Wednesday, January 30, 2013

J.Lovelock:Climate Change Apostate? Or Irrelevant?

The blogosphere seems all a twitter with James Lovelock, originator of the Gaia Hypothesis.  He has become another darling of the anti global warming awareness echo-chamber.  These voices are presenting Lovelock as though he has something to add to the global warming discussion.  But, the thing is, Lovelock's perspective has always been out of step with what the expert community was saying, as Joe Romm explains at the end of this post.

We need to learn from climate specialists, not provocative imaginative thinkers, authors who make extensive use of "writers-license" in their books and articles with an eye towards sales rather than fidelity to the scientific reality.


Let's review Lovelock's words - first off, notice he's talking about his
 own perceptions and claims?   

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Donna Laframboise's Blind Spot... and the Manhattan Project


Open note to Donna Laframboise,
I don't understand how your attacks on the IPCC and it's authors have received so much mileage.  Besides dishonestly portraying the IPCC as something looked at like a "Bible" you ignore most of the IPCC process and misrepresent the rest.  

Worst is your venomous attacks on young scientists.

Here's how you put it in your "The Delinquent Teenager":

"But rather than being written by a meticulous, upstanding professional in business attire (aka the world’s top scientists & best experts), the Climate Bible is produced by a slapdash, slovenly teenager who has trouble distinguishing right from wrong (aka, activists, 20-something graduate students, people appointed due to their gender or their country).
The world needs to confront the folly that is the IPCC."

Your shrill derision of young scientists totally ignores the fact that young men and women have been the backbone of science through the generations.  

For example, the Atomic Bomb could never have been developed without those 20-something graduate students; scientists; mathematicians you show such dripping contempt for.

Here is a review and I ask Donna to consider where the Manhattan Project would have been without these fine young minds? 


This information was gathered mainly from 
Manhattan Project Heritage Preservation Association
and  Wikipedia.com searches:

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Australian’s War on Science ~ A Chronicle by Tim Lambert



{updated 1/18/2013}



Recently someone that's been "debating" with me at the "SkepticForum"  who has been a reliable contributor of insults and echo-chamber cut'n pastes and misdirections ~ 

well this character decided that instead of trying to counter all the evidence of continued global warming, { That is explanations and links to resources with information and scientific arguments } with logical discussion - this "skeptic" decided an animation of an exploding head was the appropriate response.  

Now, that a couple days {and counting} have past, it seems the moderators of said forum feel that sort of outrage is fine'n dandy.  Obscenity is strictly verboten, show some boobs and you're history... but reply to a serious conversation with an animation of an exploding head... and it's considered within SkepticForum's perception of fair play.  Well, perhaps skepticism for the sake of skepticism is their guiding principle, silly me, how could I have ever expected more from that crowd.  

I admit to still being a bit upset, though my experience at that site has given me an appreciation for the unjustifiable ruthlessness of the attacks respectable, professional scientists have had to endure at the hands of little more than politically motivated thugs.

As it happens I came across one of Tim Lambert's posts today and it reminded me of the long running series he's written about the orchestrated Attack On Science in The Australian.  An attack with the intent of shutting down learning and forever freezing any proactive initiative to slow down our injection of global warming causing gases into our thin atmosphere.

So as part of my "healing process"  I decided to compile an index of Tim Lambert's articles examining the strategic attack on science as it is carried out in the pages of  
The Australian newspaper.  

Tim Lambert thank you for all the work you have done to try and shine some light on this travesty.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It's a long list, take a look

Murdering a scientific paper on sea-level rise – the Graham Lloyd way

Here is another example of the base dishonesty of the denialist crowd.  Thanks to the author Graham Readfearn and desmogblog.com for their generous reposting policy which allows informative articles like this to be shared among a wider audience.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 


How The Australian Newspaper Warps The World of Climate Science (via Desmogblog)
THERE is a publication in Australia where for every one story you read which agrees society should take firm steps to combat climate change, there are four stories suggesting we shouldn’t. When climate change is viewed through the pages of this publication, most of the world’s “experts” think…

Monday, January 14, 2013

Tobacco industry & Heidelberg appeal ~ T/H to jules-klimaat.blogspot

I came across this when researching my previous post and I figured it deserves to be up here, since it exposes the fraudulent nature of the attack on scientists and climate science in particular, although by no means limited to the AGW issue.  
I found it at Jules-Klimaat.blogspot.com, but it comes via the Tobacco Legacy Documents library. 



http://jules-klimaat.blogspot.com/2009/09/heidelberg-appeal.html

Tobacco industry & Heidelberg appeal 
This document and this one which were made public in the Tobacco Legacy Documents library leave no doubt about the roots of the Heidelberg Appeal. I’ve mentioned before that when the science was leaving less and less doubt that second-hand tobacco smoke indeed IS harmful; the tobacco industry in the 80’ies & beginning of the 90’ies was looking for a allies to form a broader coalition to attack science. this document by tobacco industry law firm APCO provides a brilliant insight in what the industry wanted :
As we stated during our meeting in London, we believe that a TASSC-like group can succeed in Europe. European policymakers place a significant amount of importance on objective research - particularly as it relates to technical issues. TASSC, if created properly, can become a credible commentator to complement or spearhead business objections to unfair public policies and pronouncements. 
TASSC climate lobby tobacco astroturfing
Moreover, by creating a coalition that is dedicated over the long run to speak out on issues relating to scientific integrity, TASSC can become a frequent, consistent source of information for media, conferences, etc. - in essence a "watchdog group" that wants scientific facts, not emotional reactions, to determine public policy. When considering the formation of a TASSC-like group in Europe, we think it is important to begin where we started in the United States by identifying some key objectives Specifically, we recommend that a European TASSC be formulated to do the following: 
  • Preempt unilateral action against industry. .
  • Associate anti-industry "scientific" studies-with broader questions about government research and regulations.
  • Link the tobacco issue with other more "politically correct" products.
  • Have non-industry messengers provide reasons for legislators, business executives and media to view policies drawn from unreliable scientific studies with extreme caution.
To achieve those objectives, we encourage a TASSC group in Europe to focus on a few key messages, such as: (i) science should never be corrupted to achieve political ends; (ii) economic growth cannot afford to be held hostage to paternalistic, overregulation; and (iii) improving indoor air quality is a laudable goal that will never be accomplished as long as tobacco smoke is the sole focus of regulators. Obviously, each of the messages needs to be modified to be useful in each of the European nations. 

INTEREST AND SUPPORT IN EUROPE FOR THE ISSUE OF SOUND SCIENCE 
Already, there are several opportunities to establish TASSC in Europe. We have had extensive conversations with our Grey/GCI network in Europe, which encompasses offices in 33 cities and 19 countries. They also are confident that scientists and businesses can be attracted to the group if it is positioned in a credible manner
As a starting point, we can identify key issues requiring sound scientific research and scientists that may have an interest in them. Some issues our European colleagues suggest include: 
  • Global warming
  • Nuclear waste disposal
  • Diseases and pests in agricultural products for transborder trade
  • Biotechnology
  • Eco-labelling for EC products
  • Food processing and packaging
In each of these issues, there has been considerable discussion as to whether sound science is being used as a basis for these decisions. The diversity of these issues, and their tremendous impact upon business and industry, provides an excellent "tie-in" to the work TASSC is currently undertaking in the United States.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Here's a little piece about lying with science that fits in well:
http://rafesagarin.com/lying-with-science/

and here's something with way more depth
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/

In defense of Bjørn Lomborg ???

{Cleaned up this mess 1/25/2014}


I was visiting a discussion forum in a thread about "our dying rivers" when a fake skeptic tried to derail the discussion. One moment the character is claiming I misunderstood a claim made about Water Rights, the next it's: 



"You're dancing about making vague claims with great certainty and dumping on anyone who questions your wisdom.
The idiot bilge"
Where upon my fake skeptic ("f.s.") pal quotes me:

"All American hubris towards our life sustaining biosphere in action."  
~ ~ ~ 
"First honestly understanding what is happening upon our planet,
Then, consider the most cost effective ways to deal with it."
~ ~ ~  
"But that isn't what the contrarian community has done..."
But, then, "f.s." comes at me from left field with one of them Denalist Diversions:

Maybe you can start with the curious case of Bjorn Lomborg and the underhanded attacks against him for doing what you suggest contrarians should do but never do. Mark Lynas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Lynas 
the Green reporter, does the deed here. "That's for all the things you say about the environment that are the complete opposite"
But serious underhanded attacks on Lomborg were committed by academics.
Lomborg's name or claims had never come up in that or any other thread - still suddenly the conversation is supposed to stop discussing the issues causing our rivers to be in such bad shape these days, in order to wrestle with Straw men and Red Herrings.  

But then, having a bit of hyper attention syndrome,  I'm often up for playing fetch the diversion and I've heard of Lomborg enough that I went off looking for information about him.  It was another interesting learning experience and since the chap who made the above comments seems to never read anything I offer, I figure I'll reproduce my response {admittedly, with a little polishing and some additions}.  Who knows maybe someone will read it here... besides there are many links to more informed sources regarding Professor Lomborg, his various claims and his flip-flops

Saturday, January 12, 2013

IFG's Kochtopus - Mapping the Influence of Koch Cash



I've heard and read a little about the Koch brothers, but I had no idea of the scope of their influence.  This information is imaginatively laid out at:
IFG's Kochtopus - Mapping the Influence of Koch Cash

It helps me understand the tenacity of the AGW denial and 'do-nothing' crowd with their shrill bullying presence on the internet and other media outlets.

For yet more background on why the Koch bro's are turning their backs on the future health of our society:

Kochs’ net worth jumps 24% from last year


tip of the hat to the International Forum on Globalization

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Why do people draw fake pictures of global warming?


Recently I was asked:
If he is a fake skeptic then he is not a skeptic, so why is a person who is not a skeptic of global warming drawing fake pictures of global temperatures?

I've been pondering this question and have come to wonder if it isn't because they are unaware of their own denial?

People are so embedded in their life-styles, jobs and faith-system {religious and economic/political} that they are unaware - and worse, uninterested in -  the world outside their insular bubbles.

Add to that the warped diet of Hollyworld fare - including Hollywood movies and the expectations they engender... a gluttonous consumerist mentality that's force fed at every turn.  Then there's the mentality that maximizing ones profits and scrambling for ever more stuff and kicks is life's highest calling.

~ ~ ~
a related side story:
As a carpenter with much experience in high end custom homes and condos.I can tell you it's about the facades and impressing people.   

Economy, functionality, maintenance {meaning to build in a way that minimizes and facilitates long term maintenance}, that stuff takes a back seat most all the time.   

Instead we have a situation where everyone in the chain of construction is trying to squeeze the greatest profit out of the thing.  The architect builds way bigger, fancier than they need to and often beyond clients original desires, (the sales pitch... if it's going to resell you need x,x,x,x,x,  whether you do or not is another question; although then market-expectations comes into the sales-pitch; which brings us back to Hollyworld and our collective ever expanding expectations that are force fed at every turn.). 

Oh but back to the building.  It's not just the architect, after that everyone else in the chain want's you to spend as much as possible, so no one has any incentive to conserve resources or dollars. 
~ ~ ~

And it seems the same fractal is played out throughout our economy.

And all that Hollyworld stuff has painted most all of us into a corner.
It's tough for the fish to recognize the water. 

So we have this situation where...
well, yes, it's true...
from the git go the reality of anthropogenic global warming meant our over the top expectations and life style and economy was going to upend an incredibly beautiful stable period in our planet's climate. 

Accepting the reality that the key to our prosperity - that is fossil fuels - is the key to destroying the biosphere's balance upon which future generations depend...
... meant the collective We The People needed to out-growing our adolescent/twentyish Reaganomics/Randian me, me, me mentality.

It demanded developing a stewardship attitude towards our planet's biosphere and resources, including that thin atmosphere with it's delicate greenhouse gas balance that makes our lives possible.

Most people couldn't... can't, do that.  They can't imagine stepping outside their "comfort zone."

Thus they can listen to the most reasoned evidence loaded explanations regarding global warming and they simply glaze over. 
The reality of the situation vs. their expectations simply overloads their minds.

It's understandable enough.  Self-destructive impulse in humans is one of our hallmarks.

Thus the fake skeptic is born, weaned on the best of intentions, still subconsciously believing they can dictate the future, thus it's OK to manipulate and misrepresent anything they can; and to fall in love with their fantasies.
The AGW consensus is NOT formed by scientists.
The AGW consensus IS compelled by the evidence.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
One Directional Skepticism Equals Denial

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Things Anthropogenic Global Warming deniers got wrong in 2012




8 Things (among many): Deniers got wrong in 2012

*

1.  Sea level 
• http://www.cmar.csiro.au/sealevel/sl_hist_last_15.html



2.  Sea temperature
 • 

========================================


10 Things Deniers failed to tell you about in 2012:


2.  PwC Study: We’re Headed To 11°F Warming And Even 7°F Requires ‘Nearly Quadrupling The Current Rate Of Decarbonisation’ • 

3.  World Meteorological Society: Warming Is ‘Unequivocal’, We’re The ‘Dominant Cause’, We Need ‘Rapid Reduction’ Of CO2 • 

4.  Shocking World Bank Climate Report: ‘A 4°C [7°F] World Can, And Must, Be Avoided’ To Avert ‘Devastating’ Impacts • 

5.  Munich Re: “The only plausible explanation for the rise in weather-related catastrophes is climate change” • 

6.  Research: The Earth Is Warming And Human Activity Is The Primary Cause; The Climate Science Paradigm Grows Stronger • 

7.  Exxon: Carbon Tax Would ‘Play A Significant Role In Addressing Rising Emissions’ • 

8.  Shell: Shell, Unilever Lead 100 Companies Calling for CO2 Price • 

9.  Coal industry/World’s Largest Mining Firm: ‘In A Carbon Constrained World, Coal Is Going To Decline. And Frankly It Should.’ • 

10.  Investors and global companies: Nearly 200 Leading Global Companies And Investors Call For ‘Clear, Stable, Ambitous’ Carbon Price • 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 


Sad thing:  those Deniers deny the science, they deny current events, they even deny reality itself.  It's almost as if they inhabit a different world...

And they sure do seem to hold our planet's life supporting biosphere in contempt...
And they tragically seem to have little interesting in learning from the full spectrum of evidence. 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

*Tip of the Hat to OSLO for compiling and sharing this list

=================================================

Since I'm on a roll, I may as well include this interesting collection from Greg Laden over at scienceblogs.com


Top Climate Stories of 2012
Posted by Greg Laden on December 28, 2012
http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2012/12/28/top-climate-stories-of-2012/

Greg suggests that before you look at his list, you should know about this:
Angela’s top Climate Events of 2012 at Weather Wunderground.
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/angelafritz/comment.html?entrynum=37

I've just given the titles, for the stories and links please do visit scienceblogs.com

1 Super Storm Sandy
2 Related to Sandy, the direct effects of sea level rise…
3 The Polar Ice Caps and other ice features experienced extreme melting this year.
4 Sea Ice Loss Changes Weather …
5 and 6 Two major melting events happened in Greenland this summer.
7 Massive Ice islands…
8 More Greenhouse Gasses than Ever
9 It Got Hot
10 …and that heat brought extreme, killer heat waves
11 For many areas, this was the year without a Spring.
12 There were widespread, unprecedented and deadly wildfires…
13 There was a major drought…
14 River Traffic Stops
14 Very, very bad storms.
16 Widespread Tree Mortality is underway and is expected to worsen.
17 Biodiversity is mostly down…
18 Unusual Jet Stream Configuration and related changes to general climate patterns…
19 The first climate denial “think” tank to implode as a result of global warming…