Once slow-moving threat, global warming speeds up, leaving litt...

Pachelbel wrote:

BEWARE THE CLIMATE CHANGE ALARMISTS
Dennis Byrne
November 10, 2009
Key excerpts follow. Read the entire opinion piece at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ch...
In the next few weeks we'll be relentlessly scrubbed with eyewash, brainwash and hogwash, all designed to cleanse us of any doubts that global warming is a proven menace to mother Earth.
[...]
Too bad, because the alleged "scientific" evidence of a coming man-made apocalypse is incomplete at best and, more likely, manipulated for political reasons.
That's obviously not the conventional wisdom. According to climate alarmists, only "skeptics" or "deniers" would ignore the "scientific consensus" that the planet is doomed without draconian acts of economic self-immolation.[...]
Inconveniently, that study itself has been studied by an independent group of scientists who concluded that the IPCC bible is wrong. They said the IPCC document "is marred by errors and misstatements, ignores scientific data that were available but were inconsistent with the authors' pre-conceived conclusions, and has already been contradicted in important parts by research published since May 2006, the IPCC's cutoff date."
To back up the conclusion, the independent group, called the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), published its own analysis in a tome called "Climate Change Reconsidered." The 856-page, nearly two-inch-thick volume did what all good science requires: check the work of fellow scientists to see if it stands up to a rigorous review of the available research, data and conclusions.
[...]
Climate change alarmists will condemn these findings as unspeakable and unthinkable. They will point to who is doing the research or who is paying for it, while ignoring the substance of the research. They won't bother contacting Chicago-based Heartland Institute, the report's publisher, to get their own copy.
An honest examination of the science will reveal perhaps the only indisputable fact in this entire argument: The science is not settled and claims of a scientific consensus are an exaggeration, if not a deception. A scientific consensus -- if such a thing even exists -- would be surprising for any issue that is as complicated as this, involving so many different branches of science. As a layman struggling to comprehend this avalanche of science, I was struck by one truth: Beware of any "science" that claims to fully describe in single theory any phenomenon as complex as global climate change. Trying to tie it all up in such a neat package, as climate alarmists do, is a trap for the simple-minded.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ch...

More fossil fuel industry funded denialist rubbish.

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives...

Fair Game wrote:

<quoted text>
More fossil fuel industry funded denialist rubbish.
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives...

Yes, we understand YOUR bias. This was an op-ed by a respected contributor to the Chicago Tribune as well as other credentials. Do you have anything specific to say about what he wrote?

If not, then you have NOT refuted anything.

Relating to a Georgia Tech press release.

http://www.gatech.edu/newsroom/release.html...

By David Terraso Posted November 10, 2009 Atlanta

“Across the U.S. as a whole, approximately 50 percent of the warming that has occurred since 1950 is due to land use changes”

I see Obama is firing up Fleetwood One and his fleet of support jumbo jets to go on a trans-global joy ride. Then in December he'll fire them up again to go to Copenhagen to talk about the evils of global warming due to man's burning of fossil fuels. Is there anybody who burns more Jet fuel then Obummer?

RayOne wrote:

There are lots of haters out there. When they emerge, they call themselves new and earth changers. The net has a memory, until the cyberCzar gets his staff in place.
They have already scrubbed the history of Hassan, next week his actions will be known as the action of a disgruntled employee.

That is why Google has infiltrated the oval office and are Obama's lap dogs. Big Brother is going to get huge. Freedom on the web is a click away from being a thing of the past.

Mothra wrote:

<quoted text>
... and don't you wonder if warmists have ever heard of video conferencing?
Why fly? Stay home... hook up the internet... and away you go.
More 'do as I say, not as I do' hypocrisy.

oh with them its do as i say not do as i do

cant have them restrict their luxuries - gosh then t wouldnt be worth fighting this crusade

ENERGY-SPAIN: Windfall for the Grid

Wind energy notched up a new record in Spain on Sunday, when it generated 53 percent of total electricity demand nationwide for part of the day, according to official figures announced Monday.

Powering the grid at up to 10,170 megawatts, wind turbines supplied over half the country's demand for five-and-a-half hours, a timespan similar to windpower output on Nov. 4 and 5, when for five hours each day they provided over 40 percent of demand.

José Donoso, head of the Spanish Wind Energy Association, told journalists that in 2004 people said that wind energy would never provide more than 14 percent of electricity demand, but in the light of this event, he expects that by 2020 wind power could produce around 40,000 megawatts, or nearly four times Sunday's output.

Electricity demand fluctuates according to whether it is daytime or night, a weekday or a weekend, and on a previous occasion in November 2008, a surge of wind power early on a Sunday caused oversupply and the electricity grid had to turn wind turbines off.

However this time the system was able to save energy for a time of greater demand, by exporting more electricity and pumping water into reversible reservoirs, to be used to generate electricity via water turbines later when demand rose.

Over the first five days of November, wind energy was the lead source of electricity generation, producing over 913,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh), more than the 908,000 GWh from combined cycle gas turbines, or the nearly 594,000 GWh from nuclear power plants. Exporting surplus energy from one country to another is one way of coping with temporary over- or under-supply, but Spain lags behind on this. Denmark is a good example, as it is able to export excess electricity to neighbouring Germany, and import it to make up shortfalls.

Spain, in contrast, has cross-border power lines to France, which has higher demand, but these can carry only three percent of Spain's installed capacity. It also has two undersea power cables linking it to Morocco, and one very low capacity overland cable to Portugal.

For years, Spain has planned to increase its interconnection with France by 2014, but work has not yet begun, due to opposition by environmental organisations because of potential ecological damage.

Luis Atienza, the head of Red Eléctrica de España (REE), the company that operates power transmission and the electricity grid in Spain, said: "People can see that without railway lines there can be no high-speed trains, but they don't see that without power lines there can be no renewable energy.

"Those cables they oppose are the lesser evil, and the way to fulfil our environmental commitments and our energy policy," he said.

In Castilla y León, one of Spain's 17 provinces, preparations are in hand to celebrate Wind Energy Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

This province is in the forefront of wind energy production in Spain, followed by Castilla-La Mancha and Galicia. Castilly y León currently has 161 wind farms, and has invested more than five billion euros (7.5 billion dollars) to instal them.

ENERGY-SPAIN: Windfall for the Grid

Wednesday's event, under the motto "Towards a New Energy Model," will include debates and workshops to analyse the current situation of wind energy, in the province and in Spain as a whole. The wind energy sector in Castilla y León comprises 450 companies, employing 5,000 workers.

Spanish government sources confirmed that they will roll out a plan to develop more renewable energy projects, including 2,000 megawatts of solar energy and between 3,000 and 4,000 megawatts of wind energy.

Meanwhile, it transpired that the Ministry of Industry will continue subsidies for some of the applications presented to fund these installations, but a bill is being drawn up to reduce subsidies from 2010. Ministry sources consulted by IPS would neither confirm nor deny the reports.

Galicia is a trail-blazing province in terms of renewable energy, with 64 percent of the energy it consumes coming from renewable sources.

The provincial government headed by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, of the centre-right People's Party, approved a budget of 26 million euros (about 40 million dollars) to achieve its target of 95 percent of the electricity consumed in Galicia being derived from clean energy sources by 2015. The money will subsidise up to 40 percent of the cost of new infrastructure.

Spain is also promoting clean energy production in other countries, particularly Venezuela, a major oil producer.

Spanish companies have been contracted to instal four wind farms in Venezuela, located in La Guajira, Isla de Coche, Isla Margarita and Chacopata and representing an investment of 90 million euros (135 million dollars).(END/2009)

http://www.youtube.com/user/greenman3610#p/a/...

Koalas could be extinct in 30 years

Australia's koalas could be extinct in 30 years, conservationists warned Tuesday, calling for the iconic creatures to be declared an endangered species.

The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey indicated numbers may have plunged by more than half in the past six years due to climate change, disease and over-development.

The study showed there were between 43,000 and 80,000 koalas on mainland Australia, down from an estimated 100,000 in 2003, said Foundation chief Deborah Tabart.

"We're saying (numbers) could be as low as 43,000 and as high as 80,000, Tabart told public broadcaster ABC Radio.

Large numbers have been killed by an outbreak of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease, while others have been affected by loss of habitat due to deforestation and climate change, Tabart said.

Hotter, drier conditions had reduced the nutritional value of their staple food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to fatal malnutrition, she said.

"I really think climate change is starting to affect koala populations," she said.

Tabart said the findings, which were based on surveys of almost 2,000 forest sites, pointed to total extinction of the species within 30 years without government action.

Conservation groups unsuccessfully tried to have the animals declared a vulnerable species in 2006, but Tabart said the new data was proof of a "drastic decline".

"There has been a great deal of opposition to the protection of the koala over many years and I think that still exists," she said.

Researcher Bill Ellis said he'd found evidence of localised extinctions and there were "major declines in populations" along the east coast.

The government's threatened species committee was due to make a recommendation by mid-2010, but representative Bob Beeton said they would not be swayed by its status as one of the country's favourite animals.

"There's a number of species which are charismatic and emotionally charged. We don't consider that," said Beeton.

"I mean, we'd consider the koala with the same level of diligence and dedication as if it were the death adder."

http://www.youtube.com/user/greenman3610#p/a/...

Brian_G wrote:

<quoted text>
How do we know how much oil is off our coasts,

Much of it was explored and some was in production so we have fairly good knowledge of known and potential reserves.

Brian_G wrote:

<quoted text>
there's been a ban on exploration and drilling for almost thirty years:

For good reasons, generally competing financial interests such as fishing and recreation that have ten times the financial impact of the limited oil resouce.

Fair Game wrote:

<quoted text>
More fossil fuel industry funded denialist rubbish.

That is why it can only be published in the 'opinions' columns where you can say ANY bullship with no reference to reality.

I am willing to bet that Hand of God could possibly be responsible for wiping out entire forests singly handedly....

.... if he is as handy with his home printer as he is with these volumes of his fictional novel on this thread.

Could possibly even surpass 'War and Peace' in it's length....

yawn.

Delphi Drop Out wrote:

<quoted text>That is why Google has infiltrated the oval office and are Obama's lap dogs. Big Brother is going to get huge. Freedom on the web is a click away from being a thing of the past.

Next you will be telling me that the CyberCzar is tracking posts on the search engines.
The Big Government bully,(monster) is in the tent.

W Australia sea level rising fast

New figures have revealed that sea levels along the coast of Western Australia are rising at a rate double that of the world average.

Statistics from Australia's National Tidal Centre show levels have increased by 8.6mm a year off the coast of the state capital Perth.

That compares to a global average of just over 3mm.

Scientists have said that man-made climate change has played a significant role in the rise.

Climatologists have said that a combination of natural variability and man-made pollution have caused sea levels to rise around the world.

Double trouble

For much of the past century there were average increases of 1.7mm per year, while that rate doubled after 1993.

Some regions, however, have suffered more than others.

New figures show that the sea level rose off Perth in Western Australia and in the Kimberley region to the north by more than 8mm.

Dr John Church, from Australia's government-funded science and research body, the CSIRO, says these are worrying signs.

"Man's role is making a significant contribution to this global average rise," he said.

"I think the fact that sea levels are rising is a major reason for concern and it's a combination of the global average rise together with the natural variability leading to larger regional rises over certain periods and extreme events as in storm surges which will have the most impact…and, of course, sea level rise will not stop in 2100, it will continue for many centuries," he added.

About 80% of Australians live in coastal areas.

There are fears that vulnerable low-lying communities may have to be abandoned in years to come because of flooding and erosion.

CSIRO scientists have said that warming temperatures, which cause water to expand, have been a major trigger for sea-level rises in the 20th Century.

They have also blamed the melting of the world's icecaps and glaciers.

http://www.youtube.com/user/greenman3610#p/a/...

NobodyYouKnow wrote:

<quoted text>
Much of it was explored and some was in production so we have fairly good knowledge of known and potential reserves.
<quoted text>
For good reasons, generally competing financial interests such as fishing and recreation that have ten times the financial impact of the limited oil resouce.

Wait. You mean "Big Oil" has money to spend on "anti AGW propaganda" but NOT to protect their rights to explore, drill and produce? Absurd.

NobodyYouKnow wrote:

<quoted text>
That is why it can only be published in the 'opinions' columns where you can say ANY bullship with no reference to reality.

More likely because the author is a well respected "opinion" writer. His strength is in gathering facts, analyzing them and then forming an opinion. Generally, when he writes something it is a strong well supported opinion. It NEVER claimed to BE science, only to critique the current methods of SO CALLED science.

You guys ought to at least firm up the context before making stupid comments. They'd still be stupid but at least it would be informed stupidity.

Hand of God wrote:

W Australia sea level rising fast
New figures have revealed that sea levels along the coast of Western Australia are rising at a rate double that of the world average.

Science is in on climate change sea-level rise: 1.7mm

Drew Warne-Smith and James Madden
From: The Australian
November 07, 2009 12:00AM

"SEA levels on Australia's eastern seaboard are rising at less than a third of the rate that the NSW government is predicting as it overhauls the state's planning laws and bans thousands of landowners from developing coastal sites."

Gee, maybe Australia is getting ready to flip over on its back. Or maybe its just local phenomena manifesting differently in different places, revealing little if anything about global sea level trends. Ya think?

Read more here:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/s...

A terrifying vision of a world devastated by climate changeIn Gabura global warming is a bleak reality as villagers face rising sea levels, failed crops and devastating cyclones

What would your world look like if it were devastated by climate change? In the small, impoverished community of Gabura in Bangladesh, the concept of global warming, often only words on a screen or in a newspaper to us, is an all too bleak reality. The inhabitants face danger from rising sea levels, devastation of crops and the increased likelihood of devastating cyclones.

Oxfam's remarkable new online interactive documentary – Gabura, from daily life to disaster - launched in conjunction with the Guardian yesterday, allows you both to bear witness to the impact of climate change and to choose your own journey through the story.

We enable you to see vividly how livelihoods have been ruined, crops destroyed, and families torn apart. To step into their shoes, and see where they go, how they live, and the hardships they suffer from the impact of climate change.

Why have we chosen this medium to talk about climate change? Because, ahead of crucial talks this December in Copenhagen, we need our message to get out there in as many different ways as possible.

We wanted to show some of the many stories about the devastating impact of climate change. After all, it is the people in poorer communities whose voices are all too often drowned out in the drumbeat of reports, debates and summits.

There is Abdus, a farmer whose crops were lost after a bad harvest, who fears he cannot feed his family. There is Hosne Ara Khatun, a young widow too traumatised to speak after her husband was mauled to death by a tiger, starved as its natural habitat has disappeared due to rising sea levels. And there is the young father left to weep over the loss of his wife and young children after the community of Gabura was lashed by the devastation of cyclone Aila.

They may seem thousands of miles away, but their troubles are real, they are growing worse, and they could soon happen to us unless we take action now.

So while we show you – and allow you to choose – the images of devastation caused by climate change, we are also letting you know what you can do to stop the damage.

The UK is currently preparing for its biggest ever climate change demonstration in support of action against climate change, The Wave, on 5 December in London.

The march is one of scores of events by Oxfam and its partners ahead of the talks in Copenhagen, as we urge world leaders to forge a safe and fair climate deal to halt dangerous global warming and protect those most at risk, such as those living in Gabura.

By calling on our leaders to act on climate change this December, we help the people of Gabura, and we help ourselves.

http://www.youtube.com/user/greenman3610#p/a/...

Hand of god says:(gods of his own making)

"it's bad, it's real bad and going to be really really bad"

==

Where have we heard that before? Hmmm..

"To capture the public imagination,
we have to offer up some scary scenarios,
make simplified dramatic statements
and little mention of any doubts one might have.
Each of us has to decide the right balance
between being effective, and being honest."

- Leading greenhouse advocate, Dr Stephen Schneider
( in interview for "Discover" magagzine, Oct 1989)

http://www.john-daly.com/schneidr.htm

==

Earth Day 1970 provoked a torrent of apocalyptic predictions.

"We have about five more years at the outside to do something,"
ecologist Kenneth Watt declared to a Swarthmore College audience on April 19, 1970.

Harvard biologist George Wald estimated that "civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind."

"We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation," wrote Washington University biologist Barry Commoner in the Earth Day issue of the scholarly journal Environment.

The day after Earth Day, even the staid New York Times editorial page warned,
"Man must stop pollution and conserve his resources, not merely to enhance existence but to save the race from intolerable deterioration and possible extinction." Very Apocalypse Now.

Three decades later, of course, the world hasn't come to an end; if anything, the planet's ecological future has never looked so promising. With half a billion people suiting up around the globe for Earth Day 2000,

now is a good time to look back on the predictions made at the first Earth Day and see how they've held up and what we can learn from them.

The short answer: The prophets of doom were not simply wrong, but spectacularly wrong.

http://reason.com/archives/2000/05/01/earth-d...

Africa's Disappearing Wetlands Produce 'Alarming' Levels of Greenhouse Gas

At recent climate change talks in Barcelona, an international conservation organization said "alarming" levels of greenhouse gas emissions are being produced by the continual degradation of Africa's wetlands.

Much of the climate change debate up until now has focused on limiting fossil fuel emissions produced by industrialized developed nations.

Now, a new report from the international conservation group, Wetlands International, has found that Africa is also producing significant carbon dioxide emissions. But these emissions are not coming from the continent's industrial sector.

They are produced as a result of Africa's vanishing wetlands areas.

Alex Kaal, Advocacy and Communications Manager for Wetlands International, says the loss of African wetlands is a new and alarming trend. "There are quite considerable emissions from the loss of wetlands - carbon-rich wetlands like peatlands - in Africa. So large that they are equal to about 25 percent of all the fossil fuel emissions in sub-saharan Africa outside South Africa. That means that there are many peat swamps in fact degrading and lost in Africa. That of course in itself is already alarming. But of course it is now causing a quite considerable impact on the carbon in the atmosphere," he said.

Wetlands areas, such as peat bogs, have stored enormous amounts of organic carbon for thousands of years. But wetlands zones are increasingly drained for agricultural or logging purposes. The stored carbon then reacts with oxygen, producing carbon dioxide, one of the most important greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.

http://www.youtube.com/user/greenman3610#p/a/...