Tag: Climate Change

Carbon Trading Isn’t Working (3)

Post author By Jo
Post date November 5, 2009
1 Comment on Carbon Trading Isn’t Working (3)

Friends of the Earth have come out with another report on the poor state of Carbon Trading, just in time for the Copenhagen Climate talks where Carbon Trading could become one of the planks on which we will be made to walk :-

https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/05/friends-of-the-earth-attacks-carbon-trading

“Friends of the Earth attacks carbon trading : An FoE reports says ‘cap and trade’ carbonn markets have done little to reduce emissions but have been plagued by corruption and inefficiency : Ashley Seager : The Guardian, Thursday 5 November 2009 : The world’s carbon trading markets growing complexity threatens another “sub-prime” style financial crisis that could again destabilise the global economy, campaigners warn today. In a new report, Friends of the Earth says that to date “cap and trade” carbon markets have done almost nothing to reduce emissions but have been plagued by inefficiency and corruption that render them unfit for purpose…”

Tags Carbon Trading, Climate Change

Burning Money Carbon Capture Energy Revival Pet Peeves Technological Sideshow Unutterably Useless Utter Futility Vote Loser

The Carbon Capture Begging Bowl

Post author By Jo
Post date November 5, 2009
No Comments on The Carbon Capture Begging Bowl

Colin Challen MP [Member of the United Kingdom Parliament], the author of “Too Little, Too Late : The Politics of Climate Change” has told the nascent Carbon Capture industry to stop bleating for funding, effectively a bailout for the Coal industry :-

https://www.newenergyfocus.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=32&listitemid=3178&section=Carbon

“CCS industry should support itself, claims MP : Wednesday 04 November 2009 : Labour MP Colin Challen believes the CCS industry should fund itself : A Labour MP has called on the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) industry to stop giving a “sob story” about needing government investment and instead fund new projects itself. Colin Challen, the MP for Morley and Rothwell, made the comments at today’s (November 4) Energy and Climate Change Committee meeting at Westminster, which was held as part of its inquiry into low carbon technologies. Responding to calls from industry body representatives for more government help in developing CCS plants, Mr Challen said: “It seems to me that research and development (R&D) has plummeted to a fraction of what it was. This industry has had billions of pounds out of the consumers’ pockets but yet we get this sob story about needing more money.” However, the director of technology and external affairs at Alstom – which builds integrated power plants – Philip Sharman, argued that utility companies have been investing in CCS, but said that the larger scale projects would need government help…”

Tags Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS, Climate Change, Energy

Behaviour Changeling Big Picture Climate Change Energy Revival Pet Peeves

Copenhagen Is All Wrong

Many people around the world are praying and crossing their fingers for some kind of Climate Change treaty to be signed at Copenhagen.

Practically all the nations of the world will have their United Nations delegations in Denmark’s capital this December, and many governments are hoping for a breakthrough of one sort or another on the form of words, the financial commitments and the political drive to get things done.

Trouble is, the nations can promise and sign and agree all they like, but nothing will happen, because the wrong players are in the room.

Tags Climate Change, Energy

Bad Science Bait & Switch Climate Change Non-Science

State of Emergency

Image Credit : Rahmstorf et al. (2007)

When is Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister going to appear on TV and tell it to us straight ?

Climate Change is real, and it’s happening now, and the sceptics, deniers, delayers and cynics are all wrong. And somebody with some kind of respect needs to be saying that, regularly, with backup, in all the media channels.

It’s time that scepticism, denialism, delayism and cynicism were ruled out of order.

Tags Climate Change, denial, Deniers, Sceptics, Skeptics

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

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

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

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

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

Big Picture Burning Money Carbon Capture Climate Change Energy Revival Pet Peeves Political Nightmare Social Change

E.On Is Stalking Me

Image Credit : Baby Creative

Over the last couple of years, almost everything I have been involved with, the E.On Energy supply company has sought to get its big coal-dust grubby hands on. It seems. The latest twist in this saga involves the Claverton Energy Research Group.

Tags Climate Change, coal, Corporate Sponsorship, E.On, Energy Supply

Acid Ocean Bad Science Climate Change Emissions Impossible Geogingerneering Media Non-Science

Superfreakonomics Flunks Climate Science

Post author By Jo
Post date October 20, 2009
2 Comments on Superfreakonomics Flunks Climate Science

Now even friends break ranks with Levitt and Dubner over their new tome Superfreakonomics – a clear throw-back to the 1980s.

Is it time to ask for a reprint with all the errors corrected ?

https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=aVKXZg_Z.vMY

Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) — Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner are so good at tweaking conventional wisdom that their first book, “Freakonomics,” sold 4 million copies. So when Dubner, an old friend, told me their new book would take on climate change, I was rooting for a breakthrough idea.

No such luck. In “SuperFreakonomics,” their brave new climate thinking turns out to be the same pile of misinformation the skeptic crowd has been peddling for years.

“Obviously, provocation is not last on the list of things we’re trying to do,” Dubner told me the other day. This time, the urge to provoke has driven him and Levitt off the rails and into a contrarian ditch.

…Having downplayed the problem, they try to solve it with a set of silver-bullet technologies known as geoengineering. One would shoot millions of tons of sulfur dioxide 18 miles into the air to artificially cool the planet. This could work; it also could have dire unintended consequences.

Caldeira, who is researching the idea, argues that it can succeed only if we first reduce emissions. Otherwise, he says, geoengineering can’t begin to cope with the collateral damage, such as acidic oceans killing off shellfish.

Levitt and Dubner ignore his view and champion his work as a permanent substitute for emissions cuts. When I told Dubner that Caldeira doesn’t believe geoengineering can work without cutting emissions, he was baffled. “I don’t understand how that could be,” he said. In other words, the Freakonomics guys just flunked climate science.”

https://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/superfreakonimics-climate-change-controversy.php

https://www.theatlanticwire.com/features/view/feature/SuperFreakonomics-on-Global-Warming-220

“It all started with climate activist Joe Romm accusing the authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner of global warming denial and misrepresenting the research of a key climate scientist. They pushed back, and fellow New York Times blogger and celebrated columnist Paul Krugman jumped in the fray…”

Tags Climate Change, Global Warming

Climate Change Political Nightmare

Gordon Brown Saves The World

Post author By Jo
Post date October 20, 2009
1 Comment on Gordon Brown Saves The World

Compare and contrast the perfectly reasonably statements from Gordon Brown against the fearmongering of Christopher Monckton :-

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/6375775/Climate-change-could-cause-more-problems-than-two-World-Wars.html

https://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977860385&grpId=3659174697241980

https://www.rightpundits.com/?p=4893

If Climate Change takes a “One World Government” to solve it, I say “bring it on” ! (And can we have Gordon Brown as the President ?)

Tags Climate Change, Deniers, Sceptics, Skeptics

Bait & Switch Climate Change Media Political Nightmare

Climate Chains

The Competitive Enterprise Institute in the United States of America wants to save the bottled water market.

It also wants to try to convince people that Climate Change policy is bad news, against Freedom, and based on fear.

There will be a new film, charmingly entitled “Climate Chains” with a whole new palette of Climate Change denial and policy refusal arguments, so it would be well worth watching it when it comes out, to help us work out how to nip these myths in the bud.

https://climatechains.com/

https://www.globalwarming.org/2009/09/17/climate-chains-trailer/

https://www.climatechains.com/about.html

https://www.cascadepolicy.org/

https://www.cascadepolicy.org/recommended-reading/