There are a lot of news items in major media starting to appear about the folly of Professor Chris Turney’s tourism disguised as science expedition. Turney is now backpedaling on the idea that “climate change” caused them to get stuck. Perhaps the laughter has finally reached him. A roundup and video follows.
First, from the NYT:
Stranded Antarctic Ship Story, Like the Ice, Will Not Let Go
By CHRISTINE HAUSER
A team of rescuers from a Chinese icebreaker may need to be rescued themselves, soon after they plucked dozens of people from the Antarctic ice aboard a ship that had been stranded for more than a week.
Chris Turney, a leader of the expedition whose members were evacuated by the Chinese vessel Xue Long’s helicopter on Thursday, shared more photographs of the mission and then an update on Twitter about the unexpected turn of events in the rescue ordeal.
Full story here: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/03/stranded-antarctic-ship-story-like-the-ice-will-not-let-go/
Here is a video of the rescue operation in progress:
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From the Guardian, authored by Turney himself, who links to WUWT in the article:
Antarctic expedition: ‘This wasn’t a tourist trip. It was all about science – and it was worth it’
Chris Turney, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, says his critics are wrong: the team was prepared, the risks were known, and much was achieved
The last 24 hours have been sobering. I am sitting in the comfort of a cabin on board the Australian icebreaker the Aurora Australis, one day after evacuating the Australasian Antarctic Expedition from our Russian-crewed vessel, the MV Akademik Shokalskiy. After sleepless nights thinking about keeping everyone safe, it is a relief to know everyone is on board the Aurora and well.
There is relief, but there is also frustration over what appears to be a misrepresentation of the expedition in some news outlets and on the internet. We have been accused of being a tourist trip with little scientific value; of being ill-prepared for the conditions; putting our rescuers at risk; and making light of a dangerous situation. Others have remarked on what they describe as the “irony” of climate researchers stuck in unexpected ice.
…
Let’s be clear. Us becoming locked in ice was not caused by climate change. Instead it seems to have been an aftershock of the arrival of iceberg B09B which triggered a massive reconfiguration of sea ice in the area.
[See story below on the statement -Anthony]
Full story here: http://www.theguardian.com/science/antarctica-live/2014/jan/04/antarctic-expedition-was-worth-it-chris-turney
Note: This bit of justification in the article from Turney (bold) about the cost is laughable, he’s only off by a factor of 5-6. So much for scientific precision.
The aim of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) is to lead a multidisciplinary research programme in one of the most scientifically exciting regions of our planet, straddling the Southern Ocean and East Antarctic. Using the latest in satellite technology, we are beaming images, movies and text in an attempt to excite the public about science and exploration, inspired by one of the most scientifically successful efforts in the Antarctic: the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-1914, led by British-born Sir Douglas Mawson. Starting out at the unbelievably young age of 28, Mawson managed to raise £39,000 in a year – equivalent to some $20-25m today. With this he kitted out an entire ship to discover what lay south of Australia.
Umm, I don’t know where Turney gets those numbers, but using the calculator provided by the Reserve Bank of Australia here: http://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualPreDecimal.html
I get:
$4.2 million is sure a long ways from $20-25 million, but I suppose when you are always using other people’s money, being accurate doesn’t matter.
The article with Turney’s calc is saved here as a PDF Turney-spiritofmawson-and it was worth it _ Science _ The Observer -Anthony
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Turney Backpedals! Now Says Getting Stuck In Sea Ice NOT Due To Climate Change”!
By P Gosselin on 4. Januar 2014
It appears that now even Professor Chris Turney admits blaming his expedition mishap on global warming was an astronomical stretch after all.
Yesterday I reported here, quoting flagship Swiss daily (NZZ), that his communication director Alvin Stone blamed global warming for the vessel getting trapped in ice. The whole world laughed.
I couldn’t believe it myself so I wrote an e-mail to Stone asking if they really believed this.
Stone answered circa 9 hours later:
Dear Pierre,
That is not quite the quote that I gave.
This is my understanding from talking to Chris and other glaciologists.
- The 120km long ice berg B09B that is grounded in Commonwealth Bay broke away from the continent three years ago, very likely as a result of climate change.
- B09B collided with the Mertz Glacier, smashing a large ice tongue that released the ice into that area.
- It was a mix of this ice that was blown across the path of the Shokalskiy, which led to it being trapped and explains why much of the ice surrounding the ship is old ice.
– See more at: http://notrickszone.com/2014/01/04/turney-backpedals-now-says-getting-stuck-in-sea-ice-not-due-to-climate-change/#sthash.rG7qwsHv.CeXyK3bZ.dpuf
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Australian taxpayers will pay $400,000 cost for climate scientist’s ship stuck in ice. Total cost “millions”.
The saga just keeps going. The Chinese Icebreaker is now also stuck, and has asked for help so the Aurora Australis with 52 extra passengers rescued from the Russian Charter boat have to stay nearby to help. Twenty two Russian sailors are still trapped on board the Russian boat — the Akademik Sholaskiy. Plus other scientists in Antarctica still don’t have their equipment. Costs for everyone involved are continuing to rise. Though there is a free-for-all on social media…
http://joannenova.com.au/2014/01/australian-taxpayers-will-pay-400000-cost-for-climate-scientists-ship-stuck-in-ice-total-cost-millions/
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Antarctic Debacle Probably Biggest Setback For Campaigners Since Climategate
- Date: 03/01/14 Christopher Caldwell, Financial Times
The debacle in the Antarctic ice is probably the largest setback for global warming campaigners since Climategate scandal in 2009.
When a Chinese helicopter rescued 52 passengers from a Russian climate-science cruise ship trapped in ice off Antarctica, it was a skilfully managed end to an ordeal that had begun on Christmas Eve. It was also a debacle for climate change activists. The 233-foot Akademik Shokalskiy, a Russian meteorological ship leased by the Australian tour outfit Aurora Expeditions, had been on a mission called the “Spirit of Mawson”. It aimed to replicate part of a gruelling voyage the explorer Douglas Mawson had made in 1912. The ship carried 22 scientists looking to perform various experiments, led by Chris Turney, a professor of climate change at the University of New South Wales. They were joined by 26 tourists paying for the adventure, along with journalists for The Guardian, BBC and The Sydney Morning Herald.
http://www.thegwpf.org/ft-antarctic-debacle-biggest-setback-campaigners-climategate/
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This speaks for itself, now the USA is involved:
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Even NYT’s Andrew Revkin, who has been on such expeditions himself, is calling it a fiasco:
A helpful update on several facets of the #spiritofmawson Antarctic fiasco from @RTCCnewswire: http://t.co/bdsY1Fn92Y
— Andrew Revkin 🌎 ✍🏼 🪕 ☮️ (@Revkin) January 2, 2014
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As are the French:
French Polar Chief slams SpiritofMawson fiasco
This really has been a PR debacle of amazing proportions. The ship stuck in ice has captured something larger than I would have expected. Methinks the timing must be apropos.
Good scientists are distancing themselves from the publicity hungry climate lightweights and commentators on both sides of the fence are agreeing in their criticism.
A third effect we are barely starting to see may ripple on for months — that’s when mass-media victims realize that the “Russian Tourist ship” was really a boat load of Australian and New Zealander scientists, paid for mostly by taxpayers and loaded and advised by supposedly “expert” climate scientists. This misinformation was despite the boat having BBC, and Guardian media on board, and Fairfax press in one of the rescue icebreakers. Today I see evidence of the first two effects.
From Skynews. The French chief of polar science calls the Spirit of Mawson trip “pseudo-scientific” and laments the effect it is having on real research.
The head of France’s polar science institute has voiced fury at the misadventures of a Russian ship trapped in Antarctic ice, deriding what he called a tourists’ trip that had diverted resources from real science.
More here: http://joannenova.com.au/2014/01/french-polar-chief-slams-spiritofmawson-fiasco/
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This animation is hilarious:
ACM on Chris Turney and the Akademik Shokalskiy fiasco
By Simon on 4 January, 2014
ACM on Chris Turney and the Akademik Shokalskiy fiasco
So far as I am aware, the cruise ship carrying climate scientists, their fellow propagandists and other tourists was not in danger of sinking.
Neither was there any imminent threat of starvation to the people aboard the ship.
The only threat confronting the people aboard the ship was delayed departure from their current location together with the inconvenience and possible expense which they may have incurred as a consequence of this.
While the law of the sea and international treaties may require other ship owners and crew to partake in rescue efforts, at their own expense, when there is a danger to life, I do not believe that this is the case, when there is only a risk of inconvenience or additional financial burden.
Consequently, the Chinese should have stated that they would only assist in “rescue” efforts when all affected parties had negotiated a fare price for their services and would only commence operations after they had received payment.
Neither should Australian or any other taxpayers been obliged to pay for the irresponsible self-indulgent follies of the CAGW propagandists.
The passengers should have been compelled to raise the money for protection from the consequences of their own folly, by soliciting donations from their supporters and told that they would be released, when atmospheric carbon dioxide was sufficient to melt the ice or their friends had paid sufficient money to ransome their from the supposedly non-existent sea-ice.
The condition of the ship could have been monitored and a genuine rescue operation undertaken only if a genuine risk to life arose.
The Guardian and the BBC could have reassured the public that the climate scientists were not endangered, but merely inconvenienced by the sea ice, which had not disappeared, despite the alleged Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming, which they were studying, whilst frolicking upon thick sea ice, where one hundred years ago, Douglas Mawson had encountered open water, despite the lower concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, then.
Doubtless, the Guardian and the BBC would still insist that we should bankrupt ourselves and freeze in the dark, in order to fight the problem of “disappearing sea-ice”, which disappears, only in computer simulations, but not in Antarctica.
connolly says January 4, 2014 at 9:11 pm;
Mawson was already a good catch for a ranking girl, of some years standing. He’d been in the leading echelons of Exploration for a decade, and his place in history assured for more than half of that.
With hostile homework like this, Mawson’s reputation is secure.
The 12:00 GMT 4th January 2014 Sitrep from ‘Aurora Australis’.
‘With a new group of people on board means a new supply of presentations. Everyone is keen to show us what they have been up to so I look forward to letting you know what topics are covered as they occur.’
We’re looking forward to that too mate!
Delprats, Mawsons and Spriggs were exceedingly well-connected in science and engineering circles, including BHP, some still to this day. Spriggs still own Arkaroola in South Australia, that has abundant uranium and other mineral resources.
PS, I once worked in newspapers with Mercia Delprat, and had interesting conversations about this period over a glass or two, when I was still working on my shorthand and too young to see a good story and take notes.
How many good stories have gone missing because young reporters are too young? Especially at present, when young reporters are too young to recognise that they have been compromised by institutionalised indoctrination?
The starting age for journalism should be 50, because at least by now we have an idea of how much we thought we knew, but didn’t.
SIG INT Ex says January 4, 2014 at 8:30 pm;
The quality of your analysis (of Wiki!) could go some way to explaining a number of recent military fiascos. Perhaps it’s just your evident hatred of ‘English-Bobs’.
Did you really mean to say that he ate his fellow explorers?
I remain confused by the Mayday call.
If, as everyone concerned keeps stating, the Russian vessel is not and was not in danger, why was an emergency called?
Mayday is urgent call for help, lives in peril, drop what you are doing and rush to render assistance.
This looks more like a change of charter, treated as a big joke by all of the expedition members.
Are there no consequences for calling emergency at sea, when none exists?
In a previous thread a commenter asked for suggestions for a memorable name for this fiasco. Someone suggested TurkeyGate and another suggested AntarcticaGate.
I suggest The Escapades.
(A play on The Icecapades, a US-centric ice-skating show.)
I am still left wondering as to why they needed to be rescued at all?
The Spirit of Mawson – if not the homage to global warming – would have been better served if the children and the sick and the tourists had been evacuated, leaving the intrepid scientists to brave some little hardship for a week or two! Or had the booze run dry?
http://ktwop.wordpress.com/2014/01/02/why-was-it-necessary-to-rescue-the-antarctic-wimps-expedition-if-the-crew-can-remain-aboard/
PS: Or “The Escapade.”
Minerals …
China flags its Antarctic intent January 11, 2010, Andrew Darby
Fair use excerpt:
Watch out for the polar panda. China has just stamped a giant footprint on Antarctica.
With the same strength it apparently flexed in the Copenhagen climate talks, Beijing has steamrolled the Antarctic status quo.
Previously it was simply not done for any country to say outright that it was interested in Antarctica for the resources it contains.
Now China has.
It’s 20 years since Australian prime minister Bob Hawke led a global campaign to overthrow international plans to manage Antarctic mineral exploitation.
More – see link above
Auto says:
January 4, 2014 at 1:20 pm
Bob Greene says:
January 4, 2014 at 12:40 pm
“… flying pigs loop the loop – with a barrel roll on top.”
—
[The mods point out that the newly required loopy-pig barrel roll will leave the pigs upside down at the end of the loop. This site is not responsible for the ultimate flight safety of any such inverted pigs above the viewing crowd. Mod]
In theory, a second loop on the Möbius strip would right the pig again. In practice, even the best athletes can only do one loop. The general population doesn’t care for it at all.
PPS: Or “the Antarctic Escapades.” I think that’s the best, because the other ones aren’t explanatory enough. (Few in the general public will know in a year who Turney was, or the names of the ships.)
ktwop says:
January 4, 2014 at 10:35 pm
I am still left wondering as to why they needed to be rescued at all?
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Ah, that’s a common misunderstanding, it was the Russian crew who were rescued.
can anybody know if the Australian CSIRO is connected with this GOV,T funded site seeing tour
“Lewis P Buckingham says:
January 4, 2014 at 11:29 pm”
His first degree level qualification was English literature. Whether he is a respected mammologist and biologist or not he certainly does not appear to have any qualifications relating to atmospheric phyics and climate. He is/was a director on the board of a geothermal energy company here in Aus that received millions in Govn’t grants as well as being a shareholder in Turney’s Carbonscape company.
Ted
Mawson’s brilliant military career ranks with that other conservative hero Menzies. A meteroric military career in the University of Melbourne Rifle regiment cut short by the advent of World War I. As for Delprat and Mawson they profited hugely from the war whilst the “lower orders” as you would describe them were slaughtered in their millions. Mawson was no hero either on the ice or in the Ministry of Munitions helping his father in law to make a fortune. Are you seriously suggesting that influence and power didn’t get Mawson a safe sinecure during World War I? Where do you do your study. – Boys Own?.
Johanna
Maybe you should read some Marxist history. Mawson wasn’t a draft dodger because in World War I Australia resisted the imposition of conscription. The conscription issue split the Labor Party and was defated in TWO referendums. Maybe before you attempt to denigrat someone’s point of view you might do some research?
Start with David Day’s history of Mawson –
” Historian David Day has published an excellent, excoriating and long-overdue account of Mawson’s 1911-14 Antarctic expedition. Time for truth.
Mawson lost two men – Ninnis and Mertz. When I visited Antarctica I buttonholed two American Antarctic scholars aboard ship who were in Mawson’s thrall. I told them I was from Adelaide (Mawson’s adopted home town – he was English) and a chill of thrills came over them. I told them about the bust of Mawson on its plinth at the intersection of North Tce and Pulteney St. Tragically, a woman’s car missed the corner and collided with the statue and she was killed. “So”, I told them, “Mawson is still killing people”.
Mawson was detestable, an appallingly bad leader, a self-obsessed, aloof, unfeeling, unsympathetic martinet. He was a liar, a cheat, an ignorant navigator, a poor scientist, a dreary diarist, and a ham-fisted writer.
He was sullen, boring and inept. He was generally loathed by those he led and his peers. He was also an adulterer and a bully.
His great talent was self-promotion. He was such a successful mythomaniac that the very myth he created of himself has taken over a century to be properly challenged. He manipulated evidence and the reputations of his crew were inextricably linked to his own so Mawson was slow to be challenged and diaries are just being published now.
He may have deliberately delayed the deliverance of his expedition by another year of windy white hell so he could make a better entrance into civilisation well after the return of the Scott party and the successful Amundsen party.
This also bought him a year to build the myth of himself. He cruelly denied his team members use of the telegraph as only he could be news.
And he was a cannibal. He ate Mertz. He lied about that and Mertz’s desperate death ensured Mawson’s survival. ”
How appropriate that Turney is following in this pretender’s footsteps.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/peter-goers-douglas-mawson-and-tom-playford-were-portrayed-as-heroes-but-were-they-really/story-fni6unxq-1226756402933
Looks like it is only bad weather at spiritoftitanic nothing to do with climate change. So we are back to the ‘no ice = global warming, lots of ice = weather memes.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/03/antarctica-ice-trapped-academik-shokalskiy-climate-change
“Chris Turney, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, says his critics are wrong: the team was prepared, the risks were known, and much was achieved
The last 24 hours have been sobering. I am sitting in the comfort of a cabin on board the Australian icebreaker the Aurora Australis, one day after evacuating the Australasian Antarctic Expedition from our Russian-crewed vessel, the MV Akademik Shokalskiy. After sleepless nights thinking about keeping everyone safe, it is a relief to know everyone is on board the Aurora and well.”
…..
[Large number of swear words] EVERYONE? So the Russians do not count only his friends.
That statement alone is enough to make anyone with the least sensitivity view this man with utter contempt.
The B@ur momisugly$..d never even bothered to say one word of thanks to the crew and captain he has endangered. On the other hand I am sure the Russian Captain tore a strip off him for not getting ‘his exhibition’ on board fast enough to allow the ship to get the heck out of danger.
This fiasco has legs – long ones. American Thinker article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/01/2014_lets_change_the_climate.html
CHRIS TURNEY: Well, the fundamental issue is if you didn’t have carbon in the atmosphere, the planet would be about minus 50 degrees centigrade, give or take – that’s what you’d have. So a little bit of carbon warms the planet, and that’s good, it’s where we’re at today – an average planet temperature of about 14, 15, degrees.
If you put more carbon in the atmosphere, you’d expect the planet to warm, and basically that’s what you see…
….
God grief, what a crock! Hasn’t the man ever heard of WATER? Oh well it is pretty obvious he doesn’t respect it. No wonder Mother Nature decided to whomp him up side the head, not that it did any good.
Political Junkie says: @ur momisugly January 4, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Questions that might be asked of Turney:
Why aren’t you still on the ship?….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Because the Russians wanted to be shed of the idiots. Note the entire crew volunteered to stay on board rather than be in close quarters with Turney’s Turkeys. I certainly do not blame them.
Auto says: @ur momisugly January 4, 2014 at 1:20 pm
Just for you link