WUWT readers may remember this story I wrote about the clowns from Old Pulteney’s “Row to the Pole” who had headlines blaring in Britain exclaiming they had rowed to the “north pole”. Telegraph, BBC, and Independent geography FAIL: “Row to the Pole” never made it to the “North Pole” – they are 790 miles short
I pointed out that not only were they NOT at the north pole, they weren’t even at the north magnetic pole which had since moved due to the Earth’s normal processes.
As I explained before the trip even started, there’s no “pole” achievement here, not even close. They are 738 KM short of the actual magnetic pole. The 1996 magnetic pole doesn’t exist there anymore and thus can’t be a pole of any kind.
The Telegraph article says:
The successful trip to the Pole, described as the “greatest ocean rows of all time”, was only possible because of more seasonal ice-melt in the Arctic that has opened the waters up.
No mention of the fact that they aren’t even close. The actual North pole is 790 miles away:
Most any child in primary school taking an introduction to geography could spot this error, which makes the Telegraphs error doubly embarrassing.
Following my lead, WUWT reader Neil Turner issued a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) in the UK over this glaring inaccuracy. They responded with a ruling and agreed the Telegraph erred. Here is part of the email exchange from the PCC and the Telegraph:
And here is the microscopically sized “correction” printed today on page 18, next to the nude wrestler story and the fashion news. It doesn’t even contain the word “correction”.
Neil writes in his email to me:
My observation is that it is typical that the misleading story received far greater prominence than the correction. I took this up with the PCC, and they explained that the size, font etc of correction is leaft at the Editor’s discretion.
From my perspective, the editor’s discretion, shown above in it’s placement and size, is pretty much the journalistic equivalent of “eff you!”.
What a bunch of gormless cobblers.
Meanwhile Jock Wishart and the crew enjoys the spoils of their sponsor, the Old Pulteney whisky company, caring not at all that people think he’s reached some sort of geographic pole. Such is the way of the world today, fluff and failure make headlines whiles facts get buried on page 18 next to the nude wrestlers.
Let’s see . . . 13,000 years ago, was the geophysical North Pole someplace I could walk to without too much bother?
oldseadog says:
September 30, 2011 at 2:25 pm
I second Anthony’s suggestion. Oldseadog, here is your chance. Get that notice, per Anthony’s request, posted as soon as possible. A man of integrity would leap at the chance.
The march of the North Magnetic Pole is obvious to this sailing Canadian, mainly because it affects what is known as the deviation of our compass readings and is noted on our charts. Since I started sailing in 1999, the charts that came with the boat indicated that there was 10 degrees to the West to be considered in the compass reading when comparing “Magnetic” to “True”. In other words, if you think you are sailing due North at 000 degrees, you are actually sailing NNE at 010 degrees. You correct accordingly and all is well.
The latest charts indicate that the deviation is 11 degrees W. It might seem academic, but if you use an autopilot and punch in what you think are the right numbers for your headings, you can end up in the wrong place, much like the British rowers, unless of course their wrong place was the right place.
I would also add that this “wandering magnetic pole” effect is quite strong in Canada’s North and the deviations are far greater, rendering compass bearings suspect in that area. Just as solar activity can heat up the atmosphere and create drag on LEO satellites, or can nudge GPS satellites, I suppose.
For those who like detail, here’s the Canadian projections for when the NMP will progress into Russia: http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/nmp/long_mvt_nmp_e.php
And it’s interesting to note that the thing wobbles on a *daily* basis:
http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/nmp/daily_mvt_nmp_e.php
By the way, were the magnetic field of the Earth to significantly decrease prior to or in concert with a “polarity swap”, the consequences for humanity would be significantly more severe than most of the “global warming” scenarios. It’s happened before and the evidence, unlike that for climate change, is not particularly ambiguous. Carry a flint box, I say.
I have never heard of that whisky, and my liquor locker would argue that I have a passing familiarity with whisky brands. Not much of a marketing triumph, is it?
You just described about 99% of advertising.
It’s worse than we thought:
Check out Wikipedia’s article on polar expeditions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Arctic_expeditions
2011 British team of explorers became the first people to row to the magnetic North Pole after the ice caps melted.[6]
And the citation given is (drum roll please)
^ British explorers row 450 miles to North Pole in world first voyage, The Telegraph, August 28, 2011.
Roger Knights says:
September 30, 2011 at 2:57 pm
“But, in some (or all?) of the headline-stories after their “achievement,” they were quoted as claiming they had reached the North Pole–no qualification was included.”
Exactly. In fact they continued to actively mislead the public by their silence about the difference.
Typical.
“By the way, were the magnetic field of the Earth to significantly decrease prior to or in concert with a “polarity swap”, the consequences for humanity would be significantly more severe than most of the “global warming” scenarios”.
OH DO TELL. What new thing should worry us?
M.A.Vukcevic says:
September 30, 2011 at 11:06 am
If you are looking for the true magnetic pole in the Northern Hemisphere (it is surprisingly the South magnetic pole), go East young man, your destination is Central Siberia.
No, this is totally wrong. The magnetic poles are just north of Canada and south of Australia. The Earth’s main magnetic field is generated deep in the outer fluid core. What we observe on the ground is the effect of that distant field.
The real culprits were the Press Association and the rowers themselves (for not admitting they had not reached the geographic NP), not any of the very many papers that take the PA feed. The Telegraph printed the PA Media Release in good faith, as the PA is generally reliable, and Telegraph is as should be known by now far from being a true believer in so-called AGW.
M.A.Vukcevic says:
September 30, 2011 at 11:06 am
If you are looking for the true magnetic pole in the Northern Hemisphere (it is surprisingly the South magnetic pole), go East young man, your destination is Central Siberia.
The particles creating the aurorae know where the magnetic pole is:
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/gif/pmapN.gif
and now you know too.
Remember how quickly Sony ditched 10:10 ?
Indeed you can contact Old Pulteney and send them a message via their website to let them know of your views on this charade and why it’s important … and how you will not be purchasing their product any more.
http://www.oldpulteney.com/
See below my letter to Old Pulteney..
Dear Sir
I am writing to let you know of my disgust at your sponsorship of the Role to the Pole charade. Climate change is an extremely serious issue, not because we face any catastrophic warming, but because the absurd policies which are being put in place will cause immense economic pain to many. Fuel poverty is already on the increase due to rising energy prices partly due to the cost of funding pointless green energy initiatives.
You have sponsored a sham making it look as though a group could actually row to the pole when they could do nothing of the sort. Not only was the coverage manifestly fraudulent, but this kind of irresponsible behaviour only embeds further the destructive government policies we have been lumbered with.
I will no longer purchase your product.
Regards
Leif Svalgaard says:
September 30, 2011 at 8:06 pm
The particles creating the aurorae know where the magnetic pole is and now you know too.
Hi dr. S.
At high altitudes, there is even less distinct magnetic pole, just the distorted doughnut shaped Earth’s magnetosphere which forms shape of the aurorae (s), and that is known even better.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/images/content/141184main_109401main_radbelt_lgweb.jpg
The subject is magnetic pole down here on the Terra firma.
There is no currently major drift of poles in the Arctic , just change in intensity between the Hudson Bay and Siberia (both centres are outside the Arctic circle); that is not to say that they were there in the distant past or will be in the future, but currently (for at least a century) that is the case.
You cannot hope
To bribe or twist,
Thank God! The
British journalist.
But, seeing what
The man will do
Unbribed, there’s
No occasion to.
Humbert Wolfe: “Over the Fire”, from The Uncelestial City
Tim Curtin @ur momisugly 7.58 pm:
In that case, the Telegraph should have published a much more obvious correction. Don’t forget that the Telegraph (DT) harbours both Geoffrey Lean and Louise Gray.
Allan M @ur momisugly 12.50 am:
LOL. I’ve been meaning to look up Humbert Wolfe and you have given me added impetus!
I hope every single one of them got a lifetime supply of Old Pulteney’s. Cause otherwise this thing wasn’t really worth it.
Leif Svalgaard says:
September 30, 2011 at 8:06 pm
The particles creating the aurorae know where the magnetic pole is:
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/gif/pmapN.gif
Leif,
This is wrong, and possibly cherry picking. The center of the aurorae orbits a northerly point once a day. At the animation page, http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/AnimateN.html, compare 2011-09-30 2134UT with 0914. I believe the point it orbit is Vukcevics summed north pole.
Patrick.
Does it matter the single magnetic pole, the Hudson Bay or Siberia?
It does!
Not for navigation, there is GPS.
But it matters for understanding of the stratospheric vortex, take a careful look at the splitting of ionising particles in the stratospheric vortex, guided by magnetic polarity:
http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/36000/36972/npole_gmao_200901-02.mov
So what ?
Stratospheric vortex has strong effect on the winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere.
Winter turned fierce in the opening weeks of 2009. A bitter cold snap set in over much of the United States, and temperatures plummeted beyond -30 degrees Celsius (-22 F) in parts of the Upper Midwest. On February 2, portions of Western Europe were doused with heavy snow. England received the brunt of the storm with up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) of snow falling in London. the rest is here:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=36972
Is this something new?
Not as far as I understand it:
http://www.vukcevic.talktalk.net/NFC.htm
ROTFLMAO! Thanks SSam. My monitor was due for a cleaning anyway.
@ur momisugly “Rational Debate” The plane looks like one of Ken Borek’s “Twotters” (the de Havilland DHC 6 Twin Otter);
http://www.borekair.com/index.php/our-fleet/twin-otter
Try getting a retraction of this one
http://www.independent.co.uk/i/editor/letter-from-the-i-editor-lose-for-characterbuilding-2363880.html
Front page of the Independents “I” paper today.
http://www.independent.co.uk/i/editor/letter-from-the-i-editor-lose-for-characterbuilding-2363880.html?action=Popup
Let’s not hyperventilate about a successful advertising promotion.
Can we say and spell “Brand Recognition”?
Anyone interested in the event would have found sufficient information of where they were rowing and the location of the old and new geographic and magnetic poles
They rowed Old Pulteney to increased sales.
I’ll drink to that.
And I did with my first bottle of Old Pulteney. Pretty damned good whiskey.
And their effort did not require any government or bureaucratic to issue new rules and regulations.
Yet.
We know that when the magnetic poles flip it will be life threatening to many migrating species.
Hmmm, perhaps we SHOULD develop a Bureau of Pole Position, BPP, to officially regulate the wandering poles and set acceptable limits on their movements?
M.A.Vukcevic says:
October 1, 2011 at 12:49 am
The subject is magnetic pole down here on the Terra firma.
Which is where the horizontal force vanishes just north of Canada.