April 22, 2010 was the 40th anniversary of the first modern Earth Day. (No doubt a form of earth day was worshiped many times by primitive cultures.) Contrary to the expressed beliefs of many activists who participated in the first modern Earth Day, the planet is doing well. Humanity is thriving except in areas in the third world where humans are frequently oppressed by governments or social conditions. In the developed world, the environment is cleaner in cities than it has been for over 100 years.
Overall, our waterways are no longer open sewers. This is result of the work of many and a prosperous society that can afford to clean its wastes. Much of 20th Century prosperity is due to the growth of mechanical power to replace human and animal muscle power, largely through the use of fossil fuels. Of particular note is the miracle of electricity that has greatly improved the lives of so many. Affordable and reliable electricity remains the key to prosperity in the 21st Century. The issue is how to generate it.
ClimateGate and other gates continue in the news. Repeated polls show that global warming is no longer the major issue to many. Recession and the distrust generated by Climategate have taken their toll. However, many politicians continue to turn a tin ear to the people. The science is imploding, but many government leaders appear to desperately seek to be at the head of the proverbial lemmings as they rush madly to the cliffs. The question is how much damage will they do before they realize they are going over?
In other news, on April 15 the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) issued a press release stating that up to 50% of the heat that is believed to have been built up on earth by greenhouse gases is missing. Of course, the first thing to blame is inadequate instrumentation. There is no mention that perhaps the belief itself is wrong.
New Zealand’s long time IPCC reviewer and critic, Vincent Gray issued a newsletter describing what he considers to be a significant weakness in the computer models predicting the warming of the planet Briefly, the models over simplify the planet, creating a flat earth that does not rotate. It is assumed that there is a balance of the input of energy and the output everywhere, including no difference between day and night. This leads to potentially significant errors in calculation that cannot be resolved. (The missing heat?) As HH Lamb observed, the climate system, both the atmosphere and the oceans, moves heat from the tropics to the polar regions through convection. If Gray is correct, then the models do not account for this dynamic so critical to our climate system. Please see “The Flat Earth” below.
The volcano in Iceland has triggered predictable claims from alarmists that global warming will cause more such events. In his book “heaven+earth” Plimer discusses an increase in seismic activity in the Northern Hemisphere occurring with the great ice melt following the last ice age, when much of the Northern Hemisphere was covered by thousands of feet of ice. (Indeed, the Canadian plate and Scandinavia are still rebounding from the weight of the ice.) Now we are to believe that a melting of tiny amounts of ice will produce similar events? The difference in scales is enormous.
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SCIENCE EDITORIAL #13-2010 (April 24, 2010)
By S. Fred Singer, President, Science and Environmental Policy Project
Let’s keep our eyes on the ball.
We need to trace the path taken by Phil Jones (and by Jim Hansen of NASA-GISS and by NOAA-NCDC) in distilling the raw thermometer readings from thousands of stations into a single number — the magical “global mean surface temperature” We need to document the process of how they selected stations. And we need to understand the kinds of corrections and adjustments they made.
The crucial period is 1979 to 1997 – the era of weather satellite data, which can provide an independent cross check. It is also the period during which the surface temperatures seemed to show a sustained rise – the ‘blade’ of the infamous ‘hockeystick’ graph.
In parallel, we need to examine the available proxy data for the same period. I predict they will not duplicate the claimed temperature rise of the surface
Doing all this is not a small job – it will take two teams of skilled and dedicated people. But it must be done to achieve closure — and we will learn what’s behind “hiding the decline” and “Mike [Mann]’s Nature trick.”
This will be done — if necessary, at the direction of the US Congress, provided the Nov 2010 elections produce a change in control. It’s probably the best investment the government can make in climate research. Trillions of dollars are at stake here.
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ARTICLES: [For the numbered articles below please see the attached pdf.]
1.Some Unfriendly Economic Comments on Another Green Fantasy: Roadmap 2050
By Professor Ferdinand E. Banks, Uppsala University, Sweden
2. Challenge the source so-called global warming facts.
Perspective, Sun Journal, Lewiston, ME, Apr 13, 2010, [H/t Joe D’Aleo]
http://www.sunjournal.com/node/831283
3. Climate Science In Denial: Global warming alarmists have been discredited, but you wouldn’t know it from the rhetoric this Earth Day.
By Richard Lindzen, WSJ, Apr 22 2010
4. Gambling Australia’s Future on Sunbeams and Sea Breezes
By Viv Forbes, Carbon Sense Coalition, Apr 2010
5. Obama’s climate of fear: Earth Day hysteria is based on lots of phony science
Washington Times Editorial, Apr 22, 2010
6. Energy Update: Voters Take Global Warming A Bit Less Seriously
Rasmussen Reports, Apr 19, 2010, [H/t Tom Sheahen]
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NEWS YOU CAN USE:
ClimateGate Continues
Climategate: a scandal that won’t go away:
By Christopher Booker, Telegraph, UK, Apr 17 2010 [H/t Hamish Johnson]
GISS & METAR – dial ‘M” for Missing minus signs: it’s worse than we thought
By Anthony Watts, Watts Up With That, Apr 17, 2010
Gore takes cash for water campaign from chemical firm: Environmentalists condemn former vice-president for letting controversial company fund Life Earth
By Nina Lakhani, Independent, UK, Apr 18, 2010 [H/t Werner Stenzig]
[SEPP Comment: The chemical company is Dow, which is a member of US CAP that is the primary lobbying group in the US for Cap and Tax.]
Missing Heat
“Missing” heat may affect future climate change
Press Release, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Apr 15, 2010, [H/t ICECAP]
Where’s the Heat: Comments on a Roger Pielke Sr. Climate Science webblog
By Bill Dipuccio, ICECAP.US, Apr 19, 2010
Missing Heat Hides From Climate Scientists
By Doug Hoffman, The Resilient Earth, Apr 18, 2010
Questioning the Orthodoxy
The Flat Earth
By Vincent Gray, NZ Climate Truth Newsletter, Apr 21, 2010
Italian Senate Calls For Re-Assessment of Climate Science
By Carlo Stagnaro, Instituto Bruno Leoni, Apr 18, 2010 [H/t Climate Depot]
A Seasoned Veteran’s View of the IPCC
By Donna Laframboise, NOconsensus.org, Apr 19, 2010 [H/t Climate Depot]
Climate skeptic wins landmark data victory ‘for price of a stamp’: Belfast ecologist forced to hand over tree-ring data describes order from information commission as a ‘staggering injustice’
By Fred Pearce, Guardian, UK, Apr 20, 2010 [H/t Bob Kay]
‘Failure’ Would Have Many Benefits
By Marlo Lewis, CEI, Apr 19, 2010 [H/t Deke Forbes]
In response to the question “What’s The Cost If Congress Fails?
By Connie Hedegaard, European Union’s Commissioner for Climate Action
The ABC – protecting big government from awkward questions
By Joanne Nova, Australia, Apr 17, 2010
Smoke
Volcanic ash cloud; Global warming may trigger more volcanoes: Climate change could spark more ”hazardous” geological events such as volcanoes, earthquakes and landslides, scientists have warned.
Telegraph, UK, Apr 19, 2010
[H/t Malcolm Ross “This is unbelievable… or maybe not, given the complete desecration of science in recent years.]
IBD Editorial, Apr 19, 2010
Icelandic Volcano May Be No Weather-Changing Pinatubo
By Stuart Biggs and Jeremy van Loon, Bloomberg.com, Apr 19, 2010 [H/t Climate Depot]
And Mirrors
‘Cap And Innovate’ For Electric Utilities
By Ron Binz, Commentary, The Energy Daily, Apr 19, 2010 [H/t
By Alan Caruba, Warning Signs, Apr 18, 2010
Leading the Lemmings
US climate report publicized in runup to Senate bill
Reuters, Thomas Reuters Foundation, Apr 20, 2010
On Earth Day
Earth Day: Smile, don’t shudder
By Bjorn Lomborg, USA Today, Apr 21, 2010 [H/t Real Clear Politics]
For Earth Day, 7 New Rules to Live By
By John Tierney, NYT, Apr 19, 2010
Energy Issues
Wind energy decision carries political impact
By Joseph Weber, Washington Times, Apr 19, 2010
[SEPP Comment: Massachusetts Cape Wind has significant political ramifications. Will the NIMBY’s win?]
Green Energy rush hit by Headwinds
By Guy Chazan, WSJ, Apr 21, 2010
Saudis to build nuclear, renewable energy centre
Petroleumworld.com, Apr 20, 2010 [H/t Toshio Fujita]
The Sierra Club: How Support for Industrial Wind Technology Subverts Its History, Betrays Its Mission, and Erodes Commitment to the Scientific Method (Part III)
By Jon Boone, Master Resource, Apr 19, 2010
By Ted Rockwell
[SEPP Comment: Ted Rockwell also posts a recap of how quickly the US was able to design and build nuclear reactors for both ships and shore when it had the political will to do so. See: http://www.learningaboutenergy.com/2010/04/how-fast-can-we-build-new-reactors.html]
In Case You Missed It
PowerPoint slides from Dr. Willie Soon’s Congressional staff briefing held in DC on April 13, 2010
By Willie Soon, Apr 16, 2010
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BELOW THE BOTTOM LINE:
15 spectacularly stupid predictions from the first Earth Day
Editorial, I hate the media, Apr 21, 2010
http://www.ihatethemedia.com/earth-day-2010-stupid-predictions-from-first-earth-day
Environmentalism as Religion: While people have worshipped many things, we may be the first to build a shrine to garbage
By Paul Rubin, WSJ, Apr 22, 2010
Extramarital sex ’causes more earthquakes’, Iranian cleric claims: Women who dress “inappropriately” incite extramarital sex that in turn cause more earthquakes, a senior Iranian hard-line cleric has claimed.
By Andrew Hough, Telegraph, UK, Apr 19, 2010 [H/t Malcolm Ross]
Michael Mann Controversy
[SEPP Comment: A farce is considered grounds for a lawsuit?]
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