The Week That Was: 2014-08-02 (August 2, 2014) Brought to You by SEPP (www.SEPP.org) The Science and Environmental Policy Project

Quote of the Week: “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.” — Charles Darwin

Number of the Week: 63% v. 31%

SEPP’S APRIL FOOLS AWARD

THE JACKSON

On July 27, SEPP announced the winner of this year’s April Fools award at the annual meeting of the Doctors for Disaster Preparedness (DDP). Each year SEPP conducts its annual vote for the recipient of the coveted trophy, The Jackson, a piece of coal on a pedestal. Readers of The Week That Was are asked to nominate and vote for who they thinks is most deserving following these criteria:

· The nominee has advanced, or proposes to advance, significant expansion of governmental power, regulation, or control over the public or significant sections of the general economy.

· The nominee does so by declaring such measures are necessary to protect public health, welfare, or the environment.

· The nominee declares that physical science supports such measures.

· The physical science supporting the measures is flimsy at best, and possibly non-existent.

There were 20 nominations representing 4 countries and the States of California and Vermont. The votes have been tabulated.

The clear winner was John Kerry!

On February 16, Mr. Kerry gave a speech to students and government officials in Jakarta, Indonesia. He called global warming/climate change perhaps the world’s most fearsome weapon of mass destruction.

The DDP meeting was a particularly fitting place to announce the April Fool’s award because many attending are knowledgeable about real man-made weapons of mass destruction, such as thermonuclear devices. These are significantly different from the largely imaginary one of man-made global warming Mr. Kerry decried.

In the 1960s and 70s the term Ugly American was used to describe arrogant behavior by Americans and American officials abroad.

Mr Kerry is very wealthy, with several luxury homes, luxury yacht, and private jet.

Yet, in that speech, he urged developing nations to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, namely carbon dioxide. For Indonesia, and many other developing countries, coal-fired power plants are critical for generating the electricity necessary to help bring these countries out of dire poverty. Coal-fired power plants emit carbon dioxide, which Mr. Kerry is demanding developing countries stop. Does the term Ugly American fit?

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THIS WEEK:

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

DDP Meeting: There were several scientific presentations at the Annual Meeting of the Doctors for Disaster Preparedness that may be of interest to TWTW readers. SEPP President and Chairman Fred Singer gave two presentations: one on sea level rise and one of the difference between the findings of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC).

In his first presentation, Singer asserted that there is no evidence that sea level rise is accelerating. Earlier satellite indications that it was accelerating were the result of calibration errors. The best tidal gage data indicates a rise of about 15 cm (6 inches) by 2100. This is consistent with historic rise over the past few millennia. Singer attributes the rise to the slow melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet (which is different than the glaciers on the Antarctic continent, which are accumulating snow and ice). Singer asserts sea level rise appears to be independent of global temperatures and carbon dioxide (CO2). There is nothing humans can do except build dikes in vulnerable areas and wait for the next ice age.

In discussing the difference between the IPCC and NIPCC reports, Singer brought up the findings of the InterAcademy Council that IPCC reports need independent review, which NIPCC provides. NIPCC examines studies and data that the IPCC overlooks.

Singer asserted that the projections from the IPCC models greatly overestimate warming, even though world-wide emissions of carbon dioxide continue to rise. He also asserted there are issues with the surface temperature data, particularly between 1979 and 1997, which may be a result of human error.

Singer concluded that the NIPCC data show no significant anthropogenic (human-caused) global warming (AGW) in the 20th century. There has been no significant AGW in the 21st century. The sensitivity of the Earth’s temperatures to CO2 is near zero. Government controls on CO2 emissions are pointless, costly and hazardous to general human welfare.

Astrophysicist Willie Soon, a lead author of the NIPCC Climate Change Reconsidered II – Physical Science, emphasized errors and omissions in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR-5, 2013) in describing the solar influences on the earth’s climate. Among the issues Soon discussed is that the IPCC report ignored the non-linear dynamics of the Earth’s orbit; which produce changes in the seasonal distribution of incoming sunlight. Also, it omits discussion of the uncertainty in measuring total solar irradiation, which is so great that there can be no confidence in the climate signals from increasing CO2. The report ignores datasets that differ from the one chosen. The IPCC report ignores that accurate knowledge of the influence of solar ultraviolet (UV) irradiance is needed to establish total solar influence and that influence of the solar magnetic fields may be incorrectly dismissed as well as studies of Sun-like stars.

Charles Battig, the president of the Piedmont Chapter of Virginia Scientists and Engineers for Energy and Environment presented his detailed research on the expanding influence of the UN policymakers on local governments and local land-use decisions. These influences generally are promoted as needed for the false notion of sustainability, which Charles considers to be a path to hunger. The research can be found at Battig’s web site: http://climateis.com/2014/07/29/my-doctors-for-disaster-preparedness-presentation-sustainability-a-path-to-the-hunger-games-knoxville-tn-july-26-2014/

James Peacock, an Apollo engineer, presented the findings of the Right Climate Stuff Team. The team of retired Apollo scientists and engineers applied the technology and decision making process they used on the Apollo missions to the global warming/climate change research currently being conducted and found the current research wanting. The findings can be found at web site managed by Peacock: http://www.therightclimatestuff.com/SummaryPrelimReport.html.

Ken Haapala, of SEPP, discussed the decaying empirical support of the EPA’s finding that greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, endanger human welfare. The EPA’s three lines of evidence cannot be substantiated. The falsely declared human fingerprint is an illusion. The hot spot centered over the tropics at about 33,000 feet (10 km) cannot be found with satellite and weather balloon measurements, would occur whatever the cause of the surface warming. The claimed unprecedented and dangerous late 20th century warming is likely erroneous. The warming can be easily refuted by an examination of the Earth’s temperatures from 10,000 years ago to 300 years ago, using the best records available (Don Easterbrook). And the forecasting ability of the climate models is growing worse as the Earth refuses to warm as claimed. The models are speculative.

Haapala discussed how production of oil and natural gas are declining in federally-controlled areas. He presented the heavy government funding of alternative energy programs and that the funding is a lobby promoting global warming, which has little to do with the actual science. In his view, the major threat to America’s energy security lies in Washington.

On Saturday night, Dr. Ming Wang gave a moving talk and musical performance. He discussed his flight from China, and why it gave him a great appreciation for freedom. His 3D laser eye surgery and pioneering amniotic membrane contact lenses have given sight to many who had little hope. It was a particularly touching moment in a fine educational conference.

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Council of Economic Advisers: The President’s Council of Economic Advisers released a report finding that great harm will come to the national economy from global warming/climate change if the President’s climate plan is not adopted. The report is based on the DICE model developed by William Nordhaus, who became a co-author with Paul Samuelson in Samuelson’s famed textbook, Economics.

In itself, the Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy (DICE) model can be interesting. But, all this is based on climate models, and their assumptions, which are failing. If, as stated above, the impact of CO2 emissions on the Earth’s temperatures are minimal, the adverse economic impact of the emissions on the nation is minimal. As the disparity between climate model forecasts and temperature observations grows, the speculative nature of these models become more apparent. Could building a speculative economic model on top of a speculative climate model be called speculation squared?

Also disturbing: the report uses pre-industrial levels of carbon dioxide as a baseline. The pre-industrial period corresponded to the Little Ice Age. As shown by H.H. Lamb in Climate, History, and the Modern World, the Little Ice Age was a devastating period for humanity. Some argue that the cold period only occurred in Europe. But studies collected by CO2 Science show the argument to be false. The age brought periods of disease, famine, and death to temperate regions of the world. If CO2 brought the world out of the Little Ice Age, doubtful, then it is an enormous benefit to humanity. These economists apparently do not know economic history.

Also, the current benefits of CO2 are not included in the calculations. These benefits are presented in NIPCC’s Climate Change Reconsidered – Biological Impacts. It is as if official Washington, including the Department of Agriculture, has forgotten the concept of photosynthesis.

Official Washington seems to be bound by a mind-set that CO2 is the control knob of Earth’s temperatures and that the mind-set must be defended at all costs. The damage to the credibility of once venerated institutions is one of the costs. See links under Lowering Standards.

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WWI Mind-Set: With regard to CO2 it seems official Washington has a mind-set similar to that of World War I generals. August 4 marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I. After initial German success in the West, the war became one of trench warfare. For years, in spite of all evidence, European generals on all sides ordered millions of men to their deaths by demanding frontal assaults on heavily defended positions. The soldiers were slaughtered by concentrated artillery and machinegun fire.

For example, on July 1, 1916, the British opened the battle of the Somme. Using tanks for the first time, the offensive was initially successful. But it quickly bogged down. The British lost about 60,000 men the first day – killed, wounded, or missing. When asked why the assault failed to take the objectives, General Haig reportedly said they did not commit enough men.

By the time nature mercifully ended the battle with the onset of winter, the British had lost over 600,000 men, the French about 200,000 and the Germans over 400,000.

No strategic objectives were taken, but the British military historians termed the battle a victory.

When Churchill criticized the strategy, his critics demanded what he would have done. We do not know Churchill’s response, but an appropriate response would have been: DO NOTHING!

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Sub-Prime Investments: In a Senate hearing, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy promoted the closing of coal-fired power plants as investment opportunity in renewable energy. In the 1990s and early 2000s we had some government officials and politicians promoting sub-prime mortgages as investments opportunities, all based on sub-prime economics. Now we have government officials and politicians promoting sub-prime electrical generation as investment opportunities, all based on sub-prime science.

EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe complains that he is having difficulty building a bridge to Republican members of Congress. Perhaps some are not the fools the EPA thinks they are. See links under EPA and Other Regulators on the March

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Green Machine: A Minority Staff report by the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works details the interlocking relationships among some private foundations on funneling money to the environmental industry, many of whose former employees are now members of this administration. The response to this report should be interesting, particularly the response by the EPA.

On a different matter, IBD reported that the IRS reached an out-of-court settlement with a group of atheists, whereby IRS will start to monitor church sermons. The purpose is to see if the sermons have a political context that could be ascribed to violating the tax-exempt status of the churches.

It would be interesting to see the reaction of environmentally orientated foundations if their tax-status is questioned on the basis of their donations to organizations in the environmental industry. See links under Funding Issues and Other News that May Be of Interest.

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GAO: A 2005 law prevents the EPA from directly regulating the hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells, a process that is decades old. A report from the General Accountability Office recommends that EPA begin regulating these important activities under the guise of the Clean Water Act. As with many current government reports, this one is long on concerns and short on facts. It presents no evidence that state regulators are failing in their duties, and largely ignores that most of the fracturing is occurring thousands of feet below aquifers, with impervious rock separating the layers. The report may become a questionable justification for the EPA to expand its regulatory powers. See link under EPA and other Regulators on the March

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Number of the Week: 63% v. 31% A study of national death certificates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention covering the five year period of 2006 to 2010 attributed 10,649 deaths to weather events.

Of the deaths attributed to the weather, about 63% were tied to exposure to the cold or hypothermia; about 31% of the deaths were caused by heat, heat stroke or sun stroke and the remaining 6% were blamed on storms, floods or lightning.

So much for the alarmism being spread by many in Washington that CO2 emissions will cause massive numbers of deaths.

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ARTICLES:

For the numbered articles below, please see this week’s TWTW at: www.sepp.org. The articles are at the end of the pdf.

1 Why the Buzz About a Bee-pocalypse Is a Honey Trap

Populations of the pollinators are not declining and a ban on neonic pesticides would devastate U.S. agriculture.

By Henry Miller, WSJ, Jul 22, 2014

http://online.wsj.com/articles/henry-i-miller-why-the-buzz-about-a-bee-pocalypse-is-a-honey-trap-1406071612?tesla=y&mod=djemMER_h&mg=reno64-wsj

2. Japan to Step Up Support for Overseas Use of Coal

By Mari Iwata, WSJ, Jul 23, 2014

http://online.wsj.com/articles/japan-to-step-up-support-for-overseas-use-of-coal-1406114037

3. Miners Struggle With a Federal Cave-In

It takes the average American mine seven to 10 years to move from permitting to production.

By Daniel McGroarty, WSJ, Jul 24, 2014

http://online.wsj.com/articles/daniel-mcgroarty-miners-struggle-with-a-federal-cave-in-1406243847

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NEWS YOU CAN USE:

Climategate Continued

Cook’s Fake Ethics Approval

By Steve McIntyre, Climate Audit, Jul 26, 2014

http://climateaudit.org/2014/07/26/cooks-fake-ethics-approval/

Suppressing Scientific Inquiry

Greens try to get scientists removed from select committee

By Andrew Montford, Bishop Hill, Jul 31, 2014

http://bishophill.squarespace.com/blog/2014/7/31/greens-try-to-get-scientists-removed-from-select-committee.html

Challenging the Orthodoxy

Is West Antarctic ice ‘endangered’?

By William Balgord, Detroit News, Jul 17, 2014

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201407170100/OPINION01/307170006

Climate Science; Winning The Science Battle, But Losing the Policy

By Tim Ball, A Different Prospective, Jul 28, 2014

http://drtimball.com/2014/climate-science-winning-the-science-battle-but-losing-the-policy-war/

Paper justifying AR4’s use of a uniform prior for estimating climate sensitivity shown to be faulty

By Nic Lewis, Climate Audit, Jul 30, 2014

http://climateaudit.org/2014/07/30/paper-justifying-ar4s-use-of-a-uniform-prior-for-estimating-climate-sensitivity-shown-to-be-faulty/

[SEPP Comment: Technical issue on proper application of statistical techniques.]

Defending the Orthodoxy

Obama to attend UN climate summit in NY

By Laura Barron-Lopez, The Hill, Jul 24, 2014

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213207-report-obama-to-attend-un-climate-summit-in-ny

Biofuels benefit energy security, Secretary Moniz says

By Daniel J. Graeber, Washington (UPI), Jul 18, 2013

http://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/Biofuels_benefit_energy_security_Secretary_Moniz_says_999.html

[SEPP Comment: Is the Secretary of Energy oblivious of the shale oil and gas revolution?]

Questioning the Orthodoxy

Reflections on the State of Climate Science

By Anthony Sadar, American Thinker, Jul 24, 2014

http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/07/reflections_on_the_state_of_climate_science.html

2014: A Record Year

By David Whitehouse, GWPF, Jul 29, 2014

http://www.thegwpf.org/2014-a-record-year/

Bamboozled Billionaires

By Norman Rogers, American Thinker, Jul 21, 2014

http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/07/bamboozled_billionaires.html

A Modest Sceptic Boasts…and Frets

By Alan Moran, Quadrant, Aug 1, 2014

http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/doomed-planet/2014/08/modest-sceptic-boasts-frets/

Now that climate careerists and hysterics are in retreat, their costly legacy remains a huge burden

Leading German Alarmist Scientist Mojib Latif Turns Cool: “Climate Sensitivity Is Too High”!

Geomar scientist dares to go public, criticizes publication censorship: criticism of IPCC models unwanted!

By Sebastian Lüning and Fritz Vahrenholt, Trans. P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Jul 28, 2014

http://notrickszone.com/2014/07/28/leading-german-alarmist-scientist-mojib-latif-turns-cool-climate-sensitivity-is-too-high/

German Meteorologist Dominik Jung: Climate Experts’ Forecasts Changing As Fast As The Weather!

By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Jul 30, 2014

http://notrickszone.com/2014/07/30/german-meteorologist-dominik-jung-climate-experts-forecasts-changing-as-fast-as-the-weather/

Half the world is immune to “expert consensus” they don’t think scientists know what they are talking about

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Jul 26, 2014

http://joannenova.com.au/2014/07/half-the-world-is-immune-to-expert-consensus-they-dont-think-scientists-know-what-they-are-talking-about/#more-37349

Paul Ryan Says ‘Climate Change Occurs No Matter What’

By Igor Bobic, The Huff Post, Jul 31, 2014 [H/t Conrad Potemra]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/30/paul-ryan-climate-change_n_5635058.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

Premature Climate Alarmism in Austin

By Sierra Rayne, American Thinker, Jul 27, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/07/premature_climate_alarmism_in_austin.html

[SEPP Comment: Climate War Profiteers?]

Who’s really waging the ‘war on science’?

By Paul Driessen, WUWT, Jul 28, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/28/whos-really-waging-the-war-on-science/

Up to 20% of collared polar bears located on ice that officially does not exist, says the PBSG

By Susan Crockford, Polar Bear Science, Jul 31, 2014

http://polarbearscience.com/2014/07/31/up-to-20-of-collared-polar-bears-located-on-ice-that-officially-does-not-exist-says-the-pbsg/

Social Benefits of Carbon

Effects of Elevated C02 on the Stomatal Conductance of Agricultural Crops

By Staff Writers, CO2Science & SPPI, Jul 30, 2014

http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/effects_of_elevated_c02_on_the_stomatal_conductance_of_agricultural_crops.html

Another benefit of global warming – increased forage plants

By Anthony Watts, WUWT, Jul 24, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/24/another-bemefit-of-global-warming-increased-forage-plants/

[SEPP Comment: Also increased CO2]

Problems in the Orthodoxy

Climate’s parliamentary cheerleaders

By Andrew Montford, Bishop Hill, Jul 29, 2014

http://bishophill.squarespace.com/blog/2014/7/29/climates-parliamentary-cheerleaders.html

[SEPP Comment: The dissent is a good summary of the problems.]

MPs bicker over IPCC report on causes of climate change

By Matt McGrath, BBC, Jul 29, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28531091

[SEPP Comment: Non-science from the Energy and Climate Change Committee: glossing over so-called small errors in the 2007 report! The Himalayan Glaciers will melt by 2035 is a small error?]

Politicizing the IPCC report

By Judith Curry, Climate Etc. Jul 29, 2014

http://judithcurry.com/2014/07/29/politicizing-the-ipcc-report/

Energy and Climate Change Committee report on IPCC AR5

By Paul Matthews, The IPCC Report, Jul 29, 2014

https://ipccreport.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/energy-and-climate-change-committee-report-on-ipcc-ar5/

[SEPP Comment: One of the supporters has a Master’s degree in creative writing – appropriate for the IPCC Summary for Policymakers.]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/29/just_two_climate_committee_mps_clash_with_ipcc_the_two_with_science_degrees/

India pitches for early ratification of second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol

By Vishwa Mohan, The Times of India, Jul 25, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home/Environment/Global-Warming/India-pitches-for-early-ratification-of-second-commitment-period-of-Kyoto-Protocol/articleshow/39000989.cms

[SEPP Comment: Legally binding on rich countries and voluntary on developing countries?]

UK slashes climate change diplomacy budget

Foreign office cut climate diplomacy budget by 39%, ahead of crucial summit for climate deal in Paris, RTCC reports

By Megan Darby Guardian, UK, Aug 1, 2014

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/01/uk-slashes-climate-change-diplomacy-budget

Seeking a Common Ground

Lomborg’s Senate testimony

By Judith Curry, Climate Etc. Jul 30, 2014

http://judithcurry.com/2014/07/30/lomborgs-senate-testimony/#more-16427

Link to Hearing: Examining the Threats Posed by Climate Change.

http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Testimony&Hearing_ID=ebcd8f70-cc3f-978d-c157-58c503716d6f&Witness_ID=aa6bae10-21c3-4867-a761-0462a53b8b25

Because there is no good, cheap green energy, the almost universal political choices have been expensive policies that do little.

Montgomery’s Senate testimony: economics of climate adaptation

By Judith Curry, Climate Etc. Aug 1, 2014

http://judithcurry.com/2014/08/01/montogomerys-senate-testimony-economics-of-climate-adaptation/#more-16438

[SEPP Comment: Counters to the demand for immediate action.]

Pentagon’s war against climate change

By Judith Curry, Climate Etc. Jul 20, 2014

http://judithcurry.com/2014/07/20/pentagons-war-against-climate-change/

Review of Recent Scientific Articles by NIPCC

For a full list of articles see www.NIPCCreport.org

A Global Fire History of the Past Century

Reference: Yang, J., Tian, H., Tao, B., Ren, W., Kush, J., Liu, Y. and Wang, Y. 2014. Spatial and temporal patterns of global burned area in response to anthropogenic and environmental factors: Reconstructing global fire history for the 20th and early 21st centuries. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 119: 249-263.

http://nipccreport.org/articles/2014/jul/22jul2014a1.html

High Temperature Stress vs. High CO2 Relief in Kentucky Bluegrass

Reference: Song, Y., Yu, J. and Huang, B. 2014. Elevated CO2-mitigation of high temperature stress associated with maintenance of positive carbon balance and carbohydrate accumulation in Kentucky bluegrass. PLOS ONE 9: e89725.

http://nipccreport.org/articles/2014/jul/22jul2014a2.html

The Medieval Warm Period in the Alpine Regions of Europe

Reference: Kress, A., Hangartner, S., Bugmann, H., Buntgen, U., Frank, D.C., Leuenberger, M., Siegwolf, R.T.W. and Saurer, M. 2014. Swiss tree rings reveal warm and wet summers during medieval times. Geophysical Research Letters 41: 1732-1737.

http://nipccreport.org/articles/2014/jul/22jul2014a3.html

Climate-Change-Induced Flooding

Reference: Kundzewicz, Z.W., Kanae, S., Seneviratne, S.I., Handmer, J., Nicholls, N., Peduzzi, P., Mechler, R., Bouwer, L.M., Arnell, N., Mach, K., Muir-Wood, R., Brakenridge, G.R., Kron, W., Benito, G., Honda, Y., Takahashi, K. and Sherstyukov, B. 2013. Flood risk and climate change: global and regional perspectives. Hydrological Sciences Journal: 10.1080/02626667.2013.857411.

http://nipccreport.org/articles/2014/jul/29jul2014a2.html

In closing, Kundzewicz et al. write that “the climate change issue is very important to flooding, but we have low confidence about the science,”

Models v. Observations

New Paper by McKitrick and Vogelsang comparing models and observations in the tropical troposphere

By Ross McKitrick, Climate Audit, Jul 24, 2014 [H/t WUWT]

http://climateaudit.org/2014/07/24/new-paper-by-mckitrick-and-vogelsang-comparing-models-and-observations-in-the-tropical-troposphere/

[SEPP Comment: They found a climate shift.]

Claim: natural variation ‘masked’ global warming, creating ‘the pause’

By Anthony Watts, WUWT, Jul 21, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/21/claim-natural-variation-masked-global-warming-creating-the-pause/

Divergence Between Model Temperature And Reality Reaches Record High…And Is Now Accelerating!

By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Aug 1, 2014

http://notrickszone.com/2014/08/01/divergence-between-model-temperature-and-reality-reaches-record-high-and-is-now-accelerating/

[SEPP Comment: Amusing new type of alarmist headline.]

Model Issues

Broken models predict extreme cold snaps. (CO2 causes every sort of weather.)

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Aug 1, 2014

http://joannenova.com.au/2014/08/broken-models-predict-extreme-cold-snaps-co2-does-everything/

Link to paper: Asymmetry of projected increases in extreme temperature distributions

By Evan Kodra & Auroop R. Ganguly, Nature, Jul 30, 2014

http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/140730/srep05884/full/srep05884.html

New paper finds climate models unable to simulate the Holocene Climate Optimum & subsequent cooling

By Staff Writer, The Hockey Schtick, Jul 23, 2014

http://hockeyschtick.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/new-paper-finds-climate-models-unable.html

Link to paper: Global climate simulations at 3000 year intervals for the last

21 000 years with the GENMOM coupled atmosphere–ocean model

By Alder & Hostetler, Climate of the Past, No date

http://www.clim-past-discuss.net/10/2925/2014/cpd-10-2925-2014.html

[SEPP Comment: No surprise here. The IPCC does not even consider it.]

New paper shows why climate models don’t realistically simulate precipitation & convection

By Staff Writer, The Hockey Schtick, Aug 1, 2014

http://hockeyschtick.blogspot.com/2014/08/new-paper-shows-why-climate-models-dont.html

Link to paper: Benefit of convection permitting climate model simulations in the representation of convective precipitation

By G. Fosser, S. Khodayar, P. Berg, Climate Dynamics, Aug 2, 2014

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00382-014-2242-1

Measurement Issues

Should you trust NOAA claims about May and June records?

By Joseph D’Aleo, ICECAP, Jul 22, 2014

http://icecap.us/index.php/go/political-climate/should_you_trust_noaa_claims_about_may_and_june_records2/

[SEPP Comment: NOAA appears to be in a program to undermine the public’s trust in its science.]

Analysis of Temperature Change using World Class Stations

By Ron Clutz, WUWT, Jul 28, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/28/analysis-of-temperature-change-using-world-class-stations/

Changing Weather

Weather Causes 2,000 Deaths a Year in U.S.

By Mike Stobbe, Sci-Tech Today, Jul 31, 2014

http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=0010000RFY29

A New Paper on Disaster Losses and Climate Change

By Roger Pielke Jr, His Blog, Jul 22, 2014

http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-new-paper-on-disaster-losses-and.html

Extremes Of Temperature Decreasing In The US

By Paul Homewood, WUWT, Jul 31, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/31/extremes-of-temperature-decreasing-in-the-us/

Record Canada Wildfires Blamed On…

By Roy Spencer, His Blog, Jul 25, 2014

http://www.drroyspencer.com/2014/07/record-canada-wildfires-blamed-on/

Quiet Year Expected for Amazon Forest Fires in 2014

By Kathryn Hansen, Irvine CA (SPX), Jul 28, 2014

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Quiet_Year_Expected_for_Amazon_Forest_Fires_in_2014_999.html

K computer runs largest ever ensemble simulation of global weather

By Staff Writers, Tokyo, Japan (SPX), Jul 24, 2014

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/K_computer_runs_largest_ever_ensemble_simulation_of_global_weather_999.html

[SEPP Comment: Bigger, faster, stronger – but better?]

Famine In The Horn of Africa (1984) Was Caused By El Niño And Indian Ocean Currents

By Staff Writers, GWPF, Jul 30, 2014

http://www.thegwpf.org/famine-in-the-horn-of-africa-1984-was-caused-by-el-nino-and-indian-ocean-currents/

Link to paper: Droughts related to quasi-global oscillations: a diagnostic teleconnection analysis in North Ethiopia

By Lanckriet, et al. International Journal of Climatology, Jun 19, 2014

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/joc.4074/abstract

Changing Climate

Australian Tropical Cyclone activity said to be at the lowest level in modern history

Bu Anthony Watts, WUWT, Jul 31, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/31/australian-tropical-cyclone-activity-measured-to-be-at-the-lowest-levels-in-modern-history/

[SEPP Comment: Since 500AD in Western Australia and 1400AD in Queensland, and the decline has been most pronounced since about 1960AD.]

Changing Seas

Are the Oceans Warming?

By Steven Hayward, Power Line, Jul 23, 2014

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2014/07/are-the-oceans-warming.php

Abstract of paper: Bidecadal Thermal Changes in the Abyssal Ocean

By Carl Wunsch and Patrick Heimbach, Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2014

http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/JPO-D-13-096.1

Full manuscript of paper: ECCO – Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean

http://ocean.mit.edu/~cwunsch/#C.%20Wunsch%20and%20P.%20Heimbach,%202014,%20Bidecadal%20thermal%20change%20in%20the%20abyssal%20ocean,%20in%20press,%20J.%20Phys.%20Oc.,%20%28pdf%29

Deep Oceans Are Cooling Amidst A Sea of Modeling Uncertainty: New Research on Ocean Heat Content

By Jim Steele, WUWT, Jul 21, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/21/deep-oceans-are-cooling-amidst-a-sea-of-modeling-uncertainty-new-research-on-ocean-heat-content/

Are the deep oceans cooling?

By Judith Curry, Climate Etc. Jul 22, 2014

http://judithcurry.com/2014/07/22/are-the-deep-oceans-cooling/

Response of Various Marine Animals to Ocean Warming

By Staff Writers, CO2Science and SPPI, Jul 24, 2014

http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/response_of_various_marine_animals_to_ocean_warming.html

Atlantic salmon also show capacity to adapt to warmer waters

By Staff Writers, Vancouver, Canada (SPX)< Jul 21, 2014

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Atlantic_salmon_also_show_capacity_to_adapt_to_warmer_waters_999.html

Mixing it up: Study provides new insight into Southern Ocean behaviour

By Staff Writers, Southampton, UK (SPX), Jul 21, 2014

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Mixing_it_up_Study_provides_new_insight_into_Southern_Ocean_behaviour_999.html

[SEPP Comment: Covered in the July 19 TWTW. This report does not mention that the horizontal mixing was found to be unexpectedly stronger and the vertical mixing weaker.]

Remember the threat of flooded atolls and climate refugees due to sea level rise? Never mind.

By Christopher Pala, WUWT, Jul 31, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/31/remember-the-threat-of-flooded-atolls-and-climate-refugees-due-to-sea-level-rise-never-mind/

Changing Cryosphere – Land / Sea Ice

Of mountains, molehills, and noisy bumps in the sea-ice record

Molehill of Antarctic Ice Becomes a Mountain

By Patrick J. Michaels and Paul C. “Chip” Knappenberger, WUWT, Jul 22, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/22/of-mountains-molehills-and-noisy-bumps-in-the-sea-ice-record/

Changing Earth

Did Australian monster volcanoes cause the mass extinction 510m years ago?

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Jul 30, 2014

http://joannenova.com.au/2014/07/did-australian-monster-volcanoes-cause-the-mass-extinction-510m-years-ago/#more-35773

Acidic Waters

Alaska fisheries and communities at risk from ocean acidification

By Staff Writers, Washington DC (SPX), Jul 31, 2014

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Alaska_fisheries_and_communities_at_risk_from_ocean_acidification_999.html

[SEPP Comment: No discussion of measurements – unable to find link to study.]

Agriculture Issues & Fear of Famine

Climate change and air pollution will combine to curb food supplies

Press Release, MIT, Jul 27, 2014 [H/t Toshio Fujita]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140727165702.htm

Link to paper: Threat to future global food security from climate change and ozone air pollution

By Amos P. K. Tai, Maria Val Martin & Colette L. Heald, Nature Climate Chage

http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate2317.html

[SEPP Comment: As with most government-funded climate science, ignores the benefits of increased CO2.]

Climate experts estimate risk of rapid crop slowdown

By Staff Writers, Boulder CO (SPX), Jul 29, 2014

http://www.seeddaily.com/reports/Climate_experts_estimate_risk_of_rapid_crop_slowdown_999.html

[SEPP Comment: Another government-funded study ignoring the benefits of increased CO2.]

Un-Science or Non-Science?

CO2, destroyer of entire continents at the touch of a knob

By Anthony Watts, WUWT, Jul 30, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/30/co2-destroyer-of-entire-continents-at-the-touch-of-a-knob/

Link to paper: Antarctic glaciation caused ocean circulation changes at the Eocene–Oligocene transition

By Goldner, Herold, & Huber, Nature, Jul 30, 2014

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v511/n7511/full/nature13597.html

Scientists Reveal What Has Caused the Global Warming ‘Pause’ Since 1998

By Catherine Griffin, Science World Report, Jul 22, 2014 [H/t John McClaughry]

http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/16175/20140722/scientists-reveal-what-caused-global-warming-pause-1998.htm

Link to paper: Return periods of global climate fluctuations and the pause

By S. Lovejoy, Geophysical Research Letter, Jul 14, 2014

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014GL060478/abstract

[SEPP Comment: More un-science. Natural variability can stop global warming but not cause it?]

Synchronization of North Atlantic, North Pacific preceded warming, end of ice age

Press Release by Staff Writers, Oregon State Univ, July 14, 2014 [H/t Toshio Fujita]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140724141612.htm

Link to paper: Synchronization of North Pacific and Greenland climates preceded abrupt deglacial warming

By Summer K. Praetorius, Alan C. Mix, Science, Jul 25, 2014

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6195/444

Lowering Standards

White House starts push for carbon rules

By Laura Barron-Lopez, The Hill, Jul 28, 2014

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/213577-wh-starts-push-for-carbon-rules

Link to report: The Cost of Delaying Action to Stem Climate Change

By Staff Writers, Council of Economic Advisers, The White House, July, 2014

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/the_cost_of_delaying_action_to_stem_climate_change.pdf

Obama Administration Issues Predictable Climate Report

Editorial, IBD, Jul 29, 2014

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/072914-710855-white-house-report-stokes-global-warming-climate-change-fear.htm?p=full

Costing Climate: It is all Relative

By Roger Pielke, Jr. His Blog, Jul 29, 2014

http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2014/07/costing-climate-it-is-all-relative.html

Communicating Better to the Public – Exaggerate, or be Vague?

A brief history of climate panic and crisis… both warming and cooling

By Anthony Watts, WUWT, Jul 29, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/29/a-brief-history-of-climate-panic-and-crisis-both-warming-and-cooling/

Climate: ‘An excuse for tax hikes’, scientists ‘don’t know what they’re talking about’

People of the world’s responses to new survey

By Lewis Page, The Register, Jul 23, 2014

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/23/climate_an_excuse_for_new_taxes_scientists_dont_know_what_theyre_talking_about/

[SEPP Comment: Will this survey be cited by certain US Senators – or the White House?}

Sea ice experts make astonishing admissions to polar bear specialists

By Susan Crockford, Polar Bear Science, Jul 29, 2014

http://polarbearscience.com/2014/07/29/sea-ice-experts-make-astonishing-admissions-to-polar-bear-specialists/#more-5600

“We do, in fact, have data on the lowest extent of sea ice reached during the Eemian and that’s what really matters: ~115,000-130,000 years ago, the Arctic was virtually ice-free in summer and there was no ice in the Bering Sea in winter. And yet, polar bears survived without getting anywhere close to extinction.”

Communicating Better to the Public – Make things up.

Updated list of 29 excuses for the 18 year ‘pause’ in global warming

By Staff Writer, The Hockey Schtick, Jul 28, 2014

http://hockeyschtick.blogspot.com/2014/07/updated-list-of-29-excuses-for-18-year.html

Lewandowsky and Oreskes Are Co-Authors of a Paper about ENSO, Climate Models and Sea Surface Temperature Trends (Go Figure!)

By Bob Tisdale, WUWT, Jul 20, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/20/lewandowsky-and-oreskes-are-co-authors-of-a-paper-about-enso-climate-models-and-sea-surface-temperature-trends-go-figure/

Link to paper: Well-estimated global surface warming in climate projections selected for ENSO phase

By Risbey, et al, Nature Climate Change, Jul 20, 2014

http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate2310.html

“Richard M says: ‘One could use exactly the same logic and pick the 4 worst models for each 15 year period and claim that climate [sic] models are never right…’”

“Well-Estimated Global Surface Warming”

By David Whitehouse, GWPF, Jul 23, 2014

http://www.thegwpf.org/well-estimated-global-surface-warming/

Antarctica’s Point of No Return

By Anders Levermann, Project Syndicate, Jul 24, 2014

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/anders-levermann-explains-why-nothing-can-be-done-to-halt-the-collapse-of-the-amundsen-sea-s-ice-shelf

Anders Levermann is a climate scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Professor of the Dynamics of the Climate System at the Institute for Physics and Astrophysics, Potsdam University, Germany.

Climate change ravaging Antarctic fur seals: study

By Staff Writers, Paris (AFP), July 23, 2014

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Climate_change_ravaging_Antarctic_fur_seals_study_999.html

[SEPP Comment: A decline in Antarctic sea ice?]

How should global warming be taught?

By Craig Rucker and Duggan Flanakin, CFACT, Jul 22, 2014

http://www.cfact.org/2014/07/22/how-should-global-warming-be-taught/?utm_source=CFACT+Updates&utm_campaign=6d60297076-What_should_we_teach_kids_about_climate_7_25_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a28eaedb56-6d60297076-270066341

NOAA Thinks No Trend In Global Temperatures for Two Decades is a Steady Increase?

By Sierra Rayne, American Thinker, Jul 19, 2014

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/07/noaa_thinks_no_trend_in_global_temperatures_for_two_decades_is_a_steady_increase.html

Polar bears and melting ice: three facts that shouldn’t surprise you

By Susan Crockford, Polar Bear Science, Jul 20, 2014

http://polarbearscience.com/2014/07/20/polar-bears-and-melting-ice-three-facts-that-shouldnt-surprise-you/

Quotable Warming Hiatus Quotes

By Geoff Brown, CSP, Jul 29, 2014

http://theclimatescepticsparty.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/quotable-warming-hiatus-quotes.html

Communicating Better to the Public – Go Personal.

Burn the Witch! Roger Pielke Jr. Out at FiveThirtyEight

By Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, Jul 29, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/384057/burn-witch-roger-pielke-jr-out-fivethirtyeight-charles-c-w-cooke

Expanding the Orthodoxy

Global governancers’ get-together

By Andrew Montford, Bishop Hill, Jul 23, 2014

http://bishophill.squarespace.com/blog/2014/7/23/global-governancers-get-together.html

[SEPP Comment: Those who produce little wish to control all produced by others.]

Venezuela climate summit calls for end to “green economy”

UN-backed event ends with unusual call from civil society groups to end capitalism

By Sophie Yeo, RTCC, Jul 23, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.rtcc.org/2014/07/22/venezuela-climate-summit-calls-for-end-to-green-economy/

IMF Plan To Raise Taxes On Fossil Fuels Has It Backward

Editorial, IBD, Aug 1, 2014

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/080114-711570-raising-energy-taxes-will-not-improve-environment.htm

Link to report: Getting Energy Prices Right : From Principle to Practice

By Ian Parry, Dirk Heine, Eliza Lis, Shanjun Li, IMF, July 2014

http://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/IMF071/21171-9781484388570/21171-9781484388570/21171-9781484388570.xml

Sue And Settle Another Way For Greens To Halt Progress

By Stephen Moore, IBD, Jul 21, 2014

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-viewpoint/072114-709679-litigation-strategy-compels-victims-to-give-up-prime-land.htm?p=full

Questioning European Green

Renewable energy is not working

Too much cost, not enough output or too little emissions reduction

By Matt Ridley, Rational Optimist, Jul 31, 2014

http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/renewable-energy-is-not-working.aspx

A hint of panic

By Andrew Montford, Bishop Hill, Jul 29, 2014

http://bishophill.squarespace.com/blog/2014/7/29/a-hint-of-panic.html

[SEPP Comment: Is grid stability becoming an issue with heavy dependence on unreliable wind?]

Tol/Lomborg Becoming Powerful Voices Of Reason On Climate Policy In German Media: “1 Euro Costs…3 Cents Benefit”

By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Jul 25, 2014

http://notrickszone.com/2014/07/25/tollomborg-becoming-powerful-voices-of-reason-on-climate-policy-in-german-media-1-euro-costs-3-cents-benefit/

Questioning Green Elsewhere

A Future without Electricity

That’s what radical Greens want — and President Obama’s policies are moving us toward.

By Stephen Moore, National Review, Jul 18, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/383055/future-without-electricity-stephen-moore

Let’s copy California and have less jobs, less money, less energy. Feel that Green Glory!

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Jul 30, 2014

http://joannenova.com.au/2014/07/lets-copy-california-and-have-less-jobs-less-money-less-energy-feel-that-green-glory/

Green Jobs

Britain’s Bursting Green Jobs Bubble

By Walter Russell Mead & Staff, American Interest, Jul 20, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.the-american-interest.com/blog/2014/07/20/britains-bursting-green-jobs-bubble/

“Promoting green jobs isn’t just an American phenomenon, it’s a global pastime.”

Germany’s SMA Solar cuts jobs after profit warning

By Christoph Steiz Reuters, Jul 30, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/07/30/uk-sma-solar-warning-idUKKBN0FZ1A720140730

[SEPP Comment: Once the subsidies stop, blame the competition.]

Non-Green Jobs

China Plans to Construct Huge Methanol Plant in Shale Gas-Rich Texas to Meet Rising Domestic Demand

By Jerin Mathew, International Business News, Jul 25, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/china-plans-construct-huge-methanol-plant-shale-gas-rich-texas-meet-rising-domestic-demand-1458225

Funding Issues

GOP: Green movement backed by ‘Billionaire’s Club’

By Timothy Cama, The Hill, Jul 30, 2014

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213803-gop-green-movement-backed-by-cabal-of-billionaires-foreign-funding

Link to report: The Chain of Environmental Command: How a Club of Billionaires and Their Foundations Control the Environmental Movement and Obama’s EPA

By the Minority Staff, US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, July 30, 2014

http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=8af3d005-1337-4bc3-bcd6-be947c523439

The ‘Billionaire’s Club’ Behind the Green Movement

Report: Groups involved in backing green candidates and legislation may have violated tax laws, Senate Republicans claim

By Lachian Markay, Washington Free Beacon, Jul 30, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://freebeacon.com/issues/the-billionaires-club-behind-the-green-movement/

BREAKING: Senate report exposes the climate-environmental movement as being a cash machine controlling the EPA

By Anthony Watts, WUWT, Jul 30, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/30/breaking-senate-report-exposes-the-climate-environmental-movement-as-being-a-cash-machine-controlling-the-epa/

BREAKING: Senate Committee Report Details Environmentalists’ Inner Workings

By Chris Prandoni, Forbes, Jul 30, 2014

http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisprandoni/2014/07/30/breaking-senate-committee-report-details-environmentalists-inner-workings/

BRICS plans energy association in wake of new bank

By Staff Writers, WNN, Jul 21, 2014

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-brics-states-plan-energy-association-in-wake-of-new-bank-21071401.html

[SEPP Comment: Who needs the World (Green) Bank?]

Government Paying $140,368 to Take 10 Students on a ‘Climate Change Journey’

National Park Service flying youth to Sydney, Australia for global conference

By Elizabeth Harrington, Washington Free beacon, Jul 28, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://freebeacon.com/issues/government-paying-140368-to-take-10-students-on-a-climate-change-journey/

Cap-and-Trade and Carbon Taxes

Australian Carbon-Tax Cut Cripples Cap-And-Traders Across Planet

By Michael Bastasch, Daily Caller, Jul 21, 2014

http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/21/aussie-carbon-tax-repeal-discourages-cap-and-traders-across-the-planet/

Australia Repeals Carbon Tax In Smart Policy Change

Editorial, IBD, Jul 18, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/071814-709543-abbott-repeals-australia-carbon-tax.htm

Australia Nixes Carbon Tax

By Larry Bell, Newsmax, Jul 21, 2014

http://www.newsmax.com/LarryBell/Climate-Change/2014/07/21/id/583888/

Subsidies and Mandates Forever

Britain’s fossil fuel subsidies: Soon it won’t just be renewables we’re propping up

By Benny Peiser and Daniel Mahoney, City A.M. Aug 2, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.cityam.com/1406831594/britain-s-fossil-fuel-subsidies-why-it-won-t-just-be-renewables-we-re-propping

[SEPP Comment: The bulk of the fossil fuel subsidies estimated by the IEA are government-controlled companies selling fossil fuels (gasoline, etc.) below world market price to citizens in the country, mostly wealthy or middle-class. The top five countries are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India and China. Western countries subsidizing fossil fuel plants to provide needed back-up for unreliable wind and solar underscores irresponsible governmental policies.]

Sun, wind and drain

Wind and solar power are even more expensive than is commonly thought

By Staff Writers, The Economist, Jul 25, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21608646-wind-and-solar-power-are-even-more-expensive-commonly-thought-sun-wind-and

The trouble, as Paul Joskow of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has pointed out, is that levelised costs do not take account of the costs of intermittency.

[SEPP Comment: Avoided CO2 emissions is not a benefit.]

EPA and other Regulators on the March

EPA Admits to Senate that CO2 Regs Not About Pollution Control

By Roy Spencer, His Blog, Jul 25, 2014

http://www.drroyspencer.com/2014/07/epa-admits-to-senate-that-co2-regs-not-about-pollution-control/

EPA Chief: ‘This Is Not About Pollution Control…It’s an Investment Strategy’

By Susan Jones, CNS News.com, Jul 24, 2014

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/epa-chief-not-about-pollution-controlits-investment-strategy

Helping American Communities Hurt Most By Climate Change

By Gina McCarthy and Nikki Silvestri, IBD, Jul 30, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-on-the-left/073014-711063-poor-minorities-hardest-hit-by-climate-change.htm?p=full

McCarthy is administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Silvestri is executive director of Green for All.

[SEPP Comment: By preventing global warming the poor will save on heating bills that spike during a polar vortex?]

EPA to Republicans: You’re making it ‘very difficult’ to do our job

By Tim Devaney, The Hill, Jul 30, 2014

http://thehill.com/regulation/213839-epa-to-republicans-youre-making-it-very-difficult-to-do-our-job

Bill targets cost-benefit analysis of climate rule

By Timothy Cama, The Hill, Jul 30, 2014

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213829-bill-targets-cost-benefit-analysis-of-climate-rule

[SEPP Comment: Addressing EPA’s imaginative accounting.]

A Great Plan to Replace the EPA

By Alan Caruba, Warning Signs, Jul 23, 2014

http://factsnotfantasy.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-great-plan-to-replace-epa.html

A Plan to Replace the EPA

By Staff Writers, NCPA, July 22, 2014

http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=24654&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DPD

EPA Regulations A Dark, Costly Chapter In Our History

By Paul Driessen, IBD, Jul 30, 2014

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-on-the-right/073014-711064-epa-junk-science-costs-jobs-hurts-livelihoods.htm?p=full

[SEPP Comment: Not certain if the causes of asthma are correctly identified.]

EPA climate rule economically feasible, study says

By Laura Barron-Lopez, The Hill, Jul 24, 2014

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213254-epa-climate-rule-economically-feasible-study-says

EPA Stops Requiring Greenhouse Gas PSD/Title V Permits

By Sonal Patel, Power Mag, Jul 29, 2014

http://www.powermag.com/epa-stops-requiring-greenhouse-gas-psdtitle-v-permits/?hq_e=el&hq_m=2923506&hq_l=23&hq_v=5e660500d0

[SEPP Comment: A few major emitters of CO2 are protected from EPA’s new regulations.]

EPA Rule Will Result in Closure of 750-MW Coal-Fired Unit

By Aaron Larson, Power Mag, Jul 29, 2014

http://www.powermag.com/epa-rule-will-result-in-closure-of-750-mw-coal-fired-unit/?hq_e=el&hq_m=2923506&hq_l=25&hq_v=5e660500d0

GAO wants EPA to do more on fracking wastewater

By Timothy Cama, The Hill, Jul 29, 2014

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213635-gao-wants-epa-to-do-more-on-fracking-wastewater

Link to report: EPA Program to Protect Underground Sources from Injection of Fluids Associated with Oil and Gas Production Needs Improvement

By Staff Writers, GAO, Jul 28, 2014

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-14-555

Energy Issues – Non-US

The Ups and Downs of German Green Energy

By Walter Russell Mead & Staff, American Interest, Jul 27, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.the-american-interest.com/blog/2014/07/27/the-ups-and-downs-of-german-green-energy/

China’s energy plans ‘to add another 13% to current emissions’

By Staff Writer, Today, Jul 25, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.todayonline.com/chinaindia/china/chinas-energy-plans-add-another-13-current-emissions?singlepage=true

How China became a climate leader

The world’s current largest emitter of carbon dioxide is now leading the way towards a cleaner, greener global economy through heavy investments in renewable energy and strong legislation.

By Nicholas Stern, Eco-business, Jul 29, 2014

http://www.eco-business.com/opinion/how-china-became-climate-leader/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=July+30+newsletter&utm_content=July+30+newsletter+Version+A+CID_2aecd09f2c46dca3a4b7bdbfa0dac14c&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=READ%20FULL%20STORY

In what some might consider a surprising development, China – currently the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide – is emerging as a global leader in climate policy as it seeks to build a cleaner and more efficient economy…China is already the world’s largest oil importer, and energy demand continues to increase rapidly.

[SEPP Comment: Is Stern suggesting that the West should copy China?]

German Utilities Bail Out Electric Grid at Wind’s Mercy

By Julia Mengewein, Bloomberg, Jul 25, 2014 [H/t WUWT]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-24/german-utilities-bail-out-electric-grid-at-wind-s-mercy.html

Energy Issues — US

Meaningless LCOEs

By Donn Dears, Power For USA, Jul 22, 2014

http://dddusmma.wordpress.com/2014/07/22/meaningless-lcoes/

[SEPP Comment: These commonly used statistics to compare electricity sources do not consider unreliability of sources such as solar and wind and other major issues.]

Assessing the Risk of Disaster

By Donn Dears, Power For USA, Jul 29, 2014

http://dddusmma.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/assessing-the-risk-of-disaster/

Coming to Grips With the Sun

By Donn Dears, Power For USA, Aug 1, 2014

http://dddusmma.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/coming-to-grips-with-the-sun/

Average Price of Electricity Climbs to All-Time Record

By Terence Jeffery, CNSnews. July 28 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/average-price-electricity-climbs-all-time-record

Foxx defends oil train regs from environmental, industry critics

By Keith Laing, The Hill, Jul 24, 2014

http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/213270-foxx-defends-oil-train-regs-from-environmental-industry-critics

Get Ready for the New England Power Shortage

Governors are already meeting in emergency session.

By William Tucker, American Spectator, Jul 18, 2014

http://spectator.org/articles/60007/get-ready-new-england-power-shortage

[SEPP Comment: Is importing electricity from hydro-power plants in Canada any more environmental sensitive than importing crude oil from the Canadian oil sands?]

Washington’s Control of Energy

Greens say new developments should sink Keystone

By Timothy Cama, The Hill, Jul 31, 2014

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213943-greens-say-new-developments-should-sink-keystone

Oil and Natural Gas – the Future or the Past?

Oil boom shows no signs of slowing, economist says

By Jonathan Smith, Current-Argus, Jul 31, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-news/ci_26250179/oil-boom-shows-no-signs-slowing-economist-says

Another day, another shale gas report

By James Verdon, Frack-Land, UK, Jul 22, 2014 [H/t Bishop Hill]

http://frackland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/another-day-another-shale-gas-report.html

[SEPP Comment: Long, but the graph of air pollution levels for the county in Pennsylvania that has the most drilling activity is effective against drilling opponents.]

Nuclear Energy and Fears

Promises of easier nuclear construction fall short

By Ray Henry, AP, Jul 26, 2014 [H/t Toshio Fujita]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/promises-easier-nuclear-construction-fall-short-24725848

[SEPP Comment: These set-backs do not preclude the concept that modular construction can be more efficient. Often, prototypes run into difficulties. The real efficiencies come through repetitive production.]

Entergy opposes Indian Point outage proposal

By Staff Writers, WNN, Jul 23, 2014

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/EE-Entergy-opposes-indian-point-outage-proposal-23071401.html

Report: Nuclear industry’s safety measures are ‘inadequate’

By Laura Barron-Lopez, The Hill, Jul 24, 2014

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213296-report-nuclear-industrys-safety-measures-are-inadequate

Link to the report: Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident for Improving Safety of U.S. Nuclear Plants

By: Committee on Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident for Improving Safety and Security of U.S. Nuclear Plants; Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (NRSB); Division on Earth and Life Studies (DELS); National Research Council, National Academies Press, 2014

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18294

[SEPP Comment: How many died when the cooling pumps failed?]

Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Solar and Wind

Capture the Sun & Power America With Solar – Is There a Business Case?

By Philip Dowd, WUWT, Jul 31, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/31/capture-the-sun-power-america-with-solar-is-there-a-business-case/

Five Fatal Flaws of Solar Energy

By Viv Forbes, American Thinker, Jul 25, 2014

http://americanthinker.com/2014/07/five_fatal_flaws_of_solar_energy.html

[SEPP Comment: Slight error: contrary to the essay, according to its web site, Desertec was developed by a network of politicians, scientists, and economists from around the Mediterranean region, not the US.]

Future grows darker for solar energy growth in Japan

By James Topham and Aaron Sheldrick, Reuters, Jul 29, 2014 [H/t GWPF]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/07/29/us-japan-solar-idUKKBN0FY2AZ20140729

Renewable Energy Mega-Flop! Germany’s Largest Offshore Wind Park Hasn’t Delivered Any Power Since March!

By P Gosselin, No Tricks Zone, Jul 31, 2014

http://notrickszone.com/2014/07/31/renewable-energy-mega-flop-germanys-largest-offshore-windpark-hasnt-delivered-any-power-since-march/

Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Energy — Other

Matt Ridley: Another Renewable Myth Goes Up In Smoke

By Matt Ridley, The Times, Via GWPF, Jul 28, 2014

http://www.thegwpf.org/matt-ridley-another-renewable-myth-goes-up-in-smoke/

Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Vehicles

The Struggle to Mainstream Electric Vehicles

By Allen Brooks, Master Resource, Jul 23, 2014

http://www.masterresource.org/2014/07/struggle-electric-vehicles/#more-31173

California Dreaming

California’s future energy pipe dream

By Anthony Watts, WUWT, Jul, 24, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/24/californias-future-energy-pipe-dream/

Another Big Solar Project Gets Under Way in California

By Thomas Overton, Power Mag, Jul 31, 2014

http://www.powermag.com/another-big-solar-project-gets-under-way-in-california/?hq_e=el&hq_m=2923506&hq_l=27&hq_v=5e660500d0

[SEPP Comment: 135 MW of peak, unreliable power is hardly big!]

Environmental Industry

Radical Environmentalism Seeks Death Of Capitalism

Editorial, IBD, Jul 24, 2014

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/072414-710279-capitalism-endangered-by-green-lobby-eco-radicals.htm

[SEPP Comment: It is not capitalism, it is individual enterprise that is the major issue.]

Sue And Settle: Another Way For Greens To Halt Progress

By Stephen Moore, IBD, Jul 21, 2014

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-viewpoint/072114-709679-litigation-strategy-compels-victims-to-give-up-prime-land.htm?p=full

Other Scientific News

Beyond GPS: 5 Next-Generation Technologies

By Staff Writers, Washington DC (SPX), Jul 25, 2014

http://www.gpsdaily.com/reports/Beyond_GPS_5_Next_Generation_Technologies_for_Positioning_Navigation_and_Timing_(PNT)_999.html

Link to DARPA web site: http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2014/07/24.aspx

The Threat To The Scientific Method

By Patrick Michaels, Townhall, Jul 21, 2014

http://townhall.com/columnists/patrickmichaels/2014/07/21/the-threat-to-the-scientific-method-n1864397/page/full

Lessons learned about the foolishness of rejecting mosquito eradication programs? Maybe — or not.

By Staff Writers, ACSH, Jul 22, 2014

http://acsh.org/2014/07/lessons-learned-foolishness-rejecting-mosquito-eradication-programs-maybe/

Other News that May Be of Interest

IRS Strikes Deal With Atheists To Monitor Churches

Editorial, IBD, Jul 31, 2014

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/073114-711290-irs-deal-with-atheists-to-monitor-churches.htm

Lois Lerner emails reveal gaping open-records loophole

IRS, other agencies aren’t storing instant messages, texts

By Stephen Dinan and S.A. Miller, The Washington Times, Jul 20, 2014

http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jul/20/lois-lerner-emails-reveal-gaping-open-records-loop/

Legal Newsline scores big win for asbestos transparency: Examiner Editorial

Editorial, Washington Examiner, Jul 28, 2014

http://washingtonexaminer.com/legal-newsline-scores-big-win-for-asbestos-transparency-examiner-editorial/article/2551318?utm_campaign=Washington%20Examiner:%20Opinion%20Digest&utm_source=Washington%20Examiner:%20Opinion%20Digest%20-%2007/28/14&utm_medium=email

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BELOW THE BOTTOM LINE:

Claim: we should all be vegetarians to stop global warming

By Anthony Watts, WUWT, Jul 21, 2014

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/21/claim-we-should-all-be-vegetarians-to-stop-global-warming/

Globetrotting Harvard Prof Takes Break From Jet-Setting To Gripe About Climate Change Deniers

By Eric Owens, Daily Caller, Jul 25, 2014 [H/t Timothy Wise]

http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/25/harvard-professor-takes-break-from-jet-setting-to-gripe-about-climate-change-deniers/

Mitch McConnell’s mythmaking on coal jobs

By Allan J. Lichtman, The Hill, Jul 24, 2014

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/energy-environment/213172-mitch-mcconnells-mythmaking-on-coal-jobs

[SEPP Comment: “Lichtman is distinguished professor of history at American University in Washington.”??]

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