Discussion thread for IPCC live press conference webcast

Webcast of IPCC press conference

STOCKHOLM, 24 September – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is holding a press conference at 10.00 a.m. Stockholm time (4AM EDT, 1AM PDT) on Friday 27 September 2013 to present the Summary for Policymakers of the Working Group I contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report(AR5).

This press conference will be webcast in English and Chinese and can be followed live.

This link will be live around that time:

http://www.ipcc.ch/webcast

=============================================================

Depending on the timing of the release of the SPM in the webcast, I may or may not be awake to watch it, so, I’m relying on readers to post links tot he SPM and to dissect what was announced.

In the discussion thread, feel free to point out issues in the SPM and changes from the draft SPM here: Access: The “leaked” IPCC AR5 draft Summary for Policymakers

Look to see what they’ve done about pinning down a best guess for climate sensitivity. – Anthony

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Kurt in Switzerland
September 27, 2013 3:14 am

Orwell somersaults in his grave.
David Rose of the Mail asked how much longer the warming hiatus would have to continue before the IPCC would consider that models might need second-guessing. Then he mentioned the 2007 report’s statement of a best estimate of 3.0ºC for Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity, asking if AR5 would present a revised figure.
In response, Stocker and his co-panelist (Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of the WMO) claimed the models showed “remarkable” agreement with actual climate trends! They apparently are not able to give a new best estimate for CS. Jarraud even found the question itself an affront, labeling it scientifically unintelligent. Stocker contracted himself IMHO, as he simultaneously referred to a broader possible range of CS, while expressing more confidence than ever of the human contribution to warming, even as models diverge further from reality. Kudos to the Economist for following up!
Prior to their short naps between negotiations, the panelists must be praying for some much-needed warming. The figure of 30 y was repeated as the basis for climate trends, since Jarraud thinks that asking questions based on shorter timescales is akin to asking him to predict the motion of Brownian particles. LOL! He probably needs a good rest. Guess we’ll revisit this in 2020. May Stocker and Jarraud be held to their statements!
This is dogma, not science: “Human CO2 causes long-term warming” is the required conclusion. Data which supports this is heralded as proof, whereas data which refutes this is either buried or relativized. Consensus rules, damn the scientific method.
A reporter from Germany asked the loaded question of what Germany’s rush to renewables and away from nuclear power would mean for the climate. The panel reported that it wasn’t tasked to answer this question (luckily, as they know the answer is negligible / undetectable).
The reporters from the Telegraph, FT and the Economist also asked critical questions (and the panelists weaseled and squirmed out of any direct responses). Fiona Harvey of the Guardian asked a loaded question on why we must leave our hydrocarbon resources in the ground, quoting an apparent IPCC reference to a calculated maximum we humans can burn in support. How such a figure squares with the insufficient data, insufficient studies on oceanic heat-uptake, broader range of CS, etc., is beyond me.
This panel should be summarily panned in the print media. (OK, I’m not expecting anything other than “Doom and destruction ahead, we must come to agreement now!” from the Guardian).
Kurt in Switzerland

bit chilly
September 27, 2013 3:15 am

just sent this to the department of energy and climate change.ed davey is obviously stupid and has never bothered to actually attempt to gather any alternative opinion on the subject.
if any of it is wrong it is a genuine mistake and i will correct,unlike the b/s from the IPCC that is rarely if ever corrected.flat earthers indeed,i think mr davey may find himself referred to as the same within a few years.
dear sirs,
i am writing to convey my deep disappointment that a government minister would direct a phrase such as “flat earthers” toward a large proportion of the scientific community and the general populace that do not agree with his position on climate change.
mr davey urges people to look at the facts.
i will list some facts for mr daveys perusal,he may well then have to decide who is really a member of the flat earth society.
1.no statistically significant warming in 17 years despite large rises (8%) in co2 emissions.
2.contrary to the IPCC statement of decreased snow and ice,global levels of snow and ice show a slight recent increase,and overall trends are well within standard deviation.
3.again contrary to the IPCC statement that extreme weather events have increased,in some cases they are at their lowest in modern day records,and others are maintaining the same position they have for decades.
4.there is still no evidence of a tropospheric hotspot and increase in atmospheric water vapour which is central to the hypothesis of anthropogenic global warming,as co2 alone is unable to create measurable warming, water vapour is needed as an amplification to the effect of co2.
5. the IPCC state that the heat that cannot be found in the last 17 years has gone into the deep oceans,this is not suppoted by any observational fact as the temperature of the deep oceans is not monitored.
the argo bouys measuring 0 to 2000m depths in a very small area of the worlds oceans have detected no measurable increase in temperature.
i look forward to mr daveys response to the discrepancy between what he states and observational data.

September 27, 2013 3:20 am

Apart from the usual climate-fixated organs of the MSM, it’s being barely reported. Looks like a dead cat bounce to me …
http://thepointman.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/armageddon-report-no-5/
Pointman

September 27, 2013 3:22 am

Here’s the reason for the warming ‘pause’ of the last 16 years. There is no mystery here:
http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Keyell/GlvsNINO34_zps1f58a32b.png
Weekly NINO3.4 (red) vs. global SSTa (blue) (OI.v2) from Jan 1997 to last week (mid Sep 2013); former lagged 4 weeks and scaled 1/8.
From 1999 there simply is no gradually increasing divergence to be observed between the two curves pointing to a ‘background global warming influence’ on top of the tight relationship between what’s going on in the tropical East Pacific and the globe at large. Until the spike of the last two months. Which now seems to be waning. And which has its singular source in the extratropics of the North Pacific basin.
The tropical East Pacific has neither ‘held back’ the warming, nor given it a boost over the last decade and a half. Global temperatures have simply tagged along with it rather slavishly. They seem to be held firmly within its grip. No multiyear divergence allowed. As seems to be their habit across decadal periods of time. Like they did between for instance 1964 and 1978, between 1979 and 1987/88 and between 1989 and 1997/98 … and now between 1999 and today. The only times we ever saw a permanent separation between the NINO3.4 and the global temperature anomaly curves during the last 50 years, were the abrupt shifts up by the latter relative to the former occurring specifically in 1978/79, 1988 and 1998. Three instances only. And at no other times:
http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Keyell/GWexplained_zps566ab681.png
The three shifts are all directly tied to documented major climate regime shifts in the Pacific basin, starting with the extraordinary drop in the SOI in 1976/77 flattening the thermocline from east to west in the tropical Pacific and lowering the mean level of wind stress across the basin, weakening the efficiency of energy loss through evaporation from the ocean, thus establishing what has been called the ‘Great Pacific Climate Shift’:
http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/r565/Keyell/SOIvslatentampwind_zps8dcdab36.png

Amos McLean
September 27, 2013 3:39 am

The BBC are REALLY, REALLY laying it on thick with the IPCC report – it’s still the top story on all their news channels.
“It’s all our fault and temperatures could rise by 4.8 degrees C this Century” . . . They are dragging a wide range of “experts” out, all claiming they have “strong evidence” (in the peerviewed literature) of rising sea, disappearing ice and the “human finger print” in the disaster is evident. The pause in temperature rise was predicted as they have new evidence that the oceans are helping out . . . something must be done!
Expect even more demands for ‘Green’ funding, taxes, lucrative tarifs . . . gravy anyone?

Jimbo
September 27, 2013 3:42 am

It is virtually certain that there will be more frequent hot and fewer cold temperature extremes over most land areas on daily and seasonal timescales as global mean temperatures increase. It is very likely that heat waves will occur with a higher frequency and duration. Occasional cold winter extremes will continue to occur (see Table SPM.1).
http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/uploads/WGIAR5-SPM_Approved27Sep2013.pdf

What exactly does occasional mean?

Meteorologists Point To Signs Of Another Upcoming “Nasty Winter For Europe” – Would Be Spectacular Sixth In A Row!
………………
The charts point to another “brutal winter for Europe“. The forecast sees blocking and a negative NAO. Joe also tweeted that “SST analog package combined with low solar, and climate cycle (similar to early 50s) argue for nasty Euro Winter“…………..
http://notrickszone.com/2013/09/09/meteorologists-point-to-signs-of-another-upcoming-nasty-winter-for-europe-would-be-spectacular-sixth-in-a-row/

phlogiston
September 27, 2013 3:53 am

This is tragi-comic herd behaviour and group-think. All these UN and government officials and especially the CACA-gravytrain scientists have far too much invested in CACA to be able to back out now. They are in their white wedding gowns and at the alter rail for this nightmarish wedding of deceit and conspiracy. The divorce which will eventually come will be ugly and protracted.

September 27, 2013 3:56 am

This must be where all the real scientists hang out.

DDP
September 27, 2013 4:04 am

I think it’s quite telling that this monumental document of oh so credible ‘scientific evidence’ is being released on a Friday. Friday, the last day of the working week when governments and political organisations bury bad news so the media can’t ask awkward questions and the electorate will never know how inept they are and how much they are going have to pay for said ineptitude.

Brian H
September 27, 2013 4:21 am

StephenP says:
September 27, 2013 at 12:34 am
If anyone gets time to see Professor Brian Cox’s latest programme ‘Science Britannica’ on BBC iPlayer, Episode 2, do so.

how the peer review process ensures that any article published is settled science because it has been through a ‘rigorous’ peer review process. As a result we should believe everything published therein. Especially as regards global warming.

Sounds like an expert whose ignorance I am quite prepared to believe in.
Peer review, as he touts it, it shaping up to be one of the most damaging influences on the project of Knowledge Acquisition ever developed. Gatekeeping and False Authority have been super-charged by it, or reliance on it.

Jimbo
September 27, 2013 4:31 am

We can’t explain the increase in Antarctic sea ice extent. We have improved models that predict a decrease in extent. We don’t really know why but we will simulate it and create a scary scenario anyway.

D.1 Evaluation of Climate Models
Climate models have improved since the AR4…………..
Most models simulate a small downward trend in Antarctic sea ice extent, albeit with large inter-model spread, in contrast to the small upward trend in observations……

—–

There is low confidence in the scientific understanding of the small observed increase in Antarctic sea ice extent due to the incomplete and competing scientific explanations for the causes of change and low confidence in estimates of internal variability in that region
http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/uploads/WGIAR5-SPM_Approved27Sep2013.pdf

Let’s all hope this is the last IPCC report. There is nothing useful here.

richardscourtney
September 27, 2013 4:42 am

Jimbo:
You conclude your post at September 27, 2013 at 4:31 am by saying

Let’s all hope this is the last IPCC report. There is nothing useful here.

I share your hope but disagree that there is “nothing useful” in the AR5 Report.
The Report is very useful for the politicians wanting the AGW-scare as an excuse for policies they are applying.
And that political usefulness is the stated Role of the IPCC. I have repeatedly explained this on WUWT most recently at
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/09/27/sorry-ipcc-how-you-portrayed-the-global-temperature-plateau-is-comical-at-best/#comment-1428167
Richard

Robin Hewitt
September 27, 2013 4:44 am

BBC just did global warming on the Daily Politics, two for and two against. Matt Ridley looked like a real UK scientist and they did not try and squeeze him out of the conversation when he started doing science rather than consenses. Something is happening at the BBC and I think it is going to be Prof Cox who does it.

September 27, 2013 4:58 am

Laframboise – Thank you. I did not want to believe that to be the case, but from reading the material that is my impression as well.
We are now dealing with professional bookies, not scientists. But even that is wrong. At least bookies have some science behind their odds.

Editor
September 27, 2013 5:13 am

richardscourtney says:
September 27, 2013 at 2:38 am

Following the total failure of the AR4 prediction for the first two decades of this century, AR5 now says only 30 year periods should be considered.

So let’s stop the hand wringing over the warming between 1979 and 1998 and only look at 1969 – 1998 or 1979 – 2008.
Heh – that’s amusing, Wood for Trees gives almost the same slope for each!
http://www.woodfortrees.org/plot/hadcrut4gl/from:1969/to:1999/trend/plot/hadcrut4gl/from:1979/to:2009/trend/plot/hadcrut4gl/from:1979/to:1999/trend/plot/hadcrut4gl/from:1965/to:2014

richardscourtney
September 27, 2013 5:34 am

Ric Werme:
re your post at September 27, 2013 at 5:13 am.
Nice try but total failure.
The switch to a 30-year frame is a statement by the IPCC that IPCC understanding of climate as stated in its previous (i.e. AR4) Report is plain wrong. And unless the body of the AR5 explains the totality of that error, there is reason to accept that IPCC understanding of climate is still plain wrong.
I explain this matter on another thread in this comment
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/09/27/sorry-ipcc-how-you-portrayed-the-global-temperature-plateau-is-comical-at-best/#comment-1428268
Richard

Jimbo
September 27, 2013 6:04 am

Donna Laframboise says:
September 27, 2013 at 1:40 am
A lesson from criminal justice research: confidence levels are a poor indicator of accuracy http://tinyurl.com/kohyc86

It’s a good thing this chap wasn’t 95% certain. Nagging doubts exist for a good reason. Computer models V Sceptics? CAGW in a nutshell.

BBC – 26 September 2013
Stanislav Petrov: The man who may have saved the world
Thirty years ago, on 26 September 1983, the world was saved from potential nuclear disaster.
In the early hours of the morning, the Soviet Union’s early-warning systems detected an incoming missile strike from the United States. Computer readouts suggested several missiles had been launched. The protocol for the Soviet military would have been to retaliate with a nuclear attack of its own……….
His job was to register any missile strikes and to report them to the Soviet military and political leadership. In the political climate of 1983, a retaliatory strike would have been almost certain………….
The system was telling him that the level of reliability of that alert was “highest”. There could be no doubt. America had launched a missile.
“A minute later the siren went off again. The second missile was launched. Then the third, and the fourth, and the fifth. Computers changed their alerts from ‘launch’ to ‘missile strike’,” he says…..
Although the nature of the alert seemed to be abundantly clear, Mr Petrov had some doubts……..
…….But what made him suspicious was just how strong and clear that alert was…..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24280831

Alvin
September 27, 2013 6:21 am

I missed the live feed. Did the groundhog see his shadow?

Jimbo
September 27, 2013 6:53 am

I did a word count of certain words in the SPM. I shan’t be doing it for the full report. 🙂
Summary For Policymakers [PDF]
“low confidence” = 23 “uncertainties” = 11 “uncertainty” = 16 [=95% confidence]

Ian W
September 27, 2013 6:58 am

The Weather Channel online is totally convinced by the IPCC – its home page headline currently reads: IT’S ONLY GETTING WORSE and follow that with Landmark Climate Change Report: Warming ‘Extremely Likely’ Man-Made in the background an aerial view of a melting glacier http://s.imwx.com/dru/2013/07/10e0780e-38e6-4c27-9d09-f618da54b257_650x366.jpg
There is no doubt that this is a real propaganda push using “The Big Lie” technique.

Kurt in Switzerland
September 27, 2013 7:14 am

Alvin: the groundhog is so bloated from ingesting subsidies fed from above, it can not see beyond its navel (let alone shadow or not)! It can only proclaim warming ahead, as otherwise its food source would be cut off.
Kurt in Switzerland

Jimbo
September 27, 2013 7:24 am

Here is how they arrive at the 95%. It’s subjective guesswork really.

Scientists use a mixture of data and “expert judgment” to decide how likely it is that climate change is man-made and rule out other factors, such as changes in the sun’s output. The IPCC draft halves the likelihood that natural factors are to blame to 5 per cent from 10, the flip side of raising the probability that climate change is man-made to 95 per cent. “It’s based on a discussion among the authors…There must be multiple lines of evidence,” said Eystein Jansen, of the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research in Norway and one of the authors of the Stockholm draft.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/18/us-warming-idUSBRE98H0E620130918

Bob Koss
September 27, 2013 7:29 am

Whoever wrote this paragraph in the SPM I want some of what they were smoking.

It is likely that the ocean warmed between 700 and 2000 m from 1957 to 2009. Sufficient observations are available for the period 1992 to 2005 for a global assessment of temperature change below 2000 m. There were likely no significant observed temperature trends between 2000 and 3000 m for this period. It is likely that the ocean warmed from 3000 m to the bottom for this period, with the largest warming observed in the Southern Ocean. {3.2}

The XBT system started being used circa 1993 only goes down to about 800 m. The Argo system started circa 2002 goes to 2000 m and wasn’t even completed until 2007. Yet they say they have sufficient observations to make claims about temperatures below 2000-3000 m and even all the way to the ocean bottom.

Bob Koss
September 27, 2013 7:31 am

Bad blockquote. Last paragraph written by me.

Dave in Canmore
September 27, 2013 8:05 am

RE backtracking to longer trends to hide unexplained data:
Curiously, they seem quite comfortable looking at trend changes in ice mass at the poles.
“The average rate of ice loss from the Greenland ice sheet has very likely substantially increased from 34 [–6 to 74] Gt yr–1 over the period 1992–2001 to 215 [157 to 274] Gt yr–1 over the period 2002–2011. {4.4}”
Forgetting the absurd GRACE measurements that inspire this statement, they demonstrate that if the last few years of anything help their case, it’s included. If the last few years of a metric contradict them, the data gets smoothed and smeared into the past.
Dishonest.
I’m pretty much fed up with paying for this foolish nonsense.

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