Arguments
2012 SkS Weekly Digest #36
Posted on 10 September 2012 by John Hartz
SkS Highlights
John Cook stirred up a virtual hornet's nest with the posting of A vivid demonstration of knee-jerk science rejection. Many biases are being confirmed on the comment thread. You have to read it to believe it. Speaking of comment threads, the topic of the week is the word "warmist." See the What say you? section for details.
Toon of the Week
An original cartoon by SkS author Ari Jokimäki. Way to go Ari!
What say you?
How do you react when somebody labels you or a prominent climate scientist such as James Hansen an "alarmist"?
Paul Revere is perhaps the most famous alarmist in the history of America. Is there a comparable figure in your country's history?
Quote of the Week
“And yes, my plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet—because climate change is not a hoax, More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They’re a threat to our children’s future. And in this election, you can do something about it,” - President Barack Obama
Source: Part of remarks delivered by President Obama when accepting the nomination of the Democratic Party for the Office of President, Charlotte, Nothr Carolina, Sep 6, 2012.
New Tool
The World Resouces Institute has created a timeline of extreme climate and weather events in 2012. It include some of the most significant occurrences this year and will be periodically updated.
Fingerprints
- Climate Change and the Food Supplyby Justin Gillis,New York Times, Sep 6, 2012
- Lebanon's cedar trees threatened by climate change by Alasdair Soussi, The Gaurdian (UK), Sep 6, 2012
- 'Unprecedented,' 'Amazing,' 'Goliath': Scientists Describe Arctic Sea Ice Melt, Common Dreams, Sep 7, 2012
- How Sea Otters Can Reduce CO in the Atmosphere: Appetite for Sea Urchins Allows Kelp to Thrive, ScienceDaily, Sep 7, 2012
- The driest season: Global drought causes major worries by Tim Lister, CNN, Sep 8, 2012
- Florida sea turtle numbers up, but climate change poses threat by Ludmilla Lelis, Orlando Sentinel, Sep 8, 2012
- How Sea Otters Can Reduce CO in the Atmosphere: Appetite for Sea Urchins Allows Kelp to Thrive, ScienceDaily, Sep 7, 2012
Must Read
- The Six Stages of Climate Grief by Daphne Wysham, Other Words, Sep 3, 2012
The Week in Review
- Do we know when the Arctic will be sea ice-free? by Verity
- A vivid demonstration of knee-jerk science rejection by John Cook
- Vanishing Arctic Sea Ice: Going Up the Down Escalator by Dana
- Interactive online map shows over 100 years of local US weather by sinonf
- Record Arctic Sea Ice Melt to Levels Unseen in Millennia by Dana
- New research from last week 35/2012 by Ari Jokimäki
Coming Soon
- New research from last week 36/2012 (Ari Jokimäki)
- Obama, Romney, and Various National Climate Policies Around the Globe (Dana)
- Climate Change and the Weightier Matters: a Christian view on global warming (John Cook)
- How to Solve the Climate Problem: a Step-by-Step Guide (Dana)
- Skeptic Magazine vs. Heartland and Monckton Cherrypicked Denialism (AlexC and Dana)
- Doffing the cryosphere cap: a new source of Arctic methane? (Andy S)
- Fred Singer - not an American Thinker (John Abraham and Dana)
- Arctic Sea-ice minimum 2012 declared - it's the Silly Season! (John Mason)
SkS in the News
Dana's Record Arctic Sea Ice Melt to Levels Unseen in Millennia was re-posted on Climate Progress and Tweeted by The New York Times' Andrew Revkin and The Sunday Times' Jonathan Leake.
Rob Painting's Sea Level Isn't Level was also re-posted on Climate Progress.
SkS Spotlights
The Open Climate Network (OCN) brings together independent research institutes and civil society groups from key countries to track and report on their countries’ progress toward addressing climate change. OCN operates with a view toward identifying and removing barriers to effective policy implementation, and we are committed to developing a robust analytical framework that can be applied consistently across countries, while respecting unique national circumstances.
Winston Churchill
For context, see the
Your feedback is welcomed and desired.
Except he forgot "Light bulbs violate the second law of thermodynamics."
"Are you crazy? We will not replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs or LEDs!"
Thermodynamics, schmermodynamics. You've got the physics entirely wrong. They're not even "light" bulbs, they're dark bulbs. They don't give off light, they suck out dark. Haven't you ever heard of blackbody radiation?
The natural state of the world is to be filled with dark. A dark bulb lets us see by removing the dark, so it doesn't block the view any more. Proof? What does a bulb look like when it stops working? It's black - because it's full of dark. There's no more room for it to suck more dark.
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs – A Tale From Dust to Dust
and
LED life-cycle assessment
HT to Hot Topic for pointers to those.
"No can do. Changing a light bulb is part of the UN secret agenda to create a world government."
"Light a candle! If candles were good enough for the Founding Fathers, they're good enough for us."
"Burn some clean coal instead!"
"Increae the wattage. It will make plants grow faster and bigger."
"Just follow Anthony's instructions!"
Corollary to "Global warming will expand the surface of the planet, a good thing!"
"Put on your Galileo T-shirt before you screw it in."
[*Sadly, there is evidence that illumination doesn't work for some - it's the King Arnulf Effect.]
"Say 'Ad hominem attack' three times before you start."
"The bulb will change itself"
Sounds about right... given that the modeled output of the light bulbs would (like climate models) have been refined until it matched actual observed output. So, restated; 'Most 'skeptics' believe that observed reality is exaggerated by a factor of two.'
John Hartz, you are on a roll...I canna resist!
I'm rather disappointed LA21 hasn't been mentioned yet. And, of course, the Illuminati (boom boom!)
"Wipe off those fingerprints on the bulb before you screw it it. We don't want people to learn who made it and where it came from."
"Man may have made the bulb, but only God has the power to turn on the electricity."
That's why it was referred to as the Dark Ages...
"Stop! If you replace the lightbulbs, people will be able to see the multiple lines of evidence hanging from the ceiling."
"Stop! You're standing in six inches of seawater."
Ergot, those crazy darkists are cereal liars, liars, pants-on-St-Anthony's-fires.
Quod erratic demonstrandum.
"Don't worry, the strawman will rescue us."
"Just throw the bulbs at the ceiling. One of them is bound to stick."
"Don't worry. Gish is galloping to our rescue."
"If no one else can do it, we'll let Ad Hominem take over."
My vote for the best, so far?
"Al Gore just wants us to think it's dark, so he can make billions selling us light bulbs!"
Sphaerica, +10...;)
And I've done my own research on this. Where I'm at, the light cycles on and off (with occasional variations when one of my twins pulls the lamp down); therefore, this darkness is just part of a natural cycle.
It was darker during the Dark Ages.
Are you referring to the Medieval Dark Period?
"It's hard to screw in a lightbulb that's been sprayed with Obfuscation oil."
"Arrest that guy with the hockey stick! He smashed all of our antique lightbulbs."
We now have enough material for a number of follow-up toons in what will become the "Lightbulb" series.
Keep those creative juices flowing and we will have enough material for the first-ever SkS comic book.
PS - I find actively particpating in this thread to be very therapeutic. Try it, you'll like it!
"Nobody has checked the fuse, or called the power company, or looked to see if the lamp is plugged in, or called our cousin in Toledo to see if his light bulb is working. There's no proof that the light bulb is the problem."
"You just want all the light bulbs to come from the One World Light Bulb Supremacy"
"Your light bulb may be white on the outside, but it's red on the inside."
"You've got a right-hand-thread light bulb there. We need to bring in a left-hand-thread light bulb for balance."
"This is all just a plot to take control of the electricity grid."
"I've analyzed the voltage applied to the bulb, and identified a 60Hz cycle in both the current and the light, so I've proved that the output from the light does not depend on long-term supply of power from the electric company. In fact, the lags show that the light generates power, not the other way around."