A doubly whammy this week as Gaia author Lovelock rails against windfarms and environmentalists, and climate sensitivity has been scaled back. From Dr. Benny Peiser at The GWPF:
Global warming is likely to be less extreme than claimed, researchers said yesterday. The most likely temperature rise will be 1.9C (3.4F) compared with the 3.5C predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Norwegian study says earlier predictions were based on rapid warming in the Nineties. But Oslo University’s department of geosciences included data since 2000 when temperature rises “levelled off nearly completely”. –John Ingham, Daily Express, 26 January 2013
The Earth’s mean temperature rose sharply during the Nineties. This may have caused us to overestimate climate sensitivity. We are most likely witnessing natural fluctuations in the climate system – changes that can occur over several decades – and which are coming on top of a long-term warming. —-Professor Terje Berntsen, University of Oslo, 24 January 2013
These results are truly sensational. If confirmed by other studies, this could have far-reaching impacts on efforts to achieve the political targets for climate. –Caroline Leck, Stockholm University, 25 January 2013
This research confirms what we have been saying all along. The global warming standstill of the last 16 years is having a dramatic effect on climate models and predictions. The Met Office should now reassess its own, flawed computer models and tone down the alarmist pronouncements which are no longer trustworthy. –The Global Warming Policy Foundation, Daily Express, 26 January 2013
Even the previous IPCC imminent doom scenario completely failed to produce any serious action. With the recent gradual scientific acceptance – even among scientists who have spent their whole lives studying the subject – that global warming is simply much less significant than had been thought, the chance of anyone caring enough to take action is now even lower. — Lewis Page, The Register, 25 January 2013
I am James Lovelock, scientist and author, known as the originator of Gaia theory, a view of the Earth that sees it as a self-regulating entity that keeps the surface environment always fit for life… I am an environmentalist and founder member of the Greens but I bow my head in shame at the thought that our original good intentions should have been so misunderstood and misapplied. We never intended a fundamentalist Green movement that rejected all energy sources other than renewable, nor did we expect the Greens to cast aside our priceless ecological heritage because of their failure to understand that the needs of the Earth are not separable from human needs. We need take care that the spinning windmills do not become like the statues on Easter Island, monuments of a failed civilisation. – Bishop Hill, James Lovelock, 12 December 2012 (in a letter noted by Phillip Bratby)
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Related articles
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- Yet another study shows lower climate sensitivity (wattsupwiththat.com)
- Environmental backpedalling picks up pace (dailymaverick.co.za)
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Lovelock still wants to have his eco-cake and eat it.
No, like countless toppled statues of Lenin and Marx, they will be monuments to a failed ideology.
And that ain’t gonna happen because people look at the example set by people like Al Gore and see the hypocrisy.
Good for them.
So why didn’t you use your authority and speak out forcefully against the decades long campaign of misinformation and hysteria against nuclear power by the Greens before now?
Just another NIMBY.
Tim Walker says: January 26, 2013 at 8:06 am
” Latitude says: January 26, 2013 at 7:18 am
“We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms.”
– Barack Obama
It was Rahm Emanuel, former Chief-of-Staff for Obama’s first administration that said, You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. For Obama AGW is just a lever to create bigger government.”
Hmmmm, I think Obama just sees an opportunity to raise taxes, nothing more, nothing less. You then will find out how life in the EUSSR is, because anytime soon you might be living in de USSA.
” Jimbo says:
January 26, 2013 at 7:56 am
I am so proud of the sceptical bloggers, scientists, politicians etc. who have stood up against the well funded Great Global Warming Scam. When this fraud ends, let’s hope it serves as a lesson to scientists and the public about the meaninglessness of consensus. The only thing that matters is being right.”
It won’t end. Science has now become the favorite tool of the political elite. Just as the church once swayed enormous power over Europe (in cahoots with Kings and the Gentry).
Like religion, the high priests of science can speak categorically and with unquestioned authority.
If the political elite don’t like what the latest science priests are saying then they will dump them and find another fool. Peter Gleicks, James Hansens and Michael Manns abound and these new high priests are ready to tell the public “in the name and authority of science” whatever the elite want to hear in exchange for a few scraps of kudos, power and wealth.
I am sorry my friend but these are the beginnings of very dark ages.
When I read the “Climategate” e-mails I didn`t think there was an honest scientist among them. They came across as little more than a group of manipulators, conspitrators and yes even thugs. Maybe I was wrong as now it seems a few has seen the evil in their plot. Although it was done as satire who can ever forget George Carlin`s warning who these people were in his “Saving the Planet” piece.
Excuse my spelling it should be conspirators.
Jimbo says:
January 26, 2013 at 7:56 am
“…. When this fraud ends, let’s hope it serves as a lesson to scientists and the public about the meaninglessness of consensus. ”
Jimbo, I was thinking of “The scarlet Letter”, but the “A” stands for “alarmist”.
These ashamed individuals should be made to wear it everywhere, everyday.
Jeremy says: @ur momisugly January 26, 2013 at 9:12 am
…..I am sorry my friend but these are the beginnings of very dark ages.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Unfortunately you are correct.
Science was the daughter of the Age of Enlightenment and so was the US Constitution and the golden age of the USA. Now we are dealing with the Age of “Counter-Enlightenment” or “ANTI-Enlightenment” One branch of the “ANTI-Enlightenment” is Secular Humanism. Who were some well known Secular Humanists?
From E.M. Smith: http://chiefio.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/isms-ocracies-and-ologie/
Long but well worth the read.
Ric Werme says:
January 26, 2013 at 8:41 am
That’s consistent with the first wind farm in the US–located in Hawaii. I understand there’s a big legal battle over ownership: Not about who gets the procedes from the electricity, but who’s responsible for the multi-million dollar price tag to clean up the “boneyard” it has become.
If it were mere totem poles, the locals could turn this defunct wind farm into a tourist trap and at least delay the horrendously expensive reclamation, but that’s not going to happen. Welcome to wind turbine boneyard USA!
You would think that the alarmists would be rejoicing in the streets at the realization that heat doom is not upon us, but they cling to their panic and fear-mongery like limpets to a rock.
“If confirmed by other studies, this could have far-reaching impacts on efforts to achieve the political targets for climate. –Caroline Leck”
Oh my goodness, she is naive!
She really thinks the Warmistas care about facts!
Lovelock:
” I am an environmentalist and founder member of the Greens but I bow my head in shame at the thought that our original good intentions should have been so misunderstood and misapplied. We never intended a fundamentalist Green movement that rejected all energy sources other than renewable,”
Reminds me of the apology of Phil Collins:
“I’m sorry that it was all so successful. I honestly didn’t mean it to happen like that. It’s hardly surprising that people grew to hate me.”
Thanks a lot, Phil, thanks a lot, James.
Gunga Din says:
January 26, 2013 at 7:35 am
“I’m reminded of Monckton’s Christmas post. When “a rat” has abondoned ship because they’ve opened their eyes, let them in in lifeboat.”
Lovelock surely has sold so many alarmist books he can buy himself a cruiser. He’s a lifelong alarmist and rent seeker.
liz671 says:
January 26, 2013 at 7:19 am
Stonyground says:
Is climate change alarmism slowly coming unravelled at last? I always thought that it would in the end, but I was having doubts about whether I would live long enough to see it.
The windmills around our way spend an awful lot of their time not spinning.
Well they could use them as fans on still hot days, and in reverse to reduce a gale force winds!
Would anyone care to place a small bet on whether or not a specific wind turbine (excepting of course turbines which are maintained for personal ego or public relation purposes) will continue spinning for even a year after it no longer gets any preferential economic treatment?
After it stops spinning, how long will it take for the materials to be recycled? Of course it may only be by the urban recyclers that helpfully remove copper pipes and wiring from homes under construction, but I doubt that they will continue to stand for very long unless local authorities take special effort, such as tax preferences, to protect them.
It may not be cost effective to recycle the massive foundations, but they would probably make a wonderful foundation for a cottage with a scenic view.
I simply cannot imagine that they would survive for even a few decades – much less the length of the Easter Island statues.
While they do stand, I would hope that they will be a vivid reminder to investors that business decisions should be based on economic reasons rather than the whim of ignorant or pandering politicians.
I think we should welcome James Lovelock’s recantation. “There’s more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance”, or something.
I’m quite in favour of the environment myself and I’m sure that we should minimise pollution and wastage of resources. The shame is, many “Greens” who share that opinion assume that they also have to buy into the whole Orthodoxy including cAGW, otherwise they won’t be accepted as True Believers.
I love the Easter Island comparison, but unfortunately wind turdbines need a lot of maintenance and will only last a small fraction of the 700 years the moai statues have stood.
beesaman says:
No wonder Gore is preparing his financial life boat. SS CAGW the ship he is captain of has hit the iceberg of reality. While Mann and Hansen are still in the engine room stoking the boilers.
Best place for them. At least that way they’ll go down with the ship. And good riddance. A rightful end after all the bilge they’ve been coming out with for the last 20 years.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/01/25/national/abe-looking-to-renege-on-emissions-pledge/#.UQQo3L-9Kc3
Japan will drop its pledge to the global community to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 because of the country’s reduced future reliance on nuclear power, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a government panel Friday.
James Lovelock wote:
We need take care that the spinning windmills do not become like the statues on Easter Island, monuments of a failed civilisation.
Not just Easter Island:
The High Priests of ancient Egypt told the people when to plant the crops, just before the Nile flooded. They were deemed all wise because they were usually right,, they observed that when Sirius was first visible the floods followed. They built the pyramids to worship Sirius who “caused” the floods.
The ancient Chinese used to bang gongs during a solar eclipse, because they thought that the Sun was being eaten by a dragon, of course the dragon was frightened and stopped eating the Sun!
I think that these are strong analoies with CO2 causing climate change!
Cause and Effect!
This could be Obamas next AGW/CC speech!
”We shall tax carbon to the end. We shall tax it everywhere, we shall tax it on the seas and oceans, we shall tax it with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall reduce our debt and our emissions, whatever the cost may be. We shall tax those on the beaches, we shall tax the aircraft landing grounds, we shall tax the crops in the fields and in folks in the streets, we shall tax them in the hills; we shall never stop taxing”
with apologies to Winston S Churchill!
Jack Mclaughlin says “… now it seems a few [climate scientists have] seen the evil in their plot. “.
‘Fraid not. Nothing has changed jn climate “science”. They are still attributing all temperature change to CO2. The only thing that has changed is that the last decade’s temperatures have forced some of them to lower the value that they can claim for climate sensitivity. It’s still as high as they can make it, and they still refuse to do any real science.
We have a long way to go.
Lovelock I thought was once a very respected scientist, especially his role in developing extremely sensitive scientific equipment. I recall reading his Gaia hypothesis not long after he published it. It seemed to me an extremely useful simile (not hypothesis) and pointed to many other avenues of scientific discourse worth pursuing.
Lovelock now? Having read the above, Lance Armstrong is the simile that comes to mind. Why I do I feel the need to wash my hands and breath with my teeth closed?
Eyal Porat says:
January 26, 2013 at 7:31 am
What can one say?
In Hebrew there is a saying: Where repenters stand, even the righteous will not.
###
That is an awesome saying. I could have used it to great effect in a discussion I had at dinner last night, if I had only known it.
It might come as a surprise to those readers of this BLOG who are used to seeing my rants against Marxism, but I really am an environmentalist. In fact it is because of this that I hate Marxist thought so much.
Anyway, from my perspective, Lovelock’s Gaia theory is completely antithetical to the doom prophesied by the high priests of ecological catastrophe.
Kev-in-Uk says:
January 26, 2013 at 11:34 am
Kev-in-Uk: Your mention of Obama and Churchill in the same breath makes me want to retch. You have captured Obama’s goals admirably, but even were he to state them honestly, neither Obama nor his legion of spin-masters could ever approach the quality of Churchill’s prose.
Vice President Biden, on the other hand, is a prime candidate to re-cast Sir Winston’s speech and make it his own. He has a history of “borrowing” from others. See here .