Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Archives for September 2009

Academics and Freedom of Speech

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EVERY so often I receive emails suggesting I am morally reprehensible.  Interesting, like the following email, they often follow a function at an Australian university.  

Hi there,

I attended a very interesting lecture today around Climate change denialism with guest speakers Dr Andrew Glikson of the Planetry Science Institute and Professor Clive Hamilton of the ANU [Australian National University].
 
It seems to me there is a vast array of eminent scientists who are in agreement that increased levels of carbon due to human activity is having an undeniable impact on global warming. 

[Read more…] about Academics and Freedom of Speech

More on Californian Bushfires

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“I moved from San Francisco to the LA area about a month ago so am experiencing the fires from a little closer vicinity. The local news
told us that the areas on fire last burnt about 1929! The brush is 20ft high in many places! After a week of burning they finally pulled
in the larger drop aircraft including the DC-10.” Vernon.

Defining the Scientific Sceptics (Part 10): Karl Popper

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The genuine rationalist does not think that he or anyone else is in possession of the truth; nor does he think that mere criticism as such helps us achieve new ideas. But he does think that, in the sphere of ideas, only critical discussion can help us sort the wheat from the chaff. He is well aware that acceptance or rejection of an idea is never a purely rational matter; but he thinks that only critical discussion can give us the maturity to see an idea from more and more sides and to make a correct judgement of it.
   –Karl Popper, All Life is Problem Solving, 1999

via Benny Pieser

Record Warm Sea Surface Temperatures

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Sea Surface Temperatures Spencer v2SCIENTISTS at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC) recently announced that the average global sea surface temperatures in July was 62.6 degrees F making it hotter than the previous record of 1998 and the hottest since record-keeping began in 1880.

The record average is from satellite based measurements and was initially disputed by some sceptics including climate scientists Roy Spencer, University of Alabama, Huntsville. Dr Spencer initially attributed the error to a data processing blunder at NOAA, but has since conceded the blunder in the calculations was his.   [Read more…] about Record Warm Sea Surface Temperatures

California Bushfires

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Los Angeles: The so-called Station Fire more than doubled in size as it burned out of control for a sixth day, charring 105,000 acres (42,500 hectares), up from 42,000 acres (17,000 hectares) late on Sunday, and sending up towering plumes of smoke that fouled the air for miles (km) around.  Read more here.