“HOT, unseasonal weather has pushed temperatures into the 30’s and close to 40 degrees in parts of Queensland, smashing records.
“The hot weather was felt right across the state on Saturday… as the mercury soared up to 14 degrees above average…”
So I’m off to Keppel Island tomorrow.
Meanwhile, some claim it’s going to be a warmer than usual year across the globe with an El Nino now forecast. [Read more…] about Warm Weather Ahead?
THE popular view on global warming is that the sun has had a negligible influence on climate – at least over the last few decades compared to carbon dioxide. But taking into account the entire range of possible total solar irradiance (TSI) satellite composite since 1980, Nicola Scafetta, just published in Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, concludes that the solar contribution to climate change could range from a slight cooling to a significant warming, as large as 65% of the total observed global warming.
Here’s a short extract suggesting the science is far from settled:
“DETERMING how solar activity has changed on decadal and secular scales is necessary to estimate the solar contribution to climate change. Unfortunately, how solar activity has changed in time is not known with certainty.
“Direct TSI observations started in 1978 with satellite measurements. For the period before 1978 only TSI proxy reconstructions have been proposed. These TSI proxy models significantly differ from each other, in particular about the amplitude of the secular trends. [Read more…] about Total Solar Irradiance: Recalculated by N. Scafetta
Too many cool, wet days resulted in a lousy summer — but you won’t find any polar bears complaining. The cooler-than-usual summer produced thicker ice on Hudson Bay, giving the area’s polar bear population several extra days to feed on tasty ringed seals. Read more here.
The trouble is that the uncertainty inevitably associated with the chaotic behaviour of climate works both ways. It may be impossible even in principle to substantiate a doomsday forecast, but it is also impossible to prove anything to the contrary. Read more here.
While “Economy” is still the most important concept it has dropped in importance by a third since late last year. “Change” (climate change) had been gradually reducing in importance until last month, when it was supplanted by “Jobs”, but it has now bounced back. Read more here.
Regular wobbles in the earth’s tilt were responsible for the global warming episodes that interspersed prehistoric ice ages, according to new evidence. Read more here.
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.
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