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Climategate Update: Kenneth Haapala

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Climategate is now clearly established as part of the public domain similar to the Pentagon Papers or the Watergate reports. The issue of who is responsible, a whistleblower or a hacker, may be legal issue but not a scientific one. The contents of the emails, particularly how they apply to scientific integrity, are clearly a scientific issue.

For a CBS news comment please see “Fallout over ‘ClimateGate’ Data Leak Grows”: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/12/02/taking_liberties/entry5860171.shtml

For a report on the temporary resignation of Phil Jones the head of the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia please see “Climate-Change Scientist Steps Aside Amid Probe”: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125970198500271683.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLEThirdNews

For a report from the Sunday Times please see “Climate change data dumped”: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6936328.ece

For an article in the Washington Times including Michael Mann’s defense of his actions please see “Climate Researcher defends actions, claims ‘smear’”:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/05/climate-research-furor-might-not-stop-us-deal//print/

For an editorial in the Journal Nature please see “Climatologists under pressure”:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v462/n7273/full/462545a.html

For an editorial in the New York Times by John Tierney please see “E-Mail Fracas Shows Peril of Trying to Spin Science”: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01tier.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

For another editorial on the general issues please see “The Dominoes Fall”:  http://www.investors.com/News and Analysis/Article.aspx?id=514128

For comments from Mike Hulme, a climate scientist at the University of East Anglia, please see “The Science and Politics of Climate Change”: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107104574571613215771336.html

And more…

The Climate Science Isn’t Settled – Richard S. Lindzen, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703939404574567423917025400.html#mod=todays_us_opinion

A Conundrum That Awaits in Copenhagen – Eugene Robinson, Investors Business Daily, Dec 1 – A view from a non-skeptic
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=513983

The Real Copenhagen Agenda – The Wall Street Journal, Dec 3
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703939404574567921682049840.html

Climategate: Science Is Dieing – Daniel Henning, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 2
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703939404574566124250205490.html

Climategate: Follow the Money – Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703939404574566124250205490.html

NASA-Gate – Investors Business Daily, Dec 4
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=514429

The Mathematics of Global Warming – Peter Landesman, The American Thinker
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/11/the_mathematics_of_global_warm.html

And more…

As governments prepare for Copenhagen, western governments are being urged to ignore climategate and its possible effects on the science of human caused global warming. For example, President Obama’s science advisor, John Holgren, urges climate action (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125977808310373065.html). Yet skeptics including some US Senators are pressing for the opposite: (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/05/skeptics-press-obama-on-climate-summit//print/). Of course these skeptics include Fred Singer. At the same time it appears that Cap and Trade in the US is dead for now (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703499404574558070997168360.html).

From Kenneth Haapala
http://www.sepp.org

‘Carbon Trading Legislation’ Defeated

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Please find a release from Senator Williams following today’s defeat of the CPRS legislation [in the Australian Parliament]

2nd December, 2009.　　　　　　　　　　　 

RUDD’S MASSIVE TAX CONSIGNED TO HISTORY Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme will not be lumped on the Australian community after the legislation was voted down in the Senate.

The new tax masquerading as the

The Nationals Senator for New South Wales John Williams said the result vindicates the stand taken by The Nationals over the past year as they warned the nation of financial pain if the flawed emissions trading scheme was introduced.

Senator Williams said it was the groundswell of public opinion that carried the day.

“My office and those of my Nationals colleagues have been inundated with thousands of emails, phone calls and faxes congratulating The Nationals on our position and hoping the Liberals would join our fight.

It has become obvious people are now starting to realise the cost to them personally and to the nation.

Despite being labelled sceptics and deniers by the Prime Minister and his Climate Change Minister,　 these Australians are genuinely concerned for the environment but the little they know about this scheme they don’t like.

They are worried about their jobs, the future of our industries, the extra $1100 households will have to find annually because of the ETS, and the upward pressure on interest rates.

People are amazed to learn that as part of a proposed global agreement, Australia will have to contribute to a fund to assist developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and industrial giant China is one of those countries.

So that means we are borrowing from China to finance our debt, and on the other hand giving them money to help them clean up their act.　

The Rudd Government has not properly explained this scheme to the Australian people but arrogantly tried to push the bills through the Senate. Rightfully they have been rebuffed”, Senator Williams said.

Carbon Tariffs, New Report by Tim Wilson

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Hi Jennifer

For your interest, today the IPA released a short research paper on carbon tariffs at the WTO Ministerial in Geneva. The short and sharp of the report is that carbon tariffs are　a costly, ineffective policy instrument to offset domestically imposed carbon price signals, are likely in violation of WTO obligations and would likely sit around 10 per cent for US carbon-intensive products.

http://sustainabledev.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Carbontariffs.pdf 

Tim Wilson
Director, Climate and Trade Unit
Institute of Public Affairs

‘Climategate’ Papers at SPPI

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Hi Jennifer

A new SPPI paper by Christopher Monckton has just been posted concerning “Climategate.”

It is an expose of the corruption, the real science and what it all means in context.　 It can be viewed and downloaded at any of these three links:

http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/climategate.html

http://sppinstitute.org/originals/climategate.html

http://bit.ly/5vyqKv

This will be highly valuable to the science-trained and the layman alike.　 Please copy and or distribute it to others as you see fit.　

It carries at the end about three pages of Essential Readings in climate science – a small, linkable library. Regards,  Bob

 

 

The Scientific American Over 30 Years: Vincent Grey

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I HAVE been a subscriber to the “Scientific American” for over 30 years. It used to be the most useful summary of the most important recent scientific discoveries. I have witnessed its slow and inexorable decline, to an organ of the environmental movement, an advocate of “global warming”, a peddler of extravagant cosmological theories, unflinching support for US Government political policies, and  the persistent announcement of premature, unfulfilled scientific discoveries.
 
The latest issue (October 2009), gives me hope that the situation  is changing for the better. Admittedly, they are still stuck on “global warming” but there are now several articles which indicate a change in some of the other obsessions.
 
We start with an article by Jeffrey Sachs. “The Crisis of Public Management” which has a good go at US Government incompetence, and the absence of sensible coordinated  plans for security (the 9/11 fiasco), disaster control (hurricane Katrina), financial regulation,. health care, budget deficits, corruption in Iraq and Afghanistan, military procurement, energy, and, yes, climate change. The president is reduced to meaningless platitudes without effective action, because ther is no coordinated plan.. About time somebody says these things.
 
Next comes my favourite columnist, Michael Shermer (Skeptic) who debunks the idea that pirates are disorganized. He puts forward the view that successful activities of humans automatically develop  discipline, in this case, quite strict. They promote a reputation for irresponsibility to scare their victims. It is a counter to the “Lord of the Flies” idea, and the principles apply not just to the Mafia, but also to Al Quieda and Somali pirates.
 
I pass the articles on black holes and on smart pills to the article by Leonard Maugeri on oil supplies which debunks the theory of “Peak Oil”, and shows that there is enough oil for at least 100 years, and that future prospecting and better recovery from existing sources is far from ended..
 
The next article “Lost Cities of the Amazon” debunks the idea of a “pristine rain forest” in Brazil. Parts of the area were once covered with densely populated, flourishing cities, surrounded by farms. Most of the people died of disease after European occupation and the forest took over.. But some are still there.
 
Later we have “Biotech’s Plans to Sustain Agriculture”  which attacks the “organic” movement and insists that biotechnology can continue to supply adequate food.
 
Lastly, somebody asks “Why do whales beach themselves”. The answer is, a whole variety of reasons, some of which might involve humans. It is pointed out that there are records of whales beaching themselves at the time of Aristotle.
 
So, perhaps there is a future for genuine science.
 
Vincent Gray
Wellington, New Zealand.

Latest Meteorological Update: August 2009

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Dear All,

Please find attached a newsletter* with meteorological information updated to August 2009. All temperatures are shown in degrees Celsius.

In the maps showing the geographical pattern of temperatures, the period
1998-2006 is used as reference period. The reason for comparing with this recent period instead of the official WMO ‘normal’ period 1961-1990, is that the latter period is affected by the relatively cold period 1945-1980. Almost any comparison with such a low average value will therefore appear as high or warm, and it will be difficult to decide if modern surface air temperatures are increasing or decreasing. Comparing with a more recent period overcomes this problem.

In the other diagrams the thin line represents the monthly global average value, and the thick line indicate a simple running average, in most cases a 37-month average.

The year 1979 has been chosen as starting point in several of the diagrams, as this roughly corresponds to both the beginning of satellite observations and the onset of the late 20th century warming period.

Surface air temperatures August 2009 was generally low at northern mid latitudes. Also southern Africa experienced relatively low temperatures this month. In contrast, equatorial Pacific Ocean, northern Argentina and Australia were relatively warm.

In the Arctic, most of the Arctic had temperatures near or below the
1998-2006 average. Only northern Canada and parts of Greenland was relatively warm. In the Antarctic, most of the eastern part of the continent was relatively cold in August 2009, while parts of the peninsula and the region around the Ross Sea and ajoining land areas were relatively warm.

All diagrams and figures are also available on http://www.climate4you.com/

Yours sincerely,
Ole Humlum

*********************************************

*If you would like to receive the monthly updates email Ole.Humlum at geo.uio.no .  The information is also available at http://www.climate4you.com/

Ole Humlum is Professor of Physical Geography Department of Physical Geography, Institute of Geosciences University of Oslo, Box 1047 Blindern
N-0316 Oslo, Norway

Email: Ole.Humlum at geo.uio.no
Web: http://www.geo.uio.no/geogr/staff/olehum.html