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All IPCC definitions taken from Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Working Group I Contribution to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Annex I, Glossary, pp. 941-954. Cambridge University Press.

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Comments 86951 to 87000:

  1. Climate Change Denial book now available!
    I know this is off topic, but may I request a topic for future discussion? I've been thinking off and on for some time about signs or indications that a system is on the verge of a regime change, in particular with respect to climate. My gut feel assessment has been that unusual levels of variance from the mean would increase for some time before reaching the tipping point after which the status would not return to the previous conditions. So, it was with interest that I read this story about an ecological system regime change. Apparently, my thoughts are nothing new; there exist models which are used to examine state changes within a variety of system types and predict when a tipping point is about to be reached. I can understand that predicting a tipping point using the multitude of physics processes involved in climate is extremely difficult. I was wondering if serious work has been done along an alternate line of looking at not the physical processes, but just the amount of variation from pre-existing conditions. Snippet: "Brock used a branch of applied mathematics known as bifurcation theory to show that the odd behavior was in fact an early warning of catastrophic change. In short, he devised a way to sense the transformation of an ecosystem by detecting subtle changes in the system's natural patterns of variability."
  2. Medieval project gone wrong
    Howard Duff's marvellous little classic, "How to Lie with Statistics" also had a brilliant expose/exposition of these "common graphical tricks". I wish I could cut and paste them here, but mine is a paper copy, and I am no good with computer drawing:( But his illustration of the 'trick's is persuasive, memorable, and concise. It boggles the mind to think how timely his little book still is. The deceivers have not even had to bother to think up new techniques since the 50s when he wrote his book!
  3. Lindzen Illusion #2: Lindzen vs. Hansen - the Sleek Veneer of the 1980s
    tonydunc @23: 1) "he says that ONLY scenario A is reasonable to compare to Hansen's predictions." In the original paper Hansen says that scenario A is . He also says (page 9361) that in scenario B the rate at which CO2 growth increases will decline so that by 2010 (and after) the increase will be a constant 1.9 ppm per year. The following is the increase in CO2 content in ppm per year as plotted by Tamino: Turns out that in 2010, CO2 growth was under 1.9 ppm, although the trend was probably very close to it. Hansen also said the annual growth of the increase in CO2 concentration in scenario A is 1.5%, or a 1.015^30=~= 1.56 increase in the annual growth rate over the 30 years from 1980 to 2010. With a start value of 1.4 ppm growth in CO2 concentration in 1980, that predicts around 3 ppm growth rate for 2010, or 50% greater than the trend or nearly double the actual value. Clearly scenario B is much closer to what occurred. 2) "He used Hansen’s temperature data to verify Hansen’s predictions. That is like trusting Al Gore’s lawyers to count ballots in Florida." For this argument to make any sense, it would be necessary that using a different temperature series would make the data fit Lindzen's "prediction" better than Hansen's. Well, take your pick: No matter which temperature series you use, the data still supports Hansen's prediction. Indeed, John Cook explicitly pointed that out in the article when he said, "GISTEMP is consistent with all the other surface and satellite temperature data sets." 3) "You "offset Lindzen’s start point downwards by half a degree. Obviously the data needs to be normalized before comparing."" Lindzen's comment quoted in the article indicates that temperatures have increase by from 0.1 to 0.2 degrees from their start point around 1880/89. That makes 1880/89 the start point of his prediction (and retrodiction) and hence the point from which his prediction should be plotted. As the graph only plots from 1958, that creates an apparent offset. At least, that is how I understood the graph. 4) "He drew scenario B below Hansen’s actual scenario B. Note the red line above is too low." 5) He drew Hansen’s measured data too high. The thick red line below and horizontal bars are from the GISS web site. The black line above it is what Cook drew. Hansen reported 0.63 for 2010, Cook placed it above 0.7" I cannot respond to these points as I do not know the details of the plot. However, given the purpose of the graph, ie, to compare Hansen's and Lindzen's "predictions", would it make Lindzen's "prediction" look any better if the graph was adjusted as Goddard suggests? It strikes me that Goddard is quibbling to distract the punters from how wrong Lindzen got it. "Finally a commenter on the site says this is a straw man argument since Lindzen has never made any actual predictions." From the first paragraph of the article, "Although to our knowledge Lindzen has never made any specific global temperature projections, he did make some statements in this talk which we can use to extrapolate what his temperature predictions might have looked like." It would be hard to be more up front than that. The suggestion that Cook's article is a strawman argument is a form of special pleading. It is an insistence that the logical consequences of critics of climate science should not be examined. If you want, however, an example of a real strawman, it is Chilli's claim that, " Cook made the bogus graph by simply removing CO2 from Hansen’s temperature model." Cook, of course, used to methods to arrive at a hypothetical prediction for Lindzen, both of which he clearly described in the article. Apparently Cook's methods were to reasonable for Chilli (afterall, he surely wouldn't be so dishonest as to criticize an article he hasn't actually read?) so he invented a suitably bogus method to attribute to Cook.
  4. Lindzen Illusion #2: Lindzen vs. Hansen - the Sleek Veneer of the 1980s
    tonydunc - this is my post, not John's. Goddard's comments are a bunch of baloney, to put it nicely, but since you asked I will respond specifically.
    "Cook picked scenario “B”...He should be comparing against scenario A"
    Actually the plot in question shows Scenario B adjusted to reflect the actual radiative forcing based on measured GHG changes, as I explained in the post. Scenario A is nowhere near reality, nor is Goddard's comment #1.
    "He used Hansen’s temperature data to verify Hansen’s predictions."
    As I noted in the post (and linked to supporting evidence), GISTEMP ("Hansen's temperature data") is not statistically different from any other temperature data set. I'm already seeing a pattern in these comments, that Goddard needs to work on his reading comprehension.
    "Cook offset Lindzen’s start point downwards by half a degree."
    Again, I explained that my "offset" was based on Lindzen's own comments. This is all discussed in the post.
    "He drew scenario B below Hansen’s actual scenario B"
    Again, as explained in the post, I adjusted Scenario B to reflect actual GHG changes.
    "He drew Hansen’s measured data too high."
    Shockingly, this is also explained in the post. I took the average of the GISS land-only and land-ocean data because it is most comparable to Hansen's 1988 study. In short, Goddard might want to try actually reading the posts he's going to comment on before criticizing them. Every single one of his criticisms was wrong and was explained in the post. This is pretty sad even by Goddard standards.
    "Finally a commenter on the site says this is a straw man argument since Lindzen has never made any actual predictions. It seems rather odd to me that that would be used as a defense of Lindzen"
    Yes, it's a pretty sad defense that Lindzen has never been willing to make a specific prediction of his own. It's easier to criticize than to produce. Nevertheless, Goddard and co. don't seem to dispute the accuracy of my reconstruction.
  5. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    Re: [DB]'s reply to #8..... Thanks DB, but credit for POE humor, if any, goes to my debate opponent. That guy is a committed denialist, and argued forcefully for a lot of debunked theories. Sadly, I think they were serious. (Or if it was Poe, it was there way of telling me to shut up!) BTW.... As long as we're doing regionalisms for the Arctic Ocean, how about Lac Lackice? Or "Font Carbon"
  6. Lindzen Illusion #2: Lindzen vs. Hansen - the Sleek Veneer of the 1980s
    tonydunc @23 With regard to point 1. Hansen forecast levels of CO2, Methane, Nitrous Oxides and other trace gases for his three scenarios. Whilst CO2 levels are approximately at Hansen's scenario A, all other trace greenhouse gases are below his scenario C predictions. That means none of the emission scenarios Hansen envisaged actually reflects what has happened. To determine the best emissions scenario you need to consider the nett forcing from all the GHG's he considered. When you do that scenario B emerges as the closest match.
  7. Waste heat vs greenhouse warming
    To John Cook By the way, in the orignal article where it points to the IPCC reference: "2.9 W/m2 (IPCC AR4 Section 2.1). " it explains positive radiative forcing and negative radiative forcing, where negative would be something that would have a net cooling effect. Considering the symmetry between positive and negative, how exactly can something have a net cooling effect when it comes to thermal radiation? It could only mean less heat relative to some nominal value, while the 2.9 W/m2 is likewise more heat relative to some nominal value. When talking about less heat, we could only refer to less heat getting in during the day. If the terms positive and negative are symetrical, the 2.9 W/m2 only refers to more heat getting in during the day. Between day and night, this 100x reduces to 2.9 (day) - 2.9 (night) = 0. On the other hand, there is no waste heat day/night since this energy is being expended 24 hrs a day on the average. So the real comparision is 0.028 to 0.
  8. Lindzen Illusion #2: Lindzen vs. Hansen - the Sleek Veneer of the 1980s
    Tonydunc @23, I would really not concern myself about what someone so throughly discredited as Goddard thinks. Goddard has a very long reputation for mangling and misrepresenting the science and for being inept in scientific matters. Note too how Goddard chooses to misinform from the safety of his blog rather than come here and try to pass of his misinformation. I could say more, but this is Dana'sa post, so I'll let him reply if he feels so inclined. PS: Philippe, Goddard no longer "works" for Watts, apparently Goddard's standards are event too low for Watts. And let us not forget that Steve Goddard is a pseudonym, yet Watts allowed him to frequently post on his blog even though he allegedly has a rule about not allowing people to post under pseudonyms.
  9. Anne-Marie Blackburn at 01:25 AM on 30 April 2011
    Climate Change Denial book now available!
    Received my copy six days ago and slowly reading through it (still got two assignments to hand in, otherwise would've finished it by now). Very good read :)
  10. Lindzen Illusion #2: Lindzen vs. Hansen - the Sleek Veneer of the 1980s
    Goddard: "ONLY scenario A is reasonable to compare to Hansen's predictions" Reality: The total increase in greenhouse gas forcings projected by Hansen's scenario B was slightly higher than actual readings as shown here. Ergo, scenario A is much higher than what actually happened and scenario C much lower. Leaving scenario B (slightly higher than actual) as the only reasonable comparison. Goddard: "He used Hansen’s temperature data to verify Hansen’s predictions." Reality: Irrelevant. The variation between the various temperature anomaly datasets are negligible. Swap in any of the others, even the outlier UAH results, and it would not change any of the conclusions. Goddard: "He drew scenario B below Hansen’s actual scenario B. Note the red line above is too low." Reality: The red line is not scenario B... the yellow line is. The red was created by adjusting scenario B downwards slightly to reflect the fact that it assumed higher greenhouse gas accumulations than have actually taken place. All of which is clearly explained in the chart legend and article above. I'm still looking at the other comments, but you get the gist. Goddard's objections vary between unfounded and false.
  11. Philippe Chantreau at 00:52 AM on 30 April 2011
    Lindzen Illusion #2: Lindzen vs. Hansen - the Sleek Veneer of the 1980s
    "Mr. Goddard did not show an adjusted graph where Lindzen's parameters would show a better fit than Hansen's using any standard source of temp data." Well, duh. Goddard is the guy inept enough to maintain that CO2 could deposit as carbonic snow in Antarctica even after being presented with the phase diagram. What do you expect? Stop wasting your time at WUWT if you're really interested in learning stuff. There is such a thing as objective reality in these matters. The comment about alarmist ignoring skeptics trying to correct their mistakes is rather amusing. See this for what is done by Watts when someone tries to correct his. Seriously, there is not one minute spent on WUWT that is not wasted time.
  12. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    Ken Lambert : "If you don't think that you could conduct a conversation with the authors of the scientific papers cited on SKS, then you probably should not be commenting on them at all." I don't need to "conduct a conversation" with any author to feel that I can comment on, refer to or agree/disagree with their work. Scientists have no compulsion to attend to or "conduct a conversation" with anyone on any website, unless they feel the need to. To think that they should respond to or "conduct a conversation" with you or anyone else, is simplistic, arrogant and overbearing. Similarly, I don't feel the need to "conduct a conversation" with a literary author, or feel that said author has to be at my beck and call to discuss any issues or questions I might have with their work. But maybe that's just me. Ken Lambert : "Understanding of a scientific paper is not the exclusive domain of paid full time scientists in the field." No-one said it was. Alternately, it doesn't need the personal intervention of any author to respond to every misunderstanding, misuse or abuse of their work. And I don't need to feel that I am as good as (or as intelligent as) any scientist - paid, full-time or otherwise. Nor do I feel they are elitist, lucky or condescending. Ken Lambert : "I have conducted an email correspondence with Dr Trenberth myself - he is very approachable and generous with his responses." Knowing your opinion of him and his work (you seem to view him as an "advocate of AGW", rather than a unbiased scientist seeking the facts), that is over-generous of him. Makes me wonder, though, why you haven't asked him to appear here yourself, to discuss these matters to your satisfaction. Ken Lambert : "I could ask what we are all doing here if not to get an understanding of the science concerning 'the greatest moral challenge of our age'." Without you acknowledging the source of that quote, I will have to assume that it is from an Australian politician. If so, what does politics have to do with science - except in as much as it seems to be very important to so-called skeptics ? And, I don't know about anyone else, but Skeptical Science, to me, helps the understanding of the science, so that is why I am here. I'm not sure why you are here, though, because all I see from you is repetition, a disinclination to respond fully to the criticisms of your claims (as evidenced from your lack of detailed response to Tom Curtis or Alec Cowan, among others, on the Flanner thread) and complaints about moderation - as well as a need to fire-off personal emails to complain further. If you stick to the science, respond to criticisms without recourse to snark and/or over-weening self-confidence in your own abilities, and leave out the subjective descriptions about "advocates" or "AGW enthusiasts", you might get somewhere - as opposed to going round and round in circles, moaning as you do so. But you, of course, must do as you see fit.
  13. Lindzen Illusion #2: Lindzen vs. Hansen - the Sleek Veneer of the 1980s
    Mr. Cook, I have just read a critique of this post from Steve Goddard. He says you are wrong about almost everything related to this comparison. http://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/skeptical-science-cheating-4x/ 1. "he says that ONLY scenario A is reasonable to compare to Hansen's predictions."Hansen made three forecasts, Cook picked scenario “B” which Hansen described as “a reduced linear linear growth of trace gases.” Obviously that has not happened and is not the correct one. He should be comparing against scenario A. Joe Romm says that greenhouse gases have been “accelerating super-exponentially.” 2 "He used Hansen’s temperature data to verify Hansen’s predictions. That is like trusting Al Gore’s lawyers to count ballots in Florida." I assume by this he means that Hansen himself decides what the figures are after manipulating the the numbers from the satellites, and there is no confirmation of the accuracy from other sources. 3. You "offset Lindzen’s start point downwards by half a degree. Obviously the data needs to be normalized before comparing." "4. He drew scenario B below Hansen’s actual scenario B. Note the red line above is too low." "5. He drew Hansen’s measured data too high. The thick red line below and horizontal bars are from the GISS web site. The black line above it is what Cook drew. Hansen reported 0.63 for 2010, Cook placed it above 0.7" "In summary, he used the wrong projection, he let Hansen officiate, he didn’t normalize Lindzen’s data, and he misplaced both the projection and the results on the graph." Mr. Goddard has repeatedly said you are dishonest and that global warming alarmists websites ignore comments from skeptics who try to correct their mistakes. I commented that I would be willing to post his objections since I like to hear both sides of a disagreement. I have pointed out to Mr. Gorddard that he repeatedly misrepresents Hansen's original graph, by ignoring that Hansen acknowledges the 4.2° CO2 doubling to have been wrong, so I am glad to see that he did not question that. Finally a commenter on the site says this is a straw man argument since Lindzen has never made any actual predictions. It seems rather odd to me that that would be used as a defense of Lindzen, since being the most cited ACC skeptic, it would give him much credibility to have done so and therefore have show the greenhouse effect to be as inconsequential as he maintain. Mr. Goddard did not show an adjusted graph where Lindzen's parameters would show a better fit than Hansen's using any standard source of temp data.
    Response:

    [dana1981] I wrote the post, not John.  Goddard's comments reveal that he either didn't read or didn't understand the post, as it addresses all his points.  My response is in Comment #28 below.

  14. Philippe Chantreau at 00:35 AM on 30 April 2011
    How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    All the whining by KL and chriscanaris is rather funny. Have a look here here for a glipmse of how Anthony Watts treats those who challenge him. He bans them and then asks them not to say anything about it. That's integrity, fairness and open debate, "skeptic" style. What a friggin' joke. You guys should be thankful for the excellent quality of moderation on this site. SkS has a long way to go before it gets anywhere close to the skeptic blog standards. We even continue tolerating Berenyi Peter repeated innuendos and accusations every time he misunderstands a paper. But where do skeptics protest about junk like M&M or the Wegman report? Double standards, whining about nothing. I'm unimpressed.
  15. Daniel Bailey at 00:26 AM on 30 April 2011
    Wakening the Kraken
    @ CBDunkerson In days of Oelde, it was once called Dûr Helcaraxë, the Grinding Ice. One might now refer to it as Aear Forodgalad, the Sea of Northern Lights. In Tengwar Quenya:
  16. Climate Change Denial book now available!
    I hope to get a copy today or after the weekend - amazon.co.uk sent my copy a week ago - or so they told :)
  17. A Flanner in the Works for Snow and Ice
    KL#139: "nub of this thread is the size of the extra heat gain compared with other parts of the planet." No, the nub of this thread is the change in the northern hemisphere; in particular, the northern part of the northern hemisphere - what may someday no longer be called the cryosphere. See the Flanner paper, whose title states "Radiative forcing and albedo feedback from the Northern Hemisphere cryosphere ..." So by voicing agreement with Petrovich, you must also agree with Flanner as well as the author of this post.
  18. A Flanner in the Works for Snow and Ice
    138 Muomcounter I have no argument with your quotation. viz: "As the multi-year ice pack declines and more of the Arctic has a seasonal ice cover, more solar heat will be input to the ice–ocean system, resulting in an enhanced ice-albedo feedback" The nub of this thread is the size of the extra heat gain compared with other parts of the planet.
  19. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    JMurphy #22 "I cannot understand how anyone commenting on a website (even one as interesting and important as this one) can assume that what they have to say can be important enough to need the attention of someone like Dr Trenberth; or that the owner of said website should be spending all his hours trying to make such an interaction happen. I find that astounding. Perhaps if someone on here feels they have shaken the foundations of some of the science, they should publish in the appropriate peer-reviewed manner ?" If you don't think that you could conduct a conversation with the authors of the scientific papers cited on SKS, then you probably should not be commenting on them at all. Understanding of a scientific paper is not the exclusive domain of paid full time scientists in the field. I have conducted an email correspondence with Dr Trenberth myself - he is very approachable and generous with his responses. I could ask what we are all doing here if not to get an understanding of the science concerning 'the greatest moral challenge of our age'.
  20. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    KL: "Cries of foul always come more readily from those who see their viewpoint being demolished." "Most of it was tolerated by Moderators who were clearly on the side of my opponents" In the same post no less! Is this a new record in the self-defeating arguments category?
  21. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    chriscanaris #15 You have put my concerns perfectly. Cries of foul always come more readily from those who see their viewpoint being demolished. I am not made of sugar candy - and will slug it out with the best of them if I think the point is important enough -but the "Flanner" thread is an extreme example of crying foul everytime my opponents made another correction and bizarre attempts to impugn my motives and claim error on my part. Most of it was tolerated by Moderators who were clearly on the side of my opponents even though same were continually shown wrong in their numbers.
    Moderator Response: [muoncounter] Everyone:

    It accomplishes nothing to speak of 'sides' here; if you have a point to make, state your case. If others refute your point, take their objections into consideration and, if necessary, rebut. Do not merely keep repeating 'you made a mistake' or 'I'm right and you're not.' That is schoolyard behavior. If you cannot live within rules of civilized discourse, you probably don't have much of a point to make in the first place.

    Enough carping about who said what. And most certainly, enough carping about moderation.

  22. Clouds provide negative feedback
    157, RW1,
    I do not see where the issues I've raised has been addressed or answered.
    That's because you ignore the statements that do address them. 1. Your theory is inconsistent with all of the lines of evidence which point to a climate sensitivity of 3˚C or greater. You have seen this presented to you now at least 6 times, and you keep dodging it. How does your theory account for this? Until you answer that question, your theory fails. 2. Your theory is inconsistent with the observational evidence (Dessler 2010) that demonstrates a positive, not negative, feedback in response to short-term warming. While this cannot necessarily directly support a long-term positive effect, it directly refutes your "was negative before, so must be negative in the future" theory. 3. Your argument that models "assume" and require a positive cloud feedback is wrong. While clouds do represent a large area of uncertainty in the models, it is incorrect to think that the scientists who have done the modeling have not thought things through a little more carefully, and in more detail, than you have. You cast aspersions by generalizing their work into the word "assume," and yet provide no direct evidence (other than the general positive/negative thing) that their work is not well considered. 4. Your argument that current warming "depends" on the positive cloud feedback is exaggerated, as has been demonstrated. It reduces potential warming from 3˚C to 2.5˚C or 2˚C, which while helpful is not an inconsequential amount of warming. Like many deniers, you exaggerate one point to try to make it the single, decisive, "AGW killing" argument. 5. Your argument that cloud effect is negative and would not "switch" to positive is at its root flawed and too simplistic. It's rather like saying that May was warmer than April, and June was warmer than May, so every month from now on will get warmer and warmer forever. It takes a too simple premise, and draws an invalid conclusion, because it avoids the complexities of the system. Instead of Occam' razor, your theory uses Occam's guillotine. It is based on a very broad, general, simplistic approach to the problem. It does not consider any details in the issue, such as why the current effect would be negative, or how clouds might or will change. It assumes that all effects are linear and additive. It simply takes the childishly simple view that if current net effect is negative, then a warmer climate must mean more clouds, which must mean more negative. You may feel that this logic is persuasive, and for simple minded people who like to stop thinking as soon as they see an argument that supports their predetermined beliefs, this might well be persuasive. But it doesn't persuade me in the slightest. It matters very, very much where additional clouds form in a warming world (high latitudes, or near the equator), when they exist (during daylight, summer hours, or nighttime or winter hours), and what kind of clouds form (i.e. low, reflective clouds or high, heat trapping clouds).
  23. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    JMurphy, Well said!!!!
  24. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    Chriscanaris @23 Can you please explain how the quote you gave was "reinforced" by my response ? I merely suggested a possible alternative explanation to your observation.
  25. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    les @ 17, Phil @ 21 & JMurphy @ 22: ...some people will always excuse anything from anyone...as long as they feel they are on the same side. My sentiments exactly and reinforced by your responses. Over and out.
  26. Wakening the Kraken
    Ah, that explains the 'ice' connection. Unfortunately, my knowledge of Finnish is limited to its influences on Tolkien's Quenya language... so not gonna be much help coming up with a replacement for Jäämeri.
  27. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    I think we still have a long way to go against denial, as evidenced even on this thread. It seems that some people are so stuck in that denial (for whatever reason but normally nothing scientifically rational) that they will never be able to admit that they are wrong or, indeed, that anyone that they feel is on the same side as them can be wrong either - witness the lack of criticism of Lindzen, Carter, Monckton, etc. from any of the so-called skeptics on here over the last several months. Witness also the lack of awareness of their own mistakes or lack of awareness that they could possibly make ANY mistakes - to admit such things are obviously too painful for them to bear. Witness also the language used : Ken Lambert "You have to remember that Dr Trenberth is a proponent of AGW..." No - Trenberth does not argue in favour of or support AGW : he is a scientist whose "primary research has focused on the global energy and water cycles and how they are changing, and his work mainly involves empirical studies and quantitative diagnostic calculations. Trenberth is a primary advocate for the need to develop a climate information system that is an imperative for adaptation to climate change." Ken Lambert "When your AGW enthusiasts are making uncorrected extreme claims of warming which bear no relation to scientists like Dr Trenberth's numbers - then it is time to say that this site has lost its scientific mojo." How ridiculous to call anyone an "AGW enthusiast". Some people seem more concerned to label others in a manner which conforms to their own belief-system and, to me, that is very childish. chriscanaris : "I have no problem with this site having a “warmist” perspective – after all, its raison d’être." Does "warmist" mean anything outside the circles of denial or so-called skepticism ? Again, it is a term made-up and used by those who have their own belief-system, involving their own words, their own meanings and their own little self-confirming congregation of like-minded devotees. The reason for this site is plain for all to see, if they want to, and is given in the article above or in the linked GUARDIAN article. Simple as that - nothing "warmist", 'coolist', whateverist about it. Two other examples. Ken Lambert : "John Cook is also seeming slow about getting Dr Trenberth on to this site. Do you fear a couple of skeptical science interactions with Dr Trenberth John?" I cannot understand how anyone commenting on a website (even one as interesting and important as this one) can assume that what they have to say can be important enough to need the attention of someone like Dr Trenberth; or that the owner of said website should be spending all his hours trying to make such an interaction happen. I find that astounding. Perhaps if someone on here feels they have shaken the foundations of some of the science, they should publish in the appropriate peer-reviewed manner ? Just a thought... Finally : chriscanaris : I did notice poor old Gilles..." I'm sorry, but this is like writing : "I did notice poor old Poptech..." and shows that some people will always excuse anything from anyone...as long as they feel they are on the same side.
  28. Berényi Péter at 21:03 PM on 29 April 2011
    CO2 effect is saturated
    #160 KR at 07:33 AM on 29 April, 2011 Confess? What does Anderson have to confess to? Having written a rather clear paper on comparing data from two different platforms, that you have misinterpreted? Nothing. He himself does not have to confess anything. What I have written is even his spectra are not adjusted until they confess, which means exactly what you say: his paper is rather clear and extracts information by straightforward methods from measurements which were actually performed. It is a good paper. However, his data do not "confess" about the radiative effect of trace greenhouse gases, most notably about the relative importance of saturated vs. unsaturated ones. By "saturated" I mean saturated in a spectral interval around the absorption line center (like CO2 around 15 μm). In spectral regions like this the photosphere (the layer of atmosphere from where thermal IR photons have a reasonable chance to escape to space) is high up in the stratosphere, where the lapse rate is zero or even negative. It means the more stuff you put in, the higher the photosphere gets, that is, to a warmer level in the stratosphere (where thermal inversion prevails). Of course it is not saturated in the wings of the absorption band, where absorption gradually decreases to zero. For your convenience: 14 μm is wavenumber 710 cm-1, the lower frequency limit in the Harries graph. The 160 mbar level is above 13 km altitude. The really important question is the relation between radiative effects of a saturated absorber (like CO2) and an unsaturated one like CH4 which has a strong absorption line centered near wavenumber 1300 cm-1 (7.7 μm) with its own wings, but is not saturated at the line center, that is, thermal IR radiation has some chance to escape to space from the surface even there. Anderson's difference spectra (and raw difference spectra of Harries as well) show a much more pronounced decrease of brightness temperature in the methane band compared to the almost negligible one in the carbon dioxide wing. To bring them to comparable levels, one needs to assume unmeasured quantities like changes in atmospheric moisture and temperature fields behave in a certain way and adjust difference spectra accordingly. That step is not measurement, that's theoretical derivation using an extremely convoluted and basically unpublished, intrinsically unverifiable theory called CRUTEM3, embodied in thousands of lines of low quality computer code. So. We of course know (from first principles) that the CO2 effect is not saturated (in the wings of the absorption band centered at 667 cm-1). The same way we do know Earth is not a sphere. But would it follow from this proposition it must be flat?
  29. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    Chris canaris @15 Moreover, I notice an increasing tendency to block arguments germane to an issue via redirection to another “more relevant” thread. While I appreciate the need to stay on topic, I note this seems to happen much more with sceptical commentators (though I readily admit to possible observer bias and don’t have time to trawl through posts to try to prove my point). You also ignore the possibility that deniers simply use this rhetoric tactic more.
  30. Arkadiusz Semczyszak at 20:11 PM on 29 April 2011
    CO2 is plant food? If only it were so simple
    @Marcus ”Still, I've noticed you've got a habit of cherry-picking only the stuff that supports your claims, whilst ignoring anything which undermines it.” I only supplement - a very incomplete (in my opinion) this post. Well, because if this post ignores the most positive effects ... I worked 10 years (including: for the Department of Agriculture - the U.S.) on the influence of climate on aphids - and their "enemies” (10 years I taught the students of agriculture, what you should know about: pest control - climate). The most interesting - to my - "paradox" here was that after every cold winter - usually - there were more aphids (unlike the “warm” winter). "Enemies" of aphids, they are simply being reduced more strongly - by frost - during the cold winters - more strongly than aphids. Therefore, in European Climate Change Programme, Working Group II Impacts and Adaptation, Agriculture and Forestry, Sectoral Report, in: Implications of Climate Change on Agriculture - has been positive - it is written: "Reducing the occurrence of certain pests and diseases." I think that despite the passage of years, is still valid position Bubyko of 1998: - “Assessing the importance of expected climate change y its impact on world agriculture, we can conclude that growing anthropogenic global warming and, in particular, the increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere can have a favorable effect on crop productivity in many regions of the earth.” (The Close Relationship between Climate and the Global Food Problem, 1998). - “On balance, it is very difficult to conclude with higher accuracy whether the projected global warming would be globally beneficial to human society or not.”(Global Climate Warming and its Consequence. Blue Planet Prize, 1998). However, if we prefer the latest papers ... As was in the past? Europe. It is generally thought that it was mostly dry conditions in warm climates limit the positive effects of increase p.CO2 for photosynthesis - the yield of crops. But let us be careful of such conclusions. The Medieval Climate Anomaly in Europe in simulations with data assimilation, Goosse et al., 2011.: “Evidence for a generally drier climate from ca. 1000-1200 AD is expressed in all compilations. Overall, wetter summers are found during the 13th and 14th centuries, in parallel to the global onset of the LIA, and may have added to the widespread famine in northern/central Europe in that period ...”
  31. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    19 - Rowdy... ... yes, but no one has calculated the warming due to dark mater nor dark energy... there's huge uncertainty about this so clearly the science isn't settled at all. In fact, I've done a search and can't find any publications relating dark energy to global warming... I suspect a cover-up.
  32. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    FYI recently someone offered a reason for denial that isn't on your list. This is closely related to the (false) claims that the sun is burning hotter. Instead, we're closer to the sun before. The reasoning went like this: The sun is slowly going nova, and as it does it is slowly turning into a red giant, and that means the sun is expanding, but since the earths orbit is the same, the result is that the sun's surface is now closer to the earth. A good rebuttal might be: The sun might be going red giant, but the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.
  33. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    17 - Chris... really! I think most people have been around enough bulletin boards and such to have seen the "this site isn't what it used to be..." and "poor old X, how unfair" discussion which soon follows the disruption & changes wrought by trolls. It is a fact of such places that one or two individuals, with a will, can infuriate enough people so as to totally undermine the atmosphere. If you are actually not familiar with the pattern, I'd suggest you spend some time on just about any bulletin-boards on just about any subject. You will find, I'm sure, that the pattern of posting of 'some people' on the 'denialistism' side is really no different from anyone posting contrary views on any subject anywhere.
  34. Climate Change Denial book now available!
    Re 7: do books exist?? Well, most information doesn't exist. We use mediums, like paper, orientation of particles etc to store information. Which leads to the question... what is a book?
  35. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    Albatross @ 16: I have no brief to speak for Ken who I'm sure is big and ugly enough enough to fight his own battles. His comments were but a springboard for my personal perceptions which have grown over some months. I did notice poor old Gilles seems to have been copped a bit of a shellacking - "troll du jour" anyone? There has to be a lighter side to this blogging business. I've only just received John's book in the mail and so have given it only a very quick glance. It seems well-produced, well-referenced, wide-ranging, and clearly a labour of love. I'm looking forward to some challenging reading.
  36. Climate Change Denial book now available!
    sgmuller: ah, but here we're not talking about the African Ostrich (Struthio camelus), but rather it's better known cousin, the Metaphorical Ostrich (Struthio metaphoricus). In addition to sticking it's head in the sand when frightened, it only looks at the ground six inches in front of it's feet, and tilts it's head sideways when running uphill so it doesn't seem like it's going upwards (they're terribly afraid of heights, thus the head-in-the-sand thing).
  37. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    Chris @15, I'm sure that you mean well,and that your comments are well intentioned, but a perusal of Ken's comments runs counter to your assertions. In fact, you need have only read #13 above to find examples of rhetoric and hyperbole and yet another off-topic comment: "When your AGW enthusiasts..." Scientists and those in the know who understand the gravity of the situation are not at all enthused about it. and "then it is time to say that this site has lost its scientific mojo." and "Do you fear a couple of skeptical science interactions with Dr Trenberth John?" And I recall seeing much, much worse comments made by the person in question before they were deleted. I am noticing an increasing tendency for contrarians posting here to go off topic, obfuscate and try and derail the threads-- see the efforts by poster Gilles, to cite but one recent example. Now Chris, do you have any thoughts on John's book and his Guardian article?
  38. How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    Ken Lambert @ 2 & 13: Sadly, the courtesy that once characterised this site has become quite scarce. Ken's contributions are infrequent but thoughtful and incisive (I say this not just because they are sceptical). Dismissing his concerns as no more than intransigence over his inability to defend his argument misses the point. I draw your attention to the comments policy: You may criticise a person's methods but not their motives. I've raised similar concerns in a previous post in which I felt another commentator was being poorly treated. I cited the comments policy. I received a series of responses saying nice things about me but saw no redress for my fellow commentator. Overall, I can't help but feel a growing disappointment over the increasingly ad hominem tone by commentators on this site. For example, on the Flanner thread, Tom Curtis wrote: I will request that the moderators take notice of your obvious trolling. I thought this quite over the top given the antisocial connotations of trolling. Admittedly, another inflammatory comment from Tom was snipped (now that must have been pretty strong stuff!) though I would have thought accusations of trolling warranted similar intervention. Some of Ken’s later comments seem also to have been snipped. Subsequently, one commentator wrote: I will not engage with anyone who demonstrates a blatant and total lack of integrity. only to receive the mildest of rebukes from the moderator(s) on the lines of: While you are certainly free to question another's statement and advise others to question them, questioning personal integrity is not necessary. Whereas the comments policy explicitly states: Any accusations of deception, fraud, dishonesty or corruption will be deleted. This applies to both sides. Stick to the science. Moreover, I notice an increasing tendency to block arguments germane to an issue via redirection to another “more relevant” thread. While I appreciate the need to stay on topic, I note this seems to happen much more with sceptical commentators (though I readily admit to possible observer bias and don’t have time to trawl through posts to try to prove my point). I have no problem with this site having a “warmist” perspective – after all, its raison d’être – and have found much fascinating material upon which to ponder. However, the increasingly polemic tone of the commentariat generates disengagement.
    Moderator Response: [muoncounter] Perhaps what you detect as a loss of courtesy is due to a recent onslaught of deniers who seem to have no interest other than derailing legitimate conversation. We've already seen a number of folks disengage, no doubt in frustration over what is very definitely 'trolling.'

    A request that 'moderators take notice' of a poster's behavior is not ad hominem; it is a call to address behavior that is heading out of bounds.

    The increasing number of requests to keep comments on topic is a response to an increasing amount of scattergun-style commentary. You should note that these begin as requests that are often disregarded.

  39. Climate Change Denial book now available!
    This book doesn't actually exist. Its a myth. I know because I searched for it on Google Earth. Anyway, even if it did exist, Ostriches don't really bury their head in the sand. http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/11/02/1777947.htm
  40. Philippe Chantreau at 16:25 PM on 29 April 2011
    Cosmic ray contribution to global warming negligible
    Eric "Whether that results in a GAT change is a super stretch." That amounts to saying that a climate-scale effect is a super stretch. Which indeed it is, as far as the evidence shows.
  41. Climate Change Denial book now available!
    Ok, ordered my copy. With the 20% discount, the Aussie price from NewSouthBooks is much closer to the rest of the world price (though not quite as keen as some prices I saw on Booko - which says the book is available from 23 different online retailers!) Look forward to reading it. Will give me something to do if this rainy weather continues here in Brissie...
  42. Climate Change Denial book now available!
    I already have my order placed at Amazon.de. They sent an email with an availability date of May 20 and I hope that this holds true. Can't wait to read it. And I second Dan's hint about the Kindle...
  43. Cosmic ray contribution to global warming negligible
    Eric #49: "why are you looking for clouds in a temperature graph?" Isn't that the entire point? These GCR-stimulated clouds are supposed to cool; during GCR lows (solar highs), the lack of these clouds is supposed to be an agent of warming. So why not look in a temperature graph? Read the first and last sentences of the post. Is the paper you linked Dong et al 2010? Link to full pdf The cloud fractions (CFs) derived from ARM radar-lidar and ceilometer measurements increase significantly from March to May (0.57→0.84), remain relatively high (∼0.80–0.9) from May to October, and then decrease from November to the following March (0.8→0.57), having an annual average of 0.76. Seems to be a seasonal effect, which isn't a hallmark of GCRs. The sensitivity study has shown that LW CRFs increase with increasing cloud fraction, liquid water path, and radiating temperature with high positive correlations (0.8–0.9). Negative correlations are found for SW CRFs, but a strong positive correlation between SW CRF and surface albedo exists. CRF=cloud radiative forcing; more clouds -> greater retention of LW energy.
  44. Eric (skeptic) at 13:35 PM on 29 April 2011
    Cosmic ray contribution to global warming negligible
    #44, muoncounter, why are you looking for clouds in a temperature graph? Cloud fraction at Barrow AK dropped from 1998 to 2008 http://www.agu.org/journals/jd/jd1017/2009JD013489/2009JD013489.pdf I would expect local areas of the globe to react differently to GCR regarding clouds. Whether that results in a GAT change is a super stretch.
  45. A Flanner in the Works for Snow and Ice
    Another paper along the same lines as Flanner: Perovich et al 2011 Solar partitioning in a changing Arctic sea-ice cover The summer extent of the Arctic sea-ice cover has decreased in recent decades and there have been alterations in the timing and duration of the summer melt season. These changes in ice conditions have affected the partitioning of solar radiation in the Arctic atmosphere–ice–ocean system. ... Results indicate a general trend of increasing solar heat input to the Arctic ice–ocean system due to declines in albedo induced by decreases in ice concentration and longer melt seasons. The evolution of sea-ice albedo, and hence the total solar heating of the ice–ocean system, is more sensitive to the date of melt onset than the date of fall freeze-up. ... Our analysis applying a multiyear ice albedo evolution algorithm to seasonal ice overestimates the albedo and thus underestimates the solar heat input. As the multi-year ice pack declines and more of the Arctic has a seasonal ice cover, more solar heat will be input to the ice–ocean system, resulting in an enhanced ice-albedo feedback.
  46. Lindzen Illusion #2: Lindzen vs. Hansen - the Sleek Veneer of the 1980s
    michael - thanks. Spencer and Christy screwed up the satellite temp data analysis, but acknowledged when it was corrected. It's not really a comparable situation. mdenison - I'm not really sure why you think I misinterpreted Lindzen. Your interpretation seems no different than mine.
  47. Climate Change Denial book now available!
    I am buying a copy right now, and I'll buy another copy if it becomes available for the kindle... hint hint.
    Response: I've asked our publisher about an eBook version - there probably will be one down the track but I can't say when. Will announce it here when it happens.
  48. mothincarnate at 11:57 AM on 29 April 2011
    How climate change deniers led me to set up Skeptical Science website
    I started for much the same reason. Around the time Monckton visited Aust and that farmer-wannabe went on a hunger strike up a post, I thought I had to say something... A lot of noise was being sold off as news. I've enjoyed your work here mate!
  49. Climate Change Denial book now available!
    The Australian pricing is depressing compared to the rest of the world (especially at US$1.09 to the AUD - although I fully understand it's not the book shops that are to blame). Nevertheless - does one of those links above provide a commission that would help support this site? That would significantly influence my purchasing decision...
    Response: Only the Amazon link provides a commission at the moment. Yes, bit of a shame about the Aussie price being high compared to other places :-(
  50. Wakening the Kraken
    CBDunkerson - ah yes, that's the etymology - thank you. The point got lost in tranlation since in finnish Arctic Ocean - Jäämeri(Ice Ocean). Thought Arcticum meant something related to cold.

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