Australia’s leading climate alarmist was recently quoted in the Herald Tribune on the IPCC report due to be released in November:
Scientist: Global greenhouse gas emissions already beyond ‘worst-case’ scenario
SYDNEY, Australia: Strong worldwide economic growth has accelerated the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere to a dangerous threshold scientists had not expected for another decade, according to a leading Australian climate change expert.
Scientist Tim Flannery said a report by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change due to be released in November will contain new data showing that the level of climate-changing gases in the atmosphere has already reached critical levels.
RealCliimate disagrees slightly:
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Noone escapes the wrath of RealClimate !
Nowhere in the Herald Tribune article, is Flannery referred to as “Australia’s leading climate alarmist” It accords him the title “scientist”.
Why the need for such vacuous cant?
Because he is, and he’s a paleantologist, not a climatologist.
They already had a few disagreements with his book years ago. Old news.
You left out the next story, Realclimate debunks OISM.
What’s the OISM got to do with Flannery? This blog isn’t a mirror of RC.
Flannery is in the business of selling books, promoting himself and geothermal as an energy source, being a shareholder in Geodynamics.
His claim that the ‘horse has bolted’ has kept him in the headlines for the time being.
RealClimate is compiled by climate scientists and modellers who would prefer to keep the pot simmering.
That’s OK Paul
I’ll wait for the topic that debunks the OISM.
I suspect that RealClimate is more concerned with destroying the careers for skeptics and would not admit to possibilities that they have been wrong.
“Because he is, and he’s a paleantologist, not a climatologist.”
He started with palaeontology and then moved into taxonomy of living species. His work as a mammalogist in PNG and nearby areas is notable. It is not uncommon for researchers to expand their areas. To continue to call him a palaeontologist is to deny what he has done scientifically since his early days in science.
You “suspect” do you Woody. Or do you know. I suspect you’re a right wing plant.
How exactly have they “destroyed” anyone’s career. That’s the province of you guys.
Strange I thought was in the main about explaining the science. But hey I forgot you don’t ACTUALLY read it so you wouldn’t know eh?
He might be an environmental scientist but Flannery is not a climatologist and while it’s laudable of him to expand his areas of scientific research,most of his claims are refuted by other,more qualified scientists.
Jayne
Realclimate has noted his few mistakes, but believes that on the whole his understanding of the science is correct. Where Flannery has important insights is with his background in paleontology and biology. He can take the projections of climate change, and study the existing climate change, and tell us how species and the eco systems will be affected, something the climatologists are not able to do.
Then how do ancient African megadroughts, -article here http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/uoa-naa100407.php
support Flannery’s assertion that climate change is man-driven or even contributed to on a large scale by man?
Or this article
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/14/europe/EU-FEA-GEN-Switzerland-Weather-Monks.php
Or this one-http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24732-2005Jan20.html
Or even this –
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/press/releases/2007/26-abruptclimatechg.asp
In fact,these and many other articles support the science that the Earth has gone through severe climate changes in the past and yet none of them support the claim that was the cause of man-kind.
They are all scientists with as much,sometimes more,qualifications and experience than Flannery.
Flannery will no doubt bask in the reflected light of Al Gore’s N-Prize and demand that a passel of Greenpeace houris attend him at his bath.
Jayne
you have made a simple logical mistake with that reasoning. Hasty generalisation.
We haven’t ever doubled the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere before. This is a new situation.
If you read Flannery’s book, it spends a fair amount of time on past climate changes, and the mass extinctions they have caused.
I love these “the Earth has gone through severe climate changes in the past” – yes and check the massive associated species extinctions.
I’m sure we’d all enjoy massive volcanism spewing vast amounts of CO2 a la PETM into the atmosphere (not!).
SJT and Luke(surely we’ll be exchanging Xmas cards soon?) –
Hasty generalisation indeed!
How is this defined as a “new situation” – by whose measurements?
And haven’t those measurements been refuted by many other scientists,you know,the ones everyone is quick to label “oiled by the oil magnates” ?
Why should I read Flannery’s book,when he’s made many public speeches on his ideas? And if I do buy it,aren’t I contributing to his bank account,therefore putting his scientific reputation into disrepute,just like those so-called oil-backed scientists?
Ancient African megadroughts were far worse than what we’re currently experiencing – so,ergo,this “new situation” isn’t as catastrophic as in the past.
As the debate is still raging on species extinction,article
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22562853-663,00.html
how is this tied in with the man-made climate change theory?
Luke,”massive volcanism” –
Yes,with the steadily increasing numbers of active volcanoes scientists are currently recording increasing water temperatures around the globe.
Surely you’re not advocating we copy the little boy who stuck his finger in the dyke?
I dare you to go first Luke!
Come off it Jayney girl – massive volcanism – twaddle ! Pity the ocean is heating top down – oh gee didn’t think of that ! fizzzle zzzzzz
And do a tad of research on species extinctions. Asteroid impact can explain a few but not the majority. Just one example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleocene-Eocene_Thermal_Maximum
And just think how we’d whistle as we walked going through an African mega-drought – piece of piss say our $3B supported and increasingly depressed farming sector. Come off it.
What do you want for Chrissy anyway?
Flannery is the boofhead that is on record for wanting to reintroduce the Komodo Dragon into Australia’s farms, school yards and country bus stops because we lack the so-called ecological benefits delivered by a large carnivore.
His actual association with the real world did not extend to how he might ensure that these six metre long Goannas might distinguish between surplus Kangaroos, spring lambs and calves or, for that matter, country kids walking to and from the farm gate.
Should make for some really interesting long weekend “happy camper” stories and do wonders for regional tourism.
But don’t worry folks, he has now switched his awesome intellect to the task of fixing the entire planet. Fixing a mere continent was not enough for his ego.
LMAO Luke !
Last time I looked,water heated from the bottom up,as heat rises.
And yes there have been increasing numbers of undersea volcanoes noted around the world.
The farming sector has been increasingly depressed due to cheap foreign imports and poor water management by Govts,this current drought is just the icing on the cake.
I’ll have a new broomstick for Chrissy,thanks Luke lol.
Ian,surely Flannery has overlooked the most ideal carnivore to breed up and re-introduce to the wild…the Deadly Drop Bear!
Well,it’s as believable as Flannery’s chicken little fairy tales!
Jayne
I think Luke is pointing out that measurments demonstrate it is heating from the top down, not bottom up. If it was volcanoes or whatever, it would be the other way around.
Luke and SJT,
Twaddle yourselves! Warm water rises, and is replaced by colder surrounding water. When it reaches the surface it spreads out, and may become an extensive plume, so giving the appearance (to gullible people) of heating from the surface. Think about it.
Stick to Fortran programming, Luke. Take no notice of their amateur bluster, Jayne, you are quite correct. My kettle is presently warming from the bottom, but is hottest at the top.
More tea anyone, before Galloping Climate Porky Telling (GCPT) overtakes us? It’s like the Black Plague of the Medieval Warm Period, which was spread by flea ridden rats.
P.S. Ah well, it keeps Luke and SJT off the streets, I suppose. They might be riding skateboards and doing climate graffatiti, so destroying the ozone layer. Did Australia sign the Montreal Treaty?
And where are these massive heat plumes from massive volcanism in the ocean Davey. Surely satellite would have detected them everywhere.
ROTFL. and LMAO. Davey the ocean warming signature is well understood – try not to wank too hard eh?
This isn’t soft systems gunk here mate.
And I’m sure you can explain how El Nino and La Nina forms with volcanoes. One minute you have a warm water anomaly ove rhalf the Pacific and then within a short period you don’t. And isn’t it funny that the volcanoes switch over in the Austral autumn. ROTFL to the nth power. Try to actually think about for more than 1 minute.
Now,now Luke,keep yourself nice.
While you’re squirming in your seat minding your manners,cast your baby blues over this article
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn12218-thousand-of-new-volcanoes-revealed-beneath-the-waves.html
Would you like a cup of tea with that slice of humble pie?
Luke,
I think you’ve aptly shot your “scientist” credibility in the foot as you argue more like a theologian, than a scientist.
I don’t get it. Luke explains what evidence we would need to see to accept the volcanic activity, he gets ridiculed.
Jayne, they aren’t *new* volcanoes, causing *new* heating. They’ve been down there all along, it’s only just now that we have discovered them.
I suspect that Luke is a mediocre computer geek at the BoM, who fantasizes about being a great climate scientist. A bit like Walter Mitty. About the only person he regularly fools is SJT, with occasional bursts from Travis, and a few other hangers on. His contempt for soft systems research is strange, since the blogosphere is a soft system. Without it, his mechanistic Fortran ‘models’ would be mere coprolites, littered around his hard disk, sniffed occasionally, only by Luke himself. I think I detect signs of coprolalia too. Have a cup of Earl Grey and a nice lie down, Luke.
Remember, science is a social activity.
SJT,there are both new volcanoes,along with the old,that are creating new heating.
Perhaps cast your windows of the soul over these multiple articles listing the numerous active undersea volcanoes that scientists state are causing ocean warming
http://www.iceagenow.com/Ocean_Warming.htm
Looks as if they gave up, Jayne.
Iceagenow – hahahahahahaha – oh for heavens sake. Shonk central.
Monbiot summed it up well
“Iceagenow was constructed by a man called Robert W Felix to promote his self-published book about “the coming ice age”. It claims that sea levels are falling, not rising; that the Asian tsunami was caused by the “ice age cycle”; and that “underwater volcanic activity – not human activity – is heating the seas”.
Is Felix a climatologist, a volcanologist or an oceanographer? Er, none of the above. His biography describes him as a “former architect”. His website is so bonkers that I thought at first it was a spoof. Sadly, he appears to believe what he says.”
As I said above but you didn’t read it:
(1) And where are these massive heat plumes from massive volcanism in the ocean Davey. Surely satellites would have detected them everywhere.
(2) And I’m sure you can explain how El Nino and La Nina forms with volcanoes. One minute you have a warm water anomaly over half the Pacific and then within a short period you don’t. And isn’t it funny that the volcanoes switch over in the Austral autumn.
Do you guys have the neurones switched on?
Davey has pretended for some time to be reasonable and a fence sitter – “ooo I’m a greenie – trust me” – but he’s not – just another cynical denialist arsehole pretending.
“Science is a social activity” – yes indeed but not with creeps.
Bugger, Davey,you spoke too soon LOL.
Luke,precious poppet,I didn’t ask you or SJT to bow down before Robert Felix,I asked you to read the MANY news articles he’s collected which pertain to scientists stating that there is a notable increase in undersea volcanic activity and this is the reason for warming ocean temperatures.
One does not need a scientific qualification to collect odds and ends…otherwise the RSPCA would confiscate you and SJT from my clutches !
Felix – hahahahahahaha .. …
Luke,
Coprolalia again. See your GP for a referral, it can turn serious. Is your rage connected with my public exposure of you as a mere computer geek (Grade Three)? Too close to the jugular?
Truck you Davey. Yes you’re profiled me spot on. Maybe that soft systems stuff actually works?