Guest Post by Willis Eschenbach
I see that there is some confusion over terminology in the climate field. In response, I’ve put together a list of common terms, along with what far too often they mean in climate science. So without further ado, here’s my climate dictionary.
TERM DEFINITION
an expected result of global warming — “We predicted warming and got a heavy snowfall instead”.
anthropogenic — see “human fingerprint”.
anthropogenic change — “It’s warmer than usual”.
anthropogenic climate change — “Weather we don’t like”.
autocorrelation — “Say what? We don’t have to deal with that”.
Bonferroni correction — see “autocorrelation”
carbon dioxide — “The secret knob that controls the climate”.
cause — “Greenhouse gases”
climate — “It’s warmer than usual”.
climate change — “What ‘global warming’ became after we repeatedly predicted warming and got heavy snowfalls instead”.
climate feedback — see “natural variability”.
confounding factors — “Things that we choose to ignore.”
coupled non-linear chaotic system — ” y = ax + b “
effect — “dangerous anthropogenic global warming”
ever — “qualifier of superlatives to indicate things that haven’t happened since the Earth was first formed in 1970”.
external forces — see “other factors”
human fingerprint — “We can’t explain what caused it, so it must be from people acting badly”.
hundred-year flood — “Any flood recurring more than one news cycle apart”.
Industrial Revolution — “The time of the climate Eden when the temperature was exactly right”.
IPCC Conference of the Parties — “A recurring party attended by only the wokest of the woke”.
it is well known — “I believe this”.
it’s a boundary value problem — “This depends on future boundaries we can’t predict but we’ll act like we can.”
multiproxy study — “We left out the proxies that don’t agree with our theory”.
natural climate fluctuation — “We don’t know why it goes up and down”.
natural variability — “We have no idea what the cause was”.
naturally occurring dynamics — “Something happened that we can’t explain”.
other factors — “Deus ex machina”.
phase reversal — “Cause and effect just went 180° out of phase for no reason”.
predicted sea level rise — “Run for the hills! We’ll all be drowned!”
projections — “It’s a forecast but we don’t stand behind it”.
proxies show — “One tree in Yamal had this to say”.
regime change — “Cause and effect just went 180° out of phase for no reason”.
renewable energy — “This solution requires extensive subsidies”.
requires further study — “Give us more taxpayer money”.
social cost of carbon — “Our analyses will completely ignore the benefits of fossil fuels and the greening of the planet”.
the effect of various lag times — “Things that don’t line up can be made to line up”.
weather — “It’s colder than usual”.
well within expectations – “It’s colder than usual”.
Finally, we have the IPCC Likelihood Scale:
Virtually certain – “All my cool scientist friends agree”.
Very likely – “We really hope this is true”.
Likely – “Two climate models out of three agree”.
About as likely as not – “Nobody has a clue”.
Unlikely – “This outcome offends us”.
Very unlikely – “We really don’t want you going down that path”.
Exceptionally unlikely – “Stephen McIntyre said it first so it can’t possibly be true.”
Best to all,
w.
Cooling, warming, good weather, bad weather = Global warming
For some reason all this reminds me of my teenage years…
Bobby warned us…About the unholy confluence of Leftism and Corporate Marketing
Here’s another suggestion for the dictionary: “Trapped” – what can’t possibly be done with heat on a surface flooded with natural refrigerant, but we’ll keep saying it anyway.
Willis I did not notice “unprecedented”.
I thought the same…
Unprecedented = “it hasn’t happened since a couple of weeks ago”.
I commented on “unprecedented” above.
This could easily be a recurring article.
The climatocracy depends explicitly on redefining words, terms and ideas at will.
That along with rewriting history are two pillsrs of the climate consensus foundation.
Tipping point — “We need money right now!”
Consensus – “Theorist agree with each other on models, but, not actual data”.
Climate ‘scientists’ a third rate academic who must thank the lord everyday that as long as they keep claiming climate doom they can get away with any old rubbish. Often they take the form of short and fat , older men with a fixation for goatee beards and planet sized egos, who can turn very nasty if challenged.
(see also failed politician and railway engineer with a side line in writing soft porn.)
Models , the way GIGO can be used to provided ‘proof ‘ for climate scientists work , (see also definition of climate ‘scientists)
Prediction, the means by which you can make forecasts for so far ahead in time you will either not be alive or long left the professional so cannot be called out in how BS this prediction was , (see also definition of climate ‘scientists)
Magic Tree, an approach used by climate ‘scientists’ that involved using one tree to ‘prove ‘ the climate for the whole planet in the distant past. (see also definition of climate ‘scientists)
Critical analysis, the approach which needs to be avoided if you wish to work as a climate scientists . (see also definition of climate ‘scientists)
Scientific integrate, no valid definition can be found within climate science as this idea has dropped out of use.
Good data, this is data that needs no accuracy, honesty , need not to be supported by good collection methodology or any other norms of science . This instead this is total defined as being data that supports AGW and climate ‘scientists’ career prospects (see also definition of climate ‘scientists)
Data, that which exist before ‘adjustment’ turns it into good-data and something that climate scientists do not show to others in case they ‘find something wrong with it ‘
Peer Review, the process by which climate ‘scientists’ carryout mutual grooming on each other, normal on the rear section of the body .
97%, the process by which BS is turned into climate science gold , this idea has no mathematical nor logical value beyond ‘nine out of ten cats prefer ‘
Heads you lose , tails I win , this is the process central to climate science by which all is ‘proof ‘ of AGW and nothing can disprove it, some times known as three card trick or find the lady ,found at fairgrounds and equally used by conman and climate ‘scientists ‘ (see also definition of climate ‘scientists)
Extreme weather, that which is not climate expect claiming it is supports the work of climate ‘scientists’ (see also definition of climate ‘scientists)
Climate, this has no fixed definition at , it is term used when and for whatever supports the work of climate ‘scientists’ (see also definition of climate ‘scientists)
30 years , a idea of pure ‘moon dust ‘ a number pulled from a hat as means to cover-up that increases in CO2 levels have not lead to an increases in temperatures. Within climate ‘science’ this idea is expressed as 30+n to allow for the need to constantly expend the range when climate doom keeps failing to arrive .
IPCC, a parasitic organism whose food source is AGW , in its own words it ‘does not science ‘ however it does offer opportunities for some very nice holidays for other parasites feeding of the same host body .
Expert – ”Anyone who agrees with me”.
Consensus = Last Resort when Facts Don’t FIt Model
Settled Science = Dogma
Scientific Method = Outdated Principle Replaced by Computer Models
Experimentation = Outdated Approach Replaced by Computer Models
Reproducibility = Outdated Approach Replaced by Computer Models, Computer Models Guarantee easy Reproducibility, simply Copy and Paste Code and Data
Denier = Scientists that applies the Scientific Method in Scientific ventures
Conservative = See Denier
H2O = Elephant in the Living Room that must be ignored to make CO2 have any relevance at all
CO2 = The equivalent of Einstein’s Cosmological Constant or the Piltdown Man
Coming Ice Age = Progressive scientific theory du Jour in 1970s and 80s
Global Warming = Progressive scientific theory du Jour in 1990s and 2000s
Climate Change = Progressive scientific theory du Jour in 2010s
Ad Hominin Attach = Approved method of settling Scientific differences when discussing climate change
Racist, Sexist, Homophobe, Abilist, Bigot = someone that relies on Facts and disagrees with the Consensus
Debate = What happens between like minded scientists when predictions fail.
natural variability — “We have no idea what the cause was”.
“But we insist that natural variability must be ‘internal’ in our climate models”.
Shadows on the wall of the cave.
Climate Change = Natural variability that people generally dislike
Natural Variability = Whether that people generally like
Hockey stick – thinly disguised club for beating people around the head – occasionally used for sport
Dirty air= CO2 from autos (actually saw that on the 10:00 news)
EV=coal burning automobile?
We need terms that address the conflation of real pollution with “carbon pollution”.
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.”
LEWIS CARROLL (Charles L. Dodgson), Through the Looking-Glass
In Climate Wonderland, Humpty Dumptyism is an ever-present feature. It all boils down to ever-more numerous, and sneaky ways of lying.
Teleconnections — mysterious correlations at a great distance.
Robust — pay no attention to that small R2 behind the curtain.
Off Topic. Well maybe not.
There’s a new “Sea Level Report Card” study out that making the rounds in media outlets:
Sea-Level Report Cards
Tide gauge data is being extrapolated from 1969 (not 1968 and not 1970 but 1969) out to 2050 for 32 tide gauges Maine to Alaska.
Apparently extrapolation of time lines shorter than the existing data is in vogue.
And it looks like cherry picking start dates is too.
Yes sea level is their biggest scare and
yes the “It’s a Projection not a Prediction”
non-sense is really over the top.
Ocean: a thin slice of water surrounding the Earth approximately 8m in depth largely ignored as to its impacts to temperature change unless it creates headlines. See also: sea level rise, El Nino/La Nina and Atlantic Deep Water Ocean Current
Sea Level Rise: too variable around the globe to understand, but it rises due to CO2 levels.
El Nino/La Nina: convenient excuses for warmer/cooler weather as long as it fits with rising temperatures due to CO2 levels. Actual occurrence and response of the deep ocean is not to be considered as the ocean is only 8m deep. Excellent excuse to sell headlines.
Atlantic Deep Water Ocean Current: the only deep water conveyor system, found at the bottom of the ocean at 8m. Independent of the so called mythical Antarctic Deep Water Ocean Current–currently not found at ocean bottom depths because the ocean is only 8m deep. See also Antarctica
Gulf Stream: a constant non-changing warm water surface current that responds ONLY to rising CO2 levels and no natural variability. Also in danger of shutting down and throwing Europe into an ice age–oh wait–um..that’s cooling. No the Gulf Stream will INCREASE its veracity cuz it’s getting warmer…yea…definitely warmer…and bigger…yep bigger too…cuz otherwise Europe would be cold and we want hot. Ignore this definition, the Gulf Stream doesn’t matter.
Antarctica: A mythical winter place on the Earth where Penquin’s used to live before they became climate refugees due to no more ice. Also a good place for headlines see glacial calving. Antarctica only exists during the summer in the S. Hemisphere. See S. Hemisphere
Glacial Calving: a totally unnatural cycle of glaciers (mythical masses of ice that are only recognized by news outlets when they can attribute a US state size that cleaves off Antarctica in the summer).
S. Hemisphere: Huh? Oh only exists for El Nino/La Nina events and possibly when something is studied in the Indian Ocean. Apparently Winter is Summer there and Winter is always coming.
CAGW: Beware Summer is Coming.
Winter is never coming…
whoops..that makes more sense.
Methane — Eleventy-seven times stronger than CO2, but we don’t ever say how much it will run-up temperature.
Methane: only found in cow farts and in bubbles that sink ships in the Bermuda Triangle. As long as you don’t eat McDonald’s or enter the Triangle, you are OK.
Chicken Little: A VERY Wise Individual.
Clearly, we’re going to need a bigger “Climate Dictionary”. Pictures would be nice, maybe by Josh. Maybe a “Climate Encyclopedia” is needed. Study of the Climatese language could become a college course. The possibilities are endless.
climategate — invisible unhinged wall that fell on the frat party
Climate Skeptics – those who believe skepticism is dogmatic belief in what you want to believe.