I had planned to write about this, and specifically that Joe Romm’s blog “Climate Progress” appears to have died a quiet death of assimilation by the borg greens, saying:
We are now merging with ThinkProgress Green, and that means we’ll be adding two new regular bloggers, Jessica Goad, manager of research and outreach for CAP’s Public Lands Project, and Rebecca Leber, a ThinkProgress blogger and research assistant. They join Stephen, me, and all the regular Climate Progress contributors from the CAP energy team and blogging news room.
But Tom Fuller beat me to it in a guest post over at Jeff Condon’s place called Bookends and Separations. The assimilation of Climate Progress (which once had its own domain name) is just a symptom of a larger trend, and such assimilation must be a bitter pill for “Hero of the Environment″ Romm to swallow, as Fuller writes:
But people have pretty much stopped listening. They’ve even stopped writing. Joe Romm has folded his Climate Progress blog into the rubric of Think Progress’ larger efforts and now interns do much of his writing for him. Deltoid is down to one post a month, and it’s an open thread. Michael Tobis has fled Only In It For The Gold and is now writing at Planet 3–and complaining about a lack of traffic.
In a Republican primary with nine initial contestants, the amount of conversation about climate change was effectively zero. Over on the other side of the aisle, President Obama has almost abandoned the issue. The IPCC’s upcoming AR5 is, by all appearances, going to be much more subdued in its claims and much more reasonable as a result.
…
And this is the way it should be.
It’s the way it should be because climate change will return as an issue. Especially in America, where we love a second act to every story, anthropogenic climate change will return. Temperatures have plateaued at a high level and may even dip during this decade due to the muting effect of several natural cycles. But those cycles will end. And a new generation of scientists is readying itself to take up the argument again, untainted by the past disasters and mistakes of those currently sagging against the ropes.
The next generation of discussion may be calmer and more grounded in facts–looking at all the things humans do to influence climate and not just the CO2 we emit. It may not.
Read the whole post: Bookends and Separations.
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Meanwhile, WUWT traffic remains strong:
A lower number is better, for example Google is #1. Note the traffic blip on Feb 14th of Peter Gleick’s “Fakegate” didn’t last for DeSmog blog, as I’ve previously reported. My competition can’t seem to get out of the >100,000 “we don’t bother to track them” zone. You can run your own comparisons here.
I can’t compare Climate Progress or Deltoid, since they are subdomains of larger blogging aggregators, but before CP lost its domain name we were beating the pants off it traffic rank wise. With one post a month, Deltoid can’t have much in the way of traffic.
UPDATE: in related news, the Orange County Register seems to agree (h/t to Climate Depot)
Global warming alarmism becoming much less alarming: ‘Maybe it’s the Cry Wolf syndrome. Maybe it’s just taking notice of reality. Maybe it’s only a fad that’s run its course’
On a related note.
Many of you have written to me expressing concern for Steve McIntyre because he hasn’t posted anything since March 20th. I called him Friday and spoke with his wife. He’s fine, but engaged in a work project outside of blogging and is focusing on it. I can’t say that I blame him. Blogging, especially climate blogging with so many technical details, is a huge time sink. My own business has suffered due to WUWT and I know Steve’s has. Where’s those big oil checks when we need it most?
…a cosy pack of fools. As if gravity was by consensus… LOL
polistra says:
“…Incidentally, cycles don’t end. That’s why they’re called cycles…”
Oh I don’t know about that. As a firefighter I saw plenty of cycles that aren’t going to be going anywhere after the accident.
[ 8<) Robt]
polistra says:
April 14, 2012 at 5:51 pm
Rather sad, but it’s a highly enjoyable sadness.
Incidentally, cycles don’t end. That’s why they’re called cycles.
Not to be pedantic, but I’m sure the implication was meant to be “the downward trends of those cycles will end” rather than simply declaring that the cycles themselves will end.
And the thing is, he’s probably right. In another 30-ish years, we could be looking once again at rising temps, and then all the wailing and bed-wetting from the alarmists will seriously amplify, and be bolstered by yet more draconian government taxes and regulations. A less likely outcome is that we go into another mini-ice age. The result of that would be more wailing and bed-wetting from the alarmists bolstered by yet more draconian government taxes and regulations, together with mass famine.
The important thing is we can’t just let this pass without undoing the fiscal damage that has been done. If this turns out to have been a load of hooey, we need to eliminate the subsidies, these “carbon footprint” regulations, and other fiscal penalties we have imposed on our economy. Reams of regulations will need to be rolled back.
Glad to hear that Steve McIntyre is OK. I know that blogging costs a lot of time and may go at the cost of family and bussiness. So, both to Steve and Anthony (and moderators), thanks for your time and please take some time for yourself and your bussiness, we still need you in good (including financial) health when necessary…
I agree the time is absolutely right to challenge the science journals that have degenerated into political advocates. However, I think it needs some serious thought about how to filter and distill contributions to make its jewels accessible to a wider audience than those with the time and interest to read everything submitted.
One possibility is to have two levels, which would mirror what is done in the traditional journal system. The immediate level contains everything. But then there is a separate “Review” series which periodically distills and summarises the progress in the field referencing the important contributions that have been made.
“scientific consensus!”. I had to turn off the radio, such was my disgust at having voted for the maroon in 2008
Black, coloured or moron ? Maroon that’s a horrible colour especially on a car. Difficult to polish. 🙂
Adam says:
Anthony,
I’ve asked before but I’ll ask again: I would love if you could post any tips you have learned about how to write a successful blog. Clearly you know how, and clearly the greens need the lesson.
===========================================================================
Here, I’ll get you started Anthony:
Some of it must be “getting it right.” Joe Romm doesn’t and his blog has folded. Anthony seems to take a lot of care here.
Some of it must be maintaining good manners—Anthony has probably been tempted many times but he’s kept his composure remarkably well and treats people, gently, as people first, last and always. That said, he’s not afraid to stamp on deserving toes when it’s needed.
Some of it must be maintaining his sense of humour and not keeping it on a chain — see his “Anthony the Terrorist” articles for amusing and humorous story telling.
Some of it is a wide spread of interests—all of which he keeps himself well informed on and up to date—to feature in the blog.
Some of it is courage:
– he found temperature recording sites which were below par and set about researching the rest, recording his findings and writing a paper about them, which was duly published. That takes determination and courage.
– he started the blog (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong here…) to help the climate warming cause. He soon discovered the boon-doggle and learnt the truth. He wasn’t afraid to change his stance, and did so, which takes courage.
Some of it is honesty. (See courage). He plays straight ball all the way with his readers. They keep coming back.
Some of it is not becoming dogmatic. He presents the facts, allows/encourages/leads debate, but doesn’t push a dogmatic position. His position is obvious but then that’s where the facts point.
Some of it is cultivating and building a good group of contributors—and that doesn’t “just happen” because they have to “get it right” too.
Some of it is finding the sites which provide the background data for his interests….
… and some of it is the crew of volunteer moderators. (Take a bow folks.)
That’s a start. Let’s crowd source the rest. 🙂
A quick glance at many of the alarmist blogs shows that their traffic has indeed dried. Many fewer posts and way fewer comments. Even the reliably bonkers commentariat the The Guardian seem to have faded back into well-deserved obscurity.
So where do the True Believers go nowadays to get their dose of alarmism and peer-reinforcement? Have they truly just given up in the blogosphere? Or have they just found another breeding ground?
Any ideas?
L. Alder,
Maybe the number of “True Believers” is dwindling?
Great to hear that Steve is OK. I visit his site at least once a day and was getting worried that something was up.
Keep up the good work folks!
Thanks, Anthony, for the site, and all the dedication and hours and opportunity-dollars you have put into it.
>> David Ball says:
April 14, 2012 at 5:42 pm
The idea that the skeptics are a “well funded denier machine” is infuriating. So sick of reading warmists lies. <<
There have been many blogs, books and articles that have let sunlight in on the anaerobic CAGW processes. One I hope to see yet is an ironic retelling of the whole story.
Ironies abound. Who cannot smile at COP15 Copenhagen 2009 – when the conference to finally nail down global warming was met with freezing weather and snow; when every stretch limo in Europe had to be driven to Denmark to ensure the community of UNO delegates could achieve consensus on their dangerous anthropogenic emissions; and at the theater of Obama's delayed arrival, entirely in vain because the PRC sent a junior representative who organized a separate meeting for BRICS and other countries, which (by accounts) did not invite the POTUS to sit in on it when he dropped by?
I look forward to Rio+20 in the hope that it can fulfill my expectations for irony – they are quite high.
Latimer Alder says:
April 15, 2012 at 2:19 am
“So where do the True Believers go nowadays to get their dose of alarmism and peer-reinforcement? Have they truly just given up in the blogosphere? Or have they just found another breeding ground?”
OWS/”American Spring”/class warfare/DailyKos. CAGW was a tool for many to bring down Western capitalism; now it is acceptable to attack Western capitalism directly and the scapegoat CAGW is redundant.
The trouble is that the policies that came out of “global warming er climate change” is being stealthily instituted into the towns and cities of the USA via ICLEI. Yes, your town’s planning board probably already has UN Agenda 21’s ‘smart growth’ and ‘sustainability’ in it and we are losing our property rights and our freedoms because of it. Your local planning board is not listening to what we are saying on these websites and blogs, they already have the going green policies in place. Check it out, is your town or city a member of ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives)? Even if your town is not a dues paying member your ‘general plan’ probably has these policies in place. On of the things we have to do is kick ICLEI out of our towns and cities. Easier said than done as most citizens are not even aware of what has been happening.
Check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEHWsdimVO4 for a really entertaining and informative talk on the subject!!
Thanks for the update on Steve M. Vive le McIntyre! or something like that.
Friendly reminder, posted here due to some comments: A lot of people who visit Anthony’s blog (I’ve been a daily reader since 2007, iirc, I know I sent money to surfacestations when it was announced) aren’t from the US. When the comments (and sometimes the articles) delve into US specific politics you risk alienating a lot of people who otherwise hold the same views.
I’m Swedish. If you want my opinion on US politics you have two parties to the extreme right, with only minor differences to quibble about. We don’t see the same “conservatives against CAGW, liberals pro” as you do.
I’m an active Pirate Party member. A libertarian of the I-don’t-care-about-left-or-right-politics kind – see http://www.politicalcompass.org/analysis2 – and I support the Occupy Wall Street movement. I support Wikileaks, meritocracy and Openness as a general theme in all aspects of business (including how to do peer-reviewed research).
I realize this blog is hosted in the US by someone from the US, and that you’re currently (aren’t you always?) in some sort of election process. Just make sure the rhetoric helps instead of hurts, and that you at some point in the future manage to get away from your current two-party dictatorship: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dilemma
(Yes, I’m assuming I’m not the only non-US visitor included in those WUWT traffic numbers 😉
Just a click away on your blog link to Climate Progress and I find scant pretense to science, it’s politics all the way….lots of KoolAid, both shaken and stirred. It could be frightening to learn that pro-oil outside groups spent $16 million on energy attack ads since January if you were unaware of how miniscule that amount is …. drop in the bucket…. compared to the amount spent on the ginned up hype the Rommulans deal in. WUWT’s mention will have prompted a sizable increase in traffic and their formatting appears sexier than formerly….some professional tricksters added to the bench, likely, and, of course, they’ll be paid, unlike WUWT volunteers.
I guess Climate and Progress just don’t go together.
“…Round 2 of the Great Game will need to be more heavily grounded in specific areas than was Round 1…”
______________
Might start with a grounding in reality.
Whatever happened to Romm’s “Permanent Drought”?
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/romms-permanent-drought/
Troed Sångberg says:
April 15, 2012 at 4:49 am
“I’m Swedish. If you want my opinion on US politics you have two parties to the extreme right, with only minor differences to quibble about.”
Hi Swedish pirate. I’m German. You’re extremely uninformed about the US parties.
I don’t think your party is libertarian. The German pirate party has by now not been able to formulate ANY economic policy in their party program. I think your international movement will undergo party purges and come out on the left.
Troed Sångberg says:
April 15, 2012 at 4:49 am
“I’m Swedish. If you want my opinion on US politics you have two parties to the extreme right, with only minor differences to quibble about.”
Or maybe I misunderstood you – and you ARE informed about the american parties. In which case, you have just self-identified as an EXTREME leftist… so maybe the extreme left has now just annexed the term “libertarian”, just like lesser leftists in the US had annexed the term “liberal” for them… One of the German pirates who managed to get himself elected into the Berlin city parliament runs around in a Keffiye all day long… Maybe we can say goodbye to the term “libertarian” now.
@polistra: ” You can’t see the force, and you can’t measure its reluctance, but the Chosen Ones have Secret Knowledge.”
Well said! I wonder, by the way, if it is really Secret Knowledge they have, or rather Secret Belief.
@Latimer
They’re just regrouping for an all out assault leading up to Rio+20.
Regarding the AR5, most seem to be missing the real purpose of it. The AR5 is supposed to be better at predicting regional scale climate events. Almost 2 years ago I pointed out an organization called CLIVAR (http://www.clivar.org/) set up specifically for that purpose.
One can imagine the press releases then, if per chance the alarmists were able to “predict” a drought or flood somewhere.
This scam is not dead, it’s not even dying. This scam is run by the UN, they will pursue it for a couple of generations if necessary.
There is and never will be a shortage of politicians looking for new ways to tax us. There is and never will be a shortage of wannabe planet savers.
The UN has had no difficulty convincing national leaders of this scam (with the noted exception of Czech President Claus). The ONLY difficulty for the UN is in extracting the taxes out of national governments.
Re CA and Mcintyre: Me thinks interested in all things climate is waning pretty rapidly includes both warmists and skeptics because no one is interested any more in flat temperatures and no change scenarios, lies and fraud which are also gettting so obvious and repetitive (see real-science Goddards site). On another note Bishop Hill blog no longer requests emails addresses for posting. Has WUWT considered this in the light of Gleick like activities by big brother? After all you need to to is check the posting BEFORE and then dismiss or approve
[Reply: Anthony has taken the middle road between complete unaccountability, and registering in order to be able to comment. It’s his site, and he has made a reasonable decision. ~dbs, mod.]