Greg Laden Once Again Expresses Something Other Than Fact

In a recent visit to Steve Goddard’s blog, I came across the post Climate Scientists Always Trying To Rewrite Their Own History. It’s about a Tweet by Greg Laden, in which Laden states:

For those not familiar with Greg Laden, he is a well-known proponent of the hypothesis of human-induced global warming, who writes regularly at ScienceBlogs.

In reality, about Antarctic sea ice, it is Greg Laden who is wrong and confused. Antarctic sea ice has been increasing and climate models say is should be decreasing.

Greg Laden is of course contradicted by the outputs of the CMIP5-archived models. See the post here and the figure below.

And Greg Laden is contradicted by the 5th Assessment Report of the IPCC. See Chapter 9 here, page 6. They write:

Most models simulate a small decreasing trend in Antarctic sea-ice extent, albeit with large inter-model spread, in contrast to the small increasing trend in observations. [9.4.3, Figures 9.22, 9.24]

And on page 45 of Chapter 9, the IPCC writes:

Most CMIP5 models simulate a decrease in Antarctic sea ice extent over the past few decades compared to the small but significant increase observed.

Greg Laden appears to be expressing a belief, not knowledge, which is a common trait among global warming alarmists.

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nigelf
December 20, 2013 3:10 pm

Bob Tisdale, your last sentence sums up most most of the Climate Cabal ®.

NevenA
December 20, 2013 3:13 pm

increased Antarctic sea ice with increasing CO2 and warming was predicted over 20 years ago by Manabe et al 1991, http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/bibliography/related_files/sm9101.pdf, page 795.
Mechanism: an increased supply of fresh surface water from both land-bound ice melt and increased precipitation increases the halocline gradient, reducing upwelling of warmer bottom waters with the air-cooled surface (reducing the effective thermal mass exposed to the air), decreasing sea surface temperature, and thus leading to more sea ice.
It looks like winds could also play a role.

Taphonomic
December 20, 2013 3:44 pm

That twitter feed is interesting. Laden keeps getting clobbered with references refuting his statement and he hasn’t posted anything else.

Jimbo
December 20, 2013 3:58 pm

Remember this: many models and papers are used so they can CHERRY PICK whichever suits their arguments. Less snow? No problemo. More snow? No problemo. This is climate voodoo at its very best. It’s also a con job.

Unlike in the Arctic, a strong decline in sea ice extent has not been observed in the Antarctic during the period of satellite observations (Section 4.4.2.2). Fichefet et al. (2003) conducted a simulation of Antarctic ice thickness using observationally based atmospheric forcing covering the period 1958 to 1999. They note pronounced decadal variability, with area average ice thickness varying by ±0.1 m (compared to a mean thickness of roughly 0.9 m), but no long-term trend. However, Gregory et al. (2002b) find a decline in antarctic sea ice extent in their model, contrary to observations. They suggest that the lack of consistency between the observed and modelled changes in sea ice extent might reflect an unrealistic simulation of regional warming around Antarctica, rather than a deficiency in the ice model. Holland and Raphael (2006) examine sea ice variability in six MMD 20C3M simulations that include stratospheric ozone depletion. They conclude that the observed weak increase in antarctic sea ice extent is not inconsistent with simulated internal variability, with some simulations reproducing the observed trend over 1979 to 2000, although the models exhibit larger interannual variability in sea ice extent than satellite observations.
http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch9s9-5-5.html

What a load of horses manure (I wanted to say horseshit but I realised I might be snipped) 🙂
Read more on the horses’ poop below.
http://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2013/10/01/ipcc-on-antarctic-sea-ice/
http://www.thegwpf.org/antarctic-sea-ice-reaches-record-high-ipcc-models-predicted-the-opposite/

GeologyJim
December 20, 2013 4:02 pm

In the past, alarmists believed they could just “shout down” the opposition with the help of their buddies in the media, Fenton Communications, Organizing for America, Greenpeace, WWF, IPCC, etc., etc.
Now comes Ma Nature and her big discharge of cold Arctic air that refutes the weasels
Shrill is the sound of warmists in denial of facts-on-the-ground

Bloke down the pub
December 20, 2013 4:06 pm

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

December 20, 2013 4:12 pm

“Shrill is the sound of warmists in denial of facts-on-the-ground”
True, but facts don’t really mean all that much to the cAGW crowd. It is all well and good if facts happen to line up on their side, but myths, lies, and half-truths do just fine when a fact can not be found. This is a crowd that has not yet made a scientific prediction that came true. Not one. This is a crowd that said as CO2 rose then so would average temperature and yet that has not happened for over 17 years now. (and that with the data tampering that we all know about)
Hell’s bells. This is a crowd that claimed polar bears could not swim!
This is a political operation and truth matters little. (See Orwell for details)

December 20, 2013 4:31 pm

…climate models say is should be decreasing.

GeologyJim
December 20, 2013 4:35 pm

markstoval said –
You are spot-on.
The only rational response to the shrill alarmists is – LAUGHTER and RIDICULE.
I’d love to be at some Obama event to laugh out loud in his face at utterances of warmist alarm!

MAC
December 20, 2013 4:36 pm

An “expert” who spouts off an opinion as if it’s a fact? Good thing we have copies of the IPCC reports. Next, they’ll be claiming that it is not what the IPCC was saying. They’re good at moving their goal post. Problem is it’s quite apparent.

Alan Robertson
December 20, 2013 4:42 pm

Current total sea ice anomaly is positive 910,000 Km Sq, or just about the same actual area as the states of Washington, Oregon, California (the entire continental US West Coast) PLUS enough left over to cover New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island.

Bill Marsh
Editor
December 20, 2013 4:44 pm

NevenA says:
December 20, 2013 at 3:13 pm
increased Antarctic sea ice with increasing CO2 and warming was predicted over 20 years ago by Manabe et al 1991
—————
That’s great, but, do the models predict that as well?

Les Johnson
December 20, 2013 4:44 pm

Greg has resorted to decidely unscientific language. He is also showing himself incapable of admitting error, in spite of massive proof that his assertion is wrong.
https://twitter.com/gregladen/status/414088959871184896

Bill Marsh
Editor
December 20, 2013 4:45 pm

NevenA says:
December 20, 2013 at 3:13 pm
increased Antarctic sea ice with increasing CO2 and warming was predicted over 20 years ago by Manabe et al 1991
—————————-
You do realize that an increase in Antarctic Sea Ice (as well as a decrease in Arctic Sea Ice) was also predicted by Svensmark as a natural outgrowth of his theories as well?

Les Johnson
December 20, 2013 4:46 pm

Click the time and date to see the entire exchange. Or paste this in.
//twitter.com/gregladen/status/414088959871184896

LdB
December 20, 2013 4:46 pm

NevenA says:
December 20, 2013 at 3:13 pm
increased Antarctic sea ice with increasing CO2 and warming was predicted over 20 years ago by Manabe et al 1991, http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/bibliography/related_files/sm9101.pdf, page 795.

Your right it does predict that, so now why isn’t the Manabe model included as one of the current IPCC models? Perhaps go read the rest of the model and I will give you a hint Liu & Curry (2010) reached the same conclusion on the model …. Houston we have a problem.
Lets see if you can work out the problem NevenA 🙂

Bill Marsh
Editor
December 20, 2013 4:47 pm

Greg Laden @gregladen
Follow
@SteveSGoddard @PeterGleick Global sea ice in December? What a boneheaded move. Coal in your stocking!!!
==============
Did anyone remind Mr Goddard as to what season it is in the Southern Hemisphere? He’s demnstating a decided ‘norte amricano’ prejudice

December 20, 2013 4:52 pm

NevenA says:
December 20, 2013 at 3:13 pm
increased Antarctic sea ice with increasing CO2 and warming was predicted over 20 years ago by Manabe et al 1991, http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/bibliography/related_files/sm9101.pdf, page 795.
======================================================
Yes, too bad that wasn’t what the IPCC relied upon. It’s just another case of the spaghetti *cough* science alarmists do. They predict anything and everything and then try to claim they were right. Warmists, long after Manabe had adopted the view that SH ice would decrease. The fact that they’ve dug up some obscure paper from over 20 years ago doesn’t mean the view of the alarmists isn’t wrong. In fact, it’s testament to the how wrong they’ve been.
Tell me, is it the warmist’s view that we’ll have more or less snow with global warming? I’m certain you can dig up obscure alarmist views stating both. I know I can. Oddly, in the case of NH snow, both views are wrong. http://suyts.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/climate-reminder-alarmists-predict-both-more-and-less-snow/

Alan Robertson
December 20, 2013 4:52 pm

To: Steve Goddard
Sic ’em

December 20, 2013 4:56 pm

Bill Marsh says: December 20, 2013 at 4:47 pm
=====================================
I don’t think you’re following the Twitter conversation properly. Go here to see http://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/climate-scientists-confused-about-that-down-under-thing/
That wasn’t Steve commenting, that was Laden. Steve responded appropriately by reminding the lunatics that it’s summer down under.

December 20, 2013 4:59 pm

Les Johnson
“1. Hate to break it to you, but there is no Santa.”
Two words Les, Phil Robertson.
The MSM has been trying to Media Train the general public with their social engineering political correctness agenda for decades. Then along came Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson to eviscerate mainstream media’s social brainwashing agenda. Decades of mind control down the drain within a matter of days.
Yes Les, there is a Santa Clause, and his name is Phil Robertson.
Go pound sand Les.

Bill Marsh
Editor
December 20, 2013 5:09 pm

Steve is a fun guy.
Over the last 8,000 years, sea level has risen 14 metres, while temperatures steadily declined pic.twitter.com/2QB0bSUh6S
Bill ‏@Bill_In_DC 14m@SteveSGoddard So there is no correlation between rising temps and sea level? Interesting
Steve Goddard ‏@SteveSGoddard 5m
@Bill_In_DC Temperatures fell from 1850 to 1910 according to CRU, yet sea level rose linearly. Obviously there is no correlation.
=============
Actually I was wrong, there’s a negative coorelation betwenn temps and sea level rise, at least according to Goddard.

John Bell
December 20, 2013 5:10 pm

So maddening the way warmists accuse us skeptics of the same thing that they are doing, stating belief rather than fact. 2013 saw some big changes and I think 2014 will be more of the same, cooling globe and below normal hurricane and tornado activity. Bring it on! Hey BTW the solstice is tomorrow!

Bill Marsh
Editor
December 20, 2013 5:12 pm

Goddard kinda cherry picked his starting point for the trend if you ask me.
Numbers are like people, torture them enough and they’ll tell you anything you want.

December 20, 2013 5:15 pm

Hysterical. At least Laden seems to have taken his own advice and stopped digging, for now.
He’ll be back of course and hopefully we’ll get to enjoy a equally delicious whipping.
In the meantime, CO2 in his stocking.

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