Climate clowns galore, but what do they squark about?

Dr Bill Johnston

www.bomwatch.com.au

Australia’s contingent to the circus of COP28 is led by the Government’s top climate-clown Christopher Bowen. But for what precise benefit to Australia?

Bowen’s game-plan is to make promises that can’t be kept; promises that wreck our reliable coal-based energy networks; that export another generation’s-worth of manufacturing jobs off-shore ensuring that we import stuff we once made here, or food we once grew ourselves. Promises of shortages where none should exist, and, with the aid of WWF and their friends in the NGO-sponsored Climate Institute, and the Australian Academy of Science, promises to frighten the Dickens out of millions of Ozzie children with climate horror-stories that will never come to pass.

Background

Following a review of their 2002 book International Environmental Policy: Interests and the Failure of the Kyoto Process, Sonja Boehmer-Christiansen and Aynsley Kellow made the point in reply to reviewer Dr John Zillman that “Governments decided to establish an intergovernmental panel to produce a consensus in advance of any significant evidence of global warming for the political purpose … of assisting the development of a climate convention”. (Article link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14486563.2003.10648590.) As Zillman advocated for the IPCC, and was one of a select group that drafted its terms of reference and oversaw its initial structure and operation, he had both feet in one camp.

Zillman was also Director of the Bureau of Meteorology, a position which gave him considerable leverage within the upper echelons of Australia’s scientific community. From 1978 to 2004 he was Australia’s permanent representative on the World Meteorological Organisation, First Vice President from 1987 to 1995 and then President from 1995 to 2003. The WMO and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) set-up the IPCC in 1988. Its First Assessment Report (FAR) was published in 1990.

However, the IPCC was set up only to endorse, synthesise and report on the science in the context of “understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation”. It was beyond its remit to question or verify that the science was sound (https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/09/ipcc-principles.pdf).  

Boehmer-Christiansen and Kellow outlined the “important ways in which (the IPCC) falls short of normally accepted scientific standards of conduct: lead authors acting as editors; lead authors inviting contributions; lead authors selecting reviewers; lead authors deciding whether and how to respond to criticisms; the absence of a non-publication option; self-citation; citation of yet-to-appear work….” Then there was Kyoto, then Paris and on it goes like an out-of-control juggernaut.   

The Executive Summary of Chapter 8 of the FAR entitled Detection of the greenhouse effect in the Observations, concluded thus: “The fact that we are unable to reliably detect the predicted signals today does not mean that the greenhouse theory is wrong or that it will not be a serious problem for mankind in the decades ahead”. From that time, finding data that supported the models, and models that fitted the warming hypothesis became the focus of the science and all that followed.

Despite decades of data-fiddling, five more IPCC reports each more strident than the last, and 27 COPs there can be little doubt that the main topic of discussion over canapés and Champagne at COP28 will be: Are we there yet, when will we be there?

chris-bowen-galah-cockatoo-made-from-CC-sources

I’m better by far, than a silly galah, they squeak and squawk and try to talk … (inspired by John Williamson’s Old man Emu)

About:

Bill Johnston is a retired natural resources senior scientist, and experienced weather observer. Interests include agronomy, ecology, climatology, hydrology and soil science. Recent studies relating to temperature data homogenisation are available at www.bomwatch.com.au.

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Tom Halla
December 6, 2023 2:07 pm

The IPCC has a case of “special prosecutor syndrome”, organized to find some wrongdoing. It is very rare for a special prosecutor to admit there was nothing to find.

Paul S
Reply to  Tom Halla
December 6, 2023 3:32 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8xf3U61Ktg
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right

Reply to  Tom Halla
December 7, 2023 11:39 am

I swear I didn’t read this comment before posting mine above. We seem to be of one mind.

ResourceGuy
December 6, 2023 2:08 pm

Just the remember the underlying tenant of all of them globally– “it doesn’t matter if it’s wrong”.

Mr.
Reply to  ResourceGuy
December 6, 2023 2:56 pm

tenet

December 6, 2023 2:14 pm

The fact that we are unable to reliably detect the predicted signals today does not mean that the greenhouse theory is wrong or that it will not be a serious problem for mankind in the decades ahead”.

These “decades” may end around 2030

World’s Top Arctic Scientist Warns Climate Crisis Is a ‘Globalist Scam’

One of the world’s top Arctic scientist’s has spoken out to debunk the “climate crisis” narrative and warn the public that the Earth is actually about to enter a period of “global cooling.”

Top polar scientist Andrey Fedotov of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences declared that “warming is about to end” and Earth is about to enter an “ice age.”

found at Notrickszone

Drake
Reply to  Krishna Gans
December 6, 2023 3:04 pm

Probably inaccurate quote because the Earth is In an Ice Age now, we are just in an interglacial period.

I am sure the Russian scientist, not required to follow the Woke religion as western “scientists” are, knows that fact.

OR it was lost in translation.

John Hultquist
Reply to  Drake
December 6, 2023 5:26 pm

Many folks miss the distinction you mention, but it doesn’t hurt to point it out when you see it.
Here is a start: Interglacial – Wikipedia
Anyone not familiar with this topic should search-up some other sources. Anything regarding climate needs more than one source, especially this wiki place.
Names and dates often vary by region.

Reply to  Krishna Gans
December 6, 2023 4:52 pm

The Sun just started to end a Grand Solar Minimum. The last time this happened was in the 1600s in the Little Ice Age. It may get much colder, we shall see.

Reply to  scvblwxq
December 6, 2023 4:53 pm

…started to enter a …

cgh
Reply to  scvblwxq
December 6, 2023 7:10 pm

The Sun just started to end a Grand Solar Minimum. The last time this happened was in the 1600s in the Little Ice Age. “

Not quite. You are referring to the Maunder Minimum: 1645-1750. There was another one after that in the 19th century – the Dalton Minimum: 1790-1830. Since the end of fhe Dalton, temperatures have been slowly recovering about 1.5 degrees/year. In accordance, the very gradual warming of the world’s oceans has seen an annual sea level rise of about 2-3 mm.

Both periods were marked by very severe winter cold, with the River Thames regularly freezing over during winter. In London, there were ice fairs out on the river ice, something which has not occurred since the early 19th century.

Reply to  cgh
December 6, 2023 11:39 pm

True the last ‘Grand Solar Minimum’ occurred during the dark ages and was characterised by its extreme duration. I’m very much hoping this one will be a Minimum, not a Grand Minimum.

Reply to  cgh
December 7, 2023 9:49 pm

1.5 degrees/year? /century?

Reply to  cgh
December 10, 2023 7:51 am

G’Day cgh

“… since the early 19th century.”

Thames River reported frozen: 1801/2, 1811, 1812/3, 1819/20, 1838 (blocked by ice), 1854/5, 1892/3.

Frozen seven times between 1800 and 1900. Compares to nine times for the 1600 to 1700 period.

Reply to  scvblwxq
December 10, 2023 7:35 am

G’Day scvblwxq,

“…in the 1600s…”

Between 1600 and 1700 there are nine years that reported freezing of the Thames River at London. The earliest was in 134 AD, the latest 1892/3.

Between 2AD and 1900 there were 66 reports of the Thames freezing. We’ve had a 130 year break. If ‘mini’ ice-ages are periodic we’re probably about due for one. (I haven’t tried to graph the data – yet.)

jimbob
December 6, 2023 2:27 pm

When will the COPs end .. never!! They like the Champagne and canapes too much. Carbon Footprint with 400,000 attending .. Mehhh, when’s dinner??

Reply to  jimbob
December 6, 2023 11:42 pm

As long as the western political elite are all signed up to this insanity then it will be difficult to shift them. Here and there, though, there are signs of a bit of a pushback. Time will tell.

Sommer
Reply to  Richard Page
December 7, 2023 6:05 am

Here’s an article at STT that might give you insight to the complexities of managing large scale renewables in Australia.
https://stopthesethings.com/2023/12/07/frozen-supply-unreliable-wind-solar-means-us-faces-more-winter-blackouts/

Rud Istvan
December 6, 2023 2:41 pm

The GHE theory is correct in principle. First experimentally shown by Tyndall in 1859.
BUT its magnitude and therefore significance is very uncertain. The alarmists base their future alarm on climate models that are provably ‘off’ and do not account for natural variation. So far, all the ‘happened by now’ predictions based on those models have NOT happened—‘off’.

COP28 is failing. Third world wants to hijack first world money bigly for ‘loss and damage’ that doesn’t exist. Greenies want to phase out fossil fuels with NO other solution for renewable intermittency. China and India won’t play Kerry’s ‘no coal’ game.
Attendance went from ~40k last year in Glasgow to ~70k this year in Dubai. Maybe the host venue amenities? Glasgow is rather damp and very chilly this time of year, Dubai rather dry and warm but over its summer heat. A global warming conference better attended where it is warmer. What could that mean?

William Howard
Reply to  Rud Istvan
December 6, 2023 3:07 pm

And if you think that removing a tiny, insignificant, barely measurable amount
of CO2 (amounting to something like 1 one hundredth of 1% of the atmosphere) from the atmosphere will solve all climate issues then you have lost all common sense

Reply to  William Howard
December 6, 2023 5:06 pm

The oceans which have 70 time the CO2 in the air is in equilibrium with the atmosphere so if some CO2 is removed from the atmosphere the CO2 in the oceans will replace it.

Mr.
Reply to  Rud Istvan
December 6, 2023 3:08 pm

Yes its kinda understandable that after the CoPers froze their asses off in Copenhagen in December 2009 and then backed up for another ass-freezing in Glasgow in 2019 that they looked for warmer climes.

Otherwise they could be accused of being slow learners, doing the same thing over & over and expecting a different outcome.

Oh wait . . .

Reply to  Rud Istvan
December 6, 2023 4:59 pm

When COVID-19 started in 2020 human emissions dropped by 6% yet the CO2 in the atmosphere kept increasing at the same rate. Human reduction of CO2 didn’t make a bit of difference, at least to the eye.
https://www.co2.earth/monthly-co2

Reply to  scvblwxq
December 7, 2023 2:35 pm

Desperately estimated and completely unproven.

1saveenergy
Reply to  Rud Istvan
December 6, 2023 5:09 pm

“The GHE theory is correct in principle. First experimentally shown by Tyndall in 1859.

No, it was Eunice Foote in 1856;

Her paper was read before the American Association for the Advancement of Science on 23 August 1856.

In 1896 (using Foote & Tyndalls results ) Svante Arrhenius published his incorrect findings,(the one everybody quotes) widely criticized at the time by the likes of Anders Ångström; so in 1906, Arrhenius published his corrected 2nd paper … the one nobody reads !!

Mr.
Reply to  Bill Johnston
December 6, 2023 8:33 pm

I wonder if the extreme weather attribution researchers can shed any light on this one?

Reply to  Bill Johnston
December 6, 2023 11:47 pm

He’s copying what Biden did, next he’ll start falling asleep during presentations. They really don’t care how rude and insulting they are to others, do they?

Reply to  Richard Page
December 7, 2023 12:31 am

Thanks Richard,

While speaking out his exhaust pipe for years, CNN’s Becky Anderson finally got to sniff the rat (to coin a phrase of course).

Australian’s are still left with the Bowen problem, tho.

Cheers,

Bill

gyan1
December 6, 2023 3:29 pm

Scientific fraud has become the gold standard for climate research. Bias, false assumptions, cherry picked data and circular reasoning dominate.

Reply to  gyan1
December 6, 2023 11:50 pm

Apparently someone taught them that the ends justify the means, any means.
Someone should’ve taught them that the means or method you use taints the end result, twisting and corrupting it unless you are extremely careful.

John Hultquist
December 6, 2023 5:33 pm

The top image appears to be missing a couple of blades. Could be a COPtical illusion.

Geoff Sherrington
December 6, 2023 6:53 pm

The best analysis of global warming/climate change consequences that I have ever seen is on this youtube by Viscount Christopher Monckton, with whom I have had the pleasure to meet.
It is lengthy, but it is so easy to understand and so important that I encourage all to read it and spread it.
Also recommended required reading for understanding the science is Dr Bill Johnston’s BomWatch blog. If you do not know of his studies, you are missing a vital part of the story that shakes its foundations.

Geoff S

cgh
December 6, 2023 7:19 pm

But for what precise benefit to Australia?”

The answer should be obvious. Bowen and his friends in government and political allies get a tax-payer paid holiday to a luxury vacation in Dubai at the finest of hotels and best of cuisines.

This is as bad as Sharm El-Shaikh last year. Does anyone expect any work being done at a party town with thousands of private jets parked at the airport, thousands of Europe’s most skilled whores present to serve the aristocrats and a mob of more than 70,000 attending the world’s biggest party?

If anyone thinks this is about any serious work being done, well, there’s a bridge over the East River in New York I can sell you.

Reply to  cgh
December 6, 2023 8:22 pm

There is a perfectly good one in Sydney as well!

(I enjoyed reading your comments, thanks.)

Reply to  cgh
December 6, 2023 10:31 pm

thousands of Europe’s most skilled whores present to serve the aristocrats 

By “skilled whores” do you mean climate “scientists”?

Reply to  Redge
December 6, 2023 11:54 pm

Only some of them, quite a few are incompetent mediocre talents that just don’t know any better and don’t have the wit or intelligence to find out the truth.

observa
December 7, 2023 5:53 am

Speaking of the billionaire’s club here’s Twitty Forrest getting in on the act-
COP28 Summit is ‘billionaires’ telling the rest of the world ‘what to do’ (msn.com)
Made a motzah out of iron ore and now it goes to his head that he should be a big wheel saving the world from global boiling. So much for the Sun Cable fantasy powering Singapore and now he’s off rubbing shoulders with the usual suspects subsidy mining. Stick to your remit Twitty flogging iron ore to China to cook it up with coal.

observa
Reply to  observa
December 7, 2023 6:10 am
December 7, 2023 11:38 am

“The Executive Summary of Chapter 8 of the FAR entitled Detection of the greenhouse effect in the Observations, concluded thus: ‘The fact that we are unable to reliably detect the predicted signals today does not mean that the greenhouse theory is wrong or that it will not be a serious problem for mankind in the decades ahead’.”

That tells us all we need to know. Imagine a prosecutor explaining to a judge that “Well sure, in the absence of any reliable evidence, we haven’t proven the defendant guilty of mass murder and all other forms of evil, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be guilty and he might well do enormous harm to little children in future. We entreat the court to remove his head in the swiftest and bloodiest manner possible.

Neither science nor justice are meant to work this way. An opinion, a belief, a hunch, or a gut feeling are not objective evidence of anything. The point of science is to insulate ourselves from those ingrained tendencies to reach conclusions based on anything other than objective evidence. The point of the IPCC is to reinforce those belief systems regardless of objective evidence.

December 7, 2023 9:43 pm

The author reports:

 …the IPCC was set up only to endorse, synthesise and report on the science in the context of “understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation”. It was beyond its remit to question or verify that the science was sound (https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/09/ipcc-principles.pdf).
 
A couple years ago I found this:

6 December 1988
43/53 Protection of global climate for present and future generations of mankind
The General Assembly, “…Conservatism of climate as part of the common heritage of mankind.”
Concerned that human activities could change global climate patterns, threatening present and future generations with potentially economic and social consequences.
Noting with concern that the emerging evidence indicates that continued growth in atmosphere concentrations of “greenhouse” gases could produce (sea level rise).

Comment

We climate realists are critical of the IPCC, but an argument can be made that their alarmism is due to their Charter. They’re just doing their job: Scrounging around for any possible risk, regardless of the unlikeliness of a threat or the need “for adaptation and mitigation”.