Quote of the Week:

“Why should we have anybody spend money on a program that nobody’s thought through?”

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Number of the Week: 141,200 barrels

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THIS WEEK:

By Ken Haapala, Executive Vice President, Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP)

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CLIMATE SCIENCE: There continues to be developments in climate science that challenge the findings of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). A paper describing research by Lindzen-Choi is being published by the Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Science. The paper addresses concerns raised by critics of a 2009 work. The major finding is that the planet is not very sensitive to increases in greenhouse gases, which, no doubt, will concern the proponents of the IPCC.

The research finds that a doubling of carbon dioxide (CO2) will increase temperatures by only 0.7 deg K, which is significantly below the lowest estimates of the models used by the IPCC. The range with a 99% certainty is between 0.5 deg K and 1.3 deg K. According to Lindzen, it took about 2 years to find a journal to publish the paper. No doubt some critics will focus on the point that the paper was published in a Korean, not western, journal. But, the refusal of western journals to publish it is inexcusable. If the research holds up to the rigorous review it will receive, the scientific prestige lost to the west is Korea’s gain.

Roy Spencer posted further work on comparing NOAA’s Levitus observations of ocean warming from 1955 to 1999 to a depth of 700 meters with results from IPCC models. The models demonstrate a wide variety of behaviors, including some showing a cooling trend at lower depths. The IPCC also uses broad error bars to show a possible statistical overlap between observations and models. As Spencer suggests, this procedure also suggests a possible great disparity between observations and models.

Spencer recognizes his work requires careful scrutiny. If the results hold up, as with Lindzen-Choi, the IPCC has grossly overestimated the sensitivity of the planet to a doubling of CO2. Roger Pielke, Sr. praised Spencer’s work and has invited anyone whose analysis shows Spencer’s work is flawed to post their analysis on his (Pielke’s) web site.

A third development is, right now, a suggestion of what may come later. Joseph D’Aleo thinks he may have found a relation between solar flux and the East Pacific Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, and the Arctic Oscillation during the winter. He promises to produce further work after the hurricane season has concluded. Please see referenced articles under “Science; Is the Sun Rising” and “Challenging the Orthodoxy.’

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Politics: Texas Governor Rick Perry has entered the race for the Republican nomination for President. Generally, TWTW will avoid discussing politics except to note he has made global warming an issue in the race. For that he is being attacked by various newspapers and the environmental industry. Thus far the attacks appeal to the authority of the IPCC and fail address the issues being raised. Please see referenced under “Defending the Orthodoxy” and “Environmental Industry.”

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Green Energy & Jobs: In Europe, politicians are discovering that the citizens do not care for the rising costs of electricity that come with electricity generated from wind farms and solar. Resistance to goals of a high percentage of electricity coming from these sources is mounting. Also, governments are discovering that the green jobs they promised are illusionary.

Similar developments are occurring in the US where natural gas from shale is becoming plentiful. For example, the governor of Pennsylvania is quietly cutting out renewable energy programs. Please see articles referenced under “Questioning European Green”, “Subsidies and Mandates Forever”, and “Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Energy.”

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NOAA published estimates of the annual costs of weather disasters and estimates that 2011 may become the worst year yet. As society has become more prosperous, the cost of disasters will increase. It is also worth noting the most expensive year was 2005 with Hurricane Katrina estimated to cost an inflation adjusted $145 Billion. Much of this loss in New Orleans would not have occurred if the environmental industry had not successfully stopped a Corps of Engineers project to protect the city from storm surges with a moveable barrier system built along Interstate 10. The project was stopped by a successful lawsuit filed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Please see articles referenced under “Changing Weather.”

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Oil Discovery: One of the more unusual stories is that Exxon and its partner, Norway’s StatoilASA found a massive oil field in the Gulf of Mexico and kept the extent of the find secret. When Exxon applied for extensions of leases for the field, the Interior Department of the Obama administration turned them down. Now all parties are headed to court. The extent of the find further indicates the damage to the economy from the administration’s policy of slowing down the development of oil fields and the departure of drilling rigs to friendlier, foreign waters.

What is especially inconsistent about the administration is that it has signed a deal with Brazil to help its development of deepwater wells. No doubt some of the new wells will be drilled by rigs that left the Gulf of Mexico in response to the administration’s policy. Please see Articles # 1 & 2 and referenced articles under “Oil Spills & Consequences”, and “Energy Issues.”

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Quote of the Week: By 2006 the grocery discount chain, Costco, had installed some 90 charging stations for electric vehicles in California and a few other states. Once they realized no one uses them, Costco pulled the plug of the chargers. The quote comes from Dennis Hoover, a regional general manager.

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Number of the Week: 141,200 barrels. This was the liquid capacity of the T2-SE-A1 tanker, the workhorse of the US tanker fleet during World War II and a favorite target of German submarines. It gives a point of reference when assessing articles discuss small oil leaks from drilling platforms, etc. American Merchant Marine at War,

http://www.usmm.org/tankers.html…

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ARTICLES:

For the numbered articles below please see:

http://www.sepp.org…

1. Exxon, U.S. Government Duel Over Huge Oil Find

By Russell Gold, WSJ, Aug 18, 2011

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405311…

2. Exxon’s Billion-Barrel Secret

By Angel Gonzalez, WSJ, Aug 19, 2011

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405311…

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NEWS YOU CAN USE:

Science: Is the Sun Rising?

Strong Evidence for Sun’s Role in the EPO/NAO/AO in Winter

By Joseph D’Aleo, WeatherBELL, Aug 12, 2011

http://www.weatherbell.com/newsletter-8-16-20…

[SEPP Comment: Another possibility that needs rigorous examination.]

Climategate Continued

Neil Wallis and the Ben Webster Article

By Steve McIntyre, Climate Audit, Aug 16, 2011

http://climateaudit.org/2011/08/16/neil-walli…

[SEPP Comment: More on the efforts of the University of East Anglia trying to cover-up.]

Challenging the Orthodoxy

The Truth About Greenhouse Gases

By William Happer, GWPF, Aug 16, 2011

http://www.thegwpf.org/the-climate-record/363…

http://www.thegwpf.org/images/stories/gwpf-re…

[Princeton Professor Happer expresses his views on the current global warming mania]

Lindzen-Choi 2011 published

By Lubos Motl, Reference Frame, Aug 18, 2011

http://motls.blogspot.com/2011/08/lindzen-cho…

The paper can be found at: http://www-eaps.mit.edu/faculty/lindzen/236-Lindzen-Choi-2011.pdf

New paper from Lindzen and Choi implies that the models are exaggerating climate sensitivity.

By Anthony Watts, WUWT, Aug 16, 2011

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/08/16/new-pap…

Deep Ocean Temperature Change Spaghetti: 15 Climate Models Versus Observations

By Roy Spencer, His Blog, Aug 14, 2011

http://www.drroyspencer.com/2011/08/deep-ocea…

Recommended Reading – The Post By Roy Spencer “Deep Ocean Temperature Change Spaghetti: 15 Climate Models Versus Observations”

By Roger Pielke, Sr, Pielke Climate Science, Aug 17, 2011

http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/2011/08…

[SEPP Comment: Pielke’s comments supporting Spencer’s ocean temperature analysis. Also Pielke invites others to post their analysis on his web site if they conclude Spencer’s work is flawed.]

Global Warming, if Real, Would Be Good for Us

By Kevin Mooney, Dakota Voice, Aug 17, 2011

http://www.dakotavoice.com/2011/08/global-war…

[SEPP Comment: Cites comments by Craig Idso to the American Legislative Exchange Council’ annual meeting.]

CSIRO’s methane problem

By Tom Quirk, Quadrant, AU, Aug 17, 2011

http://www.quadrant.org.au/blogs/doomed-plane…

[SEPP Comment: CSIRO is Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, a proponent of unprecedented and dangerous human caused global warming.]

Global Warming Link to Drowned Polar Bears Melts Under Searing Fed Probe

By Audrey Hudson, Human Events, Aug 11, 2011

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=454…

WaPo Gets its Pinocchio for Dishonest ‘Warming Attack on Perry

By Christopher C. Horner, Big Government, Aug 19, 2011

http://biggovernment.com/chorner/2011/08/19/w…

Defending the Orthodoxy

Greenhouse Gases: The Measurement Challenge

By Michael Baum, Office of the Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Aug 16, 2011 [H/t Anthony Watts, WUWT]

http://www.nist.gov/director/greenhouse-08161…

“The continuing increase in the level of carbon dioxide and other “greenhouse gases” in the Earth’s atmosphere has been identified as a cause for serious concern because it may radically accelerate changes in the Earth’s climate.”

Human activities linked to warming and loss of sea ice

HALF: Natural cycles are part of mix, scientists find; greenhouse gas has effect.

By Richard Mauer, Anchorage Daily News, Aug 15, 2011 [H/t Eric Gottshall]

http://www.adn.com/2011/08/14/2014771/human-a…

[SEPP Comment: Supercomputers Bluefire and Franklin have spoken using one of the world’s most sophisticate climate models – that has never been verified.]

Worldwide map identifies important coral reefs exposed to stress

By Staff Writers, SPX, Aug 16, 2011

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Worldwide_m…

Study: Climate change to halve trout habitat by 2080

By Tristan Scott, Missoulian,: Aug 16, 2011

http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_9ec9…

[SEPP Comment: Headline alarmists at its worst. The major decline in native trout population is from competition with non-native trout. But why make distinctions when alarmism sells?]

Climate change could drive native fish out of Wisconsin waters

By Terry Devitt, SPX, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Climate_cha…

[SEPP Comment: Another invasive species issue.]

Rick Perry’s made-up ‘facts’ about climate change

By Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-chec…

Climate-change science makes for hot politics

By Joel Achenbach and Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post, Aug 19, 2011 [H/t Malcolm Ross]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health…

Obama administration encounters opposition to international climate agenda

By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post, Aug 14, 2011

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health…

Questioning the Orthodoxy

Western Pacific Hurricanes Declining?

By Patrick Michaels, World Climate Report, Aug 19, 2011

http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index.php/2…

“Is that not incredible? Over the same time period and same region, and during a time of aircraft and satellite reconnaissance, one dataset shows an increase in severe storms while two other datasets show a significant decrease?”

Himalayan Glacier Disappearance Overstated

By Doug L. Hoffman, Resilient Earth, Aug 17, 2011

http://theresilientearth.com/?q=content/himal…

New paper “Climatic trends in major U.S. urban areas” quantifies the UHI effect and the impact on climate trend

By Anthony Watts, WUWT, Aug 16, 2011

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/08/16/new-pap…

Questioning European Green

UK Windpower targets are ‘unfeasible’

Plans to get more than a third of Britain’s energy from wind are unfeasible, as the national grid would not be able to cope, say researchers.

By Rowena Mason, Telegraph, UK, Aug 13, 2011

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysect…

Windfarms prevent detection of secret nuclear weapon tests, says MoD

Plans for hundreds of wind turbines have been blocked over claims that vibrations will interfere with recording station

By Rob Edwards, Guardian, UK, Aug 19, 2011 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/au…

[SEPP Comment: The vibrations may interfere with the delicate instruments used to monitor underground nuclear testing.]

Electricity bills could rise by £13 a year to fund infrastructure expansion

Power transmission companies want to be able to charge households an extra £13 per year on their energy bills by 2021 to cover the cost of connecting wind farms and other new generation to the national grid.

By Rowena Mason, Telegraph, UK, [H/t GWPF]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysect…

Solar Energy: Tough Love in the EU

By Gary Hunt, Master Resource, Aug 17, 2011

http://www.masterresource.org/2011/08/solar-e…

[SEPP Comment Affordability and budget deficits are finally hitting politicians who have been subsidizing solar. They are discovering the green jobs they promised are in China.]

Models v. Observations

Short Overview On Why Multi-Decadal Regional Climate Predictions Do Not Add Value To The Climatology Used By The Impact Assessment Community

By Roger Pielke, Sr, Pielke Climate Science, Aug 19, 2011

http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/2011/08…

[SEPP Comment: Risk assessment of climate changes must start with a knowledge of history.]

A New AGU EOS Article Titled “Guidelines For Constructing Climate Scenarios” By Mote Et Al 2011 Which Inadvertently Highlights This Flawed Climate Science Approach

By Roger Pielke, Sr, Pielke Climate Science, Aug 15, 2011

http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/2011/08…

[SEPP Comment: As Pielke suggests, this is a waste of resources.]

Climate Models Not So Good For Crop Prediction

By Patrick Michaels, World Climate Report, Aug 15, 2011

http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index.php/2…

Changing Weather

2011 US Natural Disasters Cost to Exceed $35 Billion

By Christine McEnrue, WeatherBell, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.weatherbell.com/weather-news/2011-…

Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disaster

By Staff Writers, NOAA National Climatic Data Center,

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/billionz….

[SEPP Comment: Estimates from 1980 to 2010]

US Sees Growing Losses From Extreme Weather

By Staff Writers, CNBC, Aug 17, 2011 [H/t Bud Bromley]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/44179278…

Snow falls in Auckland for first time in decades

By Amelia Wade, Hayden Donnell, Paul Harper and NZPA, NZ Herald, Aug 15, 2011 [H/t Pielke Climate Science.]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm…

[SEPP Comment: According to the article, the last time this happened was in the 1930s – an unusually hot decade in the US.]

Changing Climate

Plants and animals migrating upward as climate changes

By Brian Vastag, Washington Post, Aug 18, 2011 [H/t Conrad Potemra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health…

[SEPP Comment: With warming, cold sensitive organisms will expand their range. There is little or no evidence that their range is shrinking. We can expect that when the next ice age comes, the range of these animals will decrease significantly. The last paragraph is outrageous, implying dengue fever is new to the US. Apparently what is now dengue fever was described in the 18th Century by founding father Dr. Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia, while we were still in the little ice age. The US eliminated the fever by rigorous public health measures including killing misquotes with DDT or pouring oil on swamps and other waters that misquotes used for breeding.]

Changing Seas

The role of ocean thermal expansion in Last Interglacial sea level rise

By McKay, N. P., J. T. Overpeck, and B. L. Otto-Bliesner (2011), The role of ocean thermal expansion in Last Interglacial sea level rise, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L14605, doi:10.1029/2011GL048280.

http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref

[SEPP Comment: The thermal component of sea level rise during the last interglacial period was small. The key points of the study state that the Antarctic ice must have contributed 2.8 to 4.5 meters of sea level rise during the last interglacial above the current levels; yet the abstract suggests 4.1 to 5.8 meters.]

Tsunami observed by radar

By Staff Writers, SPX, Aug 19, 2011

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Tsunami_obs…

[SEPP Comment: May lead to a better early warming system.]

Agriculture Issues & Fear of Famine

Obama administration to invest $510M in biofuels industry to power ships, jets

By Andrew Restuccia, The Hill, Aug 16, 2011

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/…

[SEPP Comment: Investment rather than spending implies that there will be a return on the investment, very doubtful.]

EDITORIAL: Obama the biofool

Administration uses military to expand subsidies for pricey green schemes

Editorial, Washington Times, Aug 16, 2011

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/…

Litigation Issues

New York Subpoenas Energy Firms

By Ian Urbina, NYT, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/19/us/19gas.ht…

[SEPP Comment: Who would have forecast the sudden drop in natural gas prices with the successful development of modern drilling techniques? The well life using these techniques was an unknown.]

Suing NASA and UVA

By Paul Chesser, American Spectator, Aug 19, 2011

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/08/19/suin…

Lawsuits Flow Over Texas Pipelines

Surge in Oil, Gas Production Fuels Demand for New Routes, Leaving Companies to Spar With Landowners Along the Way

By Daniel Gilbert, WSJ, Aug 19, 2011

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405311…

[SEPP Comment: May be behind a pay wall.]

Cap-and-Trade and Carbon Taxes

Emissions trading scheme is a ‘failure’

By Matthew Sinclair, Public Service, Europe, Aug 17, 2011 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/73…

Australian Cabinet to vote on carbon tax

By Staff Writers, UPI, Aug 17, 2011

http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Australia…

Convoy of discontent rolls on

Editorial, The Australian, Aug 16, 2011 [H/t Quadrant]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/…

Gillard has a problem: Growing Convoy on the way – powers through North Queensland!

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Aug 19, 2011

http://joannenova.com.au/2011/08/gillard-has-…

Vietnam to impose ‘green’ tax

By Staff Writers, UPI, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Vietnam_to_…

Subsidies and Mandates Forever

Corbett quietly turning off the lights on renewable energy

By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Aug 14, 2011 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11226/1167245-…

EPA and other Regulators on the March

Report: No ‘train wreck’ from EPA utility rules

By Andrew Restuccia, The Hill, Aug 18, 2011

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/…

[SEPP Comment: The Congressional Research Service accepts unsubstantiated EPA estimates of health benefits without question. EPA claims are ludicrous.]

New Auto Fuel Economy Standards Will Regulate Us To Death

By Larry Bell, Forbes, Aug 16, 2011

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybell/2011/08…

Strange Friends of the New EPA Trucking Regulations

By Melody Himel Scalley, American Thinker, Aug 15, 2011

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/08/strang…

Issa: 54.5 MPG Fuel Economy Standard Negotiated Outside Scope of Law

By Marlo Lewis, Global Warming.org August 15, 2011

http://www.globalwarming.org/2011/08/15/issa-…

The Dunes Sagebrush Lizard’s ESA listing must be brought into the open.

By Marita Noon, Texas Insider, Aug 19, 2011

http://www.texasinsider.org/?p=51031…

[SEPP Comment: Controversial challenge to an endangered species listing.]

Green Ideology Trumps Flood Control

By Joe Herring, American Thinker, Aug 17, 2011

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/08/green_…

[SEPP Comment: Did the Corps of Engineers fail in its principal obligation of protecting the public from floods?]

Energy Issues

Administration launches energy partnership with Brazil

By Andrew Restuccia, The Hill, Aug 18, 2011

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/…

[SEPP Comment: No doubt some of the wells will be drilled by rigs the administration drove from the Gulf of Mexico.]

Help Wanted: Immediate Opening for More Coal Power Plants

By Frank Clemente, Energy-Facts, Aug 18, 2011

http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=29bc7d5d8…

[SEPP Comment: Coal is great for base load (sustained output), natural gas for peak loading (meeting varying demand).]

ERCOT to Boost Texas Reliability Through Four Mothballed Plants

By Staff Writers, POWERnews, Aug 17, 2011

http://www.powermag.com/POWERnews/3941.html?h…

Nuclear Fears & Responses

Japan Commercially Restarts First Reactor After Inspections Following Fukushima Crisis

By Staff Writers, POWERnews, Aug 17, 2011

http://www.powermag.com/POWERnews/3947.html?h…

Battling Bugs

IAEA Pest Eradication Work Boosts Guatemalan Produce Exports

Staff Report, IAEA, Aug 15, 2011

http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2011/batt…

[SEPP Comment: One of the many benefits of radiation.]

Oil and Natural Gas – the Future or the Past?

Gas boom or not, more oil rigs now

Analyst: Crude production could surge by 3 million barrels a day

By Tom Fowler, Houston Chronicle, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/…

[SEPP Comment: The drilling for natural using modern techniques has been so successful that the price has collapsed. Now rigs are using similar techniques drilling for oil.]

New shale study refutes Cornell: Marcellus gas better than coal

By Donald Gilliland, Patriot-News, Aug 17, 2011 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/20…

Oil Spills & Consequences

Collateral Damage: Lost Gulf Rigs from Obama Obstructionism (10 down, more to go?)

By Kevin Mooney, Master Resource, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.masterresource.org/2011/08/lost-gu…

Second Exposed Pipe Ruptures in Flood Zone

By Jack Nicas, WSJ, Aug 19, 2011

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405311…

[SEPP Comment: Missouri River flooding continues to cause problems. The pipeline was drilled under the River but the ditch and fill method was used in the floodplain. The spill was natural gasoline leaving little or no evidence of the spill. May be behind a pay wall]

Royal Dutch Shell closes oil valve after 12 day North Sea battle

Royal Dutch Shell has finally managed to stop oil from spilling into the North Sea after a 12-day battle with the Gannet field leak.

By Rowena Mason, Telegraph, UK, Aug 19, 2011

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysect…

[SEPP Comment: About 1,600 barrels leaked.]

Administration Control of Fossil Fuels

ExxonMobil sues US government over seizure of oil leases

Oil major ExxonMobil is suing the US government for cancelling some of its deepwater exploration permits in the Gulf of Mexico.

By Rowena Mason, Telegraph, UK, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysect…

Liberals standing athwart history, yelling ‘Stop!’

Editorial, Washington Examiner, Aug 18, 2011

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2011/08…

Chu vows to ‘chart a path’ for safe gas drilling

By Ben Geman, The Hill, Aug 18, 2011

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/…

[SEPP Comment: More controls in the making, less gas.]

Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Energy

Green Jobs, Red Faces

Editorial, IBD, Aug 19, 2011

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Arti…

Sun Sets On the President’s Policies

Editorial, IBD, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Arti…

Campaign advice for ‘all of the abovers’

Wind power can be more expensive and dirty than we think

By David Schnare, Washington Times, Aug 16, 2011

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/…

Citing a Lack of Usage, Costco Removes E.V. Chargers

By Jim Motavalli, NYT, Aug 17, 2011

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/17/ci…

Hansen, WG3 and Green Kool-aid

By Steve McIntyre, Climate Audit, Aug 13, 2011

http://climateaudit.org/2011/08/13/hansen-and…

[SEPP Comment: Not all believe renewable are the answer. Even James Hansen compares them to the Easter Bunny.]

Review of Recent Scientific Articles by NIPCC

For a full list of articles see

http://www.NIPCCreport.org…

On Determining Changes in Intertidal Marine Species Ranges

Reference: Helmuth, B., Yamane, L., Lalwani, S., Matzelle, A., Tockstein, A. and Gao, N. 2011. Hidden signals of climate change in intertidal ecosystems: What (not) to expect when you are expecting. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 400: 191-199.

http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2011/aug/…

Modeling the North American Monsoon

Reference: Cerezo-Mota, R., Allen, M. and Jones, R. 2011. Mechanisms controlling precipitation in the northern portion of the North American monsoon. Journal of Climate 24: 2771-2783.

http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2011/aug/…

The implication of their results, in the words of Cerezo-Mota et al., is that “precipitation in Arizona-New Mexico would not be correctly represented by a regional model driven by these GCMs.” Thus, they write that RCMs driven by the “most commonly used” GCMs “would not give realistic simulations of the current climate of the region and therefore would not offer a realistic projection of climate change of the NAM.”

Sea Urchin Larvae Living in Periodically Low-pH Seawater

Reference: Yu, P.C., Matson, P.G., Martz, T.R. and Hofmann, G.E. 2011. The ocean acidification seascape and its relationship to the performance of calcifying marine invertebrates: Laboratory experiments on the development of urchin larvae framed by environmentally-relevant pCO2/pH. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 400: 288-295.

http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2011/aug/…

Hence, it would appear, as Yu et al. conclude, that “the effects of small magnitude in these urchin larvae are indicative of a potential resilience to near-future levels of ocean acidification.”

[SEPP Comment: Using atmospheric CO2 levels up to 1000 and 1450 ppm]

The Future of Earth’s Coral Reefs

Reference: Pandolfi, J.M., Connolly, S.R., Marshall, D.J. and Cohen, A.L. 2011. Projecting coral reef futures under global warming and ocean acidification. Science 333: 418-422.

http://www.nipccreport.org/articles/2011/aug/…

[SEPP Comment: According to Science, a decline in the alkalinity of the ocean is acidification.]

Environmental Industry

Rick Perry: Just Another Climate Denier

By Heather Taylor-Miesle, Dir NRDC Action Fund, Aug 17, 2011 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heather-taylorm…

http://www.nrdcactionfund.org/…

[SEPP Comment: The National Resources Defense Council states its political preferences.]

Green groups challenge EPA on biomass climate exemption

By Ben Geman, The Hill, Aug, 15, 2011

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/…

[SEPP Comment: Apparently some green groups dislike the idea that biomass burning may involve burning wood.]

Other Scientific News

Ethane levels yield information about changes in greenhouse gas emissions

By Staff Writers, SPX, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Ethane_leve…

“After carbon dioxide, methane is the second most important greenhouse gas.” [SEPP Comment: The researcher forgot the most important greenhouse gas – water vapor.]

Spacecraft Sees Solar Storm Engulf Earth

By Tony Phillips, NASA, Aug 18, 2011 [H/t Hans Schreuder]

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-…

[SEPP Comment: A brief movie of the solar wind engulfing the earth.]

Solar Flares: What Does It Take to Be X-Class?

By Karen C. Fox, Goddard Space Flight Center, SPX, Aug 17, 2011

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Solar_Flare…

Breathing new life into Earth

By Jennifer Chu for MIT News, SPX, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Breathing_n…

Mapping Antarctic Ice In Motion

By Felicity Barringer, NYT, Aug 18, 2011

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/…

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BELOW THE BOTTOM LINE:

Aliens may destroy humanity to protect other civilisations, say scientists

Rising greenhouse emissions may tip off aliens that we are a rapidly expanding threat, warns a report for Nasa

By Ian Sample, Guardian, UK, Aug 18, 2011 [H/t Bud Bromley]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/aug/18…

[SEPP Comment: The report was prepared independently of NASA, although a NASA employee participated on his own time.]

Sen. Charles Schumer touts tax incentives for manure energy

By Staff Writers, AP, Aug 12, 2011

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/0…

Researchers Suggest Link Between Obesity & Global Warming

Researchers at the Robert Gordon University have completed a study that addresses the link between climate change and obesity.

By Staff Writers, Scotland Food and Drink, Aug 16, 2011 [H/t WUWT]

http://www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org/news/arti…

[SEPP Comment: Save the planet – don’t eat!]

Are humans to blame for shark attacks?

By Staff Writers, AFP, Aug 18, 2011

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Are_humans_…

[SEPP Comment: They would not occur if humans stayed out of the water.]

PLEASE NOTE: The complete TWTW, including the full text of the numbered articles, can be downloaded in an easily printable form at this web site: http://www.sepp.org/the-week-that-was.cfm…

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