The Week That Was: 2014-17-05 (May 17, 2014) Brought to You by SEPP (www.SEPP.org) The Science and Environmental Policy Project Quote of the Week: “It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong” Voltaire [H/t Charles Battig] Number of the Week: 49%. EPA gets a inconvenient letter from a lawyer & more…
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9th International Conference on Climate Change
July 7 – 9 — Las Vegas, Nevada
Includes the Findings of the New Report by the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) Climate Change Reconsidered II, Volumes 1, 2, and 3
http://climateconference.heartland.org/
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SEPP’S APRIL FOOLS AWARD
THE JACKSON
The nominations and voting has ended. The results will be announced at the conference of Doctors for Disaster Preparedness in July.
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Due to travel commitments and necessary, but not threatening, surgery for Ken Haapala, there will be no TWTWs on May 31, June 7, and June 14.
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THIS WEEK:
By Ken Haapala, Executive Vice President, Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP)
EPA: The ICECAP web site posted tough letter from New York attorney Francis Menton to EPA Administrator Regina McCarthy dated May 9, 2014. This letter discusses the basis for the proposed new source performance standards (NSPS) for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that power plants must meet to receive permits for operation. As proposed, the standards will eliminate the construction of any new coal-fired power plants. Both the EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) have evaded the issue by claiming coal-fired power plants can use carbon capture and storage (CCS), which has not been proven to be commercially viable. On May 10, TWTW linked to announcement that the Swedish government-owned power company, Vattenfall, a major European generator of electricity has abandoned its extensive research on CCS, which it had been pursuing for more than 10 years. Vattenfall abandoned a large pilot plant in 2011.
In his May 9 letter, Menton attached a February 20 letter to the Office of Management and Budget on the deficiencies of the science being used to calculate the social costs of carbon (SCC). Menton’s comments on the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) as stated in the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) are of particular note.
In its discussion of the critical metric, equilibrium climate sensitivity, which is the response of the earth’s climate system to increased atmospheric CO2 and other greenhouse gases over multi-century time frame, the IPCC estimates the likely range for a doubling of CO2 is between 1.5ºC to 4.5ºC, which is the same as estimated 35 years ago in the Charney report to the US National Research Council. Menton brings up a footnote in the SPM in the discussion of climate sensitivity. 16 No best estimate for equilibrium climate sensitivity can now be given because of a lack of agreement on values across assessed lines of evidence and studies. Footnote 16, on now page 16 of SPM for AR5.
Menton’s discussion is particularly important for the current policies being considered to counter global warming/climate change.
This footnote 16 literally means that as recently as late last year, given the scientific information available, the IPCC did not deem it possible to develop a credible “best estimate for equilibrium climate sensitivity.” This statement is extremely relevant in that this climate sensitivity parameter is obviously the most important parameter to the entire SCC analysis. Mathematically speaking, what does not being able to provide a Best Estimate for the equilibrium climate sensitivity imply? First, it means that IPCC is clear that it has not been able to develop a credible subjective probability density function for the equilibrium climate sensitivity parameter. Second, it means that the IPCC admits that it does not have a credible mean, mode or median value of the equilibrium climate sensitivity parameter. In the mathematics of Decision Theory, this situation is called Complete Ignorance Uncertainty. [Boldface added}
The term “Complete Ignorance Uncertainty” does not apply to the entire AR5, which includes a great deal of excellent work. However, the SPM, written by politicians and some scientists, is a political document expressing great certainty in the general work and the conclusions. That certainty is scientifically unjustified. Policies being instituted under the uncertain science expressed in the SPM, and subsequent documents such as the US National Climate Assessment by the US Global Change Research Program, are not scientifically justified. Also not justified are the US climate expenditures of $22.5 Billion in fiscal year 2013, as reported by the White House, particularly the some $19 Billion going to government agencies and industries for programs claimed to prevent global warming/climate change. See links under Challenging the Orthodoxy and http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/report/WG1AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf and http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/legislative_reports/fcce-report-to-congress.pdf
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NCA: Last week’s TWTW contained a number of comments and links to comments on the third US National Climate Assessment (NCA) by the US Global Change Research Program. The report claims that climate change is occurring and impacting all states of the United States. This is true, no longer is much of the northern part of what is the US covered by thousands of feet of ice as it was during prior ice ages.
The NCA performs an all-too-frequent trick in Separating Human and Natural Influences on Climate (page 8: Overview and Report Findings). The report compares runs of the climate models with natural and human factors against observations with runs of climate models that include only natural factors against observations. Of course, the combined natural and human factors outperform the natural factors only because the modelers combine both natural and human factors in creating the models. The fallacious assumption in this procedure is that the models properly incorporate all natural factors. They do not. The failure of the models to forecast the pause in temperature rise, both on the earth’s surface and in its atmosphere, and the fact that the models are greatly overestimating atmospheric temperature trends demonstrate that the models do not properly incorporate natural factors. The NCA report ignores these failures.
According to the White House report to Congress linked above, the US Global Change Research Program is spending about $2.5 Billion per year. The NCA is its principal justification for existence. Would it be unreasonable to expect that such an expensive and important report contain no gross errors in logic? See links under Challenging the Orthodoxy, particularly page 6 of John Christy’s testimony to Congress, Challenging the Orthodoxy – NCA, and Defending the Orthodoxy.
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Military Threat: A group of retired, senior military officers have formed the CNA Military Advisory Board and issued a report titled “National Security and the Accelerating Risks of Climate Change.” The report presents little that is new and is largely based on the findings in the NCA and the AR5 Summary for Policymakers. As such, the report suffers from the same difficulties in science and in logic. The article in the New York Times describing the report identified that the Board is “a leading government-funded military research organization.”
The report claims that global warming/climate change is threat multiplier and repeatS the dire litany of impending disasters all-too-familiar in government-funded reports on global warming/climate change: Conflicts over food and water, rising sea levels, vulnerable coastal regions, catastrophic weather events, etc. It claims climate change is a “catalyst for conflict.” Apparently, the authors are unaware that through-out history cold periods brought on starvation, war, and pestilence.
Of course, the report emphasized expanding wind and solar power and biofuels. It did not discuss how biofuels are increasing world food prices, leading to instability. It ignored the shale oil and gas revolution and its importance of reducing US dependence on imported fuels, no thanks to the Administration. Further, it ignored how the Keystone pipeline, being blocked by the Administration, would bring oil from stable Canada, further reducing US dependence on imports from unstable regions.
The report did have a bit of unintentional humor. In the climate science section, David Titley (Rear Adm. USN Ret) wrote: “I tell people, this is cutting-edge 19th century science that we’re now refining,” He cited the work of Joseph Fourier, John Tyndall and Svante Arrhenius but did not bother to mention the Arrhenius thought that warming would be a good thing. See links under Expanding the Orthodoxy.
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Sea Level Rise: As SEPP Chairman Fred Singer wrote in an article last July, the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet is a factor in sea level rise. He estimated that under the current conditions the unstable ice sheet will be gone in about 7,000 years. New research indicates it may be sooner.
Unfortunately, the term “collapse” was used by the National Science Foundation, and repeated in the general press, evoking fear of human-caused global warming, which has nothing to do with it. In the time-frame used by geologists, the term “collapse” is appropriate. In the time-frame used by ordinary people, it is inappropriate and may lead to cynicism in the public.
New estimates, based on computer models created from 18 years of observations, are in the range of from 2 to 8 centuries to millennia. See Article # 1 and links under Changing Cryosphere – Land / Sea Ice.
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Go Personal: The May 10, 2014 TWTW had several links announcing that noted Swedish meteorologist and modeler Lennart Bengtsson was joining Board of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a UK-based organizations, which includes many global warming skeptics. It was hoped such an action would help open-up dialogue between skeptics and the climate establishment – government funded entities that participate in the IPCC and similar reports.
This week, Bengtsson announced his resignation citing the level of personal verbal attacks reached the point that he feared for his safety and his ability to continue his research. Sadly, Bengtsson’s resignation reflects the intolerance to free and open inquiry by many in the orthodoxy.
On another note, Bengtsson stated that a paper he, and others wrote, on the significant disparity between models and observations was rejected by Environmental Research Letters, which is published by the Institute of Physics (IOP) in the UK. An article in The Times states that one reviewer wrote: “Actually it is harmful as it opens the door for oversimplified claims of ‘errors’ and worse from the climate sceptics media side.” The Times article prompted the IOP to issue a strange press release that the paper did not contribute to advance science and it contained errors. According to the sarcastic analysis by Steve McIntyre, the apparent error is that models should reflect observations, which is as science demands.
There are few papers published in journals that directly address the disparity between observations and models. For climate science to advance, this disparity must be addressed and, if necessary the models changed. Such a change may require a significant lowering of the estimates of the sensitivity of the climate system to increasing CO2, jeopardizing the government funding of the entire apparatus.
On a side note, on May 15, 2013, Environmental Research Letters saw fit to publish the article by John Cook falsely claiming a consensus of human-caused global warming in the scientific literature.
On another note, Andrew Montford of Bishop Hill listed the members of the editorial board of the Environmental Research Letters. The editors include Peter Gleick who discredited himself by pretending to be a member of the Board of Directors of The Heartland Institute, obtaining sensitive financial information under false pretenses, and publishing it. See links under Climategate Continued, Suppressing Scientific Inquiry, and Communicating Better to the Public – Go Personal – The Bengtsson Affair.
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Artificial Constraints: Articles discussing natural climate variation, including temperature reports by US government agencies such as NOAA and NASA-GISS, frequently introduce artificial constraints on the data. Data records that go back only 30 or 40 years do not capture the natural variation of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation or the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Drought reports that do not go back to the 1930s are misleading as well. See Christy’s testimony under Challenging the Orthodoxy and Changing Cryosphere.]
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Energy and Prosperity: Ross McKitrick and Elmira Aliakbari examined the relationship between energy use and prosperity. In developing countries, such as China, it is clear that increasing energy use creates prosperity. However, in developed countries many politicians are claiming that energy use can be limited without damaging prosperity. Such limits can be introduced by unreliable forms of electricity generation, such as solar or wind, or deliberately making electricity more expensive without clear health benefits, such as limiting CO2 emissions.
The authors examined conditions in Canada and state:
Our examination of Canadian data leads us to conclude that energy use in Canada is not a mere by-product of prosperity, but a limiting factor in growth: real per-capita income is constrained by policies that restrict energy availability and/or increase energy costs, and growth in energy abundance leads to growth in GDP per capita. Thus, policies favouring the abundant availability of energy are important for sustaining strong economic growth, and policies that deliberately limit energy availability will likely have negative macroeconomic consequences.
See link under Energy Issues – Non-US, though the conclusions likely apply for the US as well.
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Number of the Week: 49%. On May 14, the US Energy Information Administration released a report on world-wide energy consumption and production for 2012:
Consumption: China: 49% of the world’s coal production. US: 11%.
Production: China: 46%. US: 12%
Measured in tons, China consumed 4.67 times the amount of coal as the US. For some reason, the above mentioned threat analysis failed to discuss such disparities. See links under Return of King Coal.
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ARTICLES:
For the numbered articles below, please see this week’s TWTW at: www.sepp.org. The articles are at the end of the pdf.
1. Sea Level Rise Surprise
By S. Fred Singer, American Thinker, July 31, 2013
http://www.americanthinker.com/article/2013/07/sea_level_rise_surprise.html
2. Exposing the EPA
Documents reveal a lawless attempt to block an Alaska mine project.
Editorial, WSJ, May 13, 2014
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303603904579491643733173318?mg=reno64-wsj
3. Organic Farming Is Not Sustainable
More labor with lower yields is a luxury only rich populations can afford.
By Henry Miller, WSJ, May 15, 2014
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304431104579550002888434432?mg=reno64-wsj
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NEWS YOU CAN USE:
Science: Is the Sun Rising?
Flurry Of Scientists, Recent Peer-Reviewed Papers, Warning Of Approaching Little Ice Age
Will the solar doldrums of the coming decades lead to cooling? A look at the latest scientific publications
By Sebastian Lüning and Fritz Vahrenholt, Translated by P. Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, May 10, 2014
Commentary: Is the Sun Rising?
Studies: Weaker solar activity means colder, and colder also means drier
By David Archibald, WUWT, May 14, 2014
Climategate Continued
IOP: [Institute of Physics, publisher of Environmental Research Letters] expecting consistency between models and observations is an error
By Steve McIntyre, Climate Audit, May 16, 2014
Link to press release: Statement from IOP Publishing on story in The Times
Press Release, IOP Publishing, May 16, 2014
http://ioppublishing.org/newsDetails/statement-from-iop-publishing-on-story-in-the-times
Suppressing Scientific Inquiry
University of Queensland threatens lawsuit over use of Cook’s ’97% consensus’ data for a scientific rebuttal
By Guest Blogger, WUWT, May 15, 2014
Challenging the Orthodoxy — NIPCC
High-profile scientists rebut climate change threat
By Peter Westmore, News Weekly, Apr 26, 2014 [H/t Jim Lakely]
http://www.newsweekly.com.au/article.php?id=56559
Challenging the Orthodoxy
A Factual Look at the Relationship Between Climate and Weather
By John Christy, UAH, Testimony to Congress, Dec 11, 2013
http://docs.house.gov/meetings/SY/SY18/20131211/101589/HHRG-113-SY18-Wstate-ChristyJ-20131211.pdf
The Bullying of Bengtsson and the Coming Climate Disruption Hypocalypse
By Roy Spencer, His Blog, May 16, 2014
Powerful letter to EPA in proposed regulations for stationary sources
By Francis Menton, ICECAP, May 9, 2014
Report: Obama’s ‘social cost of carbon’ estimates are ‘worthless,’ ‘extremely dangerous’
By Michael Bastasch, Daily Caller, February 28, 2014 [Boldface added]
Referenced letter by Francis Menton, Jr., on Watts Up With That
Many Climate Reconstructions Incorrectly Attributed to Temperature Change.
By Tim Ball, A Different Perspective, Dec 31, 2013
http://drtimball.com/2013/many-climate-reconstructions-incorrectly-attributed-to-temperature-change/
New paper finds clouds have a net negative-feedback cooling effect
By Staff Writer, The Hockey Schtick, May 9, 2014
http://hockeyschtick.blogspot.com/2014/05/new-paper-finds-clouds-have-net.html
Link to paper: Evaluation of CMIP5 simulated clouds and TOA radiation budgets using NASA satellite observations
Erica K. Dolinar, et al., Climate Dynamics, May 2014
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00382-014-2158-9
Challenging the Orthodoxy – NCA
Skeptical Scientists Debunk White House Global Warming Report
By Michael Bastasch, Daily Caller, May 16, 2014 [H/t ICECAP]
http://dailycaller.com/2014/05/16/skeptical-scientists-debunk-white-house-global-warming-report/
Checking the NDC Report Against Real Data Reveals Major Discrepancies
By Don Easterbrook, ICECAP, May 14, 2014
Link to the full paper: Checking the NDC Report Against Real Data Reveals Major Discrepancies
By Don Easterbrook, Dept. of Geology, Western Washington University, No Date
http://redneckusa.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/dje_response_to_nca_report.pdf
Defending the Orthodoxy
Climate Change Impacts in the United States
U.S. National Climate Assessment
U.S. Global Change Research Program
file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/NCA3_Climate_Change_Impacts_in_the_United%20States_HighRes.pdf
Ideology in the Service of Global Warming is No Vice
Both the right and left are biased in their reading of the science, and that’s OK.
By Shikha Dalmia, Reason, May 13, 2014
http://reason.com/archives/2014/05/13/ideology-in-the-service-of-global-warmin
[SEPP Comment: Zealotry at its worst.]
Questioning the Orthodoxy
Research & Commentary: The Myth of a Global Warming Consensus
By Joseph Bast and Taylor Smith, Heartland, May 14, 2014
http://heartland.org/policy-documents/research-commentary-myth-global-warming-consensus
New Climate Change Report Is Filled With Falsehoods
Editorial, IBD, May 12, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]
Global Warming Zealots Use Fear-Mongering
By Larry Bell, Newsmax, May 12, 2014
http://www.newsmax.com/LarryBell/global-warming-ipcc/2014/05/12/id/570760/
IPCC Wiki Launched – Volunteers Needed
By Donna Laframboise, NFC, May 11, 2014
http://nofrakkingconsensus.com/2014/05/11/ipcc-wiki-launched-volunteers-needed/
The Great European Corn Borer
By Sierra Rayne, American Thinker, May 16, 2014
[SEPP Comment: Challenging specific claims in the NCA.]
Science Doesn’t Support NCA’s Scare Tactics
By Staff Writers, IER, May 14, 2014 [H/t Cooler Heads]
Manmade ‘climate disruption’ – the hype and reality
By Paul Driessen, WUWT, May 11, 2014
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/05/11/manmade-climate-disruption-the-hype-and-reality/
Weather Vs. Climate
By Viv Forbes, The Carbon Sense Coalition, May 11, 2014
http://theclimatescepticsparty.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/weather-vs-climate_11.html
Social Benefits of Carbon
The Love-Hate Relationship of CO2 & Plant Protein Concentration
By Sherwood, Keith and Craig Idso, CO2 Science, May 7, 2014
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V17/N19/EDIT.php
[SEPP Comment: Add a bit of nitrogen in low nitrogen soils and see the yields increase.]
Problems in the Orthodoxy
Climate change: We have no solution yet
By Robert J. Samuelson, Robert Samuelson, May 11, 2014 [H/t Conrad Potemra]
[SEPP Comment: The advocates refuse to perform hypotheses tests!]
Climate change science has become ‘blind’ to green bias
Climate change science is becoming ‘blind’ to green bias which risks suppressing research which challenges man-made global warming, scientists have warned
By Sarah Knapton, Telegraph, UK, May 16, 2014 [H/t Bishop Hill]
No one trusts Washington on climate change
In the age of the Iraq war and Obamacare, the government is hardly a trustworthy body
By Christopher Caldwell, Financial Times, May 9, 2014 [H/t WUWT]
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/31320b68-d6ae-11e3-b251-00144feabdc0.html#axzz31W2KDVj4
Leaked Memo On Climatology Exposes Growing Worry Within German Meteorological Society…”Unacceptable Unethical Developments”
By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, May 16, 2014
French Foreign Minister: ‘We Have 500 Days to Avoid Climate Chaos’
By Patrick Goodenough, CNS News, May 13, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]
[SEPP Comment: Is it time to construct a Maginot Line?]
Seeking a Common Ground
Climate Sensitivity and Transient Climate Response
By Marcel Crok, Climate Dialogue, WUWT, May 13, 2014
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/05/13/climate-sensitivity-and-transient-climate-response/
Climate Dialogue on Climate Sensitivity and Transient Climate Response
By Judith Curry, Climate Etc. May 13, 2014
Is A Super El Nino On The Way?
By David Whitehouse, May 13, 2014
http://www.thegwpf.org/is-a-super-el-nino-on-the-way/
Review of Recent Scientific Articles by NIPCC
For a full list of articles see www.NIPCCreport.org
High-Yielding Rice Cultivar Does Even Better in CO2-Enriched Air
Reference: Chen, C.P., Sakai, H., Tokida, T., Usui, Y., Nakamura, H. and Hasegawa, T. 2014. Do the rich always become richer? Characterizing the leaf physiological response of the high-yielding rice cultivar Takanari to free-air CO2 enrichment. Plant & Cell Physiology 55: 381-391.
http://nipccreport.org/articles/2014/may/13may2014a1.html
Difficulties in Correctly Modelling the East Asian Summer Monsoon
Reference: Song, F. and Zhou, T. 2014. Interannual variability of East Asian Summer Monsoon simulated by CMIP3 and CMIP5 AGCMs: Skill dependence on Indian Ocean-Western Pacific anticyclone teleconnection. Journal of Climate 27: 1679-1697.
http://nipccreport.org/articles/2014/may/13may2014a3.html
Difficulties in Correctly Modelling the East Asian Winter Monsoon
Reference: Gong, H., Wang, L., Chen, W., Wu, R., Wei, K. and Cui, X. 2014. The climatology and inter-annual variability of the East Asian Winter Monsoon in CMIP5 models. Journal of Climate 27: 1659-1678.
http://nipccreport.org/articles/2014/may/13may2014a4.html
The Love-Hate Relationship of CO2 & Plant Protein Concentration
Reference: Bloom,A.J., Burger, M., Kimball, B.A. and Pinter Jr., P.J. 2014. Nitrate assimilation is inhibited by elevated CO2 in field-grown wheat. Nature Climate Change 10.1038/NCLIMATE2183.
http://nipccreport.org/articles/2014/may/14may2014a1.html
[SEPP Comment: The highly touted paper on reduced nutrition of grain grown under elevated CO2 is much to do about little. A little fertilizer goes a long way.]
Measurement Issues
Excuse Files: Arctic treemometers measure sunlight too
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, May 13
Models v. Observations
Claim: Climate change may worsen summertime ozone pollution
By Anthony Watts, WUWT, May 12, 2014
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/05/12/claim-climate-change-may-worsen-summertime-ozone-pollution/
[SEPP Comment: Contradicting evidence at the end.]
Changing Climate
What caused a 1300 year deep freeze 12,800 years ago? New PNAS paper says it wasn’t an impact
By Anthony Watts, WUWT, May 13, 2014
Link to paper: Chronological evidence fails to support claim of an isochronous widespread layer of cosmic impact indicators dated to 12,800 years ago
By David J. Meltzera, et al., PNAS, May 12, 2014
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/05/08/1401150111?tab=author-info
Medieval Warm Period in Japan
By Staff Writers, CO2 Science & SPPI, May 14, 2014
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/midieval_warm_period_in_japan.html
[SEPP Comment: Dates of cherry-flowering, rather than statistical cherry-picking, indicate that the Medieval Warm Period was likely warmer than today in Japan.]
Changing Seas
Back to the future to determine if sea level rise is accelerating
By Staff Writers, Southampton UK (SPX), May 13, 2014
Changing Cryosphere – Land / Sea Ice
Airborne radar surveys and data-based models indicate West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse is underway
By Staff Writers, National Science Foundation, May 12, 2014
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=131369&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click
Who do you believe?
By Joseph D’Aleo, ICECAP, May 13, 2014
http://icecap.us/index.php/go/they-said-it/who_do_you_believe/
Antarctic In The News – The Real Story
By Joseph D’Aleo, WeatherBELL Analytics, No Date Accessed
http://icecap.us/images/uploads/ANTARCTIC_IN_THE_NEWS,_THE_REAL_STORY.pdf
IPCC Report Scientists: Rising Seas in East Antarctica Maybe — in 2,000 to 10,000 Years
By Penny Starr, CNS News, May 12, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]
‘Collapse’ of ‘unstable’ West Antarctic Ice Sheet not man-made & very old news
By Staff Writer, The Hockey Schtick, May 15, 2014
http://hockeyschtick.blogspot.com/2014/05/collapse-of-unstable-west-antarctic-ice.html
Active volcano discovered under Antarctic ice sheet
By Becky Oskin, Live Science, Nov 18, 2013 [Boldface added]
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/11/18/active-volcano-discovered-under-antarctic-ice-sheet/
ABC, CBS, and NBC Freak Out Over Melting Antarctic Ice: ‘Much of South Florida’ Will Be ‘Underwater’
By Jeffrey Meyer, Media Research Center, May 13, 2014
Global Cooling: Antarctic Sea Ice Coverage Continues To Break Records
By Michael, Bastasch, Daily Caller, May 12, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]
[SEPP Comment: Based on the most comprehensive and reliable temperature records in existence, the satellite record, in general, Antarctic is not warming, but cooling.]
Most Himalayan Glaciers Stable And In A Steady State, New Study
By I.M. Bahuguna, et al., Current Science, Via GWPF,
http://www.thegwpf.org/most-himalayan-glaciers-stable-and-in-a-steady-state-new-study/
Link to paper, Are the Himalayan glaciers retreating?
By I.M. Bahuguna, et al., Current Science, Apr 10, 2014
http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/106/07/1008.pdf
Of 2018 glaciers, 1752 glaciers, (86.8%) were observed stable fronts (no change in the snout position and of ablation zone). [Area were the glacier where net loss is occuring.]. 248 (12.3%) exhibit retreat, 18 (0.9%) exhibit advancement of snout.
Greenland melting due equally to global warming, natural variations
By Hannah Hickey, UW NewsSeattle WA (SPX), May 09, 2014
[SEPP Comment: Need to go back more than 30 years to understand the natural causes.]
Agriculture Issues & Fear of Famine
Inventing the Farm Animals of the Future
By Walter Russell Mead and Staff, American Interest, May 9, 2014
http://www.the-american-interest.com/blog/2014/05/09/inventing-the-farm-animals-of-the-future/
[SEPP Comment: No reason to assume a warmer world will produce more extreme weather. The center of US poultry industry shifted south decades ago.]
Un-Science or Non-Science?
Ground-breaking study: Hurricanes reaching peak strength farther north as globe warms, tropics expand
By Jason Samenow, Washington Post, May 14, 2014 [H/t Conrad Potemra]
[SEPP Comment: In three decades, peak strength moved an insignificant 99 miles further north. No doubt Sandy is a significant influence in the statistics – and it was joined by another storm. Why did the 1938 hurricane tear through New England? Why did the researchers exclude the 1950s? If the researchers had included the 1950’s it is doubtful they could come to such conclusions. Ignorance of history is no excuse.]
Arctic study sheds light on tree-ring divergence problem
By Staff Writers, San Francisco CA (SPX) ,May 12, 2014
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Arctic_study_sheds_light_on_tree_ring_divergence_problem_999.html
Link to paper: Arctic tree rings as recorders of variations in light availability
By A. R. Stine & P. Huybers, Nature Communications, May 7, 2014
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140507/ncomms4836/full/ncomms4836.html
Claim: ‘The Southern Ocean winds are now stronger than at any other time in the past 1,000 years,’ CO2 blamed
By Anthony Watts, WUWT, May 12, 2014
Crime, weather, and climate change
By Matthew Ranson, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, May 3, 2014 [H/t Clyde Spencer]
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0095069613001289
[SEPP Comment: People sitting outside on city steps during hot summer days evening, and drinking beer may lead to increased violence.]
Lowering Standards
Scientific Authoritarians
The case for skepticism about climate scientists
By James Taranto, WSJ, Via The Hockey Schtick, May 15, 2014
http://hockeyschtick.blogspot.com/2014/05/wsj-scientific-authoritariansthe-case.html
First Amendment versus the University of Queensland
By Andrew Montford, Bishop Hill, May 15, 2014
[SEPP Comment: Trying to make it illegal to examine how the latest 97% consensus was calculated.]
Networks Eagerly Push White House Climate Change Agenda Ahead of Obama Interviews
By Kyle Drennen, Media Research Center, May 6, 2014
[SEPP Comment: They cannot be trusted to report the weather accurately.]
Communicating Better to the Public – Exaggerate, or be Vague?
Bad Weather Reports: ‘Deutsche Wetterdienst’ Exaggerates Precipitation Trend 7-Fold To Produce Alarm
Surprise! Original data refuses to back up DWD’s claims of wetter winters in Germany
By Sebastian Lüning and Fritz Vahrenholt (Translated/edited by P Gosselin), No Tricks Zone, May 13, 2014
Column: Florida already feeling effects of climate change
By Lee Thomas, Tampa Bay Times, May 14, 2014
[SEPP Comment: The former EPA Administrator echoes the NCA exaggerations. Contrary to his claims, there is no increase in sea level rise, oceans have not warmed for 15 years, and oceans will not become acidic. Sea levels will continue to rise until the next ice age, and all we can do is adapt. Local adaptions must take into account ground water depletion and subsidence.]
Communicating Better to the Public – Make things up.
Antarctica stealing Australian rain. Prof Matthew England, ANU, UNSW, Nature, struggle to get “cause and effect”)
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, May 12, 2014
Cornell hypes on methane as a ‘climate boogeyman’
By Anthony Watts, WUWT, May 15, 2014
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/05/15/more-hype-on-methane-as-climate-boogeyman/
Communicating Better to the Public – Go Personal – The Bengstsson Affair
Lennart Bengtsson Resigns: GWPF Voices Shock and Concern at the Extent of Intolerance within the Climate Science Community
By Staff Writers, GWPF, May 14, 2014
Professor Bengtsson Blames U.S. Climate Scientists For ‘Witch-Hunt’
By Ben Webster, The Times, Via GWPF, May 14, 2014
http://www.thegwpf.org/professor-bengtsson-blames-u-s-climate-scientists-for-witch-hunt/
Scientists In Cover-Up Of ‘Damaging’ Climate View
Research which heaped doubt on the rate of global warming was deliberately suppressed by scientists because it was “less than helpful” to their cause, it was claimed last night.
By Ben Webster, The Times, Via GWPF, May 16, 2014
http://www.thegwpf.org/scientists-in-cover-up-of-damaging-climate-view/
Science as McCarthyism
Another scientist gets blackballed for his skepticism about global warming.
By Rupert Darwall, National Review Online, May 15, 2014 [H/t GWPF]
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/378011/science-mccarthyism-rupert-darwall
Lennart Bengtsson will probably remain a renegade, anyway
By Luboš Motl, Reference Frame, May 15, 2014
http://motls.blogspot.com/2014/05/lennart-bengtsson-will-probably-remain.html#more
The bigotry of the consensus
By Andrew Montford, Bishop Hill, May 16, 2014
http://bishophill.squarespace.com/blog/2014/5/16/the-bigotry-of-the-consensus.html
Scientivism Media Centre on Bengtsson
By Andrew Montford, Bishop Hill, May 16, 2014
http://bishophill.squarespace.com/blog/2014/5/16/scientivism-media-centre-on-bengtsson.html
Reflections on Bengtsson and the GWPF
By Judith Curry, Climate Etc., May 16, 2014
http://judithcurry.com/2014/05/16/reflections-on-bengtsson-and-the-gwpf/#more-15497
Expanding the Orthodoxy
Climate Change Deemed Growing Security Threat by Military Researchers
By Coral Davenport, NYT, May 13, 2014
Link to the report: National Security and the Accelerating Risks of Climate Change
By Paul Kern, et al., CNA Military Advisory Board, May 2014
http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/news/FlipBooks/MAB2014_web/flipviewerxpress.html
Is Climate Change Real? The Pentagon Sure Thinks So
By Bill Briggs, NBC News, May 9, 2014 [H/t Clyde Spencer]
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/climate-change-real-pentagon-sure-thinks-so-n101701
UN chief: Climate change can ‘bring jobs and income’
By Tom Bawden, Independent, UK, May 9, 2014 [H/t GWPF]
Questioning European Green
End to solar farm blight as subsidy scheme is scrapped
Green energy subsidy scheme will be shut to large solar farms as ministers attempt to curb blight to countryside
By Emily Gosden, Telegraph, UK, May 13, 2014
[SEPP Comment: Make them bigger, uglier, but more efficient in the use of needed transmission lines. Does it solve the basic problem of unreliability– of course not!]
Green Madness: Payments To Wind Farms For ‘Wasted Energy’ Soar To £40m
By Mark Macaskill, Sunday Times, Via GWPF, May 11, 2014
http://www.thegwpf.org/green-madness-payments-to-wind-farms-for-wasted-energy-soar-to-40m/
Questioning Green Elsewhere
That Old Time Religion; That Old Time Science
By Charles Battig, American Thinker, May 11, 2014
http://americanthinker.com/2014/05/that_old_time_religion_that_old_time_science.html
Green Jobs
Changing Renewable Energy Target would damage investment and throw away jobs
By Staff Writers, Canberra, Australia (SPX), May 13, 2014
[SEPP Comment: Green jobs are dependent on government subsidies.]
Non-Green Jobs
Natural Gas Boom Is Attracting Manufacturing To The US From Overseas To Take Advantage Of Cheaper Fuel, Feedstock
By Meagan Clark, International Business Times, May 9, 2014 [H/t GWPF]
Report: Every $1 Billion In Regulations Costs Jobs
By Breanna Deutsch, Daily Caller, May 8, 2014
http://dailycaller.com/2014/05/08/report-every-1-billion-in-regulations-costs-jobs/
Link to report: The Cumulative Impact of Regulatory Cost Burdens on Employment
By Sam Batkins, Ben Gitis, American Action Forum, May 8, 2014
Funding Issues
CCAP’s Helme previews next round of climate finance negotiations
Transcript by Staff Writers, EETV, May 15, 2014
http://www.eenews.net/tv/videos/1828/transcript
[SEPP Comment: The NCA takes them to the next level – more funding through propaganda.]
The Political Games Continue
Issa threatens EPA with contempt proceedings over records
By Jim McElhatton, The Washington Times, May 8, 2014
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/8/issa-threatens-epa-with-contempt-proceedings-over-/
Cap-and-Trade and Carbon Taxes
The ‘Black Hole’ Of Chinese Carbon Trading
By Pilita Clark, Financial Times, Via GWPF, May 14, 2014
http://www.thegwpf.org/the-black-hole-of-chinese-carbon-trading/
Subsidies and Mandates Forever
Sun Sets on Spaniards’ Solar Power Dreams
By Staff Writers, AFP, May 11, 2014
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/sun-sets-on-spaniards-solar-power-dreams-522070
[SEPP Comment: Investments in sub-prime energy goes the way of investments in sub-prime mortgages.]
Biodiesel producers cut back due to US policies, report says
By Timothy Cama, The Hill, May 14, 2014
For Energy Efficiency, Let’s Get The Corn Out of Our Gas Tanks
By Jason Stverak, Daily Caller, May 9, 2014
http://dailycaller.com/2014/05/09/for-energy-efficiency-lets-get-the-corn-out-of-our-gas-tanks/
EPA and other Regulators on the March
Coal rules will devastate, say biz groups
By Timothy Cama, The Hill, May 13, 2014
EPA Cracks Down On Oil Refineries… Without Offering Any Public Health Benefits
By Michael Bastasch, Daily Caller, May 16, 2014
The Fix Is In: On Ozone NAAQS, EPA Relies on EPA Science
By William Yeatman, Global Warming.org, May 13, 2014
http://www.globalwarming.org/2014/05/13/the-fix-is-in-on-ozone-naaqs-epa-relies-on-epa-science/
Will EPA’s Carbon “Pollution” Rules Implement the Defunct Waxman-Markey Bill?
By Marlo Lewis, Global Warming.org, May 14, 2014
Protecting a Bay While Treading on Truth
By Carl Cannon, Real Clear Politics, May 11, 2014
Energy Issues – Non-US
Energy Abundance & Economic Growth
By Ross McKitrick and Elmira Aliakbari, Fraser Institute, May 15, 2014
http://www.fraserinstitute.org/research-news/display.aspx?id=21204
Link to the paper: Energy Abundance & Economic Growth: International and Canadian Evidence
By Ross McKitrick and Elmira Aliakbari, Fraser Institute, May 2014
$44 trillion price tag for clean energy
By Staff Writers, WNN, May 12, 2014
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/EE-44-trillion-dollar-price-tag-for-clean-energy-1205144.html
M. A. Adelman on Resourceship (Part II)
By Robert Bradley Jr., Master Resouce, May 13, 2014
http://www.masterresource.org/2014/05/m-a-adelman-on-resourceship-part-ii/#more-30533
[SEPP Comment: Oil is more a man-made resource than a natural one.]
America Versus China: The New Reality Of Global Energy
By Robert Wilson, The Energy Collective, May 12, 2014
All Generation Methods Aren’t Equal, Pt 1
By Donn Dears, Power For USA, May 13, 0214
http://dddusmma.wordpress.com/2014/05/13/all-generation-methods-arent-equal-pt-1/
All Generation Methods Aren’t Equal, Pt 2
By Donn Dears, Power For USA, May 16, 2014
http://dddusmma.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/all-generation-methods-arent-equal-pt-2-2/
Energy Issues — US
Barbarians at the Power Plant Gate
What Energy Future’s demise means for America. [H/t Timothy Wise]
By William Tucker, American Spectator, May 12, 2014
http://spectator.org/articles/59151/barbarians-power-plant-gate
[SEPP Comment: Wall Street in the wind game.]
Washington’s Control of Energy
Convincing Americans It’s Time to Drill on Federal Lands
By Jared Meyer, Real Clear Energy, May 7, 2014
Obama Blocks Keystone To Start Energy Takeover
By Scott Powell, IBD, May 13, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]
Oil and Natural Gas – the Future or the Past?
It’s not North Dakota, but the Eagle Ford shale in Texas that tops oil production
By Daniel J. Graeber, Washington (UPI), May 13, 2013
Marcellus: Natural Gas Giant of the East (new technology, new life for 19th century energy fields)
By Fred Lawrence, Master Resource, May 15, 2014
http://www.masterresource.org/2014/05/marcellus-natural-gas/#more-30359
FERC finds little environmental impact in Md. natural gas export project
By Tony Cama, The Hill, May 15, 2014
Return of King Coal?
China’s coal output, consumption almost as much as world combined
By Henry Lazenby, Mining Weekly, May 14, 2014
Link to report with good graph: China produces and consumes almost as much coal as the rest of the world combined
By Joseph Ayoub, EIA, May 14, 2014
http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=16271&src=email
Oil Spills, Gas Leaks & Consequences
Airborne measurements confirm leaks from oil and gas operations
By Staff Writers, Boulder CO (SPX), May 12, 2014
Nuclear Energy and Fears
DOE stops collecting nuclear waste fee
By Timothy Cama, The Hill, May 16, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/206316-doe-stops-collecting-nuclear-waste-fee
[SEPP Comment: What about the Billions collected although Washington failed to deliver?]
Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Solar and Wind
AREVA commissions molten salt energy storage demonstration
By Staff Writers, Paris, France (SPX), May 13, 2014
Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Energy — Other
ACCESS II Alternative Jet Fuel Flight Tests Begin May 7, 2014
By Staff Writers, Washington DC (SPX), May 12, 2014
[SEPP Comment: No mention of costs.]
Fueling aviation with hardwoods
By Staff Writers, Syracuse NY (SPX), May 09, 2014
http://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/Fueling_aviation_with_hardwoods_999.html
[SEPP Comment: In a famous American poem, the village blacksmith worked under a chestnut tree. Now the tree will be gone for aviation fuels?]
Environmental Industry
DDT research is “biased and erroneous.” If you’re gonna screw up, you might as well do it really well.
By Staff Writers, ACSH, May 9, 2014
http://acsh.org/2014/05/ddt-research-biased-erroneous-youre-gonna-screw-might-well-really-well/
Mainstream media don’t know Big Green has deeper pockets than Big Oil
By Ron Arnold, Washington Examiner, May 13, 2014
NRDC’s Lehner discusses new stock market index for climate-conscious investing
Transcript by Staff Writer, EETV, May 12, 2014
http://www.eenews.net/tv/videos/1826/transcript
[SEPP Comment: If there is money to be made from climate ignorance, Wall Street will figure it out. The Natural Resources Defense Council is in for the action.]
Organic ‘pesticide-free,’ and other claims debunked
By Staff Writers, ACSH, May 15, 2014
http://acsh.org/2014/05/organic-pesticide-free-claims-debunked/
Other Scientific News
Solar wind to lightning strike link discovered
By Anthony Watts, WUWT, May 15, 2014
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/05/15/solar-wind-to-lightning-strike-link-discovered/
California Central Valley groundwater depletion slowly raises Sierra Nevada mountains.
By Staff Writer, National Science Foundation, May 14, 2014
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=131393&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click
Evolution by geneticsts [sic] again: yet another date for when polar bears arose
By Susan Crockford, Polar Bear Science, May 10, 2014
Other News that May Be of Interest
Antibiotic resistance: At ACSH, we are ahead of The Times
By Staff Writers, ACSH, May 12, 2014
http://acsh.org/2014/05/antibiotic-resistance-acsh-ahead-times/
[SEPP Comment: Unnecessary regulations costs lives.]
Russia Restricts U.S. Access To Space Over Ukraine
Editorial, IBD, May 14, 2014
The Bio-economy and Synthetic Biology
By Martin Livermore, Scientific Alliance, May 16, 2014
http://scientific-alliance.org/scientific-alliance-newsletter/bio-economy-and-synthetic-biology
The newest “endocrine-disruptor” can be found in your backyard, claims a NYTimes op-ed
By Staff Writers, ACSH, May 12, 2014
http://acsh.org/2014/05/newest-endocrine-disruptor-can-found-backyard-claims-nytimes-op-ed/
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BELOW THE BOTTOM LINE:
Claim: Climate Change will kill the bees
By Eric Warrall, WUWT, May 9, 2014
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/05/09/claim-climate-change-will-kill-the-bees/
Link to paper: Parallel responses of bees to Pleistocene climate change in three isolated archipelagos of the southwestern Pacific
By Groom, Stevens, and Schwarz, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, May 7, 2014
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/281/1785/20133293.abstract
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http://www.tridentenergy.co.uk/press-releases/trident-energy-releases-white-paper-on-auxiliary-power-for-offshore-wind-farms/
made me chuckle!
“Diesel generators are reliable, proven technology and a trusted solution to the provision of offshore auxiliary power”
Re: Keystone… Obama is just a puppet of David Rockefeller, Soros, Brzezinski
“Look,” said Russian president Vladimir Putin about NATO some years ago, “is this a military organization? Yes, it’s military. … Is it moving towards our border? It’s moving towards our border. Why?” [Guardian Weekly (London), June 27, 2001]
The Holy Triumvirate would love to rip Ukraine from the Moscow bosom, evict the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and establish a U.S. military and/or NATO presence on Russia’s border. (In case you were wondering what prompted the Russian military action.)