Arguments
2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #50
Posted on 12 December 2015 by John Hartz
A chronological listing of the news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook page during the past week.
Sun, Dec 6
- Denmark, a Green Energy Leader, Slows Pace of Its Spending by Mellisa Eddy, New York Times, Dec 5, 2015
- Why I’m optimistic on climate change despite the impossible goals of the Paris talks by Bhaskar Chakravorti, Washington Post, Dec 4. 2015
- Financial Industry Faces Daunting Transformation for Climate Deal to Succeed by John H. Cushman Jr., InsideClimate News, Dec 4, 2015
- Paris climate change talks yield first draft amid air of optimism by Lenore Taylor & Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian, Dec 5. 2015
- Scientists enlist the big gun to get climate action: Faith by Seth Borenstein, AP (Associated Press), Dec 5, 2015
- The Chennai Floods Are a Devastating Preview of Unnatural Disasters to Come by Eric Holthaus, Slate, Dec 4, 2015
- Fuelling its growth with coal, India champions the poor in Paris by Alister Doyle & Tommy Wilkes, Reuters, Dec 6, 2015
Mon, Dec 7
- Severe flooding prompts evacuations as Storm Desmond sweeps across UK by Robin McKie, The Guardian, Dec 6. 2015
- Five Reasons to Smile About Paris Climate Talks by John Upton, Climate Central, Dec 6, 2015
- Trust and Money at Core of Crucial Paris Talks on Climate Change by Coral Davenport, New York Times, Dec 6, 2015
- Massive natural gas storage leak alarms California residents, climate activists by Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian, Dec 4, 2015
- Faith Groups: Views on Climate Change by Bruce Lieberman, Yale Climate Connections, Dec 5, 2015
- Behind the Brackets as Paris Negotiators Shape a Climate Change Deal by Andrew C Revkin, Dot Earth, New York Times, Dec 7, 2015
- Fracking is still not the answer: Gas will not solve the climate-warming problem by Tim Flannery, Salon, Dec 5, 2015
- Even ExxonMobil says climate change is real. So why won’t the GOP?, Op-ed by Fred Hiatt, Washington Post, Dec 6, 2015
Tue, Dec 8
- Scientists just undermined a key idea behind the Paris climate talks by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 7, 2015
- What Makes People Who Really Care About Climate Change Different? by Andrew McGill, The Atlantic, Dec 6, 2015
- Paris climate talks: biggest polluters back tougher warming target by Suzanne Goldenberg & John Vidal, The Guardian, Dec 7, 2015
- Exposed: Academics-for-hire agree not to disclose fossil fuel funding by Lawrence Carter & Maeve McClenaghan, Energydesk, Greenpeace, Dec 8, 2015
- Australia ranked third-last in climate change performance of 58 countries by Lenore Taylor, The Guardian, Dec 8, 2015
- Once a fixture, climate sceptics say they are being stifled in Paris by Richard Valdamis, Reuters, Dec 8, 2015
- Amid GOP jeers from Washington, U.S. diplomats seek progress toward a climate deal by , Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 8, 2015
- Saudi Arabia accused of trying to wreck Paris climate deal by Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian, Dec 8, 2015
Wed, Dec 9
- Chinese Glacier’s Retreat Signals Trouble for Asian Water Supply by Edward Wong, New York Times, Dec 8, 2015
- Greenland's glaciers retreating at record speeds by Brooks Hays, UPI, Dec 7, 2015
- Climate coalition breaks cover in Paris to push for binding and ambitious deal by Karl Mathiesen & Fiona Harvey, The Guardian, Dec 8, 2015
- The world's CO2 emissions dipped in 2015. But don't celebrate just yet. by Brad Plumer, Vox, Dec 8, 2015
- The Climate Talks Are All About Money by Jonathan M Katz, New Republic, Dec 8, 2015
- Blocking the Sun Is No Plan B for Global Warming by David Biello, Scientific American, Dec 9. 2015
- Scientists just discovered a surprising new factor that could make global warming worse by Chelsea Harvey, Energy & Environment, Washignton Post, Dec 9, 2015
Thu, Dec 10
- Betting against global warming is a sure way to lose money by Dana Nuccitelli, Climate Consensus - the 97%, The Guardian, Dec 8, 2015
- As U.S. and Europe Pass the Hat at Climate Talks, China Clings to Developing-Nation Status by Keith Bradsher & Coral Davenport, New York Times, Dec 9, 2015
- Climate Negotiators Face Hurdles on Key Issues as Deadline Looms by Coral Davenport, New York Times, Dec 9, 2015
- Activists to defy protest ban with giant civil disobedience at end of Paris climate talks by Martin Lukacs, True Notrh, The Guardian, Dec 10, 2015
- The Latest Embarrassing GOP Attacks on Climate Change Science by Phil Plait, Bad Astronomy. Slate, Dec 10, 2015
- Paris climate negotiations enter ‘final lap’ as new text issued by , Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 8, 2015
- Wind energy is a key climate change solution by John Abraham, Climate Consensus - the 97%, The Guardian, Dec 10, 2015
Fri, Dec 11
- Climate Negotiators Discussing Warming and Migration Links by Isatis Cintron, International Press Service (IPS), Dec 10, 2015
- Ambition of Paris climate talks rises by half a degree by Valerie Volcovici, Reuters, Dec 10, 2015
- The six key road blocks at the UN climate talks in Paris by Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian, Dec 10, 2015
- Paris climate deal ‘close to finish line’ but talks set to overrun by Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian, Dec 11, 2015
- China’s Emissions Pledges Are Undercut by Boom in Coal Projects Abroad by Michael Forsythe, New York Times, De 11, 2015
- The two key points that climate skeptics miss by David Roberts, Energy & Environment, Vox, Dec 11, 2015
- COP21: Climate deal text 'agreed' in Paris, BBC News, Dec 11, 2015
Sat, Dec 12
- Paris climate talks: Obama calls Xi Jinping in final push for a deal by Suzanne Goldenberg, Lenore Taylor, Adam Vaughan & John Vidal, The Guardian, Dec 11, 2015
- Decrying Draft Deal that 'Fails Humanity,' COP21 Protesters Draw Red Line by Sarah Lazare, Common Dreams, Dec 11, 2015
- World climate accord hailed as turning point from fossil fuels by Alister Doyle and Barbara Lewis, Reuters, Dec 12, 2015
- Paris climate deal: key points at a glance by Adam Vaughan, The Guardian, Dec 12, 2015
- Paris climate deal: nearly 200 nations sign in end of fossil fuel era by Suzanne Goldenberg, John Vidal, Lenore Taylor, Adam Vaughan & Fiona Harvey, The Guardian, Dec 11, 2015
- Countries just adopted a historic climate change accord. Here’s what happens next by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 12, 2015
- Protesters Are in Agreement as Well: Pact Is Too Weak by Lisa J Rubin & Elian Peltier, New York Times, Dec 12, 2015
- ANALYSIS-A la carte action on climate change by Bruce Wallace, Reuters, Dec 13, 2015
- Climate Accord Is a Healing Step, if Not a Cure by Justin Gillis, New York Times, Dec 12, 2015
Has anyone published (or posted here perhaps) on the difference between radiosonde (RATPAC) and satellite (UAH, RSS) data? The satellite measurements seem to have problems.
Further on satellite data: the satellite data has in prior years responded to a greater positive extent to El Nino (and negatively to La Niña) than surface temps - doesn't seem to be the case with the current El Niño.
Owen: Tamino just posted about that discrepancy, which has been increasing since about 2000. Dana N. has heard a rumor that a paper about satellite temperature measurement problems. Others have elaborated that rumor into Po-Chedley & Co. at U. Washington preparing a treatment of satellite measurement of TLT similar to what they did for TMT. Satellite measure of troposphere historically has lagged ENSO by three months or more. If this time instead troposphere fails to show large El Niño response, that will be further evidence of satellites gone awry around 2000.
The Norwegian blogger Hans Petter Jacobsen has written an interesting piece about surface temperatures vs. temperatures measured by satellites and radiosondes (balloons).
It’s quit telling how radiosonde data (especially RATPAC A) show a stronger warming in recent years than the satellite data do.
Also note how the radiosonde data show a strong cooling in the stratosphere, which is an important fingerprint of warming caused by increased greenhouse effect and not by solar activity.
A somewhat shortened version of this piece in Norwegian can be found here.
Ted Cruz (likely Republican candidate for President in US) is making a big deal out of the satellite data. It is important to understand these recent discrepancies.