Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Third Open Thread

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  2. Malcolm Hill says

    “Why are emissions from cattle eating grain classed as bad whereas emissions from cars burning grain ethanol are good?”

    …asks Viv Forbes of:

    http://www.carbon-sense.com

    and what a good queston it is.

    Has anybody heard of any response from the BOM at all, to the queries/evidence raised by Ken Stewart,Barnham et al ?

    Didnt think so.

  4. val majkus says

    Seasonal forecasting in Australia
    House of Representatives
    Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Innovation
    has spoken!
    http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/isi/weather/report/front.pdf
    Recommendation 1
    The Committee recommends that CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology provide to the Australian Government a report with detailed explanatory information as to why a particular dynamic forecasting model or system was chosen for use in Australia. The report should be completed by the end of 2010.
    Recommendation 2
    The Committee recommends that weather and climate variables and influences, for example, particulates, be identified, thoroughly examined to assess their degree of impact on our weather and climate, and incorporated into forecasting models as necessary. Priority areas for incorporating these variables should be published.

    There are 8 recs in total
    Interesting to see that David Jensen (he of calling for Royal Commission into the science of AGW) was among the members of the committee

  6. val majkus says

    http://www.climateconversation.wordshine.co.nz/open-threads/climate/climate-science/energy-and-fuel/
    please leave a message

    Condolences for the Pike River victims

    Send your condolences to the families of the victims of the Pike River coal mine disaster.

    To leave a message for their loved ones please use the comment field at the foot of this page.

    24/11/2010 – Stuff

    The Pike River coal mine victims: Conrad John Adams, Malcolm Campbell, Glen Peter Cruse, Allan John Dixon, Zen Wodin Drew, Christopher Peter Duggan, Joseph Ray Dunbar, John Leonard Hale, Daniel Thomas Herk, David Mark Hoggart, Richard Bennett Holling, Andrew David Hurren, Jacobus (Koos) Albertus Jonker, William John Joynson, Riki Steve Keane, Terry David Kitchin, Samuel Peter Mackie, Francis Skiddy Marden, Michael Nolan Hanmer Monk, Stuart Gilbert Mudge, Kane Barry Nieper, Peter O’Neill, Milton John Osborne, Brendan John Palmer, Benjamin David Rockhouse, Peter James Rodger, Blair David Sims, Joshua Adam Ufer, Keith Thomas Valli.

  8. John Sayers says

    This morning I heard Julian Cribb talk about his latest book, The Coming Famine. He made me so angry I nearly drove off the road.

    Lines like – “of course with climate change we can expect more and more severe droughts!”

    Yet with the recent upward trend in temperature they estimate global vegetation has increased by 6%

    http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/6447.htm

  10. el gordo says

    John, they failed to mention global warming.

    Is this CSIRO Publishing’s idea of Xmas reading?

    Bob Carter’s new book will be a far better gift for aunty, to be astonished and enlightened.

  12. gavin says

    Guys; I reckon we should return to watching “Miniscule” on ABC instead of the blog about this time of day

    Sorry if I offend; hey!

  14. Neville says

    Well here is a new peer reviewed study that could prove the lie of CAGW ( other than 1c) and explain why the planet has perhaps warmed slightly over the last 200 to 300 years.

    If cloud cover changes by even 1% to 2% over time the planet will cool or warm slightly.
    It looks like Lindzen, Spencer and the 31,000+ scientists could have the last laugh after we’ve poured countless billions down the toilet for a zero return.

    http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/11/25/something-to-be-thankful-for-at-last-cosmic-rays-linked-to-rapid-mid-latitude-cloud-changes/#more-28279

  15. el gordo says

    Good news, Neville. The relationship has been established, now all we need is for some enterprising journalist to run the story in the msm.

  16. Malcolm Hill says

    Neville and El Gordo

    Did you read the whole thing including Ben Lakens own comments

    …not grounds for excitement yet, but there are certanily onto something that would pass the smell test.

    No doubt the IPCC drones who have already announced the outcome of their next report will give it a bollocking…they will have to.

  17. val majkus says

    I know Australians are generous and the following appeal is for the families of the Pike River Miners who have been lost
    A lonely death, an inexpressible grief
    http://www.climateconversation.wordshine.co.nz/2010/11/a-lonely-death-an-inexpressible-grief/
    the details of the appeal are here:
    Richard Treadgold says:
    November 26, 2010 at 3:50 pm
    The BNZ have given me a little more detail. They have waived transaction fees, so everything you send will reach the miners’ relief fund.

    For New Zealand residents, the bank account to credit — through internet banking or at your nearest BNZ branch — is:

    Pike River Mine BNZ Appeal
    Greymouth branch
    02 0844 0074501-00

    From overseas, the easiest donation method is with a credit card through Grab One at http://www.grabone.co.nz/dunedin-invercargill/pike-river-miners-relief-fund. If you go to the Australian site at http://www.grabone.com.au, there’s a link to the NZ site at the top of the page.

    You have to register first, which is easy and painless.

    PLEASE NOTE that there’s a limit of $5 per donation, but NO CREDIT CARD FEES are charged by Grab One, so to donate more, just perform multiple transactions.

    Large overseas donations
    For those of greater generosity wanting to donate three or four-figure amounts, you should use a Telegraphic Transfer from your local bank. As well as the basic account information shown above, you will need this:

    Bank address:
    Store 91,
    MacKay Street,
    Greymouth 7805.

    SWIFT BKNZNZ22

    Your transaction will cost something at your end, plus there’s a fee of $25 added at this end.

    The latest news is that $1.3 million has poured in to the miners’ relief fund.

    Thank you for your generosity.

  20. val majkus says

    WUWT has an interesting post up today A J Strata
    http://wattsupwiththat.com/
    Bottom Line – Using two back-of-the-envelope tests for significance against the CRU global temperature data I have discovered:

    ■75% of the globe has not seen significant peak warming or cooling changes between the period prior to 1960 and the 2000′s which rise above a 0.5°C threshold, which is well within the CRU’s own stated measurement uncertainties o +/- 1°C or worse.
    ■Assuming a peak to peak change (pre 1960 vs 2000′s) should represent a change greater than 20% of the measured temperature range (i.e., if the measured temp range is 10° then a peak-to-peak change of greater than 2° would be considered ‘significant’) 87% the Earth has not experienced significant temperature changes between pre 1960 period and the 2000′s.

  22. el gordo says

    val

    I agree that a peak-to-peak change of greater than 2° would be considered ‘significant’, especially if it happened over a decade.

  27. spangled drongo says

    It’s now past mid-day on the last day of spring and Brisbane has not exceeded 30c for the whole of spring.

    That has not occurred before in the history of temp records.

  30. el gordo says

    It hasn’t been this cold in Trondheim, Norway, since 1788. The Dalton Minimum was still a little way off, which makes me curious about the mechanisms involved at the time.

  31. el gordo says

    There were some tremendous storms in 1788, but the most notable came in from the Bay of Biscay on 13th July and swept across France and the Netherlands. The hailstones are stated to have been as big as ‘quart-bottles’ and took three days to melt. There was immense damage.

    On November 30th a spell of frost began in England which lasted until early January, 1789. The Thames was frozen over and a frost fair held on it. December was the coldest on record and the winter very long – snow continued until the third week in April.

    Blocking highs and diverted jet stream must have been the cause.

  32. el gordo says

    Over at Watts there is a discussion on the imminent NASA disclosure by Astrobiology heavies. Anthony directed the conversation toward a terrestrial outcome, then he got into a tangle with Barry Day over UFO.

    I had a closer look and found SDO NASA caught a huge object close to the sun. In defense of free speech I presented a one minute clip (direct from the NASA site which I can no longer access) but Anthony snipped me.

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OhaHEeWqYU0/TOBJPLVT3zI/AAAAAAAAJT0/4wJZlVDtrQE/s1600/wow.jpg

    Being banned at Deltoid is one thing, being snipped at Watts is quite another.