climatedepot--2020-05-01--Scientists Criticise UK Government’s ‘Following The Science’ Claim

Ministers accused of abdicating political duty to narrow field of opaque expertise on Covid-19 Experts have voiced growing frustration over the UK government ’ s claim that it is “ following the science ” , saying the refrain is being used to abdicate responsibility for political decisions .
They also raised concerns that the views of public health experts were being overlooked , with disproportionate weight given to the views of modellers .
“ As a scientist , I hope I never again hear the phrase ‘ based on the best science and evidence ’ spoken by a politician , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global public health at the University of Edinburgh , told the Guardian .
“ This phrase has become basically meaningless and used to explain anything and everything.
” The government has repeatedly said it is being “ led by the science ” on decisions ranging from banning mass gatherings to closing schools , the use of face masks and , most recently , the prospects of lifting the lockdown .
However , Sridhar and others argued that scientific views on these topics could be wide-ranging and dependent on a scientist ’ s field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views was apparent in March when case numbers were rising rapidly but the government chose not to ban mass gatherings or introduce wide-reaching physical distancing .
“ World Health Organization advice , and what we ’ ve learned from lots of previous outbreaks in low- and middle-income countries , is that the faster you move at the start , the better , because it ’ s exponential growth , ” Sridhar said .
“ In public health , a test , trace and isolate campaign would ’ ve been where your mind first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government appeared to be basing policy on the presumption of a binary choice between two scenarios , played out in computer models , of either eradicating the virus or it becoming endemic .
The post Scientists Criticise UK Government ’ s ‘ Following The Science ’ Claim appeared first on The Global Warming Policy Forum ( GWPF ) .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--WaPo column: Global warming caused COVID-19 – ‘A virus that probably emanated from the destruction o

WaPo column: Global warming caused COVID-19 – ‘A virus that probably emanated from the destruction of wildlife & habitat and a changing climate’

Excerpt : A virus that probably emanated from the destruction of wildlife and habitat and a changing climate forced Earth @ @ @ @ @ of us to stay home .
The pandemic feels like Mother Earth put us all @ @ @ @ @ think about what we have done .
Without us crowding nature , pollution retreats , @ @ @ @ @ ventures into the open .
Is this signal that nature does better without our excesses @ @ @ @ @ timeout ?
We may continue , but not as before .
The pandemic and Earth @ @ @ @ @ are capable of collective action to solve our problems .
But we need a new @ @ @ @ @ environmental front , and we need it fast .
The digital world and the wisdom @ @ @ @ @ thrive in it can help us speed up — and make the next Earth Day @ @ @ @ @ celebration .

Thank you for being patient. We are doing some work on the site and will be back shortly.


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Costly Climate Policies Must Be Abandoned To Save Economy in Europe

Unilateral decarbonisation policy stands in the way of economic recovery London , 27 April : European governments have no choice but to abandon costly climate plans that are threatening to burden nations with huge costs and millions of job losses if they want a strong economic recovery from Covid-19 lockdowns .
That ’ s according to a new report by Rupert Darwall , a former special adviser in the UK Treasury .
In a new paper released today , Darwall shows how the imposition of unilateral climate policies on business and industry will have a devastating effect on any economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costing up to 60 times hypothetical climate benefits , voters in Britain , America and Australia are putting economic recovery ahead of the environment , according to a recent IPSOS Mori poll .
The report reveals that the West ’ s pre-pandemic carbon dioxide emissions accounted for only one quarter of global emissions .
“ It is naïve as well as futile to think the tail of the West ’ s emissions is going to wag the global climate dog , ” Darwall says .
What is more likely to doom UN climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s opening up because of China ’ s disastrous cover-ups about the Covid-19 virus .
“ It is not a coincidence that the UN climate talks got under way after the end of the Cold War , ” Darwall says .
The deterioration in relations between the US and China and the re-emergence of geopolitical rivalry after 30 years are likely to prove terminal for the global climate agenda , Darwall suggests .
Mr Darwall ’ s report is being published today by the Global Warming Policy Foundation .
The Climate Noose : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Anti-capitalism can be downloaded here ( pdf ) .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Blood & Gore: Michael Moore’s ‘Planet of The Humans’ Unmasks The Power & Money Behind Renewables Sca

Blood & Gore: Michael Moore’s ‘Planet of The Humans’ Unmasks The Power & Money Behind Renewables Scam

Apoplexy is the order of the day among ‘ green ’ energy zealots following the release of Mike Moore ’ s ‘ Planet of The Humans ’ .
In the military they call it “ blue on blue ” , although when the hard left are pulling the trigger it ’ s more aptly described as “ green on green ” .
But the documentary backed by Moore isn ’ t so much ‘ friendly fire ’ , as an all-out assault on the billionaire hypocrites who whipped up fear and frenzy over changes in the weather and then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notional ‘ solution ’ to the calamity in the form of heavily subsidised wind , solar and biomass .
A ‘ ’ solution ’ which , of course , they all heavily invested in .
The film – produced by Moore and made by Jeff Gibbs – has been uploaded to YouTube to allow all and sundry to get the message : renewable energy is the greatest economic and environmental fraud of all time .
Funny , sounds a little bit like the message that we ’ ve been thumping home since December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentary film making by attacking all manner of capitalist endeavours , including the American small arms industry ( Bowling for Columbine ) , its healthcare industry ( Sicko ) and the entire capitalist system itself ( Capitalism : A Love Story ) .
This time around , Moore ’ s attention is on characters like David Blood and Al Gore who have made $ billions by stripping the world ’ s landscapes and wilderness in order to burn every scrap of timber they can , in subsidised ‘ biomass ’ fuelled power plants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Gore ” as being the ideal name for their wicked little venture .
It ’ s a narrative ably delivered by Gibbs in a “ follow the money ” style that races along to the inevitable conclusion : “ we ’ ve been had ” .
His palpable sense of disappointment reminds STT of that expression of incredulous deflation when a youngster learns that Father Christmas ain ’ t real .
STT was all ears on that score , but where we part company from Moore and Gibbs is on their repetitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cockroaches devouring planet .
With several annoying and distracting crosses to anthropologists and sociologists bleating about ‘ doomsday ’ , Gibbs invites them to spell out their solution : the world ’ s population must be reduced .
Sadly , Gibbs misses the opportunity to invite them to help reach that goal by committing hari-kari themselves .
Apparently , it ’ s you and yours that need to be reduced , not them .
Or , perhaps , they mean that the populations of Third World countries should be ‘ reduced ’ ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ One glaring omission was any discussion or analysis of the merits of nuclear power ; the only stand-alone power generation source that does not emit CO2 during that process .
The film is , of course , peppered with strident claims that man-made carbon dioxide gas is causing runaway climate change ( whatever that means ) .
But , as is the want of the hard left , they don ’ t really want a solution , what drives them is the need to frighten everybody into handing them the power to control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s main point is that one of the ‘ new certainties ’ held dear by the woke left – that the only solution to the planet ’ s imminent doom is more windmills and solar panels – is a victim of the ‘ old certainties ’ .
Namely , that rich opportunists will always exploit the naïve and gullible to make profits that would make Croesus blush ; and do so in a manner that takes a special blend of cynicism , hypocrisy , narcissism and greed .
Here ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video follows after that .
New Michael Moore-Backed Documentary On YouTube Reveals Massive Ecological Impacts Of Renewables Forbes Michael Shellenberger 21 April 2020 Over the last 10 years , everyone from celebrity influencers including Elon Musk , Arnold Schwarzenegger , and Al Gore , to major technology brands including Apple , have repeatedly claimed that renewables like solar panels and wind farms are less polluting than fossil fuels .
But a new documentary , “ Planet of the Humans , ” being released free to the public on YouTube today , the 50th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industrial wind farms , solar farms , biomass , and biofuels are wrecking natural environments .
“ Planet of the Humans was produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore .
“ I assumed solar panels would last forever , ” Moore told Reuters .
“ I didn ’ t know what went into the making of them.
” The film shows both abandoned industrial wind and solar farms and new ones being built — but after cutting down forests .
“ It suddenly dawned on me what we were looking at was a solar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gibbs , staring at a former solar farm in California .
“ I learned that the solar panels don ’ t last.
” Like many environmental documentaries , “ Planet of Humans ” endorses debunked Malthusian ideas that the world is running out of energy .
“ We have to have our ability to consume reigned in , ” says a well-coiffed environmental leader .
“ Without some major die-off of the human population there is no turning back , ” says a scientist .
In truth , humankind has never been at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There has always been enough fossil fuels to power human civilization for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years , and nuclear energy is effectively infinite .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--The Scientific Case for Vacating the EPA’s Carbon Dioxide Endangerment Finding

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ’ s ( EPA ) 2009 “ Endangerment Finding ” from carbon dioxide ( CO2 ) and other greenhouse gases grants the agency a legal mandate that can have profound and far-reaching effects .
The Finding is based largely on a Technical Support Document that relies heavily upon other mandated reports , the so-called National Assessments of global climate change impacts on the United States .
The extant Assessments at the time of the Endangerment Finding suffered from serious flaws .
We document that using the climate models for the first Assessment , from 2000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of random numbers—and that the chief scientist for that work knew of this problem .
All prospective climate impacts in the Endangerment Finding are generated by computer models that , with one exception , made systematic and dramatic errors over the climatically critical tropics .
Best scientific practice would be to emphasize the working model , which has less warming in it than all of the others .
Instead , the EPA relied upon a community of wrong models .
New research compares what has been observed to what is forecast , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be modest—near the lowest extreme of the prospective range given by the United Nations .
The previous administration justified its policy choices by calculating the Social Cost of Carbon [ dioxide ] .
We interfaced their model with climate forecasts consistent with the observed history and enhanced the “ fertilization ” effect of increasing atmospheric concentrations of CO2 .
We find that making the warming and the vegetation response more consistent with real-world observations yields a negative cost under almost all modeled circumstances .
This constellation of unreliable models , poor scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social Cost of Carbon argue consistently and cogently for the EPA to reopen and then vacate its endangerment finding from carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases .
The full document is available on the Competitive Enterprise Institute website at https : //cei.org/content/scientific-case-vacating-epas-carbon-dioxide-endangerment-finding


climatedepot--2020-05-01--RIP Climate Hysteria: 20 Ways The Pandemic Killed The Alarmists’ Crusade

Reason No.1 : The complete collapse in trust in the United Nations and its associated organizations The World Health Organisation and the International Panel on Climate Change are both specialized agencies of the United Nations .
The collapse in trust in the W.H.O and the United Nations resulting from their conduct during the COVID-19 pandemic will also result in a collapse in trust in the IPCC .
The WHO is headed by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , a member of the Ethiopian Marxist terror group , the Tigray ’ s Peoples Liberation Front .
As Director-General of the World Health Organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stooge for the Chinese Communist Party , misleading the global community and costing lives .
Tedros ’ s first step as head of the WHO was to propose that the butcher of Zimbabwe , the dictator and fellow Marxist , Robert Mugabe become a WHO goodwill ambassador .
January 14 this year , Tedros echoed China ’ s false claim that the virus had no human-to-human transmission .
However , the World Health Organisation didn ’ t find any because they simply didn ’ t look .
Tedros simply chanted China ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals were filling and bodies piling up in cemeteries in China , and the Chinese had imposed domestic travel restrictions within China , Tedros stated there was no need to impose international travel restrictions on China .
The disgraceful leadership of Tedros was further apparent as late as March 9 when he denied the China virus had become a pandemic .
And last week , Tedros supported the China Communist Party ’ s decision to reopen live animal markets , ignoring decades of scientific warnings that these markets risk spreading coronavirus from animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lies , people died .
The world lost vital weeks in fighting the pandemic , conduct that has cost over 100,000 lives and widespread economic ruin .
Such conduct by the head of the WHO should have resulted in strong condemnation by the United Nations .
Instead , we had the secretary-general of the United Nations , the Portuguese socialist Antonio Guterres , covering up for the World Health Organisation ’ s dangerous epidemic of misinformation .
As some have noted ; we had a Portuguese socialist covering up for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese Communist Party ’ s cover-up of the outbreak of the virus .
Given the public can no longer trust the UN agency the World Health Organisation , likewise trust will also collapse other UN agencies , including the International Panel on Climate Change .
The 19 other reasons will be published over the coming weeks .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--New Video By German Geologist Casts Doubt Over Exclusively Man-Made Global Warming

Geologist Dr. Sebastian Lüning just released a video that challenges the claim that today ’ s warming is unusual and caused mostly by human activities .
While the video ’ s main focus is on Germany , it presents several key points that tell us why natural factors are just as much at play , if not more .
First , the video tells viewers how the global land surface temperature has risen 1.5°C since 1880 , but how in the late 1990s Germany saw a sudden significant jump in mean annual temperature .
That temperature jump coincides with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the North and Baltic seas ( 1:00 ) .
The reason for this sudden rise is not understood , the video says .
And because the warming effect of CO2 is one that occurs gradually over the long term , there has to be another reason for the abrupt rise .
The video shows how the rise of North and Baltic sea surface temperature is linked to the North Atlantic Oscillation ( NAO ) , which reached a peak in the early 1990s : “ The NAO is an important controller of precipitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video explains , and it is in part impacted by solar activity .
Also weather data recorded on Germany ’ s tallest peak , Zugspitze , show there are far fewer clouds today than earlier .
The number of hours of sunshine has gone up close to 400 hours a year since 1900 : More sunshine of course means warmer temperatures .
A third point is the Medieval warm Period ( MWP ) .
In Europe the temperature rose almost 5°C from the year 700 AD to the peak of the MWP in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a matter of decades , the temperature rapidly rose naturally several degrees , ” the video says .
“ Thus neither today ’ s temperature level nor the rate of rise in Germany are unprecedented in a historical context.
” The video then points out a temperature reconstruction ( Brunner 2004 ) from sediments from Lake Constance which reveals the lake froze over very rarely between 900 and 1200 AD .
But then the lake froze over far more often , especially during the 14th and 15th centuries : Today the lake freezes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The large climate variability seen over Europe over the past is also confirmed by proxy data taken from stalactites in a German cave ( Fohlmeister , 2012 ) .
Other studies confirm that temperatures were 1°C warmer 8000 years ago , the video shows .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--BBC: Coronavirus recovery plan ‘must tackle climate change’

The world has become a frightening place in the past few months and many people have even speculated that the end of the world is nigh .
For starters , God ’ s home is heaven .
The earth is God ’ s creation and our ( current ) home .
But that is the least of the issues Francis ’ speech .
“ Because of our selfishness we have failed in our responsibility to be guardians and stewards of the earth , ” he said .
“ We have polluted and we have despoiled it , endangering our very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international and local movements have sprung up in order to appeal to our consciences .
“ We have failed to care for the earth , our garden home ; we have failed to care for our brothers and sisters , ” he continued .
“ We have sinned against the earth , against our neighbours , and ultimately against the Creator , the benevolent Father who provides for everyone , and desires us to live in communion and flourish together .
“ And how does the earth react ?
There is a Spanish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he went on .
“ It says : ‘ God forgives always ; we men forgive sometimes ; the earth never forgives.
’ The earth never forgives : If we have despoiled the earth , the response will be very bad.
” The earth is a rock floating through space — an inanimate rock that has on it everything we need to sustain human life .
But one can not “ sin ” against a rock .
And one can not ask for forgiveness or be granted forgiveness from a rock .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us by God Almighty and he is whom we should both thank and ask for forgiveness of when we sin .
This pope , as he often does , used his speech to make a political statement that aligns with the leftists of the world .
“ At the same time , we need an ecological conversion that can find expression in concrete actions .
As a single and interdependent family , we require a common plan in order to avert the threats to our common home , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also on the national and local levels .
It will help if people at all levels of society come together to create a popular movement ‘ from below.
’ “ The Earth Day we are celebrating today was itself born in precisely this way .
We can each contribute in our own small way , ” he said .
Yes , as Christians , we should take care of the many gifts God has given us , including the earth , but that does not mean we have to go on a radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been many years since the pope was widely considered a political figure , and he should not be dipping his toe into that arena again .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Pope Issues Disturbing New Age Pronouncements During Earth Day Address


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Coronavirus shutdown forces research project to miss critical start of Arctic ice melt

The worldwide coronavirus lockdown has meant that the MOSAiC research project , which deliberately froze the icebreaker Polarstern into the Arctic Sea ice last fall , will miss taking scientific measurements during several critical weeks of the melt season ( one of the main reasons for the project ) .
According to a report in the High North News ( 28 April 2020 ) , at 27 April the Polarsternwas between Svalbard and the North Pole ( map above ) .
In mid-May , the ship will break out of the ice and proceed south to waters off Svalbard ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet up with two German icebreakers for a high-seas exchange of crew and restock provisions , the only option available after the coronovirus lockdown in Svalbard meant the original plans had to be scuttled .
And while waiting for the upcoming research upheaval and breaking free of the ice , the crew of the Polarstern recently reported a visit from a polar bear wandering the ice hunting for seals .
From a report in NATURE ( 24 April 2020 , see image above ) , ” Coronavirus shutdown forces research ship to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my bold ) : When scientists were planning MOSAiC — an epic research expedition that would remain trapped in Arctic sea ice for one year — they considered the North Pole ’ s hazards .
They worried about hypothermia , isolation , crushing ice and polar bears .
They had dozens of contingency plans .
But no one anticipated a pandemic.… “ The idea of leaving the camp and floe was certainly not something we would have considered in the original rotation plan , ” Fong says .
“ But given what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s an important compromise that recognizes that the human dimension to the work we do is very , very important.
” The pandemic also means coordinators are using meticulous precautions to ensure that no one carries the virus to the ship .
The next rotation of scientists will arrive in Hamburg , Germany , on 1 May and go to Bremerhaven by private bus .
There , they will be tested for the virus before going into individual quarantine .
Assuming everyone is negative , they will undergo safety training in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will travel to Svalbard on two German research vessels and board Polarstern before it returns to the research camp .
Although scientists plan to leave the research station mostly intact , certain measurements will have to stop .
The remotely operated vehicle that dives into the ocean twice a week will be pulled out of the water .
The tethered balloon that monitors the atmosphere will be packed away .
And the scientists ’ continuous collecting of ice and snow samples across the floe will stop .
“ We ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these constraints , ” says Matthew Shupe , an atmospheric and oceanic scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and co-leader of MOSAiC .
“ But in the end , it ’ s a bummer.
” That is especially true , given that the gap will probably hit during a crucial time : when the ice begins to melt .
Every spring , melting exposes dark ocean water , which absorbs more sunlight than does the ice .
That warms the ocean further and spurs more melt in a vicious cycle that scientists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s also when life in the Arctic flourishes .
As sunlight penetrates farther into the ice and upper ocean , sea-ice algae and phytoplankton form massive blooms that provide meals for the rest of the Arctic food web .
It has never been studied before in the central Arctic .
Now scientists might miss it .
The High North News report says the Polarstern will likely reposition closer to the North Pole when it returns after resupply and staff exchange ( my bold ) : “ While the first two crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in late February happened as planned , an aerial transfer of staff and resupply out of Svalbard had to be canceled as Norwegian authorities have placed the archipelago on lockdown due to the pandemic .
In early April project leaders had considered chartering an icebreaker or moving a planned resupply mission of the icebreaker Odin from mid-June to mid-May .
However , none of these options turned out to be feasible in light of the travel restrictions .
“ The current situation also means [ that ] the international icebreakers that were originally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibited from making any staff transfers , ” explain officials from the Alfred-Wegener-Institute ( AWI ) , the lead German government-funded research organization behind the expedition .
“ The massive restrictions on global travel hindered the third team exchange , which had been planned as an aerial transfer in early April , using the Spitsbergen archipelago as a base of operations.
” … Fortunately the drift corridor of the Polarstern has already taken the vessel in the direction of Svalbard and it is currently located between the North Pole and Fram Strait .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this position is advantageous .
Some instruments on the MOSAiC ice floe will continue recording autonomously until Polarstern returns , while others will be dismantled , ” explains the AWI .
The project leaders may also use the Polarstern ’ s departure from the ice as an opportunity to relocate the ice camp closer to the North Pole .
This possibility has always been part of the planning scenarios in case the ship drifted faster than anticipated and will not have an impact on the scientific research being conducted .
“ If we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set up the Ice Camp again farther north , and continue our observations in a region where the Central Arctic is still covered with ice in the summer.We ’ re thrilled with the tremendous amount of data we ’ ve been able to gather over the past seven months , ” states expedition leader Prof Markus Rex from the AWI .
Other reports of the coronavirus-lockdown-disruption of this research project are foundhere , here and here .
On a lighter note , on 23 April 2020 , while waiting to break out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Polarstern crew had a visit from a polar bear ( below ) : This past week [ 23 April 2020 according to one of the photos ] we had the first polar bear sighting of leg 3 .
In the early morning hours , a curious male polar bear walked through the Central Observatory , checked out a few installations , played with a rubber fender , and continued on to about 800 meters from the ship .
There it sat near a small crack in the ice for almost two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to surface .
It caused no damage and , given that no one was outside working at the time , led to very minor disruptions in our work .
[ my bold ]


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Earth Day Hangover? Wait Till You See Our Green-Energy Tab

Last week marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day , a time when many take to social media to celebrate so-called “ green ” energy and call for broad government support .
It ’ s for the children , after all .
But the real numbers show that we have spent tens of billions of dollars on federal energy subsidies with precious little to show for all that money .
That ’ s particularly true of renewables .
According to new research by the Texas Public Policy Foundation ’ s Life : Powered initiative , the first comprehensive compilation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extended period , federal spending on energy subsidies from the 2010s totaled $ 127 billion , an average of nearly $ 13 billion annually .
Over the last decade , wind energy received $ 36.7 billion and solar received $ 34.4 billion of our tax dollars .
Despite this mammoth expenditure , as well as the billions appropriated in the decades prior , wind and solar still only provide 3 % of our energy .
Wind has received nearly 40 times and solar nearly 200 times more subsidies per unit of electricity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the technology is still too unreliable to breach double digits .
Wind and solar face fundamental physical limitations , including unreliability and low-energy-density , which prevents them from powering our economy .
Their growth will be limited without more subsidies , and the government should not continue to prop up these unsustainable technologies at the expense of the taxpayers .
Of course , other subsidies are equally unjustifiable .
Fossil fuel subsidies were created to favor politically connected businesses or to stave off “ peak oil ” amid widespread concerns about running out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been created under the false belief that the government could incentivize new technologies or increase domestic energy production to avoid a calamitous shortage of energy that would devastate our economy and quality of life .
America has since achieved energy dominance , and peak oil theory has long since been debunked .
Our oil and gas reserves are constantly growing as we discover new resources and learn to extract energy more efficiently .
So did subsidies contribute to our current energy dominance ?
Not so much .
Between 2010 and 2019 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion in subsidies .
Given the size of the global industry , which is well into the trillions of dollars , it ’ s hard to imagine how approximately $ 2 billion a year in subsidies could be credited with moving the needle .
Federal subsidies represent less than one percent of total economic activity for the U.S. fossil fuel industry .
Given that fossil fuel subsidies are not essential to keeping the lights on , they are not a responsible use of the American people ’ s hard-earned tax dollars either .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in layman ’ s terms , they artificially inflate prices for certain goods , create a system of dependence on government , and foster cronyism as corporations seek special treatment on the backs of the taxpayers .
All of these hurt consumers , and when it comes to energy , the potential consequences of high prices and less reliable electricity sources on the grid are particularly severe .
Free markets function best when consumers and business owners have the freedom to choose their own paths , free from the politicians ’ often unwise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government should not continue to spend the American people ’ s hard-earned tax dollars on unsustainable renewable technologies that don ’ t strengthen our electric grid .
At the same time , fossil-fuel subsidies clearly don ’ t play a meaningful role in getting the American people to access to the energy they need .
Ultimately , the best path forward is to acknowledge the distorting effects of subsidies on the cost and availability of the energy we all depend on every day — and phase them out once and for all .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--NY Times Caught Exaggerating Antarctic Ice Loss – If There Is Any Loss at All

The New York Times is attempting to panic people with an article today claiming alarming ice loss in Antarctica .
However , as recently as 2015 , NASA reported satellite measurements show Antarctic ice mass has been growing since at least 1992 , when satellites began taking measurements .
Clearly , either the New York Times story is wrong or the Times is telling an unnecessarily alarmist story about a few years of minor ice loss after many more years of ice gain .
The Times article claims , “ Researchers have known for a long time that , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the climate changes , the change is uneven.
” The assertion is only half true .
Given that less than five years ago , NASA satellite instruments reported long-term and continuing growth in Antarctic ice mass , it is factually inaccurate for the Times to state , “ Researchers have known for a long time that … the continent is losing mass….
” On the other hand , the Times is correct that any current asserted ice loss is “ uneven.
” The ice-change map accompanying the Timesarticle shows that a much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than is losing ice .
The asserted overall ice-mass loss comes primarily from a relatively few locations along the very edge of the West Antarctic ice shelf .
Those locations line up almost perfectly with locations where scientists have recently discovered volcanoes under the ice .
The more accurate overall picture is that scientists have documented long-term growth in the Antarctic ice sheet , even during most of the past 40 years .
If there is a recent trend of ice loss , the trend is minor , confined to just a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurring for less than five years , and is likely due in significant part to undersea volcanoes rather than climate change .
The post NY Times Caught Exaggerating Antarctic Ice Loss – If There Is Any Loss at Allappeared first on Climate Realism .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Warming Stalls As Global Temperatures To Dip, La Nina To Develop. Alaska Sees Little March Warming

The latest NCEP GFS global temperature anomaly plot shows a sudden cool down is expected for the globe by May @ @ @ @ @ trend since the beginning of the year .
Hat-tip : Snowfan .
Meanwhile some models @ @ @ @ @ thresholds could be met by September 2020 , which would further cool the globe .
@ @ @ @ @ North and South Poles and saw there are few signs of continued warming , and @ @ @ @ @ steady for a decade .
At Antarctica , sea ice has even trended upward over @ @ @ @ @ Japanese blogger Kirye has also looked at the untampered March data of 12 stations in @ @ @ @ @ Agency ( JMA ) .
Examined were the stations for which the JMA had sufficient @ @ @ @ @ the 12 stations follows : Seven of 12 stations in Alaska have had a cooling @ @ @ @ @ !
This article appeared on the NoTricksZone website at https : //notrickszone.com/2020/04/29/warming-stalls-as-global-temperatures-to-dip-la-nina-to-develop-alaska-sees-little-march-warming/


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Canada’s Cool-Headed Antidote To Hot Arctic Alarmism

A new government report by Canada ’ s Department of Fisheries and Oceans is a welcome cool-headed antidote to the sensational portrayal of the Arctic as a melting disaster that ’ s killing polar bears .
We now leave this southern coronavirus hell to take you way , way up North to the Canadian Arctic where , according to a news report , “ the frozen North is gone forever ” and the “ top of the world is turning upside down.
” The sensational language was allegedly based on a new research report , Canada ’ s Oceans Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Earth Day last week by Bernadette Jordan , federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans .
The report received little attention outside of a Canadian Press story that tended to do what most media stories do when appraising material linked to climate change .
Small research factoids are routinely morphed into asteroids of climate destruction .
For example , the news report on the disappearing frozen North claimed that Arctic Ocean waters are “ 33 per cent less salty than in 2003 and about 30 per cent more acidic — enough to dissolve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sounds bad .
But it turns out that the body of water that is 33 per cent less salty is part of the Beaufort Gyre where water circulates in a giant spin cycle and salt levels fluctuate .
For many years it moves clockwise and for many years it moves counterclockwise .
Andrea Niemi , a federal research scientist and a lead author of the new Arctic Ecosystems report , said in an interview the low-salt reference “ does not apply to the entire Canadian Arctic.
” Nor is it likely permanent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ over hundreds of kilometres , spurred by atmospheric shifts , fresh water from rivers and melting ice dilutes the salt content .
At some point , the great gyre is expected to change directions and the salt content will again increase .
Will the salt content return to what it was in 2003 is not known , but it is clear that the 33 per cent decline in Arctic Ocean salinity has not happened and therefore is not a sign of imminent Arctic desalination .
Another aspect of the news report suggested that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycle of ringed seals , making them open to polar bear attack .
Niemi said the ringed seal risk is based on a case study in Hudson Bay , and does not apply across the Arctic .
As for polar bears , Niemi notes that while polar bear populations are struggling in Hudson Bay , “ in other parts of the Canadian Arctic they are doing OK. ” Then there ’ s the attack of the Pacific salmon .
Due to warming , warmer-water species are moving in , including Pacific salmon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hauling in salmon instead of char .
A large salmon influx occurred in 2019 .
It seems unlikely , however , that the arrival of salmon as a food source constitutes a climate crisis for the local population .
The same question can be asked about much of the changes taking place in Canada ’ s Arctic .
Change appears to be happening as ice melts .
But does the change recorded so far amount to turning the Arctic upside down ?
Do the changes signal a looming catastrophe ?
Niemi said during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended to be a forecasting document .
Instead , through 190 pages based on the work of more than 50 federal researchers , the report cautiously portrays the vast Arctic region of Canada as something of an unknown planet ready to be discovered .
The 30-page public summary of the report , Canada ’ s Oceans New : Arctic Ecosystems , repeatedly notes that scientific understanding of the region is limited and “ filled with major gaps ” that need to be filled .
Rather than portray the Canadian Arctic as a collapsing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the report serves as a basis for serious science and social research into a dynamic non-static ever-changing environment .
“ The Arctic , on a global scale , is changing but the type and speed of changes are not the same in all locations .
Understanding the state of Canadian Arctic ecosystems is necessary to explain and manage present conditions and future changes .
The state of an ecosystem describes conditions in a specific location — both the normal conditions and how they change over time.
” The public report is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a collapsing frozen , pristine environmental stereotype .
The fact is that little is known about the Canadian Arctic and there is much to learn .
“ There has been little long-term , sustained scientific monitoring of ocean conditions and species in Canada ’ s Arctic .
As a result , scientific evidence is limited to identify , explain and predict ecosystem changes across the Canadian Arctic.
” The report is a welcome cool-headed antidote to the sensational portrayal of the Arctic as a melting disaster that ’ s killing polar bears .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ the Arctic is characterized as being very different from year to year .
Those differences are normal .
I think that ’ s something important in scientific and Inuit knowledge.
” The post Canada ’ s Cool-Headed Antidote To Hot Arctic Alarmism appeared first on The Global Warming Policy Forum ( GWPF ) .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--The Seinfeld Strategy for Climate Change

The good news is that even some radical leftists are starting to acknowledge problems with so-called green energy .
The good news is that even some radical leftists are starting to acknowledge problems with so-called green energy .
The bad news is they now favor limiting energy production from current sources and replacing it with… nothing .
Just a few decades after the Manhattan Institute ’ s Peter Huber began explaining that alternative energy sources are inefficient and therefore require huge environmental footprints , the celebrity left is beginning to comprehend .
A few Hollywood folks have even noticed how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make way for solar farms .
Sandernista filmmaker Michael Moore and director Jeff Gibbs are out with a new movie called “ Planet of the Humans , ” which has racked up more than four million views since its online release last week .
Mr. Moore asks on his YouTube page : Jill Serjeant at Reuters explains that the film “ argues that the mainstream environmental movement has sold out to corporate interests and that solar and wind energy components and electric cars rely too heavily on deforestation and electricity generated from coal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As always , Mr. Moore is blaming capitalism .
But what he ’ s actually describing is cronyism—profits generated by politically-favored but economically and environmentally questionable energy sources .
In a film review for The Guardian , Peter Bradshaw calls it a “ refreshingly contrarian eco-documentary ” and adds of Mr. Moore ’ s collaborator : Gibbs has a cheeky habit of going backstage at music festivals that solemnly declare themselves to be using 100 % renewable energy , only to find that the fancy array of solar panels behind the tent is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The rest of the energy is provided by just plugging into the shameful old electricity grid , provided by fossil fuels .
He sees it as symptomatic of the mainstream environmental movement , running on delusional piety .
The post The Seinfeld Strategy for Climate Change appeared first on The Global Warming Policy Forum ( GWPF ) .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Germany’s Merkel calls for ‘climate-friendly’ coronavirus response

The world must “ keep a close eye on climate protection ” as it faces the economic fallout of the @ @ @ @ @ Merkel said on Wednesday , speaking remotely for the Petersberg Climate Dialogue .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ provides cheap capital for climate-friendly investments , ” said Merkel , during an address for @ @ @ @ @ in Berlin .
Merkel also called for climate action to be included as part of @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , including investments in future-oriented technologies such as renewable energy .
In a video @ @ @ @ @ Secretary-General António Guterres said the pandemic had “ exposed…


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Michael Moore Presents: Planet of the Humans – ‘It’s like someone read all the major skeptic blogs i

Michael Moore Presents: Planet of the Humans – ‘It’s like someone read all the major skeptic blogs in the world and turned them into a documentary’

Michael Moore Presents : Planet of the Humans– a Documentary directed by Jeff Gibbs .
This presentation is a bit @ @ @ @ @ the few I have found worth every minute .
It is a devastating exposé of @ @ @ @ @ Even if you do not listen yourself please spread this link around .
Planet of @ @ @ @ @ beautiful production , not being a film buff I can ’ t grade the camera @ @ @ @ @ is gold standard – see the shots of rusting windmills , the desolate ruins of @ @ @ @ @ farm and the wasteland of tree stumps created to provide “ sustainable ” power from @ @ @ @ @ himself hardly appears .
And the interviews are pure gold !
It ’ s like @ @ @ @ @ skeptic blogs in the world and turned them into a documentary .


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Model Madness – Parallels Between Failed Climate Models And Failed Coronavirus Models

https : //wattsupwiththat.com/2020/04/30/model-madness-parallels-between-failed-climate-models-and-failed-coronavirus-models/ PODCAST with Dr. Roy Spencer – Climate models and coronavirus models are being used to set public @ @ @ @ @ to be failures .
It ’ s that old “ uncertainty monster ” again .
@ @ @ @ @ have both been used to predict the future , and both have been used to @ @ @ @ @ this podcast…


climatedepot--2020-05-01--‘Planet of the Humans’: Climate Activists Scramble to Choose a Corporate Sellout Scapegoat

https : //wattsupwiththat.com/2020/04/30/planet-of-the-humans-climate-activists-scramble-to-choose-a-corporate-sellout-scapegoat/ Guest essay by Eric Worrall In the wake of harsh allegations of green corporate greed made in @ @ @ @ @ the Humans ” , who will Greens sacrifice to restore public confidence ?
Bill McKibben @ @ @ @ @ to be the leading contenders .
Both were strongly criticised in “ Planet of the @ @ @ @ @ far…


climatedepot--2020-05-01--Stanford Prof. Blackballing ‘Planet Of The Humans’ Must Pay SLAPP Suit Fees

Last week , anti-hydrocarbon activist and documentary maker Josh Fox — along with Stanford professor Mark Jacobson , Penn State climatologist Michael Mann , and several others — succeeded in briefly getting Michael Moore ’ s new documentary , Planet of the Humans , taken off of a website owned by a group called Films for Action .
Fox ’ s censorship effort was cheered by Eric Holthaus , a meteorologist and journalist who tweeted “ cheers to @ joshfoxfilm and everyone who worked hard and quickly to make sure this dangerous film was retracted.
” The DailyKos dutifully ran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulls Michael Moore ’ s ( @ MMFlint ’ s ) # PlanetOfTheHumans due to truthiness.
” But the “ dangerous film ” didn ’ t disappear .
Planet of the Humans , which was directed and narrated by Jeff Gibbs , was never removed from YouTube .
By Thursday afternoon , it had been viewed more than 4.6 million times .
Fox ’ s censorship campaign led Planet of the Humans to post a note on its website saying that it does not “ know of , or have any relationship with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Action , ’ ” and that any “ information disseminated to the contrary is false.
” I have plenty of criticisms of Planet of the Humans .
It ’ s an anti-human film that ignores our need for affordable and reliable energy to survive .
It ignores the need for nuclear energy to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions , and it completely ignores the scourge of energy poverty .
That ’ s an inexcusable omission given that about one billion people on the planet today have no access to electricity and another two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amounts of juice .
But it ’ s also apparent that Planet of the Humans is an important film .
The fact that Moore — the most successful documentary-filmmaker in America as well as its most famous liberal who ’ s not a politician – would produce a film that attacks wind energy , solar energy , the Sierra Club , Al Gore , David Blood , Bill McKibben , and Vinod Khosla represents a rupture in left-leaning orthodoxy about energy and climate change .
For causing so much trouble , Moore and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To my ear , the outrage coming from Fox , McKibben , and others to Planet of the Humans sound like Greta Thunberg ’ s now-famous cri de coeur : “ How dare you !
” But the effort to gag Planet of the Humans reveals something more sinister : the refusal by leading climate activists and academics to have an honest discussion about the limits of renewable energy and why renewables alone can not save us from climate change or solve the problem of energy poverty .
As a friend of mine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t tolerate debate or disagreement.
” Indeed , the belief that many high-profile climate activists and academics have in renewable energy borders on the cultish .
As Gibbs asks at one point in the film , “ Could we have a religion that we are unaware of ?
” Attempting to shut down debate and demonizing the opposition is one of the hallmarks of the all-renewable-energy tribe .
And there ’ s no small bit of irony in the fact that Fox ’ s effort to censor Planet of the Humans was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jacobson , was reproached by a federal court for trying to intimidate one of his critics by filing a frivolous lawsuit against him .
On April 20 , Jacobson was ordered to pay the legal fees of Chris Clack , the Colorado mathematician who Jacobson sued in 2017 for $ 10 million on claims that Clack had defamed him .
Jacobson ’ s lawsuit , which also named the National Academy of Sciences , was a classic example of a SLAPP suit , or strategic litigation against public participation .
What was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with nearly two dozen other prominent scientists , debunked the claims that Jacobson was making about – what else ?
— renewable energy .
Before delving into the details of the SLAPP suit , it ’ s worthwhile to recall how Fox used Jacobson ’ s work to help justify his effort to censor Moore and Gibbs .
On April 22 , Fox , who directed the 2010 film Gasland , tweeted that Planet of the Humans “ disregards the # GreenNewDeal , the 100 % renewable energy plans of Stanford University…and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renewable energy policy and the power that the climate movement has built upon for the last 40 years.
” On April 24 , Fox again took to Twitter saying : “ Thank you to the early co-signers of the letter demanding an apology from @ mmflint.
” Among those Fox listed : @ michalemann , the Twitter handle for Michael Mann , the Penn State climate scientist who sued several of his critics for defamation in 2012 .
Another was @ mzjacobson , the Twitter handle for Jacobson .
It ’ s important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t want to debate Moore about renewables , they were demanding an apology from him .
Heretics mustn ’ t just repent , they must apologize .
In 2015 , Jacobson published a paper , co-written with Mark Delucchi , a research engineer at the University of California-Berkeley , in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
The paper , which claimed to offer “ a low-cost solution to the grid reliability problem ” with 100-percent renewables , went on to win the Cozzarelli Prize , an annual award @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sciences .
A Stanford web site said that Jacobson ’ s paper was one of six chosen by “ the editorial board of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences from the more than 3,000 research articles published in the journal in 2015.
” Jacobson ’ s all-renewables-and-nothing-but-renewables energy scheme made him a darling of liberal politicians , environmental groups , and climate activists .
Funders of a group he founded , The Solutions Project , include the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation , Bill Nye , and the Franciscan Sisters of Mary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan as the energy platform for his 2016 presidential bid .
McKibben , who was prominently featured ( and skewered ) in Planet of the Humans , has repeatedly touted Jacobson ’ s all-renewable schemes .
In a 2016 story for The New Republic McKibben , one of America ’ s highest-profile climate activists , wrote that Jacobson ’ s work “ demonstrates conclusively ” that the U.S. could generate all of its energy needs from “ sun , wind , and water ” by 2050 .
In a 2017 article for In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying that his plans show “ how the United States could generate all its energy from the sun , the wind and the falling water that produces hydropower…the 100 percent target is becoming less an aspirational goal and more the obvious solution.
” But in June 2017 , Clack and 20 other top scientists published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science that demolished Jacobson ’ s 2015 paper .
Clack and his co-authors — who included Dan Kammen of the University of California-Berkeley , former EPA Science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jane Long of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory — concluded that Jacobson ’ s work contained “ numerous shortcomings and errors.
” They also said the paper used “ invalid modeling tools , contained modeling errors , and made implausible and inadequately supported assumptions.
” Those errors , “ render it unreliable as a guide about the likely cost , technical reliability , or feasibility of a 100-percent wind , solar , and hydroelectric power system.
” Perhaps the most obvious flaw in Jacobson ’ s scheme involves the massive amount of land his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-renewable idea called for the installation of nearly 2.5 terawatts ( 2.5 trillion watts ) of wind energy capacity , with the majority of that amount onshore .
Clack and his colleagues found that accommodating all of the wind turbines needed to achieve Jacobson ’ s all-renewable vision would require “ nearly 500,000 square kilometers , which is roughly 6 percent of the continental United States and more than 1,500 square meters of land for wind turbines for each American.
” Rather than engaging in a civil debate with Clack , Jacobson sued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Academy of Sciences for $ 10 million claiming breach of contract .
Then , in February 2018 , Jacobson suddenly withdrew his suit and the litigation was largely forgotten .
But on April 20 , ( as journalist James Temple first reported on Twitter ) , District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Carroll Wingo issued a ruling that sided with Clack and the National Academy of Sciences and ordered Jacobson to pay their legal fees .
In her decision , Wingo ( who was appointed to the bench by President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the District of Columbia ’ s Anti-SLAPP Act prohibits the filing of lawsuits aimed at limiting public participation .
She wrote that the statements made by Clack and his co-authors in their 2017 paper “ simply do not ” accuse Jacobson “ of any misconduct or impugn his integrity .
The Court has reviewed the Complaint , the motion and the related pleadings as well as the attachments thereto , and finds that the three asserted ‘ egregious errors ’ are statements reflecting scientific disagreements…they simply do not attack Dr. Jacobson ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It goes on , saying that challenges to whether or not Jacobson ’ s methodology and conclusions are good or bad are “ a question best resolved in the scientific or academic forum , not the court.
” In her conclusion , Wingo wrote that the “ Anti-SLAPP Act was enacted to protect the right of advocacy on issues of public interest against lawsuits intended to punish or censor speech .
The safeguards provided by the Act including reasonable attorney ’ s fees and costs are critical parts of the statute that must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defendants are entitled to recoup such fees… ” In an email , Clack told me “ I deeply appreciate the Court ’ s decision , which represents complete vindication for my position , that Courts are not the proper forum to resolve important scientific disagreements .
The Judge ’ s order provides helpful legal precedent that should allow scientists to express themselves responsibly on vital societal issues without having to be concerned with the prospect of economic reprisal in the form of retaliatory litigation.
” How much will Jacobson have to pay for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clack for an estimate , he replied that his lawyers are working to “ to recover all our legal costs and fees caused by this unwarranted litigation.
” Due to a large number of pleadings and complexity of the case , Clack ’ s legal fees could total as much as $ 500,000 .
That sounds like a lot .
But court filings show that Clack was represented by Drew Marrocco , a lawyer at Dentons , the world ’ s largest law firm .
The National Academy of Sciences was represented by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrews Kurth , another large law firm .
Thus , when counting the plaintiffs ’ costs and his own lawyer bills , Jacobson could be facing legal fees of $ 1 million or more for filing a SLAPP suit that should have never been filed in the first place .
The punchline here is that despite efforts by high-profile activists and academics to stifle debate , films like Planet of the Humans , aren ’ t going to be stopped .
Instead , the film — and the controversy it has ignited — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion about how we are going to meet the demand for electricity , the world ’ s most important and fastest-growing form of energy .
Planet of the Humans will be remembered because it has sparked a long-overdue debate about the myriad problems with renewables , a list that includes land-use conflicts , intermittency , availability of rare-earth elements , mining , and the lethal toll that wind energy is having on birds and bats .
Sure , renewables will grow in the years ahead .
But they aren ’ t enough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sooner we accept that fact , the better .


climatedepot--2020-05-02--Reuters: ‘Next risk? Coronavirus pandemic underscores climate health threats’ – ‘How can we use this

Reuters: ‘Next risk? Coronavirus pandemic underscores climate health threats’ – ‘How can we use this crisis to capture people’s imaginations and spur action?’

The question now is whether the current crisis can be harnessed to drive more awareness of global vulnerability and better @ @ @ @ @ big health threat – climate change , the experts said “ How can we use @ @ @ @ @ ’ s imaginations and spur action ?
Bad things can indeed happen suddenly , ” @ @ @ @ @ World Bank sustainable development director for South Asia .
“ The situation we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ a few months ago , but you can go back now and see all the @ @ @ @ @ And the same thing applies to climate change , ” he said .


climatedepot--2020-05-02--Watch: Warmist Bill Gates just purchased an oceanfront property for $43 Million – He isn’t expecting

Watch: Warmist Bill Gates just purchased an oceanfront property for $43 Million – He isn’t expecting a sea level rise after all

Bill Gates just purchased an oceanfront property for $ 43 Million .
Evidently the climate activist is n't expecting a @ @ @ @ @ pic.twitter.com/6C3IL2VUYO


climatedepot--2020-05-03--Eco-leftists are suddenly turning on Michael Moore: New film ‘reveals that each & every form of gree

Eco-leftists are suddenly turning on Michael Moore: New film ‘reveals that each & every form of green energy is a fraud’

By Steven W. Mosher 's review of `` Planet of the Humans '' : `` By the midpoint of the movie , Moore has already revealed that each and every form of green energy is a fraud , surviving on popular naivete , government subsidies and the products of industrial civilization .
...
If he were to have stopped there , his sins against his fellow eco-leftists might one day be forgiven .
But he doesn ’ t , instead going on to argue that the fraud extends to the very top of the green-energy movement itself .
Then he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He exposes the massive funding that the Sierra Club , 350 and other environmental groups receive from the energy industry , and exposes the connections between leading environmentalists like Al Gore and Wall Street financiers .
...
If you do tune in , bear in mind that Moore is no friend of free markets or individual liberty .
His “ solution ” to reducing humanity ’ s use of energy is a throwback to twentieth-century population control . ''
I pay as little attention to Michael Moore as humanly possible .
But when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attacks from fellow leftists , including calls for censorship , it got my attention .
After all , one of my favorite scenes in “ Lord of the Rings ” is watching the orcs fight among themselves .
So I grabbed a bowl of popcorn and sat down to watch “ Planet of the Humans.
” Director Moore ’ s latest documentary starts with electric cars , the vehicle of choice for the environmentally conscious .
As GM proudly unveils its battery-powered Volt , his narrator innocently asks the executive in charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from .
Memo from Moore to those who think they are driving green : You may indulge your illusions if you prefer .
But all you ’ ve really done is transfer your emissions from the tailpipe of your car to the smokestack of the local power plant .
Maybe you think solar power is the answer ?
Moore treats you to a visit to a showy solar array that covers an entire football field .
The power-company executive present admits that it can only power ten homes , and then only when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of Lansing , Mich. , he says with a grin , would require 15 square miles of panels .
You want to talk about “ footprints ?
” We follow local environmentalists as they hike up a mountain where a site has been clear-cut for 21 mega wind turbines .
They deplore the destruction of the natural beauty of the landscape and the scattering of the wildlife it once supported .
The engineer in charge ticks off the hundreds of tons of concrete , steel , aluminum , carbon and other products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and every mega wind turbine .
Industry requires huge inputs of energy to produce such things , a total energy deficit that the spinning blades of the wind turbine will not begin to pay back over its projected lifetime .
Moore ends the segment with a shot of broken and rusted wind turbines littering the landscape .
We visit plants that generate electricity by burning “ biomass ” rather than fossil fuel .
But as we see one diesel-powered machine after another felling , hauling and chipping logs for burning , the absurdity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the final scene we see a clear-cut forest and learn that we would need to burn every tree in America to power the country for just one year .
By the midpoint of the movie , Moore has already revealed that each and every form of green energy is a fraud , surviving on popular naivete , government subsidies and the products of industrial civilization .
If he were to have stopped there , his sins against his fellow eco-leftists might one day be forgiven .
But he doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fraud extends to the very top of the green-energy movement itself .
He begins his takedown by taking us to a green concert , where the organizer has just announced to cheers from the crowd that it is powered by “ solar energy.
” Going backstage , however , we learn that the tiny solar array is only for show .
The actual power for the lights , amplifiers and electric guitars comes from a portable diesel generator .
Then he moves on to the big boys .
He exposes the massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other environmental groups receive from the energy industry , and exposes the connections between leading environmentalists like Al Gore and Wall Street financiers .
Moore ’ s sometime friends in the eco-left movement are not amused and apparently have already convinced the distributor of his film to take it down .
For now , you can still watch Moore ’ s epic take-down of “ green energy ” on YouTube , but you ’ d better move fast .
There ’ s a campaign underway to remove it from that service as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bear in mind that Moore is no friend of free markets or individual liberty .
His “ solution ” to reducing humanity ’ s use of energy is a throwback to twentieth-century population control .
I don ’ t know about you , but any time anyone tells me we need to reduce the world ’ s population my answer is always the same : “ You first.
” But you can fast forward through that part .
Otherwise , it ’ s a joy to watch Moore skewer one “ renewable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , as a movement insider , he knows where the carbon is buried .
Steven W. Mosher @ StevenWMosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of “ Bully of Asia : Why China ’ s ‘ Dream ’ is the New Threat to World Order .
”


climatedepot--2020-05-03--Quick, pass the Green New Deal or Else! Claim: Trace CO2 might ‘make pathogens more savvy at survivi

Quick, pass the Green New Deal or Else! Claim: Trace CO2 might ‘make pathogens more savvy at surviving in hot climates, & possibly weaken the human body’s immune response’

Business Insider article : `` Researchers fear that as temperatures continue to rise , infectious-disease carrying animals could adapt to more widespread climates , pathogens could become stronger at surviving in hotter temperatures , and the human immune system could face greater difficulty in battling illness .
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has not been linked to climate change , here 's how rising global temperatures could lead to an increase in future infectious diseases . ''
`` Imagine that the world is hotter and that lizards adapt to live in temperatures very close to yours .
Then their viruses adapt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chair of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , told Scientific American .
Climate Depot Response : `` Should we just do permanent lockdowns to fight potential future viruses !
?
Shall we cede more and more control to academic experts and public health bureaucrats ?
!
Hell NO !
There will be endless attempts to link 'climate change ' to virus fears .
This has to happen in order to keep the climate con alive and relevant .
The funding for 'climate ' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented ways very quickly . ''
According to research from the World Health Organization , and other institutions , the threat of climate change could make outbreaks even worse in the coming decades .
Researchers fear that as temperatures continue to rise , infectious-disease carrying animals could adapt to more widespread climates , pathogens could become stronger at surviving in hotter temperatures , and the human immune system could face greater difficulty in battling illness .
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has not been linked to climate change , here ’ s how rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in future infectious diseases .
As global temperatures continue to rise and create changing weather patterns like increased rainfall , natural disasters , and extreme heat waves , there could be an increase in the ideal environments needed to spread some types of infectious disease .
The risk for malaria epidemics can increase five-fold after an El Niño event , a weather pattern that ’ s expected to get worse with climate change .
Researchers fear that as the planet warms , mosquitoes will be able to breed more rapidly and spread disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have otherwise remained unaffected by the pests .
Erin Mordecai , a Stanford biologist studying warming climate and infectious disease , warned that “ If the climate is becoming more optimal for transmission , it ’ s going to become harder and harder to do mosquito control.
” She added : “ It ’ s coming for you.
” Similarly , diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans , such as rats or ticks , have been known to shift depending on climate conditions .
Certain rodent-borne diseases are linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse as global temperatures rise .
Some researchers believe that weather events play a role in Ebola outbreaks , since dry seasons followed by plentiful rainfall can lead to an increase in fruit production , which could create an environment for animals to feed together and spread the disease .
And since climate change is expected to cause an increase in food scarcity , more people in Africa may consume bushmeat , which have been attributed to nearly 50 % of Ebola outbreaks in the past .
Deforestation could also play a role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the US Agency for International Development , 75 % of new or re-emerging diseases at the start of the 21st Century have been transmitted from animals , often because deforestation has brought them closer to human environments .
Scientists have also noted that as temperatures continue to rise , animals have begun migrating to typically cooler environments .
This could open up new pathways of disease transmission between animals , since more species will likely begin interacting with one another .
But an increase in the spread of disease isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future epidemics .
Warming temperatures might also make our natural immune systems less effective at fighting off pathogens .
immune system But as temperatures warm around the globe , viruses are increasingly getting better at adapting and surviving in hotter environments — including within our bodies .
“ Imagine that the world is hotter and that lizards adapt to live in temperatures very close to yours .
Then their viruses adapt to higher temperatures , ” Arturo Casadevall , chair of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have two pillars of defense : temperature and advanced immunity .
In a warming world , we may lose the pillar of temperature if the [ pathogens ] adapt to be close to our temperature.
” This trend could continue as the planet warms and pathogens that survive in warmer temperatures reproduce to become better adapted to changes in climate .
Additional research by a group of scientists in Tokyo found that mice exposed to warmer temperatures were less effective at fighting off an influenza virus .
The research suggested that warmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immune system .
Research about climate change and the spread of infectious disease is complex , multi-factorial , and unfolding in real-time .
According to the WHO , “ Changes in infectious disease transmission patterns are a likely major consequence of climate change , ” but there ’ s still a lot that we don ’ t know .


climatedepot--2020-05-04--Watch: Morano & Heartland’s James Taylor expose climate the lockdown aspirations of green movement

Last night , CFACT ’ s Marc Morano and Heartland Institute president James Taylor teamed up for what turned out to be a lively internet discussion on Zoom .
It was part of CFACT ’ s ongoing new “ Truth Talks ” – a series designed to keep debate alive by talking with experts and addressing pressing policy matters during this difficult time of lockdown .
The response by the public was impressive .
Indeed , over 500 attendees registered for the event .
Moderated by our own Adam Houser , folks tuned in to hear the discussion not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Canada , Brazil , and Chile and many other parts of the world .
It was truly a great evening !
If you missed it , be sure to watch the event in its entirety here .
• ‘ Fantastic ’ for the climate : Activists See Coronavirus Lockdowns As Dress Rehearsal for ‘ Climate Emergency ’ – Special Report Put to Marc and James last night was the task of answering this very important question : Is the coronavirus lockdown the future environmentalists want ?
Marc Morano kicked things off by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clamoring for coronavirus-style lockdowns for years .
These radical activists and bureaucrats are desperate to keep the shutdown going in the name of “ climate action.
” “ Lockdowns…this is what the climate community has preached for decades about global warming !
And particularly , in the last couple years , [ they wanted to impose ] through the Green New Deal , ” Marc said .
“ The climate activists for lack of a better word , are jealous !
” James Taylor analyzed statements from global bureaucrats such as the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their true motivations .
“ Another WHO official said , and here ’ s a quote : ‘ What the COVID crisis exposes , is that we can do things differently .
We must not go back to the status-quo .
We can not do that.
’ To say that we should have a permanent , current situation of lockdowns and shutdowns and restrictions on freedoms , is just unbelievable that people might accept that , ” Taylor said .
A great question and answer period followed James and Marc ’ s presentations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topics extending from climate change to government overreach .
While climate radicals drool over the shutdown of the global economy , our fight for freedom must go on .
As James Taylor said toward the end of the event : “ This is a bait and switch at the expense of our most important and basic freedoms.
” To be sure , the climate radicals must not prevail .
Let ’ s not permit them to keep our freedoms on perpetual lockdown .


climatedepot--2020-05-04--Watch: Michael Shellenberger on Andrew Bolt praises Michael Moore’s new film

A new documentary that sheds light on the renewable energy scam has caused greenies worldwide to meltdown .
The film @ @ @ @ @ , so it is no surprise it is overflowing with the left ’ s usual @ @ @ @ @ it does a good job highlighting many of the serious dangers and flaws that come @ @ @ @ @ energy ” scam .
So much so , furious greenies across the world are demanding @ @ @ @ @ Michael Moore be cast out as a traitor .
It will never cease to amaze @ @ @ @ @ the left will turn on anyone who decides to break ranks and tell the truth @ @ @ @ @ you feel like you can get past some of the films more absurd notions about @ @ @ @ @ for something to watch during the lockdown , you can see it in full here @ @ @ @ @ v=Zk11vI-7czE


climatedepot--2020-05-04--Jane Fonda Demands Coronavirus Recovery Money Be Used to Fight Climate Change

Fonda : `` We must also insist that the money is used to lay the foundation for a clean , sustainable energy future as well as justice and dignity and a level playing field for all workers.
” Actress and environmental activist Jane Fonda used May Day to renew calls to end fossil fuels and protect worker rights while she urged against corporate bailouts during the coronavirus pandemic , especially for oil and drilling companies .
Instead , the actress is demanding that the government allot recovery money to green or sustainable energy as well as to efforts to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers .
“ These historic sums of stimulus money aren ’ t going to happen again , maybe even during our lifetimes .
And where they go and how they are spent will determine so much about what kind of future we have , ” Fonda said Friday during her monthly “ Fire Drill Friday ” climate change rally , which was held online .
“ So while we insist on more funding to heal the effects of this pandemic , we must also insist that the money is used to lay the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future as well as justice and dignity and a level playing field for all workers.
” For months , during her rallies in Washington D.C. , and Los Angeles , Jane Fonda and her fellow activists have been pushing for a “ just transition ” — their call for the protection of workers whose jobs will be impacted by the the move away from fossil fuels .
On Friday , the two-time Oscar-winning actress was joined virtually by labor activist Dolores Huerta , as well as union leaders representing migrant farmworkers , healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began the virtual rally by accusing President Donald Trump of stiffing ordinary Americans during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic , saying that his administration is trying “ to ram through bail outs for the already privileged and the powerful.
” She then praised Democrats who , she claims , “ have fought to include financial aid for workers and small businesses , hospitals… but more , much more needs to be done.
” In reality , Congressional Democrats recently blocked aid for small businesses — a Republican-backed measure that would have created $ 250 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also used the virtual rally to renew her assault on oil and drilling companies and their leaders .
“ We have to say ‘ no ’ to bailouts for corporate executives and oil billionaires and ‘ yes ’ to immediately protecting the most vulnerable among us , ” she said .
“ Fossil fuel executives don ’ t give a fuzzy rat ’ s ass about workers or communities ’ well being.
” Fonda also demanded free COVID-19 testing and free medical care for workers diagnosed with the disease .
“ Now ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief and stimulus measures that put all workers and families first , not big corporations.
” Follow David Ng on Twitter @ HeyItsDavidNg .
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climatedepot--2020-05-04--Climate skeptics praise Michael Moore’s new documentary exposing green energy

Fossil Fuel-Backed Climate Deniers Rush to Promote Michael Moore Documentary ‘ Planet of The Humans ’ Climate science deniers and long-time opponents of renewable energy , many with ties to oil and gas companies , have seized on Michael Moore ’ s latest documentary to argue the case for continued fossil fuel dependence .
Planet of the Humans investigates the environmental footprint of renewable technologies such as wind , solar and biomass , and argues that the green movement has sold out to corporate interests .
The documentary has been viewed over five million times on YouTube since its release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anniversary of Earth Day .
But the film , produced by Moore and written and directed by his long-time collaborator Jeff Gibbs , has been widely criticised by energy and climate experts , who say it fails to provide context on the benefits of renewable energy and the negative impacts of fossil fuels , and is based on out-of-date information .
A group of environmentalists and climate scientists , including Professor of Atmospheric Science Michael Mann , who was this week elected to the National Academy of Sciences , has described the documentary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it to be withdrawn .
In contrast , the film has been heavily promoted in recent days by commentators known for their rejection of mainstream climate science and support for fossil fuels , including some with direct ties to the industry .
While the film ’ s anti-economic growth and population control message has not appealed to the free-market philosophies of many of these commentators , its criticism of renewables struck a chord , with the narratives used generally taking one of three forms .
Renewables are ineffective and more damaging than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ libertarian Heartland Institute , which hosts “ counter-summits ” alongside UN climate conferences and has taken funding from fossil fuel interests including oil major ExxonMobil , was quick to host a podcast episode dedicated to Moore ’ s documentary .
One of the Heartland employees contributing to the podcast praised it for doing a “ really good job of ticking off all the downsides ” to renewables , which he claimed were the “ least efficient way that you can try to generate electricity ” .
Another said the “ green weenies ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuff about the folly of wind and solar ” by “ coming to Heartland Institute conferences and reading our website ” .
Myron Ebell , Director of Energy and Environment at the free-market Competitive Enterprise Institute and a regular speaker at Heartland conferences , has written a blog lauding the film .
In the article , since reposted by the UK-based climate science denial campaign group the Global Warming Policy Foundation , Ebell claims the film “ exposes ” every type of green energy as “ phony , useless , and inextricably dependent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mining ” .
Environmental commentator and nuclear enthusiast Michael Shellenberger also reacted positively to Moore ’ s film , tweeting that it proves “ renewables are worse for environment than fossil fuels ” .
In a column for Forbes , he argued nuclear power was the only answer to our energy needs , stating that solar panels require more materials to build and create more waste than nuclear plants .
While solar panels can create a certain amount of potentially hazardous waste , around 80 % of a panel is recyclable and solutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Later interviewed by Sky News Australia ’ s Andrew Bolt , who has been criticised for repeatedly dismissing mainstream climate science , Shellenberger claimed most countries would need to use roughly 50 % of their land to produce 100 % renewable energy .
Many studies have found the figure to be considerably lower .
Moore ’ s documentary was also the subject of an interview by the Canadian far-right news site Rebel News with Marc Morano , Communications Director of CFACT , a Washington-based free-market think tank that has claimed carbon dioxide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the atmosphere ” .
Morano called Planet of the Humans an “ amazing film ” during the interview with host Ezra Levant , with the only downside being that Moore “ believes in climate alarmism severely ” .
Asked by Rebel News host Ezra Levant whether Moore produced the documentary because “ he hated the fact these billionaires were tricking everyone ” , Morano said the filmmaker “ sees all the con that they ’ re doing and who ’ s profiting and who ’ s making money ” .


climatedepot--2020-05-04--Will this be blamed on climate?! ‘Murder Hornets’ Spotted in U.S. for the First Time

They earned the nickname `` murder hornet '' because their group attacks can expose the victim to as much venom as a snake bite , Kyoto Sangyo University researcher Jun-ichi Takahash told The New York Times .
In Japan , they kill as many as 50 people a year .
The hornets are 1.5 to two inches long and have a yellow or orange head with bulging eyes and a black and yellow striped abdomen , according to WSDA .
Invasive “ murder hornets ” have been spotted in the U.S. for the first time , prompting concerns for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a year that has already brought locust invasions and a global pandemic .
Four sightings of the world ’ s largest hornets — officially called the Asian giant hornet ( Vespa mandarinia ) — were reported and verified in Washington State in December 2019 , according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture ( WSDA ) .
But “ murder hornet ” began trending after the publication Saturday of a New York Times piece about Washington ’ s efforts to find and eradicate the insects before they take hold , as NBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Asian giant hornet is no joke .
The hornets enter a “ slaughter phase ” where they decapitate bees , WSDA said .
They destroy an entire hive within hours and then claim it as their own , feeding the brood to their young .
Washington beekeeper Ted McFall told The New York Times of driving home in November to find a pile of decapitated bee carcasses on the ground .
“ I couldn ’ t wrap my head around what could have done that , ” McFall told The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder hornets , though this has not been confirmed .
There have also been sightings of the hornet across the border in British Columbia , but at least one of the Canadian hives was proven to be unconnected to one of the Washington hornets , meaning the insect was likely introduced to the region at least twice .
While the hornets do not typically attack humans or pets unless threatened , their stings are extremely painful and can be deadly .
They earned the nickname “ murder hornet ” because their group attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ venom as a snake bite , Kyoto Sangyo University researcher Jun-ichi Takahash told The New York Times .
In Japan , they kill as many as 50 people a year .
“ It was like having red-hot thumbtacks being driven into my flesh , ” Conrad Bérubé , a beekeeper who was stung while exterminating a hive on Vancouver Island , told The New York Times of the experience .
The hornets are 1.5 to two inches long and have a yellow or orange head with bulging eyes and a black and yellow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They ’ re like something out of a monster cartoon with this huge yellow-orange face , ” Washington State University ’ s ( WSU ) Department of Entomology bee breeder Susan Cobey said in a university press release .


climatedepot--2020-05-04--Former UK Supreme Court Judge Sumption opposes lockdowns: ‘Do we really want to be the kind of socie

Former UK Supreme Court Judge Sumption opposes lockdowns: ‘Do we really want to be the kind of society where basic freedoms are conditional on the decisions of politicians in thrall to scientists and statisticians?’

Former Supreme Court judge LORD SUMPTION : `` To say that life is priceless and nothing else counts is just empty rhetoric .
People say it because it is emotionally comfortable and avoids awkward dilemmas .
But they do n't actually believe it ...
There is more to life than the avoidance of death . ''
`` To say that there are no limits is the stuff of tyrants .
Every despot who ever lived thought that he was coercing his subjects for their own good or that of society at large ... We , too , have to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the State .
Do we really want to be the kind of society where basic freedoms are conditional on the decisions of politicians in thrall to scientists and statisticians ?
Where human beings are just tools of public policy ? ''
`` A society in which the Government can confine most of the population without controversy is not one in which civilized people would want to live , regardless of their answers to these questions .
Is it worth it ? ''
`` Voluntary self-isolation is fine , and strongly advisable for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do it by choice .
But coercion is not fine .
There is no moral or principled justification for it . ''
`` Even in wartime , we never confined the entire population to their homes , 24/7 , if they did not have some excuse acceptable to a Minister . ''
`` The lockdown is without doubt the greatest interference with personal liberty in our history '' UK Daily Mail : Locking up the elderly until coronavirus is defeated is a cruel mockery of basic human values : Former Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Government ’ s lockdown By Lord Sumption For The Mail On Sunday COVID-19 is not the greatest crisis in our history .
It is not even the greatest public health crisis in our history .
But the lockdown is without doubt the greatest interference with personal liberty in our history .
It is normal at this point to add ‘ in peacetime ’ .
But we can forget that .
Even in wartime , we never confined the entire population to their homes , 24/7 , if they did not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States have always tried to confine people known to be carrying dangerous infections .
But we live in a new world in which , if we are ill , the State will try to cure us .
From this , it is said to follow that the State can take control of our lives against our will even if we are healthy , lest we fall ill and need its services too much .
Suddenly , it is our duty to save the NHS , not the other way round .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the lockdown in the first place .
It has happened .
The question is how we get out of it .
LORD SUMPTION : The lockdown is without doubt the greatest interference with personal liberty in our history/ It is a pity that the Government did not ask itself that question when , in the blind panic following the delivery of Imperial College London ’ s Professor Neil Ferguson ’ s statistical projections , it legislated the lockdown on the hoof in a late-night press conference .
They now find themselves trapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formulated five tests to be satisfied before the lockdown is lifted .
What is wrong with these tests is that they are all about health and only about health .
The Government has formulated them in their own interest .
They think that this will allow them to avoid criticism by sheltering behind the scientists .
But that is just an evasion of political responsibility .
Of course it is understandable that politicians should want to shelter themselves from criticism .
But there is no reason why the rest of us should help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a political decision , not a scientific one .
It boils down to a single question .
Is it worth it ?
That depends only partly on the science .
There are also moral judgments , constitutional values and economic consequences involved .
But since the Government likes its tests to come in fives , here is a five-part test which tries to address the real issues .
LORD SUMPTION : What kind of relationship do we want with the State ?
First , the medical issue .
I am not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projections .
They have caused some discomfort among reputable professionals .
They are based on some rather arbitrary assumptions .
And they leave out of the account important considerations , such as the adverse health consequences of the lockdown itself or the number of people who would have died anyway from underlying clinical conditions even without Covid-19 , maybe a few months later .
But let us take it as a given , since it is probably true , that the lockdown will save a significant number of lives , albeit fewer than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to ask how many deaths we are prepared to accept in order to preserve other things that we value .
However valuable ‘ saving lives ’ may be , it is not the only valuable thing .
Some comparison is therefore unavoidable between the lives we gain and the other things we lose by a lockdown .
To say that life is priceless and nothing else counts is just empty rhetoric .
People say it because it is emotionally comfortable and avoids awkward dilemmas .
But they don ’ t actually believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1939 because lives were worth losing for liberty .
We allow cars on the roads because lives are worth losing for convenience .
We travel by air although pollution kills .
We tut-tut about it , but we willingly do it .
Third question .
What sort of life do we think we are protecting ?
There is more to life than the avoidance of death .
Life is a drink with friends .
Life is a crowded football match or a live concert .
Life is a family celebration with children and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arm around one ’ s back , laughter or tears shared at less than two metres .
These things are not just optional extras .
They are life itself .
They are fundamental to our humanity , to our existence as social beings .
Of course death is permanent , whereas joy may be temporarily suspended .
But the force of that point depends on how temporary it really is .
Viruses don ’ t just go away .
This one will never disappear unless and until there is enough exposure to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine appears .
Talk of compulsorily ‘ shielding ’ ( in plain English locking up ) the old and vulnerable until one of those things happens is a cruel mockery of basic human values .
Fourth , there is the money question .
People decry attempts to measure the mortality of Covid-19 against the economic cost of reducing it .
But this too is rhetoric , and hypocritical rhetoric at that .
LORD SUMPTION : Ending the lockdown is a political decision , not a scientific one ( pictured , residents of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 , 2020 ) Money is not just for plutocrats .
You and I and the editor of The Guardian and the driver of the No 9 bus and the Archbishop of Canterbury and the cashier at the supermarket all value and depend on money .
Not just in the sense that it pays our wages or pensions .
Hundreds of thousands of businesses are going under .
Millions are moving from jobs to universal credit .
A thriving economy , of the kind that we are now throwing away , is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our children ’ s future .
We would do well not to sneer at it .
Poverty kills too .
And when it does not kill , it maims , mentally , physically and socially .
Last but not least , we have to ask ourselves what are the limits to the things that the State can legitimately do to people against their will in a liberal democracy .
To say that there are no limits is the stuff of tyrants .
Every despot who ever lived thought that he was coercing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that of society at large .
One of the more impressive observations of the Swedish epidemiologist Professor Johann Giesecke , in the interview in which he justified Sweden ’ s refusal to lock its people down , was not about epidemiology at all .
His point was that there are some things that may work and that a totalitarian state like China can do .
But a country like Sweden with its long liberal tradition can not do them unless it wants to become like China .
We , too , have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want with the State .
Do we really want to be the kind of society where basic freedoms are conditional on the decisions of politicians in thrall to scientists and statisticians ?
Where human beings are just tools of public policy ?
A society in which the Government can confine most of the population without controversy is not one in which civilised people would want to live , regardless of their answers to these questions .
Is it worth it ?
My own answer is no .
Guidance is fine .
Voluntary self-isolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more vulnerable .
Most of them will do it by choice .
But coercion is not fine .
There is no moral or principled justification for it .
Not everyone will agree , which is fair enough .
These are difficult value judgments , on which one would not expect general agreement .
The fundamental point is that these questions need to be confronted and publicly discussed by politicians without the kind of emotive evasions , propagandist slogans and generalised hype that have characterised their contribution so far .


climatedepot--2020-05-05--Warmist reporter Emily Atkin: ‘If you still refuse to see parallels between climate change and coron

Warmist reporter Emily Atkin: ‘If you still refuse to see parallels between climate change and coronavirus then honestly you’re just stupid’

Environmental journalist Emily Atkin , formerly of New Republic : `` The parallels between coronavirus and climate crisis are obvious ...
I ’ m sorry , but if you still refuse to see parallels between climate change and coronavirus then honestly you ’ re just stupid . ''
- “ Both are global crises which threaten millions of lives with clear science on how to solve them which governments have been too slow to act on ; the same people who promote climate denial are refusing to accept the science of coronavirus , too . ''
“ Coronavirus makes climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can ’ t do our research on climate because of it , we ’ ve had to cancel the UN climate summit for international negotiations.
” Also see : ‘ Fantastic ’ for the climate : Activists See Coronavirus Lockdowns As Dress Rehearsal for ‘ Climate Emergency ’ – Special Report ‘ The parallels between coronavirus and climate crisis are obvious ’ UK Guardian Excerpt : “ I ’ m sorry , ” says Emily Atkin , not sounding very apologetic , “ but if you still refuse to see parallels between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re just stupid.
” Atkin , founder of the climate newsletter and podcast Heated .
“ Both are global crises which threaten millions of lives with clear science on how to solve them which governments have been too slow to act on ; the same people who promote climate denial are refusing to accept the science of coronavirus , too .
Emily Atkin , a former reporter at New Republic , launched Heated , a climate-focused newsletter and podcast FacebookTwitterPinterest Emily Atkin , a former reporter at New Republic , launched Heated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus makes climate change worse , and vice versa , ” Atkin says from isolation in her apartment .
“ We can ’ t do our research on climate because of it , we ’ ve had to cancel the UN climate summit for international negotiations .
”


climatedepot--2020-05-05--Al Jazeera Climate Misanthropy: ‘Will coronavirus help nature reclaim the Earth?’

Yet another green celebrating the retreat of humans in the face of a deadly epidemic .
The Green Read : Will coronavirus help nature reclaim the Earth ?
There are signs of wildlife flourishing in the absence of humans , but COVID-19 has also slowed conservation efforts .
In these times when we need to seek out positives to counter the gloom , there are many good things happening in the natural world .
In the space wrought open by COVID-19 , a quiet has descended on parts of our planet previously drowned out by normal life thundering on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that rely on the daily whirl to survive but it is happening , so let us drink it in .
In our cities , the thrum of traffic and construction and planes passing overhead has given way to the boisterous dawn chorus .
This daily symphony of birdsong is more audible than it has been in decades in urban areas this northern spring .
Even the ocean depths are quieter with fewer ships at sea , and marine biologists are taking this rare opportunity to study the impact the lack of churning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Worldwide emissions are down and the air we breathe is cleaner .
Wildlife in river and estuary , field and hedgerow and even on the urban fringe , is making hay in the absence of the human hordes and their vehicles .


climatedepot--2020-05-05--Svalbard at end of April again has 6th-7th highest sea ice extent & a lot of very thick ice

For the second time this month , sea ice around Svalbard Norway was the 6th or 7th highest since records began in the late 1960s .
Pack ice at the end of April still surrounds Bear Island ( Bjørnøya ) at the southern end of the archipelago , which is a rare occurrence at this date .
These conditions document a recurrent pattern of high ice extent and especially extreme ice thickness in the Barents Sea since last summer .
Graphs provided by the Norwegian Ice Service only goes back to 1981 ( see the ‘ Min/Max ’ dotted line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ records go back to at least 1969 .
Extent at April 29th was sixth highest and on the 30th seventh highest – only slightly less than 1998 .
NIS archived ice charts availble onlineonly go back to 1998 for April .
Below are the charts for April 29th and 30th : Thick sea ice in the Barents Sea north of Svalbard has been remarkable this year , as the chart below from Danish Arctic researchshows : The icebreaker Polarstern , intentionally trapped in the ice pack , may well have trouble making its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mid-May to exchange staff and replenish supplies .
The world ’ s most powerful nuclear-powered icebreakers can plow through ice up to 2.5m thick but most of the ice just north of Svalbard ( see map above ) is 3.0-3.5m thick .
The map below shows the Polarstern ‘ s position at 27 April 2020 : A commenter on Twitter posted a link to a blog post ( in Russian ) that contains remarkable photos of Russian icebreakers working through consolidated sea ice north of Novaya Zemlya in the Barents Sea in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nugget : “ On the northern shores of Novaya Zemlya there are glaciers that throw off such gifts to sailors in the sea.
” These ‘ gifts ’ are icebergs breaking of the huge icefields of NW Novaya Zemlya ( see his/her photo below ) : Similar conditions are what stopped explorer William Barents and his crew in their tracks back in 1596 in late August and forced them to spend the winter and following spring in the Arctic .
See map below of the ice cap ( white ) on northwest Novaya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ ice fields ’ off the west coast , generated by the many glaciers ; these icebergs get consolidated into the pack ice north and northwest of the island .
Cape Spory Navolok is where Barents ’ ship was trapped – they made it through the ice fields on the west and north coasts only to get caught in the thick ice off the northeast coast : Barents Sea ice as a region is also high this spring ( see Masie graph below at 29 April 2020 ) : not as high as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
Barents Sea ice supports the Barents Sea polar bear subpopulation and has seen the largest decline in summer sea ice since 1979 of all 19 subpopulations – a much larger decline than even Western and Southern Hudson Bay ( Regehr et al .
2016 , see below ) .
In fact , Barents Sea polar bears are often considered one of the most vulnerable of all populations to declining sea ice blamed on global warming ( Amstrup et al .
2007 ; Regehr et al .
2016 ; Hamilton and Derocher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Svalbard have not supported that conclusion ( Aars 2018 ; Aars et al .
2017 ; Crockford 2017 , 2019 , 2020 ) .
Below is the global ice extent at 29 April 2020 ( Day 120 ) : Graph below shows how global ice extent in 2020 and 2016 at 29 April compares to the long term average ( NSIDC , back to 1979 ) : Aars , J .
2018 .
Population changes in polar bears : protected , but quickly losing habitat .
Fram Forum Newsletter 2018 .
Fram Centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32 mb ) .
Aars , J. , Marques , T.A , Lone , K. , Anderson , M. , Wiig , Ø. , Fløystad , I.M.B.
, Hagen , S.B .
and Buckland , S.T .
2017 .
The number and distribution of polar bears in the western Barents Sea .
Polar Research 36:1 .
1374125. doi:10.1080/17518369.2017.1374125 Amstrup , S.C. , Marcot , B.G .
& Douglas , D.C. 2007 .
Forecasting the rangewide status of polar bears at selected times in the 21st century .
US Geological Survey .
Reston , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
Testing the hypothesis that routine sea ice coverage of 3-5 mkm2 results in a greater than 30 % decline in population size of polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) .
PeerJ Preprints 19 January 2017 .
Doi : 10.7287/peerj.preprints.2737v1 Open access .
https : //peerj.com/preprints/2737/ Crockford , S.J .
2019 .
The Polar Bear Catastrophe That Never Happened .
Global Warming Policy Foundation , London .
Available in paperback and ebook formats .
Crockford , S.J .
2020 .
State of the Polar Bear Report 2019 .
Global Warming Policy Foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hamilton , S. and Derocher , A.E .
2019.Assessment of global polar bear abundance and vulnerability .
Animal Conservation22 ( 1 ) :83-95. doi:10.1111/acv.12439 Regehr , E.V.
, Laidre , K.L , Akçakaya , H.R.
, Amstrup , S.C. , Atwood , T.C.
, Lunn , N.J. , Obbard , M. , Stern , H. , Thiemann , G.W.
, & Wiig , Ø .
2016 .
Conservation status of polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) in relation to projected sea-ice declines .
Biology Letters 12 : 20160556. http : //rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/12/12/20160556