Over the past several years I've written a few pages about climate.
they don't really go together, but they're not completely independent,
either. There's a good chance I'll write more or split the climate
change page into sections, so I decided to write this home page now instead
of later.
London Science Museum poll
This very unscientific poll degined to encourage the British government
to work for a "strong, effect, fair deal at Copenhagen" predates the decision
to abandon work on signing a treaty there. It's not clear how the message will
be received, but it looks like the poll will be defeated so I guess the message
will be to "not work at Copenhagen."
State of the Climate - 2009
I hope this is the first of a series of reports of what's happening in climate
research today, what's interesting, and where we're heading. Even if I don't
have time for an update next year, this will be a useful snapshot.
This report features the impact due to the PDO shift, notes about the
Society of Environmental Journalists, and the release last year of a paper
that reports evidence that sunspots will fade from view around 2015. (Please
make it be 2016! See below.)
Science, Method, Climatology, and Forgetting the Basics
What passes as debate about climate change seems to involve people who do not
understand science and scientists who have forgotten what science is all about.
Recent events are giving us the chance to get things back on course and
inspired me to write this essay. If it works, it will explain to lay people
the basics about the scientific method, describe the leading theories behind
climate change, and get scientists from both sides of the debate to invite
the other to their next picnic. I will then move onto bringing peace and
prosperity to the Middle East. Actually, I'll be happy if it gets a few people
thinking and watching what may be a very important period in climate study.
1816: The Year without a Summer
This was inspired by finally hunting down a granite monument to this
year that is close to one place I lived. I created a geocache for that
I named
Summerless
2016: The [Next] Year without a Summer
When the movie "The Day after Tomorrow" came out, I just had to write something
about the bad science in it. Besides, the director said he hoped the movie
would inspire discussion. Ice cores from Greenland show the climate there
can change in a couple of decades, and this page looks at some of the real
science behind it. I never really finished the page as the movie didn't
inspire much discussion at all.
Glacial Retreat of 5,000-7,000 Years Ago
Much handwringing has been expended over the current glacial retreat. While
it may indeed be unrelated to past retreats, there is ample evidence that
we have had much less glacial ice in the not too distant past.
The following are documents I've written to various organizations
in response to announcements of public hearings or to explain my views
to public figures.
Lewis Gordon Pugh and a kayak expedition to the North Pole
This is Email I sent to the Select Committee on Energy Independence and
Global Warming after I heard this fellow was invited to address them.
This boondoggle was inspired by predictions that ice at the North Pole
might melt this year, 2008. It didn't.
Re: Gore's Message To Climate Change Skeptics
This is a letter I wrote to 60 Minute's correspondent Lesley Stahl about a
segment that seems to be a kickoff for a $300,000,000 effort to get people
excited about global warming. Gore says "I
think that those people are in such a tiny, tiny minority now with
their point of view, they're almost like the ones who still believe
that the moon landing was staged in a movie lot in Arizona and those
who believe the world is flat. That demeans them a little bit, but
it's not that far off." I couldn't let that pass.
The following are the very best of the best external sites about
climate science. I do intend to write a page to host a wider selection
of links, but these deserve recommendation here, probably even after
I write that other page. All three of the authors once felt that global
warming was human-caused but after into the subject found that is likely
not the case.
Watts Up With That?
This is a blog by Anthony Watts, a meteorologist from Chico CA and
founder of Surface Stations, a grassroots effort to document the weather
stations used in the US climate record. Anthony has managed to capture
a sweet spot with his blog - not too technical, definitely not pablum,
opinionated, but peer pressure helps keeps the ad hominem insults down.
All sides get aired, participants range from just plain folks to top
scientists.
There are other important blogs and sources, but their important stories
wind up here within hours. Making this your daily starting point will
keep you up up-to-date.
One shortcoming of the blog host, Wordpress, is that they offer no good
way to browse months of articles. I've made a bit of a start at that with a
Table of Contents
for WUWT.
Curious Anomalies in Climate Science
This is a wonderful adjunct to my Science, Method, Climatology, and Forgetting
the Basics. The author is an environmentalist and her essay traces her journey
from belief in global warming to realizing that the emperor has no clothes.
Her journey is not unique, in fact many people now convinced that CO2 is not
the demon Al Gore and the IPCC make it out to be, have followed similar
journeys. This one is the best documented and one made after much good
material has become available on the Web. Her collection of links provides
great support and backup.
Editorial: The Great Global Warming Hoax?
I think this started as an editorial but has grown into a
comprehensive account shedding light in many more corners than I
have time to study. It keeps getting better over time. The author,
Jim Peden, started out as an atmosperic scientist, but is happy to
be called Dad and would make a very good teacher.
The Skeptics Handbook
The Skeptics Handbook by Joanne Nova is a good guide to more of the science
than I have and is written for a wide audience.
