Quote of the Week:

“From the household perspective, reductions in energy expenditures act like a tax cut for the Pennsylvania economy, increasing discretionary income.” Penn State report on natural gas from shale.

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Number of the Week: 2.2 v. 1.3

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THIS WEEK:

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

Videos from the Sixth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC) sponsored by Heartland Institute are available on the web.

http://climateconference.heartland.org/watch-…

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Solar-Cosmic Ray Climate Hypothesis: Svensmark’s solar-cosmic ray hypothesis states that cosmic rays, modulated by solar wind and magnetism, are important in the formation of low level clouds, thereby important in influencing climate change. It is being tested by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) with the Cosmic Leaving OUdoor Droplets (CLOUD) experiment. Reports are due out this summer. This week produced an interesting twist. The Director General of CERN, Rolf-Heuer, publicly stated that he told his colleagues to present the results clearly, but not interpret them.

One can interpret this statement in many ways. One, it is a refreshing change to the procedures of the IPCC and others which has been described as science by press release. The summary of the study is excitedly presented first, followed months later by the actual results that do not support some of the more extreme pronouncements in the summary.

A second interpretation of the statement is that, if the hypothesis withstands these rigorous tests, then the results will be severely scrutinized by the orthodoxy that claims carbon dioxide (CO2) is causing dangerous and unprecedented global warming. The orthodoxy includes the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), many governments, politicians, financial traders, and special interest groups that have spent billions of dollars on establishing and proclaiming the CO2 is the cause of global warming. According to the General Accountability Office, the US government, alone, has spent over $100 Billion as of October 2010. Those responsible for these expenditures will be furious if CO2 is not the principal cause of climate change.

A third possible interpretation of the statement is that the results, the data, will be so boring that they will be quickly dismissed. However, this appears unlikely. Already, the hypothesis has withstood two tests, and the CLOUD experiment is by far the most rigorous. The challengers to the orthodoxy are increasing.

If the solar-cosmic ray hypothesis withstands the tests, it does not necessarily invalidate the hypothesis that CO2 contributes to global warming. (The hypothesis that CO2 is causing dangerous and unprecedented global warming has already failed testing.) It merely confirms that the role of CO2 in warming has been greatly overestimated.

Similarly, a successful report does not invalidate the hypothesis that oscillations of the oceans, internal to the earth, cause climate change. Or that humans cause local or regional climate change by changing land use – irrigating deserts, draining swamps, building cities, etc. Each hypothesis must be properly tested against the null hypothesis. Gradually, the significance of each influence may be understood. But we can only wait for the upcoming results. Please see articles referenced under “Science: Is the Sun Rising.”

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Low Sensitivity to Change: On his web site, Roy Spencer posted a further article describing the testing of his very simple climate model against observations of temperature trends of the oceans to a depth of 700 meters. In the model he uses a combination of the NASA-GISS assumed external forcings and an El Nino / La Nina internal forcing. Spencer intentionally excludes other influences such as the solar-cosmic ray influence.

The model tracks quite well with the observations from 1955 to 2010 using an assumed climate sensitivity of only 1.1 deg C. Using Hansen’s assumed forcings, Spencer’s model does better in explaining ocean temperatures than the elaborate IPCC models. Apparently, the so-called missing heat is not in the deep oceans but lost to outer space. This indicates that the climate system is not very sensitive to a doubling of CO2 as claimed by the IPCC and other alarmists. Please see Article # 1.

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Misleading the Public: Roger Pielke, Sr. continues to post on his web site announcements of briefings, meetings, etc. that he considers mislead the public. Also, these may be a misuse of public funds. The meetings focus on the use of IPCC general circulation models, modified to project regional changes. The general models have never been validated, thus are scientifically unreliable. The critical assumption that a modest warming from CO2 will be amplified by water vapor fails hypothesis testing. To project multi-decade changes at a regional level from non-validated global models with failed assumptions is pure speculation, not science.

As the two models used in U.S.-National Assessment of Climate Change (2000) demonstrated, different models produce different results for the same region. For all eighteen regions covered by the models, the projections for rainfall varied significantly by model. For eight of the eighteen regions the signs were different, rainfall may increase or it may decrease, depending on the model. The most extreme example was the Souris-Red River basin in the Dakotas. (Due to the geology of the basin, area is subject to flooding, the most recent being the flooding of Minot, ND last month.) One model projected a decline in rainfall of over 80% which would result in a desert. The other model projected an increase in rainfall of over 80% which would result in a swamp.

Organizations involved in upcoming presentations include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The National Science Foundation (NSF) has ignored requests to justify funding such ventures. Please see referenced articles under “Models v. Observations” and Fig 18, p 15, NIPCC 2008, http://www.sepp.org/publications/NIPCC_final.pdf.

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Quote of the Week: This week’s quote from a Penn State study on gas from shale embodies an economic concept that seems to elude many leaders in a number of developed nations, including the US, England, Australia, etc. Energy costs relate directly and indirectly to the disposable income of households and to their standards of living. Decreasing energy costs increase disposable income and standards of living. It is similar to a tax cut. Increasing energy costs lower disposable income and standards of living. It is similar to a tax increase. Many politicians promote wind and other alternative energy as the path to prosperity, even though these methods significantly raise energy costs (either directly or through subsidies). The politicians are, in effect, declaring that prosperity can be achieved by lowering the disposable income and standards of living of the general public. Please see article referenced under “Oil and Natural Gas – the Future or the Past.”

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Buy High, Sell Low: Ontario Province in Canada may be the most aggressive jurisdiction in the Americas mandating alternative energy, especially wind. In Ontario, wind blows mainly at night, especially in the spring and fall when electricity spot prices are low. A retired banker and a businessman, upset by sharply increasing electricity bills, examined the electricity transactions of the province’s grid operator and found economically absurd situations. The operator is obligated to buy electricity from wind farms and must dispose of excess electricity to other provinces or US states. In May, it was paying $135 per MWh and receiving $25 per MWh, or less, for the excess. Of course, such losses are passed on to the consumers, including households. Please see articles referenced under “Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Energy.

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Australia: Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Gillard of Australia announced a carbon tax (a complete misnomer) ostensibly to save the planet from global warming. This announcement may cost her the government. Opposition is furious and is mounting. The false claims of her bureaucratic scientists are being exposed. Please see articles referenced under “Challenging the Orthodoxy.”

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New York Times: Last month, the New York Times featured a two part series by Ian Urbina questioning the economic viability of extracting natural gas from shale and suggesting the process raises significant environmental dangers. According to reports, Arthur Brisbane, the ombudsman of the NYT, has issued a sharp rebuke to the reporter. But the series has consequences because it gives ammunition to those who seek to stop the drilling for natural gas from shale. Among the reasons given for stopping such drilling is that it is sharply reducing the price of natural gas making the cost of generating electricity from wind and other alternative sources economically ridiculous. Please see articles referenced under “Oil and Natural Gas – the Future or the Past?”

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Heat Wave: Much of the US has been experiencing a heat wave. The Pacific Northwest, where the unusually long skiing season just ended, is an exception. With the heat comes a chorus of those who are chanting global warming. During cold winter periods, the same group chants it’s just the weather.

Unfortunately, many weather commentators have been claiming that heat is the most significant killer among extreme weather events. Apparently, these claims are based on reports from the National Climatic Data Center. Yet, the mortality statistics compiled by the US Center on Disease Control show that in the US, extreme cold is by far the deadliest natural hazard. Please see articles referenced under “Changing Weather.”

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Number of the Week: 2.2 v. 1.3. The first is the US death rate per million from extreme cold, 1993 to 2006. The second is the US death rate per million from extreme heat during the same period. Please see page 106 of the Indur Goklany article referenced under “Changing Weather.”

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Corrections and Amplifications: Out of town travel resulted in less than desirable proofreading. A number of TWTW readers commented on several errors or omissions.

TWTW stated that “humanity and the environment do not face eminent [distinguished] destruction.” The correct word is imminent [immediate].

TWTW stated laboratory experiments [and subsequent calculations] show that a doubling of CO2, absent of feedbacks, will increase temperatures by about 1.2 deg C. Several readers asked what experiments? Here we refer to the historical references of Working Group I of the main reports of the IPCC, which some may contest, but we do not.

Reader Ken Gregory noted that TWTW erred in stating that a popular email, falsely associated with Ian Plimer, claimed that the volcano in Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull, emits more CO2 in four days than the human race has ever emitted. The correct statement is that the email falsely claims that the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption, in the Philippines, emitted more CO2 than human race has ever emitted. Emissions from human activity are far greater than those of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. Gregory also gave additional detailed calculations, etc. of emissions from these volcanoes as compared with human emissions.

All corrections and amplifications are greatly appreciated.

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ARTICLES:

For the numbered articles below please see:

http://www.sepp.org…

1. Oh, the Insensitivity! More on Ocean Warming 1955-2010

By Roy Spencer, His Blog, July 21st, 2011

http://www.drroyspencer.com/…

The evidence for anthropogenic global warming being a false alarm does not get much more convincing than this, folks.

2. Nantucket’s Wind Power Rip-off

Vastly cheaper forms of green energy are available.

By Robert F. Kennedy Jr, WSJ, Jul 18, 2011 [H/t George Nicholas]

http://professional.wsj.com/article_email/SB1…

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NEWS YOU CAN USE:

Science: Is the Sun Rising?

CERN chief forbids “interpretation” of CLOUD results

By Nigel Calder, Calder’s Updates, Jul 17, 2011 [H/t Marc Morano, Climate Depot]

http://calderup.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/%E2%…

News Flash: CERN Orders ‘Blackout’ of “The Cloud” Cosmic-Ray Project News

By Staff Writers, Daily Galaxy, Jul 19, 2011 [H/t Best of the Web]

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/07/…

The next climate debate bombshell

By Dennis Avery, Canada Free Press, Jul 19, 2011 [H/t Marc Morano, Climate Depot]

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/…

[SEPP Comment: An optimistic view of what CERN may produce.]

Climategate Continued

East Anglia’s Toxic Reputation Manager

By Steve McIntyre, Climate Audit, Jul 20, 2011

http://climateaudit.org/…

[SEPP Comment: The more they dig, the deeper they get.]

Challenging the Orthodoxy

Why Hasn’t the Earth Warmed In Nearly 15 Years?

By Patrick Michaels, Forbes, Jul 15, 2011

http://blogs.forbes.com/patrickmichaels/2011/…

[SEPP Comment: A test of the hypothesis that sulfur dioxide emissions from China are hiding global warming – rejected in favor of the null.]

This is why they want to stop skeptics speaking – Monckton swings 9%

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Jul 23, 2011

http://joannenova.com.au/…

The Monckton Debate at the National Press Club (AU) that ABC Lost

Posted by Jo Nova, Jul 20, 2011

http://joannenova.com.au/…

The Debate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma6cnPLcrtA…

Australia Institute loses debate

By John Izzard, Quadrant, AU, July 20, 2011

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

The Five Point Plan to Kill the Australian Economy with High Cost Electricity

By Viv Forbes, Carbon Sense, Jul 23, 2011

http://carbon-sense.com/2011/07/22/five-point…

Spending billions? Why not do a due diligence study? Nah, who needs it?

By Jo Nova, Her Blog, Jul 18, 2011

http://joannenova.com.au/2011/07/spending-bil…

[SEPP Comment: IPCC reports fail to meet the standards expected in a financial due diligence report on a major investment.]

Carbon price battle is lost, say experts

Dan Nancarrow, Brisbane Times, July 20, 2011 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/c…

Some Common Global Warming Fallacies

By William Briggs, GWPF, Jul 18, 2011

http://www.thegwpf.org/best-of-blogs/3470-som…

Defenders of the Orthodoxy

Act now on climate, no need to wait: top UN scientist

By Staff Writers, AFP, Jul 19, 2011

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

[SEPP Comment: Is desperation setting in?]

Volcanic ash, soot helped slow recent warming, study shows

By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post, July 21 [H/t Conrad Potemra]

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

[SEPP comment: Reaching for the bottom of the barrel. See article by Patrick Michaels referenced above.]

UN Security Council to consider climate change peacekeeping

Special meeting to discuss ‘green helmets’ force to intervene in conflicts caused by rising seas levels and shrinking resources

By Suzanne Goldenberg, Guardian, UK, Jul 20, 2011 [H/t Marc Morano, Climate Depot]

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

[SEPP Comment: The first units will command the sun to stop changing.]

Climate change ‘threatens peace’, UN official warns

Climate change poses a major threat to future peace and security, a senior UN official has warned.

By Staff Writers, BBC News, Jul 21, 2011 [H/t Michael Schlesinger]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-142…

U.S. Urged U.N. Security Council to Make ‘Climate Change’ A Priority

By Patrick Goodenough, CNS News, July 21, 2011

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/us-urged-…

[SEPP Comment: The US administration wants the UN to do things Congress will not permit.]

Climate change sceptics should get less BBC coverage and be challenged ‘more vigorously’, says report on science output

Broadcasters to give less airtime to critics of majority view

By Paul Revoir, Mail Online, Jul 21, 2011 [H/t Gordon Fulks]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-20162…

‘BBC’s biased climate science reporting isn’t biased enough’ claims report

By James Delingpole, Telegraph, UK, Jul 21, 2011 [H/t Cooler Heads Digest]

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdeling…

Expanding the Orthodoxy

Waxman calls for national climate-change-education push

By Andrew Restuccia, The Hill, Jul 20, 2011

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

Problems within the Orthodoxy

UK reforms for low-carbon investment

By Staff Writers, WNN, 13 July 2011

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/EE_UK_refor…

[SEPP Comment: No new coal plants without carbon capture and storage – an expensive, unproven technology.]

Communicating Better to the Public – Exaggerate?

Energy Department pushes efficient light bulbs in new ad campaign

By Andrew Restuccia, The Hill, Jul 19, 2011

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

Models v. Observations

Another Example of the Misuse of Climate Science

By Roger Pielke, Sr, Pielke Climate Science, Jul 22, 2011

http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/…

[SEPP Comment: Making regional projections from failed global models.]

My Comments On An AGU Meeting Announcement – Regional Climate Prediction at High Resolution

By Roger Pielke, Sr, Pielke Climate Science, Jul 20, 2011

http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/…

[SEPP Comment: More misleading conferences.]

Ignored Request For NSF To Respond On The Lack Of Value Of Regional Downscaling Of Climate Forecasts Decades From Now

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

http://pielkeclimatesci.wordpress.com/…

Measurement Issues

NASA’s Inconvenient Ruse: The Goddard Institute For Space Studies

By Larry Bell, Forbes, Jul 19, 2011

http://blogs.forbes.com/larrybell/2011/07/19/…

80% of world climate data are not computerized

Posted on July 20, 2011 by News Staff

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/07/20/80-of-w…

[SEPP Comment: So much for historic global surface temperature measurements.]

Climate Scientists Request Protection From Somali Pirates

By Rebecca Boyle, Popsci.com, 07.18.2011 [H/t Best of the Web]

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-07…

[SEPP Comment: A role for the UN green peace force?]

Changing Weather

Some Men See Things and Ask Why? I See Things and Say: WHAT???

By Joe Bastardi, WeatherBell. com, Jul 20, 2011

http://www.icecap.us/…

[SEPP Comment: Introduction by Joseph D’Aleo. See article by Cullen, below.]

Sizzle Factor for a Restless Climate

By Heidi Cullen, NYT, Jul 20, 2011

It’s time to face the fact that weather isn’t what it used to be.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/opinion/20c…

[SEPP Comment: See article by Bastardi, above.]

The Texas centered drought versus 1918, 1956, and 1934

By Joseph D’Aleo, ICECAP, Jul 19, 2011

http://icecap.us/index.php/go/joes-blog…

The Deadliest U.S. Natural Hazard: Extreme Cold

Posted on December 18, 2008 by Anthony Watts

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/18/the-dea…

Deaths and Death Rates from Extreme Weather Events: 1900-2008

Indur Goklany, J. of American Physicians and Surgeons, Winter 2009

http://www.jpands.org/vol14no4/goklany.pdf…

Heat index update, Mid-Atlantic states experience Middle East climate

By Ryan Maue, WUWT, Jul 22, 2011

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/07/22/heat-in…

Recent historically low global tropical cyclone activity

By Ryan Maue, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 38, L14803

http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2011/2011GL0…

Somali refugee death rate at 15 times above norm: UNHCR

By Staff Writers, AFP, Jul 19, 2011

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

[SEPP Comment: A clear example where UN peace keeping has failed to prevent militants from banning humanitarian relief.]

Changing Climate

Fast-Shrinking Greenland Glacier Experienced Rapid Growth During Cooler Times

By Staff Writers, SPX, Jul 20, 2011

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

[SEPP Comment: Since the glacier grows and shrinks rapidly, it should not be used to project what is happening to the entire ice mass. The entire ice mass must be measured.]

Changing Seas

Fishy Science on the Great Barrier Reef

By Walter Starck, Quadrant, Jul-Aug 2011

http://www.quadrant.org.au/magazine/issue/201…

Strong El Nino could bring increased sea levels, storm surges to US East Coast

By Staff Writers, SPX, Jul 18, 2011

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

[SEPP Comment: According to the IPCC, El Ninos do not change climate. Did the recent study of sea level rise in North Carolina calculate this effect? Doubtful!]

Sea-level rises are slowing, tidal gauge records show

By Stuart Rintoul, The Australian, Jul 22, 2011 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affa…

Only when the tide goes out

Editorial, Australian, Jul 23, 2011

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

Overpeck says 3 feet, real world sea level data says no way

By Anthony Watts, WUWT, Jul 18, 2011

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/07/18/simulat…

Changing Seas – Science by Press Release

Multiple Ocean Stresses Threaten “Globally Significant” Marine Extinction

Press Release, International Programme on the State of the Ocean, Jun 20, 2011

http://www.stateoftheocean.org/pdfs/1806_IPSO…

[SEPP Comment: The Bait, the Press Release!]

International Earth system expert workshop on ocean stresses and impacts.

By Rogers, A.D. & Laffoley, D.d’A. 2011 Summary report. IPSO Oxford, 18 pp.

http://www.stateoftheocean.org/pdfs/1906_IPSO…

[SEPP Comment: The Hook. Self-proclaimed experts release the excited summary and press release first, followed by substantiation later. See below. This is not to state that overfishing of certain species is not a problem, but many of the issues are highly exaggerated.]

A Look Into the Ocean’s Future

Editorial, NYT, Jul 15, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/16/opinion/16s…

[SEPP Comment: The Fish. The New York Times swallows the bait, hook, line and sinker.]

Changing Earth

Earth Getting Greener, not Browner

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

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

Acidic Waters

Acidifying oceans could hit California mussels

By Staff Writers, SPX, Jul 21, 2011

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

[SEPP Comment: No mention of pH, no doubt the acidifying oceans remain alkaline.]

Agriculture Issues & Fear of Famine

Crop biotechnology still attracts opposition

By Martin Livermore, Scientific Alliance, Jul 21, 2011

http://www.scientific-alliance.org/scientific…

As ethanol’s ravages grow, phony ‘reform’ emerges

By: Timothy P. Carney, Washington Examiner, Jul 17, 2011 [H/t Cooler Heads Digest]

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/0…

[SEPP Comment: Producing about 40.8% of the world’s harvest by ton, the US is the world’s largest producer of corn. According to the article, of US production this year 12.1% will be used for food or seed, 43.7% will be used for animal feed, and 44.2% for ethanol – transportation.]

Subsidies and Mandates Forever

Ending Windpower Subsidies for Deficit Reduction (failed promises have consequences)

By Lisa Linowes, Master Resource, Jul 21, 2011

http://www.masterresource.org/2011/07/windpow…

[SEPP Comment: Thirty years of subsidies should be sufficient.]

Blame Congress

Editorial, NYT, Jul 20, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/opinion/20w…

[SEPP Comment: A plea for a national energy standard that will lower the disposable income and standards of living for virtually everyone.]

Big Bulb + Big Green = Big Profit Bulb Ban

John LaPlante/ The Michigan View.com, Jul 18, 2011 [H/t Cooler Heads Digest]

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110718/MIVIE…

EPA and other Regulators on the March

Show us the bodies, EPA

Green agency uses phony death statistics to justify job-killing rules

By Steve Milloy, Washington Times, Jul 20, 2011

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

EPA Proposes Secondary Standards for NOx and SOx

By Staff Writers, POWERnews, Jul 20, 2011

http://www.powermag.com/POWERnews/3863.html?h…

[SEPP Comment: EPA still fails to explain why asthma prevalence increases as NOx and SOx decline.]

Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Could Cause Power Shortages, ERCOT, Texas Agencies Warn

By Staff Writers, POWERnews, Jul 20, 2011

http://www.powermag.com/POWERnews/3859.html?h…

EPA ozone proposal draws fire

Tighter curbs seen hurting economy

By Tim Devaney, Washington Times, Jul 17, 2011

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

EPA issues final mountaintop mining guidance

By Andrew Restuccia, The Hill, Jul 21, 2011

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

[SEPP Comment: EPA pressing the limits of its powers by calling these disguised regulations as guidance.]

FERC Declines Rulemaking, Tosses Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Back to NIST

By Sonal Patel, Power News, Jul 20, 2011

http://www.powermag.com/POWERnews/3868.html?h…

[SEPP Comment: Such standards should be decided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.]

Barrasso revives battle against SEC climate risk disclosure

By Ben Geman, The Hill, Jul 20, 2011

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

Energy Issues

A Test of Prudence Favors Coal – Part Two

By Frank Clemente, Energy Facts, Jul 20, 2011

http://www.energy-facts.org/?utm_source=Energ…

Nuclear Fears & Responses

Efforts to stabilize nuclear crisis on track – Japan

By Staff Writers, AFP, Jul 19, 2011

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

Japan bans Fukushima beef shipments over radiation

By Staff Writers, AFP, Jul 19, 2011

http://www.seeddaily.com/reports/Japan_bans_F…

Task force reports on US plant safety

By Staff Writers, WNN, 14 July 2011

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS-Task_for…

EU tightens nuclear waste disposal rules

By Staff Writers, AFP, Jul 19, 2011

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

Oil and Natural Gas – the Future or the Past?

The U.S. Isn’t Running Out of Oil

By Stephen Eule, Real Clear Politics, Jul 15, 2011

http://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2011/…

Shale and its Discontents

The New York Times still doesn’t get the shale revolution.

By Robert Bryce, National Review, Jul 15, 2011 [H/t Warren Wetmore]

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/271890…

Penn State report even more bullish on Marcellus Shale

By Andrew Maykuth, Philadelphia Inquirer, Jul 20, 2011 [H/t GWPF]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvani…

“From the household perspective, reductions in energy expenditures act like a tax cut for the Pennsylvania economy, increasing discretionary income,” the study said.

New York Times Ombudsman Rebukes His Own Paper for Reporting Lapses on Natural Gas

By Jon Entine, The American, July 18, 2011 [H/t GWPF]

http://blog.american.com/2011/07/new-york-tim…

Inhibiting an Oil and Gas Boom

By Paul Chesser, American Spectator, Jul 22, 2011

http://spectator.org/archives/2011/07/22/inhi…

Shale-gas extraction faces growing public and regulatory challenges

Two federal agencies are scrutinizing the shale-gas industry and its use of “fracking,” but gas producers insist that state regulators provide sufficient environmental oversight.

By David Kramer, Physics Today, July 2011, page 23 [H/t Moorad Alexanian]

http://physicstoday.org/resource/1/phtoad/v64…

Brazil has a ‘North Sea of oil’

By Staff Writers, UPI, Jul 15, 2011

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

Canada to monitor oil sands pollution

By Claudia Cattaneo, Financial Post, Jul 21, 2011

http://business.financialpost.com/2011/07/21/…

China’s CNOOC to buy Canadian oil sands developer

By Staff Writers, AFP, Jul 20, 2011

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

Oil Spills & Consequences

Deep below the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

By Staff Writers, SPX, Jul 21, 2011

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

[SEPP Comment: Not stated here, but apparently the hydrocarbons in the deep water plume are principally those that contain benzene rings.]

Administration Control of Fossil Fuels

Obama Anti-Coal Energy Agenda Would Hurt America

By Daniel Kish, US News, July 20, 2011 [H/t Cooler Heads Digest]

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/energy-in…

[SEPP Comment: Now even unions are questioning EPA imaginary numbers]

The left’s brilliant lie

Regulatory tyranny targets internal combustion and incandescent light

Editorial, Washington Times, Jul 21, 2011

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

Alternative, Green (“Clean”) Energy

Ontario’s Power Trip: Power dumping

Billions are wasted buying subsidized wind and solar power that ends up being exported at fire-sale prices

By Parker Gallant and Scott Luft, Financial Post, Jul 20, 2011

http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/07/20/o…

[SEPP Comment: Buy high, sell low – the secret to Green Energy prosperity.]

The big green surge to fend off critics of Ontario’s renewable energy strategy

By Parker Gallant, Financial Post, Jul 20, 2011

http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/07/20/t…

A New Study Takes The Wind Out Of Wind Energy

Reality has overtaken green hope.

Robert Bryce, Forbes, Jul 19, 2011, [H/t Cooler Heads Digest]

http://www.forbes.com/2011/07/19/wind-energy-…

2010 Wind Technologies Market Report

By Staff Writers, SPX, Jul 18, 2011

http://www.winddaily.com/reports/2010_Wind_Te…

Review of Recent Scientific Articles by NIPCC

For a full list of articles see http://www.NIPCCreport.org

Atmospheric Models: Keeping it Simple

Reference: Levine, X.J. and Schneider, T. 2011. Response of the Hadley Circulation to Climate Change in an Aquaplanet GCM Coupled to a Simple Representation of Ocean Heat Transport. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 68: 769-783.

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

The World’s Oscillatory Climate as Experienced in Northern Iberia

Reference: Martin-Chivelet, J., Munoz-Garcia, M.B., Edwards, R.L., Turrero, M.J. and Ortega, A.I. 2011. Land surface temperature changes in Northern Iberia since 4000 yr BP, based on d13C of speleothems. Global and Planetary Change 77: 1-12.

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

The Fate of Carbon in a Warming Temperate Peatland

Reference: Cai, S. and Yu, Z. 2011. Response of a warm temperate peatland to Holocene climate change in northeastern Pennsylvania. Quaternary Research 75: 531-540.

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

Why Climate Change Effect Studies are Pessimistic

Reference: Loehle, C. 2011. Criteria for Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystems. Ecology and Evolution doi: 10.1002/ece3.7.

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

Environmental Industry

Bloomberg gives $50M to anti-coal effort

By Andrew Restuccia, The Hill, Jul 21, 2011

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

Greens go for the gold, leave us in the red

Enviros make bank off schemes that would leave world bankrupt

By Terrence Scanlon, Washington Times, Jul 20, 2011

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

Other Scientific News

Forests absorb much more greenhouse gas than previously known

Worldwide, forests absorb almost 9 billion tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide every year, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Science.

By Mark Clayton, Christian Science Monitor, Jul. 15, 2011 [H/t Tim Wise]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2011/071…

[SEPP Comment: Previously known by whom?]

Mercury pollution from power plants seen

By Staff Writers, UPI, Jul 19, 2011

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

[SEPP Comment: Mercury is a naturally occurring metal found throughout the world. The issues are: what source, are the concentrations unusual, are the concentrations toxic?]

Loss of top animal predators has massive ecological effects

By Staff Writers, SPX. Jul 20, 2011

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

[SEPP Comment: The statement “An old paradigm has shifted, and those who question this theory now have the burden to prove otherwise” reflects an ignorance of hypothesis testing.]

New way to store sun’s heat

By David L. Chandler, SPX, Jul 20, 2011

http://www.solardaily.com/reports/New_way_to_…

Other News that May Be of Interest

Derail High-Speed Spending

Editorial, IBD, 07/21/2011

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

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

BELOW THE BOTTOM LINE:

How Dairy Farms Contribute to Greenhouse Gas Emissions

By Ann Perry, Agriculture Research Service, July 19, 2011 [H/t WUWT]

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2011/110719.htm…

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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