In The News

[4wd]

I thought this thread was supposed to be about news., not an opportunity to use the favourite denier term as often as possible.

[knocker]

An international study to understand and predict the likely impact of ocean acidification on shellfish and other marine organisms living in seas from the tropics to the poles is published this week (date) in the journal Global Change Biology.

Ocean acidification is occurring because some of the increased carbon dioxide humans are adding to the atmosphere dissolves in the ocean and reacts with water to produce an acid.

The results suggest that increased acidity is affecting the size and weight of shells and skeletons, and the trend is widespread across marine species. These animals are an important food source for marine predators such as tropical seabirds and seals as well as being a valuable ingredient in human food production. Consequently, these changes are likely to affect humans and the ocean’s large animals.

http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/press/press_releases/press_release.php?id=1879

[knocker]

For the life of me I can't recollect whether this has been posted before. Just ignore if so.

Greenland ice sheet summer surface air temperatures: 1840-2011

Developing a new manuscript (Box et al. submitted), I’ve managed to update the Box et al. (2009) near-surface air temperature reconstruction and am struck after incorporating 4 more years, it seems little doubt that recent summer air temperatures for Greenland ice are the highest in at least 172 years. Summer temperatures in the late 2000s are roughly 0.5 C warmer than in the 1930s and even warmer than at any time since at least 1840s. Because the reconstruction captures the end of the Little Ice Age, it is further reasonable to think that Greenland probably hasn’t been as warm in summer than since the time the Norse colonized Greenland beginning in 982. Implications for the recent warmth are of course grabbing headlines. I’ll be adding 2012 data soon.

http://www.meltfactor.org/blog/?p=677

Edited August 11, 2012 by knocker

[BornFromTheVoid]

For the life of me I can't recollect whether this has been posted before. Just ignore if so.

Greenland ice sheet summer surface air temperatures: 1840-2011

Developing a new manuscript (Box et al. submitted), I’ve managed to update the Box et al. (2009) near-surface air temperature reconstruction and am struck after incorporating 4 more years, it seems little doubt that recent summer air temperatures for Greenland ice are the highest in at least 172 years. Summer temperatures in the late 2000s are roughly 0.5 C warmer than in the 1930s and even warmer than at any time since at least 1840s. Because the reconstruction captures the end of the Little Ice Age, it is further reasonable to think that Greenland probably hasn’t been as warm in summer than since the time the Norse colonized Greenland beginning in 982. Implications for the recent warmth are of course grabbing headlines. I’ll be adding 2012 data soon.

Have you a link for that? I'd be interested in seeing when the 2012 data is added.

[knocker]

Have you a link for that? I'd be interested in seeing when the 2012 data is added.

Sorry about that BFTV forgot to add the link. Just added it.

[BornFromTheVoid]

With Romneys recent denial of AGW and now his new running mate announced, should he get elected, I don't think we should be expecting any action on climate change or even reasonable environmental policies from the worlds largest economy.

[4wd]

I don't think we should be expecting any action on climate change

What 'action' on climate change would the self-appointed 'experts' recommend?

Bear in mind that destroying the world economy is not a desirable or sensible option.

The mind-numbing tirade of warming propaganda is never-ending but apart from a vague idea of evil capitalist consumerism being somehow to blame, the proponents have no realistic alternatives anyway.

At least none that are even remotely politically acceptable.

[Methuselah]

What 'action' on climate change would the self-appointed 'experts' recommend?

Bear in mind that destroying the world economy is not a desirable or sensible option.

The mind-numbing tirade of warming propaganda is never-ending but apart from a vague idea of evil capitalist consumerism being somehow to blame, the proponents have no realistic alternatives anyway.

At least none that are even remotely politically acceptable.

Are you suggesting that the 'world economy' couldn't thrive on renewable energy-sources? Because, sooner or later, it's going to have to! With or without AGW...

[knocker]

What 'action' on climate change would the self-appointed 'experts' recommend?

.

Surely the deniers are a better example of self-appointed experts as they never back up their opinions with any worthwhile science. I sometimes wonder whether any have read any books on the subject.

[knocker]

Well now on a current subject.

1.5 million years of climate history revealed after scientists solve mystery of the deep

Study successfully reconstructed temperature from the deep sea to reveal how global ice volume has varied over the glacial-interglacial cycles of the past 1.5 million years

1.5 million years of climate history revealed after scientists solve mystery of the deep Study successfully reconstructed temperature from the deep sea to reveal how global ice volume has varied over the glacial-interglacial cycles of the past 1.5 million years

Tabular iceberg. The production of tabular icebergs is a major mechanism of mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Icebergs are calved during both rapid ice-shelf collapse and as part of the normal transfer of mass through the ice sheet to the surrounding ocean.

Scientists have announced a major breakthrough in understanding the Earth's climate machine by reconstructing highly accurate records of changes in ice volume and deep-ocean temperatures over the last 1.5 million years.

http://www.eurekaler...c-1my080712.php

Edited August 11, 2012 by knocker

[Gray-Wolf]

With Romneys recent denial of AGW and now his new running mate announced, should he get elected, I don't think we should be expecting any action on climate change or even reasonable environmental policies from the worlds largest economy.

[

Though I probably always knew this they will only 'act' when forced to. If this years ice losses, Nino' and solar max add another year of climate pain to the U.S. then , for the sake of their own political skins, they will act.

Sadly, even with change happening so swiftly, folk are slow to 'imagine' what comes next and 'when'. As such too many folk now know what the science has warned them of so 'dilly dallying' will not be tolerated by the masses. Climate disasters may be harder hitting in developing nations but the extremes impact rich and poor alike in the developed nations (as the businesses, hit twice in 3 weeks, in Hebden are finding out!) and , as we all know , by definition the rich have more to lose!

How would four have it? Company after company going bust (due to the extremes) impacting economies or 'protection' being bought at the cost of a small part of national GDP?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/aug/11/arctic-sea-ice-vanishing

Cryosat2's back!

Edited August 11, 2012 by Gray-Wolf

[rob48]

Another one of the disciples that we're forced to fund through the TV tax:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2186860/Rip-lawns-theyre-bad-gas-guzzlers-says-gardening-expert.html

he'll maybe use those secateurs on his hair and stop looking like a daft old girl.

"drier summers ahead" apparently.

[Methuselah]

Another one of the disciples that we're forced to fund through the TV tax:

http://www.dailymail...ing-expert.html

he'll maybe use those secateurs on his hair and stop looking like a daft old girl.

"drier summers ahead" apparently.

Are 'they' going to re-start the clock and create reams of pretty, little graphs - all beginning at 2012 - to 'prove' themselves correct?

[4wd]

He's just plain wrong, grass copes well with drought compared to almost every other garden plant unless you plant cactus.

You can let it go brown on the rare occasion anywhere other than the South East gets a few hot days, and it will be just fine come autumn

It appears to be another propaganda piece.

[Methuselah]

He's just plain wrong, grass copes well with drought compared to almost every other garden plant unless you plant cactus.

You can let it go brown on the rare occasion anywhere other than the South East gets a few hot days, and it will be just fine come autumn

It appears to be another propaganda piece.

Now that would stop next-door's kids coming to get their ball back!

Agreed 4wd, it's a load of ideological cobblers!

[BornFromTheVoid]

Christy Once Again Misinforms Congress

Posted on 8 August 2012 by dana1981

On August 1st 2012, John Christy once again testified before the US Congress in a Senate hearing on climate issues. His written testimony is here and his verbal testimony is here. We previously examined Christy's congressional testimony to the House of Representatives from March 2011 and found it full of incorrect and misleading statements. This time, Christy repeated many of the same myths and misleading arguments from last year's testimony, and threw in a reference to an incomplete, flawed, unpublished paper for good measure.

Christy's testimony is broken into five distinct climate myths:

1) Disputing the accuracy of the surface temperature record;

2) Exaggerating the discrepancy between modeled and observed global warming;

3) Denying the consensus on human-caused global warming;

4) Cheerleading fossil fuels as the best thing since sliced bread; and

5) Denying that climate change is linked to extreme weather.

We will address the first four myths in this post, while a separate post is devoted to the extreme weather denial of Christy and Co.

http://www.skepticalscience.com/news.php?n=1563

The separation extreme weather denial post http://www.skepticalscience.com/pielke-jr-mcintyre-assist-christy-extreme-weather-obfuscation.html

[4wd]

SKS are obsessed with debunking anything remotely sceptical of AGW.

Christy is well respected in his field and not an idiot or an oil industry patsy.

[BornFromTheVoid]

SKS are obsessed with debunking anything remotely sceptical of AGW.

Christy is well respected in his field and not an idiot or an oil industry patsy.

And yet he claims such nonsense, bizarre eh? As usual, the anti-AGW followers just agree with him and exclaim that he's correct, no evidence required.

[mike Meehan]

He's just plain wrong, grass copes well with drought compared to almost every other garden plant unless you plant cactus.

You can let it go brown on the rare occasion anywhere other than the South East gets a few hot days, and it will be just fine come autumn

It appears to be another propaganda piece.

Plus concreting your garden over makes it that much harder for the water to drain away when the heavy rain comes. The number of paved front gardens in urban area show this - hence more floods.

[knocker]

This study from 2008 has no doubt been posted before.

NASA Study Finds Rising Arctic Storm Activity Sways Sea Ice, Climate

A new NASA study shows that the rising frequency and intensity of arctic storms over the last half century, attributed to progressively warmer waters, directly provoked acceleration of the rate of arctic sea ice drift, long considered by scientists as a bellwether of climate change.

NASA researcher Sirpa Hakkinen of Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and colleagues from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Mass., and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia, set out to confirm a long-standing theory derived from model results that a warming climate would cause an increase in storminess. Their observational approach enabled them to not only link climate to storminess, but to also connect increasing trends in arctic storminess and the movement of arctic ice -- the frozen ocean water that floats on the Arctic's surface. Results from their study as well as what they could mean for future climate change appeared this month in the American Geophysical Union's Geophysical Research Letters.

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/arctic_storm.html

[Gray-Wolf]

Another one of the disciples that we're forced to fund through the TV tax:

http://www.dailymail...ing-expert.html

he'll maybe use those secateurs on his hair and stop looking like a daft old girl.

"drier summers ahead" apparently.

And to complete the character assasination I've always liked Mr F. and he's the reason I pee in my Compost!

[Waterspout]

A new study reveals 10 years to total Arctic Ice Melt

http://www.dailymail...o=feeds-newsxml

The scientist from UCL was on BBC Radio 4 this morning talking about this. At the end of the interview he managed to reveal the total disappearance might only be for 1 Day in the Height of Summer.

I wasn't sure Evan Davies (who did the intereview) was completely convinced. Kept mentioning about the previous studies which proved incorrect, and how certain they were these would be correct. Then came the revelation might only be for 1 day. Which I guess doesn't sound as good in the wording of the headlines which will be rolled out over the coming days to cover this story.

Call me cynical.....!

Edited August 13, 2012 by Waterspout

[BornFromTheVoid]

Hi cynical!

So you don't think there is a chance the Arctic may be ice free in summer within the next 10 years?

[Methuselah]

Call me cynical.....!

It doesn't have quite the same impact as "...call me Mr Tibbs."

[Gray-Wolf]

I wonder which day over summer he had in mind?

I really find it hard to believe that any scientist ,working in the field of Arctic sea ice, would make such a bizzare comment.

I can believe " then ,one day in summer, the ice will be gone" would be said but seeing as most updated models are showing zero ice volume, in June/July Aug, from 2020 onward then saying it will be absent for only 1 day surely makes even less sense?

As it is ice will suddenly 'go' over a very short period of time, as we see in 'flash melt' episodes today.

If you look at how quickly places like 'Hudson bay' loses it's ice each year you can see the kind of crash in extent we should expect to occur. 'Thickness' takes a long while to go down with little impact on extent but when we get down to those last few cm then 'poof' it goes.