Number of the Week: 10% loss
THIS WEEK:
By Ken Haapala, President, Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP)
An Inverse? Traditionally in Washington, Fridays are a slow news day and during June reporters, and others, would be leaving early for the beach or for other activities. During the Obama Administration, regulatory agencies often would announce expanded regulations on Fridays giving time over the weekend to assess the response.
On Thursday, June 4, the White House pulled an inverse. It issued an executive order limiting the regulatory steps and the time frame an agency may take in evaluating a major infrastructure development proposal. The given justification is the economic crisis created by the COVID-19 virus and the reaction of governments to it.
The primary vehicle for these reductions in regulations is the emergency authority built into the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). NEPA has long been used to stop or delay infrastructure improvements. For example, after Hurricane Betsy flooded New Orleans in 1965 with a storm surge through Lake Pontchartrain, the Corps of Engineers planned to build a movable gate barrier system along Interstate 10, to prevent such flooding in the future. The system is used to protect the Dutch from flooding from storm surges in the North Sea.
Using NEPA, environmental groups, such as Save Our Wetlands, Inc., successfully stopped the Corps of Engineers. On December 30, 1977, in Save Our Wetlands, Inc. vs. Early J Rush III (Corps of Engineers), Federal Judge Charles Schwartz, Jr. ruled “it is the opinion of the Court that plaintiffs herein have demonstrated that they, and in fact all persons in this area, will be irreparably harmed if the barrier project . . . is allowed to continue.” (Boldface added).
An appeal failed. After Hurricane Katrina killed about 1200 people in New Orleans in 2005 with a storm surge through Lake Pontchartrain, the environmental groups dropped any reference to their prior success in litigation.
When NEPA is used to delay infrastructure projects, the process can take 4 to 5 years, sometimes over a decade. Contrary to what environmental groups may claim, the executive order does not eliminate the need for such projects to comply with the requirements of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other applicable environmental statutes.
The administration has been active in providing regulatory relief since it took office. This is one reason why in December 2019 the US unemployment rate was 3.5%, the lowest since the 1960s. Other recent examples of regulatory relief included the following: on May 19, the White House issued an executive order “Regulatory Relief to Support Economic Recovery” requesting federal agencies to suggest regulations that need to be revised or repealed in order to reinvigorate the economy. On June 1, the EPA issued a final rule limiting the ability of states to use the Clean Water Act to block fossil fuel energy projects.
Examples of abuses of the Clean Water Act are the State of Washington blocking the development of a coal export facility on the Columbia River and the State of New York using it to block the development of a natural gas pipeline to serve New England. The latter appears to be a clear violation of the Interstate Commerce clause in the Constitution.
Ironically, on June 3 House Democrats proposed a $500-billion-dollar green transportation infrastructure bill to stimulate the economy. One is reminded that the $800 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 contained a major infrastructure component promising “shovel ready” jobs. Later, when pressed about the “shovel ready” jobs, President Obama had to admit they were not quite “shovel ready.” They were tied up in the lengthy approval processes needed. Thus, one is prompted to ask how many of those supporting the new transportation infrastructure bill will support the new executive order streamlining approvals of infrastructure development? See links under Change in US Administrations, The Political Games Continue and
https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/home.htm
*******************
Apples and Oranges: Articles claiming to compare climate models with Covid-19 models continue to appear. It is like comparing apples to oranges. Both are fruits that grow on trees, but beyond that there is little similarity. Solid models require solid physical data, not speculation or extrapolation. As more data emerge, the models must be tested against the new physical data. At this point the climate modelers fail. Prior to 1990, we had no method of calculating comprehensive atmospheric temperature trends. Now we have thoroughly verified data extending to 1979. The climate modelers ignore these data because the data refute the assumptions in the models. Instead, the modelers resort to political rhetoric.
For example, in an article comparing Covid modeling and climate modeling, investigator Eric Felten quoted George Mason University climatology professor Jagadish Shukla as saying:
“There are fundamental differences between epidemiological models and climate models.”… “The former are empirical models driven by incomplete data; climate models are based on fundamental laws of physics and thermodynamics.”
The last clause is political rhetoric. Climate models do, of course, use some laws of physics and thermodynamics, but to say that they are based on those laws is to ignore the guesswork that underlies their projections. The models fail the most basic testing precisely because they are NOT based on verified and validated data, but rather on baseless empirical models driven by incomplete data and wishful thinking. That is the exact opposite of what is being claimed.
Crucially, the greenhouse effect is not sufficiently understood or developed to make precise predictions of what occurs in the atmosphere. Additionally, convection theory of the two principal fluids involved, the atmosphere, and the oceans, is not sufficiently developed to make precise predictions. The inability to make weather reliable forecasts more than 5-7 days out demonstrates the limits to this knowledge.
One can only collect the best data possible and base short-term estimates of the future on these data. Yet, climate modelers insist on using inferior data to make long-term predictions of 50 to 200 years, which render them akin to just wishful thinking.
Although we cannot precisely predict what the increase in temperatures will be with a doubling of carbon dioxide, we can set an upper bound for the estimate. Based on 40 years of atmospheric temperature trends, the upper bound may be no more than 3 degrees F, and it may be far less – even one-half that. Importantly, these atmospheric temperature trends are constantly monitored.
To have a good political discussion addressing whether adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere is harmful or not, such bounding must be clearly presented. However, it is not. See links under Censorship, Measurement Issues – Atmosphere and Model Issues.
*******************
Ignorance: Australian scientist Jennifer Marohasy had an essay on her explorations of the Great Barrier Reef, the efforts of John Cook University (JCU) to suppress Peter Ridd who questioned overblown claims that the reef was dead or about to die, and the waste of public funds to continue the litigation after the University decisively lost in Federal Court. Marohasy opened her essay with an unusual paragraph on the importance of recognizing one’s ignorance.
“To be truly curious we must confess our ignorance. The person who knows everything would have no reason to question, no need to experiment. If they went in search of evidence, it could only be to confirm what they already knew to be true. Knowledge then would be something that conferred prestige, rather than something to be built upon.”
See link under Suppressing Scientific Inquiry
*******************
Alkalinity: By definition, a water-based solution with a pH of 7 is neutral. Above 7 is alkaline, below 7 is acidic. Unfortunately, some scientists have stated that lowering the pH of a solution is acidifying it, even if the pH remains above 7, which is effect reducing the alkalinity, not increasing the acidity. To TWTW, the use of the “scientist’s” definition would mean that lowering the pH of drain cleaner (14) to that of bleach (13) is acidification. Yet both are highly alkaline and corrosive, and clearly unfit for consumption.
Writing for the CO2 Coalition, Jim Steele et al. have produced a paper addressing the misleading term ocean acidification, which is an example of political rhetoric. As Steele writes:
“Ocean ‘acidification’ from carbon dioxide emissions would require a virtually impossible ten-fold decrease in the alkalinity of surface waters, so using that term is misleading. Even if atmospheric CO2 concentrations triple from today’s four percent of one percent, which would take about 600 years, today’s surface pH of 8.2 would plateau at 7.8, still well above neutral 7.
“In fact, ocean health is improved rather than damaged by additional CO2, because it is a phytoplankton food that stimulates food webs. Converted CO2 allows phytoplankton such as algae, bacteria, and seaweed to feed the rest of the open ocean food web. As carbon moves through this food web, much of it sinks or is transported away from the surface. This ‘biological pump’ maintains a high surface pH and allows the ocean to store 50 times more CO2 than the atmosphere. Digestion of carbon at lower depths maintains the lower pH in the deeper ocean. Carbon is then stored for up to millennia.
“Upwelling recycles carbon and nutrients from deep ocean waters to sunlit surface waters. Upwelling injects far more ancient CO2 into the surface than diffuses there from atmospheric CO2. Upwelling at first lowers surface pH, but then stimulates photosynthesis, which raises surface pH. It is a necessary process to generate bursts of life that sustain ocean food webs.
“When CO2 enters ocean water, it creates a bicarbonate ion plus a hydrogen ion, resulting in a slight decrease in pH. But photosynthesis requires CO2. So marine organisms convert bicarbonate and hydrogen ions into usable CO, and pH rises again. Contrary to popular claims that rising CO2 leads to shell disintegration, slightly lower pH does not stop marine organisms from using carbonate ions in building their shells.”
As with the greenhouse effect, political rhetoric has changed an important physical process, needed for diverse life on the planet, to something that is to be feared. Ignored in the political rhetoric is that photosynthesis, critical for life, consumes CO2, thereby raises pH. See links under Challenging the Orthodoxy.
*******************
Extreme Weather: The Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) is a severe critic of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its followers. But on one subject there is agreement. Contrary to the claims of many, global warming is not causing more extreme weather. Physicist Ralph Alexander writes:
“This report discusses the lack of scientific evidence for the popular but mistaken belief that global warming causes weather extremes – a notion hyped by the mainstream media and believers in the narrative of human-caused climate change. If there is any trend at all in extreme weather, it’s downward rather than upward. Our most extreme weather, be it heat wave, drought, flood, hurricane, or tornado, occurred many years ago, long before the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere began to climb at its present rate.
“The recent atmospheric heat waves in western Europe pale in comparison with the soaring temperatures of the 1930s, a period when three of the seven continents and 32 of the 50 US states set all-time high temperature records, which still stand today. The assertion that marine heat waves have become more severe is dubious because of the unreliability and sparseness of ocean temperature data from the pre-satellite era, for which reason earlier marine heat waves were likely missed.
“No long-term trend exists in drought patterns, either in the US or elsewhere in the world. Nor is there any evidence that floods are becoming worse or more common, despite average rainfall getting heavier as the planet warms. Excessive precipitation isn’t the only cause of flooding: other influences include alterations to catchment areas such as land use changes, deforestation and the building of dams.”
For the full report please see the link in a place unusual for a report by GWPF, under Defending the Orthodoxy.
*******************
The Third Generation: An old saying about family wealth is: The first generation makes it; the second generation uses it; and the third generation squanders it. If applied to scientific integrity, NASA-GISS must be in the third generation. See link under Below The Bottom Line.
*******************
SEPP’S APRIL FOOLS AWARD
THE JACKSON
Since 2012, SEPP conducted an annual vote for the recipient of the coveted trophy, The Jackson, a lump of coal. Readers are asked to nominate and vote for who they think is most deserving, following these criteria:
- The nominee has advanced, or proposes to advance, significant expansion of governmental power, regulation, or control over the public or significant sections of the general economy.
- The nominee does so by declaring such measures are necessary to protect public health, welfare, or the environment.
- The nominee declares that physical science supports such measures.
- The physical science supporting the measures is flimsy at best, and possibly non-existent.
The eight past recipients, Lisa Jackson (12), Barrack Obama (13), John Kerry (14), Ernest Moniz (15), Michael Mann (16), Christiana Figueres (17), Jerry Brown (18), and AOC (19) are not eligible. Generally, the committee that makes the selection prefers a candidate with a national or international presence. The voting will close on June 30. Please send your nominee and a brief reason why the person is qualified for the honor to Ken@SEPP.org. Thank you.
**********************
Number of the Week: 10% Loss: An experienced UK electrical engineer writes in the Global Warming Policy Forum on the Inter-Connector Merry-Go-Round.
“On Saturday 23 May at about 8.30 pm the electricity interconnectors that link us to grids across the Channel were humming. France was supplying us with 152 MW and the Netherlands were supplying 466 MW. Meanwhile, however, the UK was supplying Belgium with 688 MW.
“The cables across the English Channel can only use direct current (DC), and the grids on both sides of the water use alternating current (AC). So, the 600-odd megawatts of electricity coming from France and the Netherlands had to be converted from AC to DC and then back again. A somewhat larger supply of power was, at the same time, sent to the Belgian interconnector, where it was converted to DC for its journey back across the water. At the other side it was converted back to AC for injection into the Belgian grid.
“But each step along the way involves energy losses. For electricity that does the full trip, from the Netherlands to the UK to Belgium, the conversion process is only 90% efficient. So, 60 MW of electricity is simply being converted to heat and lost; at the windspeeds prevailing that weekend, this is the equivalent of the output of 150 onshore wind turbines.
“And who pays for those losses? Why of course we, the electricity consumers, do.”
NEWS YOU CAN USE:
Sky News: German Authorities Are Cracking Down On ‘Climate Dissent’
By Staff, Sky News, Transcript Via GWPF, June 1, 2020
David v. Goliath in Cyberspace
By Clarice Feldman, The Pipeline, June 2, 2020
The Dangers of Scientific Censorship—on Climate and COVID
By William D. Balgord, Townhall, June 3, 2020
Suppressing Scientific Inquiry
Peter Ridd versus Prestige, and Clown Fish Beyond that Mudflat
By Jennifer Marohasy, Her Blog, May 30, 2020
Challenging the Orthodoxy — NIPCC
Climate Change Reconsidered II: Physical Science
Idso, Carter, and Singer, Lead Authors/Editors, Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), 2013
https://www.heartland.org/media-library/pdfs/CCR-II/CCR-II-Full.pdf
Summary: https://www.heartland.org/_template-assets/documents/CCR/CCR-II/Summary-for-Policymakers.pdf
Climate Change Reconsidered II: Biological Impacts
Idso, Idso, Carter, and Singer, Lead Authors/Editors, Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), 2014
Summary: https://www.heartland.org/media-library/pdfs/CCR-IIb/Summary-for-Policymakers.pdf
Climate Change Reconsidered II: Fossil Fuels
By Multiple Authors, Bezdek, Idso, Legates, and Singer eds., Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change, April 2019
Download with no charge:
Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming
The NIPCC Report on the Scientific Consensus
By Craig D. Idso, Robert M. Carter, and S. Fred Singer, Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), Nov 23, 2015
Download with no charge:
https://www.heartland.org/policy-documents/why-scientists-disagree-about-global-warming
Nature, Not Human Activity, Rules the Climate
S. Fred Singer, Editor, NIPCC, 2008
http://www.sepp.org/publications/nipcc_final.pdf
Global Sea-Level Rise: An Evaluation of the Data
By Craig D. Idso, David Legates, and S. Fred Singer, Heartland Policy Brief, May 20, 2019
https://www.heartland.org/_template-assets/documents/publications/SeaLevelRiseCCRII.pdf
Challenging the Orthodoxy
The Coming Dark Age & The Death Of The Scientific Method
By Gideon Rozner, The Australian, Via GWPF, May 30, 2020
Ocean Health – Is there an “Acidification” problem?
Press Release, CO2 Coalition, June 1, 2020
Link to paper: Ocean Health – Is there an “Acidification” problem?
By Jim Steele, et al. CO2 Coalition, June 2020
http://co2coalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Steele-Ocean-Health-White-Paper-final-5-28-20.pdf
When Science Becomes a Cult
By William DiPuccio, American Thinker, May 30, 2020
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/05/when_science_becomes_a_cult.html
COVID-19 Global Economic Downturn not Affecting CO2 Rise: May 2020 Update
By Roy Spencer, His Blog, June 5, 2020
Fear: The Best Tool of the Ruling Class
By Charles Battig, American Thinker, June 3, 2020
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/06/fear_the_best_tool_of_the_ruling_class.html
In 6 New Studies Scientists Agree Clouds Play A ‘Central Role’ In Regulating The Earth’s Climate
By Kenneth Richard, No Tricks Zone, June 4, 2020
New Video: Global Weirding Of 1934
By Tony Heller, His Blog, May 30, 2020
https://realclimatescience.com/2020/05/new-video-global-weirding-of-1934/
Alarmist queen Hayhoe takedown by Friends of Science
By David Wojick, CFACT, June 1, 2020
https://www.cfact.org/2020/06/01/alarmist-queen-hayhoe-takedown-by-friends-of-science/
Defending the Orthodoxy
Critical Review Confirms IPCC Assessment On Extreme Weather
Press Release, GWPF, June 4, 2020
Link to report: Weather Extremes: Are They Caused By Global Warming?
By Ralph Alexander, GWPF, 2020
https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2020/06/Alexander-Weather-Extremes.pdf
Delaying COP26 is not a reason to delay climate action
Coronavirus has delayed climate talks by a year. But the planet doesn’t have extra time, so action on global warming cannot be postponed.
Editorial, Nature, June 2, 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01621-0
“The pressure is on and countries must continue to act with urgency. They might think that they have carved out an extra year to prepare for COP26, but, in practice, there is no extra time. The climate clock is still ticking and by delaying emissions reductions, all countries have done is borrow against the planet’s future.”
Climate change is the most important mission for universities of the 21st century
By Lauren Rickards and Tamson Pietsch, The Conversation, June 3, 2020 [H/t WUWT]
[SEPP Comment: The two Australian Associate Professors do not know where to measure the greenhouse effect, but are declaring it to be the major threat to civilization?]
Pandemic is chance to reset global economy, says Prince Charles
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, June 4, 2020
[SEPP Comment: To the royal liking?]
Questioning the Orthodoxy
Hump Day Hilarity – How Science vs. Climate Science works
By Anthony Watts, WUWT, June 3, 2020
Humans do Ultimate Paris Lockdown, CO2 hits record high anyway
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, June 6, 2020
http://joannenova.com.au/2020/06/humans-do-ultimate-paris-lockdown-co2-hits-record-high-anyway/
Iceland Temperature Trends Show There’s More To Climate Change Than Just Trace Gas CO2
By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, May 29, 2020
Bad Day At BlackRock?
ESG investing is already taking a toll on state pension funds—now it might transform the world’s largest private asset manager, too.
By Rupert Darwall, City Journal, May 30, 2020
https://www.city-journal.org/blackrock-esg-strategy
Climate Scientists Projecting Again
By Tony Heller, His Blog, June 3, 2020
https://realclimatescience.com/2020/06/climate-scientists-projecting-again/
TURNER: Models Can’t Accurately Predict Next Week’s Weather, So Why Should We Trust Them To Predict Climate Change?
By Daniel Turner, Daily Caller, June 1, 2020 [H/t WUWT]
After Paris!
Paris Climate Accord Hyperbole (who’s winning now?)
By Robert Bradley Jr. Master Resource, June 4, 2020
“Virtually all countries have chosen business-as-usual energy policy in place of the voluntary, aspirational goals of the Paris Climate Accord. Of the 189 signatories to the Accord, 181 countries have not updated their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets to indicate decarbonization ‘progress.’ For the Climate Action Tracker, the nation-by-nation analysis (updated May 20, 2020) is quite grim with ‘critically insufficient,’ ‘highly insufficient,’ and ‘insufficient’ predominating over ‘2C compatible,’ ‘1.5C Paris Agreement Compatible,’ and ‘Role Model.’”
Energy Freedom vs. Paris Agreement
By David Kreutzer, Institute for Energy Research, June 4, 2020
Trump Executive Order to Expedite Project Approvals
By Ben Lieberman, CEI, June 5, 2020
https://cei.org/blog/trump-executive-order-expedite-project-approvals
Trump signs order removing environmental review of major projects
By Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, June 4, 2020
Link to Executive Order: EO on Accelerating the Nation’s Economic Recovery from the COVID-19 Emergency by Expediting Infrastructure Investments and Other Activities
By Staff, White House, June 4, 2020
Trump signs order to waive environmental reviews for key projects
New executive order would affect how agencies apply laws such as the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act
By Juliet Eilperin and Jeff Stein, Washington Post, June 4, 2020
EPA Finalizes Rule Limiting State Abuses of Clean Water Act to Block Fossil Energy Projects
By Ben Lieberman, CEI, June 1, 2020
EPA Curbs State Review of Energy Projects
By Darrell Proctor, Power Mag, June 1, 2020
Trump rule limits states from blocking pipeline projects
By Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, June 1, 2020
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/500480-trump-rule-limits-states-from-blocking
Problems in the Orthodoxy
Application to extend Thanet Offshore Wind Farm rejected
By Kathy Bailes, The Isle of Thane News, June 2, 2020 [H/t GWPF]
“The [offshore] turbines would have been up to 250 metres tall.”
Coal Power: Western Decline & The Rise Of Asia’s Tiger Economies
By Staff, The Times, Via GWPF, June 3, 2020
A Return to Normal in China Means Air Pollution is Back in Force
Bloomberg News, May 18, 2020
[SEPP Comment: No measures of water vapor or CO2.]
Seeking a Common Ground
Retired Navy SEAL commander who led the Osama bin Laden raid tells MIT 2020 graduates: “To save the world, you will have to be men and women of great integrity.”
By Admiral William McRaven, Business Insider, May 29, 2020
https://www.businessinsider.com/william-mcraven-mit-navy-seal-commencement-speech-2020-5
[SEPP Comment: An outstanding graduation speech — far better than the overwhelming collection of trivial fluff that most speakers present.]
Climate Scientists Praise Global Warming ‘Hiatus’ Science Boost
By David Whitehouse, GWPF, June 4, 2020
Link to paper: Multidecadal modulations of key metrics of global climate change
By Nathaniel C. Johnson, et al., Global and Planetary Change, May 2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921818120300394
Why scientists are changing their minds and disagreeing during the coronavirus pandemic
By Christina Farr, CNBC, May 23, 2020 [H/t Climate Etc.]
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/23/why-scientists-change-their-mind-and-disagree.html
“But changing your mind based on new evidence is a badge of honor in the scientific community.”
[SEPP Comment: Tell that to those who changed their minds about global warming.]
Science, Policy, and Evidence
Brazilian scientists and academics write an Open Letter on the “science” of the #coronavirus pandemic
By Prof. Marcos N. Eberlin, CONEXÃPOLÍTICA, Via WUWT, May 31, 2020
Richard Feynman put it this way: “Science is the culture of doubt”. And I would add, “science is the culture of debate, of divergence of opinions”.
Covid-19 Leaked Emails: WHO Feared Chinese Scientists Would Suffer Reprisals if the WHO Criticised China
By Eric Worrall, WUWT, June 3, 2020
Staggering Death Rate in 7 US States
By Donna Laframboise, Big Picture News, June 3, 2020
[SEPP Comment: Upon analyzing the chart presented, TWTW realized that the top five states for deaths per million also aggressively promote alternative sources for electricity. It may be a coincidence or a result of general policies.]
Covid discussion thread: Part VIII
By Judith Curry, Climate Etc. June 5, 2020
Coronavirus, Unemployment, Riots, And The Summer Of Our Discontent
By Alex Berezow, ACSH, June 1, 2020
https://www.acsh.org/news/2020/06/01/coronavirus-unemployment-riots-and-summer-our-discontent-14820
A Look at COVID-19 Data
By Donn Dears, Power For USA, June 5, 2020
[SEPP Comment: Interesting tables on cases per 100,000.]
Review of Recent Scientific Articles by CO2 Science
The Combined Impacts of CO2 Fertilization and Nitrogen Supply on Wheat
Asif, M., Zora, S., Ceylan, Y., Rehman, R. and Ozturk, L. 2020. Nitrogen supply in combination of nitrate and ammonium enhances harnessing of elevated atmospheric CO2 through improved nitrogen and carbon metabolism in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Crop & Pasture Science 71: 101-112. June 5, 2020
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V23/jun/a3.php
“Additionally, Asif et al. report that ‘in contrast to the general assumption of a decrease in total N concentration at elevated CO2, our results show no decrease in shoot or root N concentration at elevated CO2 except with urea supply.’ This latter observation is important, because it suggests that protein and other micronutrient declines that are sometimes observed in crops at higher CO2 concentrations can be overcome by providing the right balance of N supply.”
[SEPP Comment: Bringing out another example of advocates using selective studies.]
Positive Effects of Ocean Acidification on a Giant Kelp Species
Zhang, X., Xu, D., Guan, Z., Wang, S., Zhang, Y., Wang, W., Zhang, X., Fan, X., Li, F. and Ye, N. 2020. Elevated CO2 concentrations promote growth and photosynthesis of the brown alga Saccharina japonica. Journal of Applied Phycology https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-020-02108-1. June 3, 2020
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V23/jun/a2.php
“Commenting on these several findings, Zhang et al. conclude that ‘predicted ocean acidification may alleviate the effect of high temperatures on giant kelp, conserving energy for growth and photosynthesis.’ And that is great news, considering the economic and ecological value of this key marine species!”
Models v. Observations
Cloud Feedback, if there is any, is Negative
By Mike Jonas, WUWT, June 5, 2020
Covid vs. Climate Modeling: Cloudy With a Chance of Politics
By Eric Felten, Real Clear Investigations, June 4, 2020
Climate Scientist Calls For Another Billion
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, June 5, 2020
“Which brings us back to square one. Why should we give them another billion, when they cannot even forecast the weather two weeks ahead now?”
Measurement Issues — Surface
Announcing BomWatch: Auditing the fake warming created by site changes near the Great Barrier Reef
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, June 4, 2020
“The BOM says the climate is the most important issue for life on Earth, but it isn’t important enough for the BOM to find the archived photos and documents that show the thermometers kept moving and the area around the thermometers kept changing.”
Climate agency reports May was hottest on record worldwide
By Rachel Frazin, The Hill, June 5, 2020
Link to report: Surface air temperature for May 2020
By Staff, Copernicus Programme, May 2020
https://climate.copernicus.eu/surface-air-temperature-may-2020
“warmer by 0.05°C than May 2016, the previous warmest May”
[SEPP Comment: Strongly doubt that the global coverage of surface-air instruments is sufficiently comprehensive to make such a precise statement.]
Sunny May–But Only The 48th Warmest [in UK]
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, June 3, 2020
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2020/06/03/sunny-may-but-only-the-48th-warmest/
Measurement Issues — Atmosphere
UAH Global Temperature Update for May 2020: +0.54 deg. C
By Roy Spencer, His Blog, June 2, 2020
Link to: Global Temperature Report
By Staff, Earth System Science Center, University of Alabama in Huntsville, May 2020 Mas and Graphs
Map: https://www.nsstc.uah.edu/climate/2020/may2020/202005_map.png
Graph: https://www.nsstc.uah.edu/climate/2020/may2020/202005_bar.png
Record Cold Upper Mesospheric Temperatures Suggest Another Good Noctilucent Cloud Viewing Season
By Roy Spencer, His Blog, May 31, 2020
Changing Weather
Unprecedented? No, Liz [Bentley], Go Away & Check The Facts
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, June 1, 2020
“And, of course, coming from the Head of the Royal Met Society [Liz Bentley], it has the voice of authority. Surely she knows all of the facts?
“Well, weather such as this is not ‘unprecedented’ or ‘concerning’, so why has she said it is?”
“The existence of high pressure blocking, as we have seen this spring, is nothing new either. Back in May 1980, this article appeared in The Times:
“Note as well the penultimate paragraph about the Little Ice Age.”
1919 or 2019? Halifax Precipitation Edition
By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, June 3, 2020
https://climatediscussionnexus.com/2020/06/03/1919-or-2019-halifax-precipitation-edition/
The Highest Cloud Tops in Many Years for Western Washington
By Cliff Mass, Weather Blog, June 3, 2020
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-highest-cloud-tops-in-many-years.html
Changing Climate
Tibetan pollen speaks inconvenient truth
By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, June 3, 2020
https://climatediscussionnexus.com/2020/06/03/tibetan-pollen-speaks-inconvenient-truth/
Changing Cryosphere – Land / Sea Ice
End Of May Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Highest In Five Years… No Evidence Of Warming Or Melting
By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, May 31, 2020
Spring feeding season almost over for polar bears & sea ice becomes less important
By Susan Crockford, Polar Bear Science, June 4, 2020
New Study: Arctic Waters Were 4°C Warmer Than Today And Nearly Sea-Ice Free Year-Round ~4100 Years Ago
By Kenneth Richard, No Tricks Zone, May 28, 2020
Changing Earth
Study shows erosion of ozone layer responsible for mass extinction event
By Staff Writers, Southampton UK (SPX), May 28, 2020
UV-B radiation was the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary terrestrial extinction kill mechanism
By John E. A. Marshall, Science, May 27, 2020
https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/22/eaba0768
Acidic Waters
Team works to characterize ocean acidification throughout coastal North America
By Adam Thomas, University of Delaware, June 1, 2020 [H/t Bernie Kepshire]
https://phys.org/news/2020-06-team-characterize-ocean-acidification-coastal.html
Link to paper: Controls on surface water carbonate chemistry along North American ocean margins
By Wei-Jun Cai, et al., Nature Communications, June 1, 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-16530-z
[SEPP Comment: Another example of political rhetoric, The introduction of the paper opens with a false statement: “Absorption of anthropogenic CO2 from the atmosphere has acidified the ocean, as indicated by increases in sea surface pCO2…” As long as the pH remains above 7, oceans are still alkaline, not acidic.]
Agriculture Issues & Fear of Famine
New Study: Climate Impact Of Grazing Cattle Overestimated
By David Whitehouse, GWPF, June 5, 2020
https://www.thegwpf.com/new-study-climate-impact-of-grazing-cattle-overestimated/
Link to paper: Elucidating three-way interactions between soil, pasture and animals that regulate nitrous oxide emissions from temperate grazing systems
By G.A.McAuliffe, et al, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Sep 15, 2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880920301638?via%3Dihub
Un-Science or Non-Science?
Study shows today’s atmospheric carbon dioxide levels greater than 23 million-year record
By Staff Writers, Boulder CO (SPX), Jun 02, 2020
Link to paper: Study Shows Today’s Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels Greater than the Past 23 Million-Year Record
By Ying Cui; Brian A. Schubert; A. Hope Jahren, Geology, June 1, 2020
https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/News/pr/2020/20-17.aspx
[SEPP Comment: Question the method: “The team used the fossilized remains of ancient plant tissues to produce a new record of atmospheric CO2 that spans 23 million years of uninterrupted Earth history. They have shown elsewhere that as plants grow, the relative amount of the two stable isotopes of carbon, carbon-12 and carbon-13 changes in response to the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.” Is the recent history fossilized?]
Hydropower plants to support solar and wind energy in West Africa
By Staff Writers, Leuven, Belgium (SPX), May 29, 2020
Smart renewable electricity portfolios in West Africa
By Sebastian Sterl, et al., Nature Sustainability May 25, 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-020-0539-0
From the abstract: “By 2030, renewable electricity in such a regional power pool, with solar and wind contributing about 50%, could be at least 10% cheaper than electricity from natural gas.”
[SEPP Comment: No measurements of wind and solar outages or natural gas costs. Just vague comments that wind and solar are becoming cheaper, which is questionable if the costs of storage are included. More green promises.]
Lowering Standards
Lancet, New England Journal retract Covid-19 studies, including one that raised safety concerns about malaria drugs
By Andrew Joseph, STAT, June 4, 2020
Huge Lancet study that was used to stop HCQ trials has been retracted
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, June 5, 2020
http://joannenova.com.au/2020/06/huge-lancet-study-was-used-to-stop-hcq-trials-has-been-retracted/
BBC’s Fake Claim About “Hottest May”
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, June 5, 2020
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2020/06/05/bbcs-fake-claim-about-hottest-may/
Communicating Better to the Public – Use Yellow (Green) Journalism?
BBC Alarmed By A Sunny Spring!
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, May 30, 2020
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2020/05/30/bbc-alarmed-by-a-sunny-spring/
Link to: Met Office 3-month Outlook, Period: May – July 2020
By Staff, Met Office, April 23, 2020
From e-month Outlook: “Overall, the probability that the UK-average temperature for May-June-July will fall into the coldest of our five categories is between 5% and 10%, and the probability that it will fall into the warmest of our five categories is between 50% and 55% (the 1981-2010 probability for each of these categories is 20%).
““Context:
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a neutral phase and is likely to remain so throughout this forecast period. It is therefore not expected to have a significant effect on UK weather. Sea surface temperatures are below average across the North Atlantic Ocean west of the UK. This pattern has been linked to greater incidence of high pressure in summer, implying increased chances of higher-than-normal temperatures in the Outlook period.” [Boldface added]
Here’s every environmental protection in Canada that has been suspended, delayed and cancelled during COVID-19
By Emma McIntosh, Canada’s National Observer, June 3, 2020 [H/t Dennis Ambler]
[SEPP Comment: Complete with a photo of chimneys billowing dense clouds of what appears to be smoke, but probably steam.
Communicating Better to the Public – Exaggerate, or be Vague?
Mississippi Delta marshes in a state of irreversible collapse, study shows
Remaining marshes in the Mississippi Delta are likely to drown
New Release, NSF, May 29, 2020
https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=300662&WT.mc_id=USNSF_1
[SEPP Comment: More political rhetoric from NSF. The start period of the study was 7,000 years ago during the melting of glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere.]
Ocean uptake of carbon dioxide could drop as carbon emissions are cut
By Kevin Krajick, Earth Institute at Columbia University, June 3, 2020 [H/t Bernie Kepshire]
https://phys.org/news/2020-06-ocean-uptake-carbon-dioxide-emissions.html
Link to paper: External Forcing Explains Recent Decadal Variability of the Ocean Carbon Sink
By Galen A. McKinley, et al. AGU Advances, June 3, 2020
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019AV000149
Communicating Better to the Public – Make things up.
It’s gone even if it’s still here
By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, June 3, 2020
https://climatediscussionnexus.com/2020/06/03/its-gone-even-if-its-still-here/
Sloppy Media: Veteran Meteorologist Slams DPA/Media Warnings Of Record Hot Europe Summer As A Lie
By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, May 30, 2020
Study: Integrating satellite and socioeconomic data to improve climate change policy
News Release, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, May 29, 2020 [H/t WUWT]
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/uoia-sis052920.php
“Extreme climate events, such as drought and flood, changes in urban and rural population and economic conditions are driving the changes from forest to shrub land in the southeast region of Bangladesh,” Jain said.
[SEPP Comment: Droughts and floods never happened before in Bangladesh?]
Communicating Better to the Public – Use Propaganda
Public Manipulation: German ARD Television Using Red Hot Weather Charts For Showing Cool Temperatures
By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, June 2, 2020
A desperate Press Release from “Climate Power 2020
By Anthony Watts, WUWT, June 2, 2020
[SEPP Comment: Slogan from Climate Power 2020: “We Believe in Science. Donald Trump Does Not.” Is this the science by mob rule?]
Expanding the Orthodoxy
IMF: Investors are Ignoring Climate Change Risks
By Eric Worrall, WUWT, May 30, 2020
[SEPP Comment: The influence of the IMF is diminishing deservedly.]
Questioning European Green
Inter-Connector Merry-Go-Round
By Mike Travers, GWPF, May 4, 2020
BBC’s Global Green Deal Delusion
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, June 1, 2020
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2020/06/01/bbcs-global-green-deal-delusion/
“He repeats the commonly made claim that renewables are cheaper than conventional energy, but fails to explain why bailout money should be spent developing them.
“In the real world, of course, the opposite is true. With ultra low oil prices likely to persist for some time to come, it is fossil fuel energy which will power economic growth.
“The real risk to economies is the broken balance sheets of otherwise perfectly viable companies. If bailout money is not used to address this, no amount of green deal spending will avoid a catastrophic worldwide recession.”
‘For climate protesters, we are like filth’: the German village where coal is still king
Europe is going coal-free, but a vast lignite mine is expanding in eastern Germany and coronavirus has delayed new climate laws
By Anna Saraste in Mühlrose, Guardian, June 1, 2020
Questioning Green Elsewhere
It didn’t work
By John Robson, Climate Discussion Nexus, June 3, 2020
https://climatediscussionnexus.com/2020/06/03/it-didnt-work/
“So billions of dollars, a massive research effort, endless speechifying: You can treat it as evidence that nobody’s doing anything, or that the problem is hard. And once we know your response, we know what you are.”
Funding Issues
Reuters: Poor Nations insist the Rich should not use Covid-19 to Avoid Climate Cash Payouts
By Eric Worrall, WUWT, June 4, 2020
Reuters: Brazil Slashing Climate Change Budgets
By Eric Worrall, WUWT, June 2, 2020
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/06/02/reuters-brazil-slashing-climate-change-budgets/
Second Trump term would kill chances of world keeping climate change to 2°C, say scientists
Four more years of climate inaction by a US administration would make it almost impossible for world to meet Paris Agreement targets, study reveals
By Leigh Collins, Recharge, June 1, 2020 [H/t Dennis Ambler]
[SEPP Comment: Demonstrating the highly politicized world of “science.”]
Biden’s Green New Deal Turns One
By Robert Bradley, Jr. Institute for Energy Research, June 3, 2020
https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/climate-change/bidens-green-new-deal-turns-one/
House Democrats roll out $500B green transportation infrastructure bill
By Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, June 3, 2020
Litigation Issues
Climate Change Litigation Takes an Ominous Turn
By William Savitt, Anitha Reddy, Bita Assad (h/t to Felix Bronstein) Via WUWT, June 4, 2020
Transnational UK Supreme Court Ruling May Open the Floodgates for Global Climate Change Lawsuits
By Eric Worrall, WUWT, May 31, 2020
Energy Issues – Australia
A cold snap in Queensland cut the state’s solar power to just 5% of its average daily output
By Jo Nova, Her Blog, June 4, 2020
“There goes another Gigawatt — there one day and gone the next”
“the NEM [National Energy Market] is becoming increasingly dependent on the weather“
“Not surprisingly the same clouds that ruined the large solar farms also wrecked the rooftop solar.”
“Coal was, of course, what saved Queensland:”
“We need an Intervention”: Desperate Aussie Manufacturers Demand Cheaper Energy
By Eric Worrall, WUWT, May 31, 2020
Energy Issues — US
Destroying the environment to save it
By Paul Driessen, WUWT, May 31, 2020
Renewables Overtake Coal, But Lag Far Behind Oil And Natural Gas
By Robert Rapier, Forbes, May 31, 2020
Virginia Is Deluding Itself About Green Energy
By Francis Menton, Manhattan Contrarian, May 30, 2020
https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2020-5-30-virginia-is-deluding-itself-about-green-energy
CFACT Makes It Official: The Virginia Clean Economy Act is a Disaster
By Collister Johnson, CFACT, June 2, 2020
Oil and Natural Gas – the Future or the Past?
Defund the Police… Because Climate Change
By David Middleton, WUWT, June 6, 2020
[SEPP Comment: The appeal to anarchy in the post is so absurd that TWTW initially ignored it. However, Middleton reproduces a graph and table from Rystad Energy indicating that existing onshore fields have plenty of oil that can be produced at $42/bbl]
Fossil Fuels for Decades and Beyond
By Frank Clemente, Real Clear Energy, June 04, 2020
https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2020/06/04/fossil_fuels_for_decades_and_beyond_495202.html
New study reveals cracks beneath giant, methane gushing craters
By Maja Sojtaric, Phys.org, June 5, 2020 [H/t Bernie Kepshire]
https://phys.org/news/2020-06-reveals-beneath-giant-methane-gushing.html
Link to paper: Geological controls of giant crater development on the Arctic seafloor
By Malin Waage, et al. Nature Scientific Reports, May 21, 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-65018-9
[SEPP Comment: In the late 1970s, when Vincent McKelvey an authority on methane and director of the U.S. Geological Survey stated there was 3,000 to 4,000 times more methane in hydrates than the US was consuming annually, the Carter Administration got rid of him, claiming the US was about to run out..]
Return of King Coal?
Thanks to Asia, Coal Is Still King Worldwide
By Mary Hutzler POWER Mag, May 26, 2020
https://www.powermag.com/thanks-to-asia-coal-is-still-king-worldwide/
Germany Brings Last New Coal Plant Online
By Darrell Proctor, Power Mag, June 2, 2020
https://www.powermag.com/germany-brings-last-new-coal-plant-online/
Oil Spills, Gas Leaks & Consequences
Russia declares emergency after 20,000 tons of diesel leak near Arctic Circle
By Zack Budryk, The Hill, June 4, 2020
Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Solar and Wind
Parasitic Power: Intermittent Wind & Solar Take More From Power Grid Than They Ever Add
By Jay Lehr, Stopthesethings, May 23, 2020
Renewable Energy Threatens Thousands Of ‘Globally Important Biodiversity Areas’ – And It’s Worsening
By Kenneth Richard, No Tricks Zone, June 1, 2020
Link to paper: Renewable energy development threatens many globally important biodiversity areas
By José Andrés Rehbein, et al., Global Change Biology, March 2020
In New York and New England, Wind Energy Projects Are “Like Siting Landfills. Nobody Wants Them.”
By Robert Bryce, Real Clear Energy, June 1, 2020 [H/t Bernie Kepshire]
“New Englanders like the idea of wind energy they just don’t want any wind turbines in New England. So, they are putting them in New York.”
Big Wind Throws in the Towel in Lapeer County, Michigan (grassroots environmentalism prevails)
By Robert Bradley Jr., Master Resource, June 3, 2020
https://www.masterresource.org/wind-turbine-noise-issues/big-wind-loses-lapeer-county/
Energy & Environmental Newsletter: June 2, 2020
By John Droz, Jr. Master Resource, June 2, 2020
Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Energy — Other
World’s First Integrated Hydrogen Power-to-Power Demonstration Launched
By Sonal Patel, Power Mag, June 4, 2020
https://www.powermag.com/worlds-first-integrated-hydrogen-power-to-power-demonstration-launched/
[SEPP Comment: Wonder what the net efficiency will be?
When dams cause more problems than they solve, removing them can pay off for people and nature
By Jon Honea, The Conversation, May 29, 2020 [H/t WUWT]
[SEPP Comment: Many older dams in New England were built for industry before fossil fuels were used to generate electrical power. They are of questionable value. Also, earthen dams can be dangerous.]
Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Energy — Storage
Finding balance between green energy storage, harvesting
By Staff Writers, Washington DC (SPX), Jun 03, 2020
Link to paper: Wind and photovoltaic potential in Europe in the context of mid-term energy storage featured
By Jacek Kapica, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, June 2, 2020
https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.5131560
From the abstract: “If the reliability of the power supply has to be increased from 95% to 98%, the nominal power of the photovoltaic generator has to be increased, depending on the assumed days of autonomy, between 1.25 and 1.45 times and the power of the wind turbine at 50 m between 1.3 and 2 times for the greater number of locations”
[SEPP Comment: For modern civilization, anything less than 99.99% reliability is unacceptable.]
How efficient are solar power storage systems?
‘Testbench’ project improves quality of measurement results and facilitates comparison
News Release, Karlsruher Institute For Technology (KIT) June 4, 2020 [H/t WUWT]
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06/kift-hea060420.php
[SEPP Comment: An attempt to establish standards.]
Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Vehicles
Country’s battery electric car strategy is ‘doomed to failure’
Andrew Forster, TransportXtra, June 1, 2020
Link to paper cited earlier: Electrifying the UK and the want of engineering (pdf)
By Michael Kelly, GWPF, May 2020
https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2020/05/KellyDecarb-1.pdf
Electric Corsa–A Snip At Only £33,310
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, June 3, 2020
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2020/06/03/electric-corsa-a-snip-at-only-33310/
“I would have thought that forcing people to buy cars, which they don’t want, which cost twice the normal price and which manufacturers don’t want to make, would have the opposite effect!”
BBC Puff For Duracell Airplanes
By Paul Homewood, Not a Lot of People Know That, May 30, 2020
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2020/05/30/bbc-puff-for-duracell-airplanes/
“This in turn severely limits the carrying capacity and range. The idea, as suggested, that ‘hopes for one day powering commercial airplanes with electricity instead of fossil fuels took a big leap forward this week’ is frankly absurd.”
Oh Mann!
Because …. Climate
By Tony Heller, His Blog, May 31, 2020
https://realclimatescience.com/2020/05/because-climate/
Other Scientific News
Enterprising Private Sector Propels US in Space
By Larry Bell, Newsmax, June 1, 2020
https://www.newsmax.com/larrybell/aldrin-armstrong-musk-spacex/2020/06/01/id/969883/
NASA Astronauts Launch from America in Historic Test Flight of SpaceX Crew Dragon
News Release, NASA, May 30, 2020 [H/t WUWT]
Other News that May Be of Interest
‘Madness of Crowds’ Shakes American Freedoms
By Michael Walsh, Epoch Times, May 20, 2020
https://www.theepochtimes.com/madness-of-crowds-shakes-american-freedoms_3357233.html#Print
Irish Potato Famine: How Belief In Overpopulation Leads To Human Evil
By Alex Berezow, PhD, ACSH, May 14, 2020
Climate resolutions fail at Chevron, Exxon
Forty-six percent of investors backed the Chevron proposal, compared with 25 percent of Exxon Mobil shareholders.
By Zack Colman, Politico, June 2, 2020
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/02/climate-resolutions-fail-at-chevron-exxon-297455
China’s Giant Fishing Fleet Depletes Stocks Around The World
By Staff, The Times, Via GWPF, June 2, 2020
https://www.thegwpf.com/giant-chinese-fishing-fleet-depletes-stocks-around-the-world/
BELOW THE BOTTOM LINE:
NASA scientist Dr. Kate Marvel links ‘climate change’ to ‘white supremacy’ – ‘We’ll never head off climate catastrophe without dismantling white supremacy’ – Calls for climate & racial ‘justice’
By Marc Morano, Climate Depot, June 2, 2020
Claim: George Floyd Protests Are Linked to Climate Change
By Eric Worrall, WUWT, June 2, 2020
[SEPP Comment; From State College, the home of Penn State.]
Manntastic question: Death or Utopia in the Next Three Decades?
By Anthony Watts, WUWT, June 1, 2020
Sponsors: The Asilomar Microcomputer Workshop and The Stanford EE Colloquium on Computer Systems.
ARTICLES
How WHO Really Feels About China
Officials coddled Beijing publicly while privately doubting its honesty.
Editorial, WSJ, June 3, 2020
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-who-really-feels-about-china-11591226923?mod=opinion_lead_pos4
TWTW Summary: The editorial states:
“International agencies like the World Health Organization often praise misbehaving regimes publicly while pushing for improvement privately. Bureaucrats say this is the best way to get cooperation, but the Covid-19 outbreak shows how this undermines an agency’s credibility.
“‘The speed with which China detected the outbreak, isolated the virus, sequenced the genome and shared it with WHO and the world are very impressive, and beyond words,’ WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus declared on Jan. 30 after returning from Beijing. ‘I left in absolutely no doubt about China’s commitment to transparency.’
“While Dr. Tedros was gushing in public, WHO officials were privately fretting about Beijing’s secrecy—and its deadly consequences. That news comes from recordings of internal WHO meetings obtained by the Associated Press that show China failed to report information quickly and comprehensively. At best Beijing provided the minimum required of WHO members.
“Chinese doctors began noticing clusters of a new virus in late December. By Dec. 27 a Chinese lab had decoded most of the Covid-19 virus. A Chinese researcher sequenced the entire genome Jan. 2 and others followed. Yet on Jan. 3 China’s National Health Commission ordered virus samples destroyed or turned over to the government. Labs were forbidden from sharing information or warning the public.
“A quickly disseminated genome would have helped other countries identify and contain the virus. It is also critical for the production of tests, treatments and a vaccine.
The Journal on Jan. 8 broke the news that a new coronavirus had been identified in China, an embarrassment to Chinese and WHO officials. Chinese state media then announced the news. But government labs published the genome only after it appeared on a virology website on Jan. 11. Beijing held back other critical patient data for two more weeks.
“Amid the blackout, WHO emergency chief Michael Ryan lamented privately that ‘we’re two to three weeks into an event, we don’t have a laboratory diagnosis, we don’t have an age, sex or geographic distribution, we don’t have an epi curve.’ WHO’s representative in China complained ‘when asked for specifics, we could get nothing.’
“Dr. Ryan also warned that ‘other countries will have to reinvent the wheel over the coming days’ if China wasn’t more forthcoming. He noted that WHO previously rebuked Tanzania for not being forthcoming about an Ebola outbreak: ‘We have to be consistent.’ No such rebuke would come.
“While China kept others in the dark, it prepared. A Chinese researcher concluded the virus was likely contagious on Jan. 5 and informed the National Health Commission. By Jan. 14 Chinese officials were preparing for an epidemic. Yet WHO tweeted the same day that ‘preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.’”
After giving other examples of the questionable behavior by WHO officials, article concludes with
“The evidence shows that WHO officials refused to call out China even as they had grave doubts about what China was telling them. In the process they deceived the world. What good is a global health agency that won’t tell the truth about a pandemic?”
Whatever happened to the totally corrupt and defrauder, Jagadish Shukla?
Hair splitting. The section on ocean acidification needs to be clarified. The example of pH 14 to pH13 is extreme and no one would say a solution of pH 13 is acidic compared with pH14. However, in a physiological sense a pH that is outside the normal range of blood pH is called acidosis or alkalosis, depending on whether it is below or above the normal range, in both cases the pH is still above 7, I.e. alkaline, even in acidosis. Acidosis does not mean being acidotic.
“For electricity that does the full trip, from the Netherlands to the UK to Belgium, the conversion process is only 90% efficient. So, 60 MW of electricity is simply being converted to heat and lost; at the windspeeds prevailing that weekend, this is the equivalent of the output of 150 onshore wind turbines.”
Amazingly somehow, to somebody, this has actually come to make sense. The regulatory system has become so convoluted that everyone along the decision-making path is convinced that they exercised the correct judgement for their own particular little turd island, despite the end result being insane.
If it is, it won’t be those bulbs who make the future bright. I would have thought that Brexit might have prevented this kind of stupidity; is it not yet sufficiently complete?
Just watched ‘Ocean Autopsy’ & couldn’t believe the mis-representation of science wrt CO2 & CH4; the plastic & PCB pollution plus our excess medications being flushed down the toilet are obviously bad but … well watch yourselves on BBC iPlayer (if you can abroad):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000jy2l/ocean-autopsy-the-secret-story-of-our-seas
“Parasitic Power: Intermittent Wind & Solar Take More From Power Grid Than They Ever Add”
So, for a windmill delivering 1000 kilowatts (1 megawatt) at capacity you need 1000 kilowatts of spinning reserve which operates full time using 900 kilowatts of fossil fuel equivalent so when the wind quits blowing the spinning reserve can pick up the load. Net savings 100 kilowatts fuel equivalent times the capacity factor, some of the time. Add the capital costs for the spinning reserve to the capital costs for the windmill, is it really worth it?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52973089 we may not have been using coal, but we have been using natural gas.
“Cristobal is forecast to intensify and become post-tropical later today as the energetic upper trough approaches from the west. Winds are forecast to reach gale force over the waters of the Great Lakes as the post-tropical cyclone passes in a close distance early on Wednesday. Heavy downpours can also be expected near the track of Cristobal. The Great Lakes will continue to see showery and windy conditions into Wednesday as the complex system intensifies further and heads into eastern Canada early on Thursday.”
A minor correction to this article:
“Ignorance: Australian scientist Jennifer Marohasy had an essay on her explorations of the Great Barrier Reef, the efforts of John Cook University (JCU) to suppress Peter Ridd …”
It’s James Cook University named after the noted explorer, Captain James Cook.