Real Climate Science

http://www.andreassen.gl/andreassen/webcam.htm

Science connects climate change and wildfires. Why won’t the media?

One of the least controversial impacts of the climate crisis is more frequent, severe, and damaging wildfires in America’s West. Why won’t reporters say so?

It’s been a scary spring for wildfires in places like Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Global warming caused by human-made carbon pollution is fueling perfect conditions, with longer fire seasons, drier conditions, and more lightning strikes.

But a search of Google News over the last week shows few reporters are connecting the dots for their readers. I did a search for stories that mentioned both wildfires and climate or global warming. I found very few stories in mainstream news outlets that mentioned climate and wildfires together at all, and the ones that did were just as likely to wrongly downplay the connection as correctly draw the scientifically documented tie

http://www.grist.org/

James Hansen, one of the world’s foremost climate archaeologists, has become internationally renowned, amongst others because in his scientific papers and publicity work he takes account of the evolution which the earth’s climate has undergone during the many hundreds of millions of years before human civilisation arose. Hansen puts forth data on the situation that prevailed three million years ago. At that time the earth was two or three degrees warmer than it is today – and it was a different planet, with sea levels not just higher than they are now, but a staggering 25 metres higher!

The lower sea levels since civilisation arose have led to the building of human settlements in coastal areas previously flooded or covered by ice. The sea level difference is, of course, basically explained by the existence today of huge ice sheets – notably the Antarctic and the Greenland ice sheets.

Hansen argues that – unlike previously believed – the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets won’t take thousands of years to melt. They will disintegrate rapidly once danger points are reached. Hence, the American scientist maintains that “a two degree Celsius global warming, or even a 1.7 degree warming, is a disaster scenario”.

Clearly, given the IEA’s data on 2010 CO2 emissions at hand, Hansen would ring shrieking, not soft alarm bells.

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56030

http://www.redeyechicago.com

What happened to the left-wing outrage about East Anglia E-mails?

Oops, they did it again.

In yet another attempt to embarrass and humiliate Sarah Palin, the mainstream has fallen into a trap that they deliberately set for the former Alaska governor.

On Friday, 24,000 emails were revealed from Palin’s time in the governor’s office to an all too anxious media, licking their chops at the prospect of discovering some juicy detail that could tarnish or — better yet — destroy her. The requested emails resulted from a Freedom of Information Request that the media filed years ago.

But rather than find some salacious exchange, the emails revealed a warm, likeable executive who worked hard, focused on Alaska as priority No. 1, relied on her husband for guidance, and who has savvy political instincts. As one Los Angeles Times columnist put it: the email dump was “annoyingly gaffe free.”

Instead of gotcha moments or lewd pictures like the ones we typically see these days, Palin’s correspondence revealed someone who was bi-partisan in nature (Palin was open to meeting then-Sen. Barack Obama’s chief of staff and even praised Obama’s ideas on energy), a clever Mama Grizzly who baked brownies to diffuse a fight over a football rivalry, and a woman of deep faith. National Journal reported on Palin’s prayer for God’s guidance on Alaska’s budget in what it featured as the top 10 “revelations.”

http://www.foxnews.com/

http://www.ips.gov.au/Solar/1/6

Below, I shifted the current cycle (red) to align with the start of the previous one (blue.)

Having been fed misinformation by Nobel Prize winners all through their childhood, will they view scientists as being clowns – or criminals?

Hypochondria is a belief that physical symptoms are signs of a serious illness, even when there is no medical evidence to support the presence of an illness.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

People with hypochondria are overly focused on their physical health. They have an unrealistic fear of having a serious disease. This disorder occurs equally in men and women.

The way people with hypochondria think about their physical symptoms can make them more likely to have this condition. As they focus on and worry about physical sensations, a cycle of symptoms and worry begins, which can be difficult to stop.

It is important to realize that people with hypochondria do not purposely create these symptoms (malingering). They are unable to control the symptoms.

People who have a history of physical or sexual abuse are more likely to have this disorder. However, this does not mean that every person with a hypochondria disorder has a history of abuse.

Symptoms

People with hypochondria are unable to control their fears and worries. They often believe any symptom or sensation is a sign of a serious illness.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002216/

http://www.norwegianmoose.com/2008/03/polar-ice-cap-melting-away-in-2008.html