IN the following open letter to the President of the Australian Academy of Science, William Kininmonth explains that the science of climate change is ‘not settled’ and if the scientific community is to get to a position where it can confidently prediction future climate it will be necessary to both understand why and how the climate system has varied in the past, and to have a robust computer construct of the climate system. Given so far we have neither, the recent very public criticisms of Ian Plimer’s new book ‘Heaven and Earth’ are not logical or consistent.
Opinion
A Green Argues for Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy may well be that backup, or indeed (as I suspect) a mainstay for future energy generation in Australia and worldwide… there is a technology …called integral fast reactor nuclear power, which burns up 99 per cent of the nuclear fuel, leaves no long-lived waste, is passively safe … and does not generate weapons-grade material… read more here.
More on the ‘Sceptics Conference’ in Washington
Stressing the need for reporters to do a much better job on their fact-checking, Dr Michaels dissected assertions such as that 49 percent of the US is in drought conditions, that California bushfires are a result of global warming, and that warming will cause a decline in crop yields and a 3-foot sea-level rise – he demonstrated that, despite their widespread media currency, such claims are wildly in error. Read more here.
The Daily Telegraph on Steve Fielding
Steve Fielding, in just one trip to Washington, has discovered what he does not know about global warming … Fielding’s finding is of historic proportion. He has returned with a series of serious questions about the Rudd Government’s agenda that go to the heart of the most important piece of legislation… Read more here.
Fielding the Hard Questions on Climate Change
THE Australian Government has committed itself to an emissions trading scheme (known as ‘cap and trade’ in the US) in its fight against climate change.
The legislation passed the lower house last week but is expecting to be defeated in the Senate on June 15th. The government, however, is likely to take the legislation back to the Senate in late September or October and has threatened a double dissolution if it doesn’t get its way. This could mean an election with a focus on the issue of climate change.
A few independents hold the balance of power in the Senate and the government has said it is keen to negotiate with them. Just last week one independent Senator, Steve Fielding, indicated that there had so far been no debate on the science of climate change in Australia.
In today’s ‘The Australian’ newspaper he has repeated this concern that there has been no debate on this important issue and says he is keen to talk with the Minister for Climate Change, Penny Wong, about the science.
[Read more…] about Fielding the Hard Questions on Climate Change
Sea Ice Extent Now Normal in Arctic
NOTHING seems to be going to plan for those who believe in anthropogenic global warming and an imminent climate crisis. According to thermometer and satellite data global surface temperatures are not increasing, the oceans aren’t warming, and now it seems not even the Arctic is melting.
The latest satellite data on Arctic sea ice extent suggests that there is now a normal amount of sea ice in the Arctic – normal is defined as about average for the period 1979 – 2007.
And when all is said and done, if the climate system is not accumulating heat, the AGW hypothesis is invalid. [Read more…] about Sea Ice Extent Now Normal in Arctic
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.