sites rebuttals to these articles, both stating there is no new research but, as explained by Spencer, some clever manipulation of a model. Spencer recognizes his comments are only a blog post, not an article carried by Science. He has ceased even submitting articles to Science. Please see the first three referenced articles under Model Manipulation.
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Adding to climate model controversy, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) announced that an ensemble of 22 computer climate models plus previously published studies indicates that major, heavily populated regions of the globe are threatened by drought resulting from climate change. Though not explicitly stated, the obvious villain is human carbon dioxide emissions.
Roger Pielke Sr. immediately commentary posted on his website questioning why the National Science Foundation continues to fund multi-decadal climate predictions using unverified models. Without the models being verified, the results may have some interest, but the conclusions are not scientific. Please see the fourth and fifth referenced articles under Model Manipulation.
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Not to be outdone, NOAA announced that the Arctic has shifted to a new climate pattern from which it is unlikely to ever return. The North Pole will remain unusually warm, but the temperate regions where people live will get frequent, cold Arctic blasts. The cause is the recent melting of the Arctic ice which, however, is continuing to recover from its 2007 low.
Though he does not specifically address this most recent announcement, in two articles posed on his web site Joe D’Aleo discusses this past winter which was heavily influenced by the El Niño – La Niña shifts and the quiet sun. He raises the issue of whether more atmospheric CO2 helped us get through the long, hot summer without widespread crop losses.
No doubt Joe D’Aleo will have comments on NOAA’s most recent announcement in an upcoming post. Prior issues of TWTW referenced his more detailed explanations of last winter’s events.
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NUMBER OF THE WEEK: 1 year. This appears to be the minimum number of years of observations NOAA requires before it makes an announcement of “permanent” climate change. Will we have permanent climate change yearly?
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ARTICLES:
For the numbered articles below please see:
http://www.haapala.com/sepp/the-week-that-was.cfm…
1. President Vaclav Klaus: Inaugural Annual GWPF Lecture
The Climate Change Doctrine is Part of Environmentalism, Not of Science
GWPF, Oct 21, 2010
http://thegwpf.org/news/1726-president-vaclav-klaus-…
2. Denying the Catastrophe: The Science of the Climate Skeptics Position
By Warren Meyer, Forbes, Oct 15, 2010 [H/t Real Clear Politics]
http://blogs.forbes.com/warrenmeyer/2010/10/15/denyi…
3. California’s Cap-and-Trade War
The battle to repeal a self-destructive climate change law
Editorial, WSJ, Oct 18, 2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703735…
4. Restore the balance between energy and environment
Editorial, Washington Examiner, Oct 21, 2010
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Restore-th…
5. WikiPropaganda
Wikipedia bars a global warming censor from editing its pages
Editorial, WSJ, Oct 21, 2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304410…
NEWS YOU CAN USE:
Challenging the Orthodoxy
An anti-human ideology
Global warming may just be statistical fluctuations
By Vaclav Klaus, Financial Post, Oct 20, 2010
http://opinion.financialpost.com/2010/10/20/vaclav-k…
Very Important New Paper “A Comparison Of Local And Aggregate Climate Model Outputs With Observed Data” By Anagnostopoulos, Et Al, 2010
By Roger Pielke Sr., Pielke Research Group, Oct 22, 2010
http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/ver…
[“…we found that local projections do not correlate well with observed measurements. Furthermore, we found that the correlation at a large spatial scale, i.e. the contiguous USA, is worse than at the local scale.”]
Pop Went the Climate Bubble
By Steve Milloy, Human Events, Oct 21, 2010
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=39501…
Climatism: That Climate Change Chameleon
By Steve Goreham, American Thinker, Oct 20, 2010 [H/t A.J. Meyer]
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/10/climatism_tha…
Defending the Orthodoxy
Science committee responds to Rep. Joe Barton
By Gerald North, Letters, Washington Post, Oct 17, 2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article…
[SEPP Comment: “While knowledge of past climates fills in context, the arguments for anthropogenic global warming are mainly based upon the past 50 years of data, including temperatures, model simulations and numerous other indicators.” No physical evidence that the recent warming is different than the past. After spending tens of billions of dollars this is the best they can do? ]
Letter from Health Organizations Claiming Warming Endangers Public Health
To President Obama, Sep 28, 2010 [H/t Steve Goreman]
http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/2405CEFA-854D-4EE0-…
[SEPP Comment: The leaders of these health organizations rely on the projections of unverified models that are inconsistent with observations, see “Very Important Paper…” above.]
Europe on track for Kyoto targets while emissions from imported goods rise
By Juliette Jowit, Guardian, UK, Oct 13, 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/oct/13/eu…
[SEPP Comment: Is off-shoring carbon emissions the same as exporting global warming?]
UK rail network ‘at risk’ from climate change
By Howard Falcon-Lang, BBC, Oct 21, 2010 [H/t Malcolm Ross]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-116010…
[SEPP Comment: Railroad building in England began in 1825; many of the early bridges are still in use. The world has warmed since then, now climate change is a risk?]
In Climate Denial, Again
Editorial, NYT, Oct 17, 2010 [H/t Malcolm Ross]
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/opinion/18mon1.htm…
[SEPP Comment: Those who believe climate change is normal and natural deny it exists?]
Model Manipulation
Carbon Dioxide Controls Earth’s Temperature
NASA GISS, Press Release, Oct 14, 2010
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/co2-temper…
Does CO2 Drive the Earth’s Climate System? Comments on the Latest NASA GISS Paper
By Roy Spencer, drroyspencer.com, Oct 16 2010
http://www.drroyspencer.com/2010/10/does-co2-drive-t…
Comment On The Science Paper “Atmospheric CO2: Principal Control Knob Governing Earth’s Temperature” By Lacis Et Al 2010 [H/t Charles Minning]
By Roger Pielke Sr, Oct 15, 2010
http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/2010/10/15/com…
Climate change: Drought may threaten much of the globe within decades
By Aiguo Dai, Press Release, NCAR, Oct 19, 2010
http://www2.ucar.edu/news/climate-change-drought-may…
The National Science Foundation Funds Multi-Decadal Climate Predictions Without An Ability To Verify Their Skill
By Roger Pielke Sr., Pielke Research Group, Oct 21, 2010 [H/t ICECAP]
http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/2010/10/21/the…
Weather Extremes
The Arctic Shifts to a New Climate Pattern in Which ‘Normal’ Becomes Obsolete
Editorial, NYT, Oct 22, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/10/22/22climatewir…
[SEPP Comment: The NOAA headline is “Return to previous Arctic conditions is unlikely.”]
2009/10 Winter El Nino Very Different than 1997/1998
By Joseph D’Aleo, ICECAP, Oct 21, 2010
http://icecap.us/images/uploads/2009vs1997.pdf…
Hot Summers of 1988 and 2010 – Did CO2 help us get thru this time without major crop losses?
By Joseph D’Aleo, ICECAP, Oct 21, 2010
http://icecap.us/images/uploads/Hot_Summers_of_1988_…
[“When sun is quiet, the patterns tend to persist. That has been the case the last few years. The patterns in both the warm and cold seasons have tended to persist. This aggravates the seasonal anomalies and can allow extremes to build.”]
BP Oil Spill and Aftermath
Chevron to file for drilling permits in Gulf
By Associated Press, Washington Times, Oct 21, 2010
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/21/chev…
Oil-drilling doublespeak
Weasel words expose iffy end to business moratorium
Editorial, Washington Times, Oct 15, 2010
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/15/oil-…
Energy Issues
U.S. to Investigate China’s Clean Energy Aid
By Sewell Chan and Keith Bradsher, NYT, Oct 15, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/business/16wind.ht…
China hits back over US green energy probe
AFP, Oct 18, 2010
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j…
Spanish wind sector feels the pinch
Generous subsidies made Spain a world leader in wind power. But now Gamesa and Vestas are seeking government help as demand falters.
By Jason Deign, Wind Energy Update, Oct 18, 2010 [H/t Tony Jack]
http://social.windenergyupdate.com/industry-insight/…
[SEPP Comment: Time to find some other country to subsidize Spanish wind.]
Spain’s Solar Deals on Edge of Bankruptcy as Subsidies Founder
By Ben Sills, Bloomberg, Oct 18, 2010 [H/t Tom Burch]
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-18/spanish-sol…
[SEPP Comment: And solar too!]
Millions in grants went to wind farms built before stimulus passed
By Russ Choma, American University, Investigative Reporting Workshop, Oct 21, 2010, [H/t Randy Randol]
http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigat…
[SEPP Comment: The wind industry association claims that many of these investments would have not been made if the stimulus bill was not about to be passed – it took less than two months from the 111th Congress convening to President Obama signing the bill.]
Severn barrage tidal energy scheme expected to be axed
BBC News, Oct 17, 2010 [H/t Malcolm Ross]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-115605…
[SEPP Comment: But the tides will still go on.]
Chris Huhne to announce eight sites for new generation of nuclear plants
By Patrick Hennessy, Telegraph, UK, Oct 16, 2010 [H/t Malcolm Ross]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/business/busine…
[Malcolm Ross’s Comment: We put public money galore into lame horse wind and solar projects that can barely get out of the gate, let alone run the distance, yet invest no public subsidies into the one proven “green” and if you care, “zero carbon” technology capable of reliably powering a modern, industrial society]
Russia agrees to build nuclear plant in Venezuela
By Vladimir Isachenkov, Washington Times, Oct 15, 2010
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/15/russ…
Japan says Chinese rare earth exports halted
See retaliation for arrest of fishing boat captain
By Mari Yamaguchi, Washington Times, Oct 21, 2010
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/21/japa…
[SEPP Comment: Rare earths are critical for wind turbines.]
Volt Fraud At Government Motors
Editorial, IBD, Oct 19, 2010
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/550…
Subsidies and Mandates Forever
Outsourcing Your Emissions
By Brian McGraw, Global Warming.org, Oct 18, 2010 [H/t Deke Forbes]
http://www.globalwarming.org/2010/10/18/outsourcing-…
[SEPP Comment: But it makes traders in carbon credits wealthy!]
Bingaman’s Renewable Energy Standard: Another Proposed Energy Tax
By Daren Bakst, Master Resource, Oct 13, 2010 [H/t Cooler Heads Digest]
http://www.masterresource.org/2010/10/bingaman-res-p…
Renewable-energy standards are climate policy in disguise
By E. Calvin Beisner, Washington Times, Oct 14, 2010
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/14/just…
Biofuel or bust? Ethanol subsidies should be dropped
By Brian McGraw, Detroit News, Oct 21, 2010 [H/t Cooler Heads Digest]
http://detnews.com/article/20101021/OPINION01/102103…
EPA and other Regulators On the March
The EPA’s Odd View of ‘Consumer Choice’
By Patrick Michaels, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Oct 17, 2010
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=12480…
E.P.A. Official Seeks to Block West Virginia Mine
By John Broder, NYT, Oct 15, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/science/earth/16we…
EPA Ozone Standard Would Destroy 7.3 Million Jobs, Study Estimates
By Marlo Lewis, Open Market.org, Oct 18, 2010
http://www.openmarket.org/2010/10/18/epa-ozone-stand…
Can the Endangered Species Act Compel America to De-Industrialize?
By Marlo Lewis, Global Warming.org, Oct 22, 2010
http://www.globalwarming.org/2010/10/22/can-the-enda…
Review of Recent Scientific Articles by NIPCC – For a full list of articles see NIPCC Report
The Impact of Climate Change on Typhoon Activity
Reference: Fan, D-D. and Liu, K-b. 2008. Perspectives on the linkage between typhoon activity and global warming from recent research advances in paleotempestology. Chinese Science Bulletin 53: 2907-2922.
http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2010/oct/21oct20…
Old Trees Growing in a CO2 – Accreting Atmosphere
Reference: Phillips, N.G., Buckley, T.N. and Tissue, D.T. 2008. Capacity of old trees to respond to environmental change. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 50: 1355-1364..
http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2010/oct/21oct20…
Tropical Cyclones of the North Atlantic
Reference: Klotzbach, P.J. and Gray, W.M. 2008. Multidecadal variability in North Atlantic tropical cyclone activity. Journal of Climate 21: 3929-3935.
http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2010/oct/20oct20…
Warming Reduces Permafrost Thaw Rates???
Reference: Blok, D., Heijmans, M.M.P.D., Schaepman-Strub, G., Kononov, A.V., Maximov, T.C. and Berendse, F. 2010. Shrub expansion may reduce summer permafrost thaw in Siberian tundra. Global Change Biology 16: 1296-1305.
http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2010/oct/20oct20…
Human – Environmental Conflicts
The World Bank’s Palm Oil Mistake
By Thompson Ayodele, NYT, Oct 15, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/opinion/16ayodele….
Other Scientific Issues
New deep-sea hot springs discovered in the Atlantic
Hydrothermal vents may contribute more to the thermal budget of the oceans than previously assumed
Press Release, Max Planck Society, Oct 7, 2010 [H/t WUWT]
http://www.mpg.de/english/illustrationsDocumentation…
By Reporting Bad Science As Fact, Biased Media Help Create Panics
By Henry Miller, IBD, Oct 18, 2010
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.asp…
More CO2 May Mean More Cooling Cloud Cover
Marine Biochemistry: Acidic oceans might be fertile grounds for plankton that emit cloud condensing gas
By Emily Gertz, C&EN, Oct 11, 2010 [H/t Deke Forbes]
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/88/i42/8842news.html?ut…
[SEPP Comment: The headline writer does not understand the difference between alkaline and acid.]
Plants Play Larger Role Than Thought in Cleaning up Air Pollution
Chemicals known as oxygenated volatile organic compounds (oVOCs) affect environment, human health
Press Release, National Science Foundation, Oct 21, 2010 [H/t WUWT]
http://nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=117919&org…
Miscellaneous Topics of Possible Interest
Moon Crater Contains Usable Water, NASA Says
By Kenneth Chang, NYT, Oct 21, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/science/space/22mo…
BELOW THE BOTTOM LINE:
Go vegetarian to save planet scientists tell Government
By Andy Bloxham, Telegraph, UK, Oct 22, 2010 [H/t Malcolm Ross]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrink…
Scientists learn why sex beats cloning
Tiny animals swing both ways, but prefer sex when on the move
By Wynne Parry, Live Science, Oct 13, 2010 [H/t Best on the Web]
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39655223/ns/technology_a…
Superb roundup.
Not as funny as The Daily Bayonet, but then the increase in desperate, blatant government-sponsored fabrication isn’t very funny.
Although, the one about Global Warming causing more daylight is hilarious.
WOW! Great list of articles. Read the Forbes one. I was surprised to see a basic overview like that actually posted on their site. From the comments there, it’s obvious that the alarmists are only concerned about whatever supports their view and will dismiss everything else they don’t want to hear. They say “look here, this proves that humans are responsible…”, but that’s not how science works. You only need to show ONE thing to falsify a hypothesis. You could have a billion things that support it, but ultimately, it will be false. Usually, you move on with the new knowledge, but they seem to be stuck in neutral.
I also liked a recent comment here about the plot of global temperatures and then averaging them out. You get statistical noise on a relatively flat line. But the alarmists multiply it by a factor of 10 or more and make the statistical noise look like a doomsday event.
I’ve read a few more articles, both above and from alarmists. It seems that lately, it’s the season for computer models. Somehow, the alarmists believe that climate models can prove something. However, that’s not what worries me. No. My main concern is that all these models and papers seem to be a concerted effort to hide other causes and effects. Some models hide the effects of the Sun. Others hide the effect of water vapour (clouds, etc.). Others still… hide the effect of natural cycles while at the same time using that very excuse to dismiss other properties of the climate. It’s the staggering length that these scientists go through to obtain the results they are looking for.
there has been some good news!
24 Oct: UK Daily Mail: Martin Delgado/Christopher Leake: Queen’s £38m a year
offshore windfarm windfall – because she owns the seabed
Prince to profit from his support for green energy
Lucrative deal is a ‘masterstroke’ for Palace aide
Revenue already soaring by 44 per cent a year
They will net up to £37.5 million extra income every year from the drive for
green energy because the seabed within Britain’s territorial waters is
owned by the Crown Estate.
Under new measures announced by Chancellor George Osborne last week, the
Royals will soon get 15 per cent of the profits from the Estate’s £6 billion
property portfolio, rather than the existing Civil List arrangement…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323228/Queens-38m-year-offshore-windfarm-windfall–owns-seabed.html
and some even better news!
23 Oct: BBC: Nagoya biodiversity talks stall on cash and targets
By Richard Black
“Some countries are holding everything hostage to resolving ABS,” said Sue
Lieberman, director of international policy with the Pew Environment Group.
“I’m not saying that’s not important, but if you look at the status of the
marine environment, it’s shocking and pitiful to think there might be no
progress here at all.
“We’re particularly disappointed in Brazil.”
Some governments, she said, were arguing that the CBD should not discuss
conservation on the high seas, while others were proposing that only 1% of
the world’s coastal waters should be protected.
The existing global target for marine protection is 10%…
“I’ve seen references to [the climate summit in] Copenhagen. There’s no
comparison with Copenhagen at all – the spirit is there, the spirit of
conciliation, the spirit to continue discussing.”
Most countries are sending environment ministers to the final three days of
the meeting, and some observers are hopeful about the extra momentum that
may create.
There is also hope that the arguments made here about the economic value of
biodiversity, contained in the final report from the UN-backed Economics of
Ecosystems and Biodiversity (Teeb) project, will persuade governments that
meeting the targets on the agenda here would create wealth rather than
damaging it.
“It’s ironic that at this meeting there’s been the release of the Teeb
report, which has wonderful information about the economic benefits from
conservation of the natural systems and the risks of losing those benefits
to human well-being as a whole,” noted Andrew Rosenberg, senior
vice-president for science and knowledge with Conservation International.
“In a meeting where that’s coming up, to make the argument that ‘we can’t
afford it’ is really depressing.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11609159
Anthony and Ken – a big thank you for this weekly round-up, which is an excellent innovation now that your blog has become “busy”.
All the best.
Is sanity and reality returning to science? How much money has been spent perpetrating the fraud of serious AGW, ( i will concede there might be some immaterial change) that could have been spent re-colonizing fisheries, wildlife corridors, and such?
http://www2.ucar.edu/news/climate-change-drought-may-threaten-much-globe-within-decades
Great summary, thanks. Will have to read first, prior to posting at tips and notes.