TOP STORY
The GOP climate deniers actually think that their "climategate" BS is a smoking gun that will derail climate change legislation in the U.S. and a global treaty in Copenhagen by decreasing public support in the belief in global warming. The deniers believe that their lies, disinformation and fallacious claims will cause public opinion polls to "drop through the floor" by early next year.
Heh, the deniers did not get the message sent by Senator Boxer when she proceeded with climate change legislation despite Inhofe's flaccid boycott. Well, tonight's top story is about how President Obama is moving past the lying deniers and the world is following his lead. Do the deniers really think the world will blink when they whine given the solid scientific evidence of global warming impacts happening now and the gravity of impacts that lie in our future if we don't take action now?
In the annals of right-wing hubris, the "climategate" sham should be given recognition. For years, the deniers have intentionally engaged in a disinformation campaign to mislead and confuse the public about the existence and gravity of climate change. Two lawsuits were filed that included a cause of action for climate change civil conspiracy. The right-wing likes to flip things upside down, so now they cry that scientists have been part of a conspiracy to defraud the public into believing that global warming is real. Inhofe tries to make the case, but is not pleased that the interview is being done by Simon rather than Kudlow:
Desmogblog found an incredible video that debunks the "climategate" accusations:
See also: From EnviroKnow: Excellent resource on The SwiftHack Scandal: What You Need to Know.
True to the law-n-order GOP, after thousands of emails and documents were stolen, leaked or hacked from the University of East Anglia's (UEA) Climatic Research Unit (CRU) in Britain, rather than investigate a possible crime, the deniers demanded investigations of the scientists. Granted such "immunity" from accountability, it is no surprise that another scientist in Canada has been the target of denier hackers. These attacks are not simple burglary but have included incidents where "people impersonated network technicians to try to gain access to campus offices and data."
Now the deniers are moving quickly to attack climate change activists. For example, "Hollywood Conservatives Say Gore Should Lose Oscar" because somehow his movie of "An Inconvenient Truth" has now been debunked by "climategate."
I can hear Sen. Inhofe and his gang salivating, hoping to delay any domestic legislation or global treaty until after investigations have been conducted. This delay tactic did not work with Sen. Boxer, and now Obama and the world have made it clear that climate change will be addressed, even if deniers want to cry throughout the process.
Rep. Sensenbrenner accused the scientists of "scientific fascism" and made the "stunningly stupid demand that the EPA therefore stop regulating greenhouse emissions." The EPA response is that it is ready to declare CO2 a public danger, a finding that will allow EPA to regulate. AND, the EPA is expected to announce the "inclusion of the potential cost to society of no emission regulations."
Deniers demanded Obama boycott Copenhagen until "climategate" investigated. Obama responded with his announcement that he would now be attending Copenhagen on the critical last day "when more than 80 heads of government will convene to fashion a political agreement on curbing the world's greenhouse gas emissions."
Obama’s double Copenhagen stunner: He agrees to global climate assistance fund for developing countries and will go to Denmark on the 18th - Podesta calls it a "Game Changer". Seems the number of world leaders attending Copenhagen keep increasing after Obama's announcement. Reuters now reports 105 world leaders attending.
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown correctly stated the game plan for dealing with "flat earth climate skeptics:"
With only days to go before Copenhagen we mustn't be distracted by the behind the times anti-science, flat earth climate skeptics. We know the science. We know what we must do. We must act and close the five billion ton gap. That will seal the deal.
Investigations will be conducted by the UEA, the UN and perhaps Pennsylvania State University. But, much to the dismay of deniers, it is anticipated that the investigations will strengthen the case of global warming by showing that the emails are not evidence of manipulating climate science data because the conclusions of man-made global warming are not based on the views of a few scientists or one data bank.
The UK's weather service, Met Office responds by publishing climate change data from "more than 1,000 weather stations from across the world" in order to "reassure people that climate data is sound:"
If you look at the land data, the sea surface data temperatures and mean air temperature data, those three records independently show a 0.7 degree warming trend over the past 100 years. That's all published by the IPCC.
For those who don't trust this data:
"We also know that NASA have data sets that show pretty much the same trend over the past 100 years and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) also have a data set -- which, I think, is all freely available."
The UN's climate change panel also hit back, stating that "it was 'firmly' standing by findings that a rise in the use of greenhouse gases was a factor."
In fact, the scientific data is still being collected and provides visual evidence for those deniers who can't read. Scientist’s Himalayan mission provides unwelcome proof: glaciers are dying.
After a decade studying Himalayan glaciers, he had expected to find at least half the rod exposed — an alarming enough indication of how fast the Rathong is melting — but even he was surprised by what he found last week.
"Six metres in six months," he cried, breathing hard in the thin mountain air... .
"It’s pathetic," he said. "The glacier is dying."
(H/T RLMiller for sending me a few links used in the top story)
Other news this weekend (sorry, only had time for a quickie roundup today):
CLIMATE CHANGE & ENERGY
- Copenhagen targets not tough enough, says Al Gore.
Even if a deal is reached at the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen next week it will only be the first step towards the far more radical cuts that are needed in global carbon emissions... .
Mr Gore said that to avoid the worst ravages of climate change world leaders would have to come together again to set more drastic reductions than those now planned.
...He insisted that the present goal set for Copenhagen of stabilising world emissions of carbon dioxide at or below 450 parts per million — enough to prevent a rise in average global temperatures of no more than 2C — was insufficient and a safer target would be 350 parts per million.
See also, Climate deal certain, but won't be enough: IPCC scientist.
See also, Canada to follow U.S. lead at climate summit and will "propose to do no more, no less, than its neighbor."
- California gives green light for space-based solar.
Space-based solar, an idea that has been around for decades, is being pursued by companies and researchers around the world. Its key advantage over land-based solar or wind power is that can generate renewable energy around the clock. The California Public Utilities Commission gave the go-ahead to the project in an effort to meet the state's aggressive renewable energy goals.
- NIMBY opposition to wind farms often based on fear of declining prices for property located near wind farms. Official: "No evidence" wind farms hit property prices.
WATER & NATURAL RESOURCES
FOOD & HEALTH
- Urban Greenhouses Aim to Help Cities Combat Food Shortages From Climate Change.
This UFO look-a-like is an ambitious take on the classic backyard greenhouse. Towering up to 100 meters (328 feet), it is designed to grow plants on its carefully lit and heated spiral platform. Crops are planted at the bottom of the sphere and gradually climb higher before ultimately being harvested at the top.
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
- Destroyed US town a model of eco-living as it rebuilds.
A water conservation system turns rain into drinking water, wind turbines on the edge of town provide eco-friendly enery throughout the community, and the street lamps light up roads with LED lights. gEven the larger building projects are aiming for an almost 100-percent green record. Greensburg's eco-friendly, under-construction hospital, for example, has a heating and cooling system based on geothermal energy.
BLOGATHON DIARY
Climate Change Reality: Debunking Deniers' Dribble
Deniers' primary goal is to avoid regulation of the fossil fuel industry by attacking global warming as a myth based on lies that climate science is invalid. So, ideologically shaped skeptics campaign on misinformation, lies and deception to decrease public support for climate change legislation and treaty.
The lying deniers have been successful. During the past 18 months alone, deniers have sufficiently confused the public resulting in decreased support for the belief in global warming, as shown by two recent polls in October and November.
We need to nix now what deniers hope will be a downward trend ...with a few facts that debunk their dribble.
MAIN
Climategate Conspiracy
Deniers conjure up a massive global conspiracy to prevent regulating greenhouse gases, pointing to "climategate" as the smoking gun evidence that global warming is mere fabrication. If this were true, then the global warming conspiracy started in 1824 when the greenhouse effect was first described by a French scientist and continued throughout the intervening years with the conspiracy passed from one generation to the next perpetuating the fraud through 2009. The conspiracy would include a Swedish chemist in 1896 who wrote about "man-made greenhouse," a British engineer who in 1938 showed temperatures were hotter than the prior century, a US oceanographer and a chemist in 1957 who showed that oceans will not absorb all the CO2, a US scientist that in 1958 commenced "systematic measurements of atmospheric CO2," the U.S. President's advisory committee in 1965 that warned about the greenhouse effect, James Hansen of NASA who warned in 1988 that global warming had commenced, and Margaret Thatcher who warned in 1989 that a global treaty on climate change was imperative. In short, this global conspiracy would include all the scientists, governments, and international bodies that have researched or warned about global warming since 1824.
The reality is that the emails do not alter the substantive scientific findings.
Lack of Scientific Consensus
How many times must the scientific community state its consensus on the reality of anthropogenic climate change? A Rasmussen poll this month shows that 52% of Americans believe that the scientific community significantly disagrees over global warming. Yet, distinguished prominent scientists have consistently reaffirmed a consensus: In 1997, "more than 1,500 senior scientists signed a landmark consensus declaration; in 2007, more than 200 of the leading climate scientists issued the Bali Declaration, and in 2009, more than 3,000 earth scientists globally agreed that human activity is a significant contributing factor to rising mean global temperatures.
Last October, 18 worldwide scientific organizations advised the U.S. Senate that the "consensus scientific view" is that "climate change is occurring" and "rigorous scientific research demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver." One of the signatory organizations was the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which "represents an estimated 10 million individual scientists through 262 affiliated societies."
No Anthropogenic Global Warming
It is fitting that Senator Inhofe's fictional claim that we are simply experiencing a natural warming trend is based on the work of novelist Michael Crichton. Unfortunately, we can't ignore the deniers' claims because "more Americans believe in guardian angels" than anthropogenic global warming. Only 36% of Americans believe that global warming is caused by human activity, yet 55% believe "they are protected by guardian angels."
The reality is that scientists have reached a consensus that the earth is warming due to man-made activity and if greenhouse gas emissions continue, the warming will continue at an accelerated rate. This human activity of fossil fuel burning and deforestation are the two primary sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
So, how do scientists know that CO2 increases are due to human activities? The answer is that "many independent observations show that the carbon content has also increased in both the oceans and the land biosphere (after deforestation). If the oceans or land had contributed to the rise in atmospheric CO2, they would hold less carbon." Review of historical records of human activities of burning fossil fuels and clearing and burning forested lands shows that people are producing CO2 faster than carbon sinks like the ocean can absorb it.
Another independent assessment is the measurement of carbon isotopes because "CO2 produced from burning fossil fuels or burning forests has quite a different isotopic composition from CO2 in the atmosphere." And, another study released this month by 26 climate scientists shows that "global temperatures had increased at a rate of 0.19 degrees Celsius per decade over the past 25 years, parallel to increases in greenhouse gas emissions."
Several scientific bodies have reaffirmed that anthropogenic global warming is happening now: A 2007 Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change report, National Academies report, and the U.S. Global Change Research Program report. The EPA agrees that "science overwhelmingly shows greenhouse gas concentrations at unprecedented levels due to human activity."
As stated back in 2004:
There is a scientific consensus on the fact that Earth's climate is heating up and human activities are part of the reason. We need to stop repeating nonsense about the uncertainty of global warming and start talking seriously about the right approach to address it.
Arctic Sea Ice Is Recovering
Deniers claim that the arctic ice is no longer shrinking. NASA disagrees, finding that the "decade-long trend of shrinking sea ice cover is continuing." In March 2008, the ice cap rebounded in extent to almost normal winter level, but it was thin one-year ice that melted in August to its second smallest extent in record.
The Catlin Arctic survey conducted an expedition to measure the ice, finding evidence that the ice is thinner than expected and more vulnerable to summertime melting. The survey found that most of the area is "comprised almost exclusively of first-year ice" rather than the traditional "older, thicker multi-year ice." This means the ice floes are too thin to "survive the next summer's ice melt season." Indeed, the Copenhagen Diagnosis report (November 2009) found the ice is melting faster than even projected by the IPCC only 2 years ago.
Cold Weather Shows Global Cooling, Not Global Warming
Some deniers like to focus on the past decade to claim that there has been a global cooling proving that global warming is a fraud. While there were "superhot years" in 1998 and 2005, last year was cooler than prior years and skeptics claim there has been a cooling trend since 1998. As A Siegel noted, "this graphic shows bluntly that temperatures seem to have been relatively flat."
However, taking a narrow window really does distort the reality:
The National Center for Atmospheric Research reported last month that the daily record high temperatures "occurred twice as often as record lows over the last decade across" the U.S. If the temperatures were not warming, then the number of record daily highs and lows would be approximately even. However, during 2000-2009, the record highs occurred twice as often as record lows because the US "experienced unusually mild winter weather and intense summer heat." The U.N. World Meteorological Organization's temperature analysis "based on three independent sets of data" concluded that "the current decade likely ranks as the hottest since temperature records began in the 1850s."
Even an analysis by independent statisticians of "30 years of satellite-measured temperatures preferred by skeptics" showed that the earth is warming, not cooling.
Statisticians who analyzed the data found a distinct decades-long upward trend in the numbers, but could not find a significant drop in the past 10 years in either data set. The ups and downs during the last decade repeat random variability in data as far back as 1880.
One thing is clear, people around the world agree that climate change deserves a higher priority by their government...
...because we can see now the grave impacts that will only worsen.