Author: Jo

The Sun Shines Bright

A truly epoch-changing story is evolving underneath the radar of the mainstream media, and out of sight of the Internetistas.

For some years now, Peak Oilmen (and women) have been trying to draw attention to the problems with the subsiding gushers in Saudi Arabia.

The Oil Drum, who confidently assert they know everything to cast accurate future projections for oil production, say that Saudi Arabia peaked in 2005 :-

https://www.theoildrum.com/node/5154

Apparently the wells are pumping more water than crude these days.

Tags Energy, solar

Bad Science Media Non-Science

BBC Complaint : Biased Reporting

Post author By Jo
Post date November 4, 2009
4 Comments on BBC Complaint : Biased Reporting

“Established science is excluded from account”

It appears to me from the following blog post :-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/2009/10/climates_magnetic_attraction.html

that Richard Black is either (a) entirely ignorant of the relevant science or is (b) deliberately not including the relevant science.

He does not include the well-known counterpoints to Piers Corbyn’s theories on Global Warming.

He poses a challenge to Climate Change scientists that has already been answered in the literature.

Tags Climate Change, delayer, denial, Deniers, Sceptics, Skeptics

Big Picture Carbon Rationing Climate Change Energy Revival Pet Peeves Renewable Resource

If It’s That Good, Why Aren’t They Doing It Already ?

Post author By Jo
Post date November 3, 2009
No Comments on If It’s That Good, Why Aren’t They Doing It Already ?

When discussing Renewable Energy technologies with associates, acquaintances and relatives, I often hear tones of scorn and the invariable question : “If it’s that good, why aren’t they doing it already ?”

This anti-sense meme from Classical (Neoliberal, Chicago School) Economics boils down to a perception problem. The obvious reason why Renewable Energy technologies are not already widely in use is due to the first-mover problem – it takes time to establish and roll out new technologies. People just don’t like change. And they have to get over the “investment bump” – spending the money to install new technologies.

Tags Marine Energy, Renewable, solar, tidal, Wave, wind

Bad Science Bait & Switch Climate Change Non-Science

Richard Black Poses Solved Challenge

Post author By Jo
Post date November 3, 2009
No Comments on Richard Black Poses Solved Challenge

In his web log of 30th October 2009, Richard Black issues a challenge :-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/2009/10/climates_magnetic_attraction.html

Magnetic attraction of climate ‘scepticism’

Richard Black
Friday, 30 October 2009

There’s been interest on this blog and elsewhere about a meeting organised on Wednesday by Piers Corbyn, the independent UK weather forecaster who argues that the sources of modern-day climate change lie in magnetic interactions around the Earth rather than greenhouse gas emissions on it.

So – a genie to your Aladdin, though emphatically not all-powerful – I thought I’d go along.

Held at Imperial College London – Mr Corbyn’s alma mater – the meeting featured presentations from Northern Ireland’s famously “climate-sceptical” environment minister Sammy Wilson, botanist and ex-BBC TV nature presenter David Bellamy, and a handful of academics – as well as from Mr Corbyn himself.

Tags Climate Change, denial, Deniers, Sceptics, Skeptics

Bad Science Climate Change Media Non-Science

Black Exploitation ? Hope Not.

Post author By Jo
Post date November 2, 2009
14 Comments on Black Exploitation ? Hope Not.

To: Richard Black, BBC

Dear Richard,

It is with relief (but not triumph) that I can announce to you the end of Climate Change “scepticism”.

The new Canadian publication “Climate Cover-Up”, by James Hoggan, points the finger fairly and squarely at vested corporate interests in the continuing saga of Global Warming denial and delaying tactics, both in North America and in the United Kingdom.

He has collated evidence showing that the contrarians have an agenda to confuse and disinform the public, and that the Media have just gone along with this. Probably because editors don’t know any better. Possibly because journalists are too lazy or busy to learn the science.

The Science of Climate Change couldn’t be clearer, the agreement between specialists and experts in the field couldn’t be closer; Michael Mann’s “Hockey Stick” couldn’t be more accurate, and has been vindicated by numerous proxies.

Tags Climate Change, denial, Deniers, Sceptics, Skeptics

Big Picture Carbon Capture Energy Revival Peak Energy Peak Oil Pet Peeves Renewable Resource Technological Sideshow Toxic Hazard

A Path to True Enlightenment

Post author By Jo
Post date November 2, 2009
No Comments on A Path to True Enlightenment

One of my relatives takes the Scientific American magazine on subscription, postal strike notwithstanding, so I was privileged to be able to read an article in the November 2009 edition even before it hits the shelves in WH Smith at the major train stations in London, or Waterloo at least, where I looked for my own copy yesterday evening.

An uplifting, positive plan to green the world’s energy, composed by two Marks, one Delucchi, one Jacobson, both in American academia, yet not dreamers; their practical brains fully switched on and their souls engaged.

https://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/susenergy2030.html

“A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030” contains some excellent mythbusting material as well as practical proposals for turning over all our Energy supply to truly sustainable sources.

A full-colour PDF is available online :-

https://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/sad1109Jaco5p.indd.pdf

Tags Energy, engineering, marine, solar, Sustainable Development, tidal, wind

Bad Science Bait & Switch Carbon Capture Climate Change Non-Science The Data

Everyone Should Read This

Kevin Grandia of DeSmogBlog in Canada, kindly sent me a copy of the new publication “Climate Cover-Up” for review last week, which plopped through my letterbox, postal strike notwithstanding, on Tuesday.

It took me until yesterday evening to read the whole of James Hoggan’s book in snatches on the train and Tube, and it contained information about Climate Change denial that made my hair curl.

Everyone should read this book.

Tags Climate Change, denial, Deniers, Sceptics, Skeptics

Climate Change Political Nightmare

A Whole Stable of Trojans

Post author By Jo
Post date October 31, 2009
No Comments on A Whole Stable of Trojans

Given the complexity of the draft documents available ahead of the Copenhagen meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) 15, starting 7th December 2009, I’m not going to probe it in detail at this point.

What I am going to do is outline a few of the Trojan horses, and, if I get the time, unpack them further closer to the conference season.

Tags Climate Change, Copenhagen, UNFCCC

Bad Science Climate Change Media Non-Science Public Relations Social Change

Anti-Superfreakonomics

Here’s a round-up of some of the published opinion regarding the new Superfreakonomics book (since the last time I weblogged about it) [ UPDATE : adding a few more links at the end. ] :-

https://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2009/10/an-open-letter-to-steve-levitt

“An open letter to Steve Levitt : raypierre @ 29 October 2009 : Dear Mr. Levitt, The problem of global warming is so big that solving it will require creative thinking from many disciplines. Economists have much to contribute to this effort, particularly with regard to the question of how various means of putting a price on carbon emissions may alter human behavior. Some of the lines of thinking in your first book, Freakonomics, could well have had a bearing on this issue, if brought to bear on the carbon emissions problem. I have very much enjoyed and benefited from the growing collaborations between Geosciences and the Economics department here at the University of Chicago, and had hoped someday to have the pleasure of making your acquaintance. It is more in disappointment than anger that I am writing to you now.”

Tags Climate Change, Deniers, Global Warming, Sceptics, Skeptics

Climate Change Marvellous Wonderful Media

The Big Suit Travels

In the continuing saga of the travels of Ed Miliband’s favourite suit and tie, here they are again, this time in South Africa, with not a crumple or hint of poor, local dust on them. Marvellous !

Tags Africa, Climate Change

Nuclear Nuisance Nuclear Shambles Pet Peeves

Engineering the Return of Nuclear Power

Post author By Jo
Post date October 28, 2009
1 Comment on Engineering the Return of Nuclear Power

Image Credit : Quiet Corners

Despite the continuing list of problems with existing Nuclear Power plants, a committed group of highly-financed representatives from mining and construction companies carry on plugging away with the public relations for a new global fleet of Atomic Energy.

The crisp, tinted, glossy promotion packs from the Nuclear industry lobbyists pop up at every conference, meeting and ministerial intray, and certain public persons continue to preach the glow-in-the-dark gospel, glossing over the cracked history of this nightmare Energy industry to date.

The diagrams depicting the “next generation” technologies are always full four-colour, precise, attractive. The propagandists always well-dressed, well-remunerated and clean-shaven.

Tags Atomic Energy, Atomic Generation, Atomic Power, electricity, Energy, Nuclear, Nuclear Generation, Nuclear Power

Carbon Capture Pet Peeves

Carbon Capture : Over-run, over-budget, over-rated

Post author By Jo
Post date October 28, 2009
No Comments on Carbon Capture : Over-run, over-budget, over-rated

[ UPDATE : Extra links at the end. ]

Looks like some people are waking up to the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) spin : it’ll be late, costly and still nobody can promise it will all work…but it’s a superb opportunity to ask for handouts from the State :-

https://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2009/s2727172.htm

“Clean coal more costly than first thought : Bronwyn Herbert reported this story on Thursday, October 29, 2009 : TONY EASTLEY: The vision of clean coal powering our future electricity has copped a blow, with new costings revealing that the technology won’t be viable for 20 years. The Federal Government’s own global carbon capture and storage institute says clean coal power generation won’t be commercially worthwhile unless the carbon price hits at least $60 a ton and that’s not expected until 2030. Clean coal advocates want the Government to lend a hand to make the first commercial size plants affordable…”

Extra links :-

https://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2252191/ccs-coal-fired-plants-nearly

https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=aFWr9zH1ETM8

https://www.wwf.org.uk/news_feed.cfm?3403/Carbon-capture-wont-stop-tar-sands-threat

Tags Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS, Clean Coal, coal

Big Picture Climate Change

Day of the Dead

There I was, meekly in line with the other London Underground commuters, learning to be a sheep on the Tube train escalator.

And then I saw it : a poster that said “Day of the Dead” with “Supported by BP” with a logo and everything.

I just couldn’t stop laughing.

https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar/november/day_of_the_dead.aspx

Is this like some kind of anti-sense meme to attract interest in what BP is doing by adding a huge dose of irony, so much so that people report it virally ?

(Just to explain the mild hysterics : within the next 20 to 30 years, the Fossil Fuel companies will be pretty much history, I reckon. That’s why I found British Petroleum’s support of this event highly chortling. If they don’t get Beyond Petroleum, I project that BP’s business is doomed to failure in the coming era of Carbon constraint).

Tags BP, Climate Change, Fossil Fuels

Climate Change

The Future For Australia

So, I’m sitting in a bar, chatting with some acquaintances.

We start talking about the adjustments that will have to take place in Europe as Climate Change starts to bite : mass migration, changes in the food growing systems, water management, waste management, that sort of thing.

Then I mentioned Australia. I said I had watched part of the Scorched TV presentation, which portrays the urban areas of Australia as suffering from severe water shortages and raging bushfire in the very near future.

In the group of people there, we knew of current cases of water supply problems and enforceable water restrictions already in place.

Tags Climate Change, emigration, Global Warming, heatwave, immigration, migration

Bad Science Climate Change Non-Science

Friends First, Science Second

Post author By Jo
Post date October 26, 2009
No Comments on Friends First, Science Second

I must say, the Daily Telegraph gets top marks for loyalty.

On the occasion of the publication of a book based on Global Warming myths and mendacities, by Christopher Booker, the author himself gets a huge chunk of online column to promote himself, his views and his opus, without the shred of a question about a possible conflict of interest :-

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/6425269/The-real-climate-change-catastrophe.html

Tags Climate Change, Deniers, Global Warming, Sceptics, Skeptics

Public Relations

Impactless Advertising

Image Credit : Gemeente Utrecht

Brussels, Eurostar Departure Lounge, 14:00 CET : Face to face with a huge glass-fronted display of crumpled blue bottled-water bottles, red soft drinks cans, white paper plates, paper cups, serviettes and assorted detritus. All shaped to form a Union Jack. Tasteful. A “Never-Mind-The” punk cut-out letter style message in the centre reads “Welcome to Green Britain”. Reflected in the glass : advertisements for Fossil Fuel companies Total (“Our energy is your energy” – yeah, at a cost) and ExxonMobil (“We’ve always looked for new energy…” – yeah and you’re not finding it so much these days).

My questions. First : why does “green” have to be associated with “recycling” ? Why is “green” always associated with “recycling” in the British public mind ? Who made sure that the concept of “green” was so strongly associated with the activities of “recycling” in the British public mind ? “Recycling” is so strongly connected with “green” in the British public mind, that people don’t think about anything else (like walking instead of driving).

Secondly, why do the major Fossil Fuel companies have to advertise ? What do they hope to achieve ? Why do they need to be so “current” in the British public mind ? Their products aren’t “new” or in the realm of “new formulation”. Their “discovery” quota keeps going down, and there’s no real “refinement” of the technology. It really is a mystery why they think they need to get their names on the wall…”Train now boarding…”

Tags Energy

Bad Science Climate Change Non-Science

Clive James’ Lighthearted Ignorance

Post author By Jo
Post date October 24, 2009
3 Comments on Clive James’ Lighthearted Ignorance

So Climate Change scepticism is not only a legitimate position to hold, it’s a bag of laughs, a jolly jape, a wheeze and a pile of fun. Well, that’s according to Clive James writing on the BBC Online :-

https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8322513.stm

“Friday, 23 October 2009 : In praise of scepticism : Claims over global warming are not accepted by all : A POINT OF VIEW : In a light-hearted essay, Clive James takes a look at Montaigne, golf-ball crisps and our attitude towards climate change sceptics…”

Yes, it’s all erudite : in terms of philosophy it’s even quite appropriate to apply scepticism to various branches of science…I’m thinking social sciences…But not to Climate Change Science.

Empirical science, as you all know by now, is the study of things natural, taking measurements, postulating mechanisms and predicting the results of further observations, against which the theory is evaluated.

From this piece from Mr laugh-a-minute James, I would posit a theory : that Clive writes poorly-informed opinion pieces about Science.

Tags Climate Change, denialists, Deniers, Sceptics, Skeptics

Climate Change Energy Revival Pet Peeves

The Great Miliband Brothers’ Flying Circus

Post author By Jo
Post date October 24, 2009
1 Comment on The Great Miliband Brothers’ Flying Circus

It’s like they say on tee-shirts : “Look busy, Jesus is coming !”

The Great Miliband Brothers’ Flying Circus has come to town and told us to look sharp and get active :-

https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6886363.ece

“From The Times : October 23, 2009 : Foreign Secretary David Miliband accuses public of climate change apathy : Hannah Devlin : The Foreign Secretary accused the public yesterday of lacking a sense of urgency in the face of the potentially devastating consequences of climate change. David Miliband said that people had grown apathetic about the issue when they needed to be galvanised into action before the Copenhagen climate change summit in December. “For a lot of people the penny hasn’t dropped that this climate change challenge is real and is happening now,” he said. “There isn’t yet that feeling of urgency and drive and animation about the Copenhagen conference.” Mr Miliband and his brother, Ed Miliband, the Climate Change Secretary, were opening an exhibition at the Science Museum in South Kensington designed to illustrate the potential impact of world temperatures increasing by 4C. Current models predict that this could happen by 2060 if no action is taken. Mr Miliband warned of water and food shortages, mass migration and conflict. A map unveiled at the exhibition showed temperatures increasing by up to 15C in the Arctic, storm surges hitting the East Coast of Britain and forest fires and droughts in Europe. Ed Miliband said that only 18 per cent of people believed that climate change would affect their children…”

La, la, la, fingers in our ears.

I mean, if you show us a Government-funded TV advertisement with cartoon tearful bunnies and drowning dogs, how exactly are we supposed to take you seriously ?

Tags Climate Change, Energy Policy

Climate Change Nuclear Nuisance Nuclear Shambles Pet Peeves Political Nightmare Protest & Survive Renewable Resource Technological Sideshow Unutterably Useless

New Nuclear Is Not A Climate Policy

Post author By Jo
Post date October 24, 2009
No Comments on New Nuclear Is Not A Climate Policy

The rumour mill about the propsects for new Nuclear Power is quite active, a kind of underground semaphore.

About a year ago, the idea that the United Kingdom would be burdened with eleven new Nuclear Power stations entered the mill and popped out all over the shop, being greeted with ridicule, dismissiveness, anger and despair.

When the Energy Supply companies started going into “free capital” meltdown over new investments, owing to issues concerning insurance and the general Economy, there was concern that they wouldn’t come along with the new Nuclear plan.

The Government kept pumping out the information that we should have at least four new Nuclear Power stations. How critical this project was ! How bright and shiny new Nuclear would be ! The unwritten back room understanding that any new Nuclear Power plant could expect State support in one form or another. However, the public statements were that there would be no Public Money for new Nuclear build.

Tags Atomic Energy, Climate Change, Nuclear Power, policy

Nuclear Nuisance Nuclear Shambles

The Return of the Nuclear Begging Bowl

Post author By Jo
Post date October 22, 2009
No Comments on The Return of the Nuclear Begging Bowl

There are rumours in the last 48 hours of 2 new Nuclear Power stations being fast-tracked in the United Kingdom :-

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/6400634/Two-nuclear-power-stations-and-five-wind-farms-to-be-considered-by-controversial-new-planning-body.html

They won’t be built without subsidies. Expect a generous handout announcment in…November, probably.

Tags bailout, handout, Nuclear Fission, Nuclear Power, subsidy

Cost Effective Emissions Impossible

Carbon Taxation Is So Wrong

Post author By Jo
Post date October 22, 2009
2 Comments on Carbon Taxation Is So Wrong

The theory behind Carbon Taxation is this : according to the “Principle of the Polluter Pays”, one of the guiding principles established by the global community in the early 1990s, environmental bads should be charged.

In other words, if you mess up, you should pay for it. And that includes Carbon Dioxide Emissions.

The trouble that arises is the cost “double whammy”.