climatedepot--2020-08-10--Greta Thunberg’s Message Of Doom Is Religion, Not Reality

In January , the great and not so good of the corporate elite gathered at Davos for another telling off from Greta Thunberg .
“ One year ago I came to Davos and told you that our house is on fire , ” the climate activist reminded delegates .
“ I said I wanted you to panic.
” In the intervening year they had not panicked enough , she said .
Although the meeting of the World Economic Forum was dedicated to creating a “ Cohesive and Sustainable World ” , and corporate culture has gone obsessively green , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end the use of fossil fuels instantly .
The rotters refused to extinguish commercial lifestyles to save the planet from imminent immolation .
Ironically , even as the high priestess of the Extinction Rebellion religion preached her sermon , Covid-19 was sweeping in from China and weeks later would shut down the world economy .
Since then we have all been treated to a live experiment in what happens when economic activity is cut by 25 percent .
While there are undoubted upsides and lessons to be learned about cleaner air in cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the ruin of the global aviation industry , and worsening health and educational inequalities .
This is not enough for Extinction Rebellion campaigners who want to go even further in shutting down activity .
Earlier this month , Thunberg set out in an open letter a list of demands that , if implemented , would make the economic effects of Covid-19 seem mild .
Her co-signatories included assorted celebrities , activists , and , inevitably , Coldplay .
Climate catastrophists are clearly keen to get the alarmist show back on the road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the pandemic .
I am not someone who denies that protecting the environment is important .
Cleaner air is required .
When it comes to more efficient energy , less wasteful consumption , and rewilding our countryside , I ’ m all for it .
But the hysteria of the XR crew , amplified by the media , is counterproductive because it frightens people and could lead to panicked policy-making .
The risk is that overreaction by governments will turn voters against any kind of environmental policy .
It need not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of technology and mitigation measures , mankind is more than capable of adapting to warmer conditions .
This is one of the points made in Bjorn Lomborg ’ s important new book False Alarm : How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions , Hurts the Poor , and Fails to Fix the Planet .
Mr. Lomborg is a long-standing environmentalist regarded as a heretic by hardliners in the movement because he is an optimist who says that humanity is not doomed .
Global warming is happening , he says , but populations have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it means the end of life on Earth .
“ The rhetoric on climate change has become ever more extreme and less moored to the actual science , ” he says .
“ The science shows us that fears of a climate apocalypse are unfounded .
Global warming is real , but it is not the end of the world .
It is a manageable problem.
” Lomborg advocates a “ well-designed ” carbon tax and reduced emissions but also more adaptation of the kind that , unheralded , is already happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been rising and we have adapted by improving coastal protection .
We ’ re learning more about rivers and flood protection too .
On heatwaves , economic growth will help to pay for better and more fuel-efficient air conditioning .
Cities can be adapted with more green spaces .
Even something as simple as ensuring that roofs and roads are lighter in color — not black , which absorbs heat and warms urban areas — can make a difference .
For the sin of deviation from the apocalyptic consensus , The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Greta event at Davos in January — unleashed the eminent economist Joseph Stiglitz to lambast Mr. Lomborg , who has since responded with an amusing line-by-line demolition of Mr. Stiglitz ’ s claims .
But what may make the biggest difference to the debate is population decline .
A study published this month by the Department of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle suggested that a declining global fertility rate would cause population levels to plummet from 2064 .
Twenty-three countries including Japan , Thailand , and Spain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This threatens to undermine one of the foundations of climate alarmism : the assumption that there are too many ghastly people and , by breeding and consuming resources , we will all soon destroy Mother Earth .
The prospect of population decline could be bad news for the fundraising efforts of the Greta crew if it becomes clear that climate change is even more manageable than thought .
I doubt that hardline climate campaigners will for one second allow this to dilute the purity of their doom-laden message , though .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distracts from it is heresy .
In that respect , they have much in common with woke calls for a social justice revolution .
The best parallel for both of these is perhaps with the 16th and 17th centuries and the spread of Puritanism , a campaign to purify worship and signal virtue .
As the more extreme Puritans knew , declaring the apocalypse — a simple message — is strangely seductive and exciting .
Once again , on climate , the less intoxicating and more cheeringly mundane reality is that human beings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find a way through if we all keep our heads .
Read more at The Times


climatedepot--2020-08-10--Shellenberger’s book ‘Apocalypse Never’ Takes Direct Aim at Consensus Climate Alarmism

A review of “ Apocalypse Never : Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All , ” by Michael Shellenberger ( Harper , 432 pages , $ 29.99 ) This environmental humanist agenda that prioritizes love for humanity is a direct challenge to climate alarmists , who must now answer the question , as Michael Shellenberger writes “ are they motivated by love for humanity or something closer to its opposite ?
” The book should be required reading for politicians .
It should also be required reading for Google CEO Sundar Pichai , Twitter ’ s Jack Dorsey , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercise almost total control over what facts and opinions make their way into public discourse .
This book also belongs in the hands of climate activist journalists , for whom a 16-year-old truant is an oracle with unassailable credibility , while contrarian scientists and economists are only targets for smear campaigns .
Needless to say , Shellenberger ’ s book has attracted furious rebuttals—this one in the Yale Climate Review is typical—but it is unlikely many of these critics read the book all the way through or approached it with an open mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points is that while climate change is occurring , it is not the biggest global environmental threat and that policies to “ fight climate change ” are causing some of the most harm to the environment .
So-called “ renewable energy ” is a prime example of this .
To debunk the supposed environmental benefits of renewable energy , Shellenberger makes frequent reference to the concept of power density .
In this analysis , nuclear energy comes out on top , generating the most power while consuming the least amount of space .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the generating plant , as well as the area required for extraction of construction material and fuel , the distribution grid , and the subsequent waste storage .
Following nuclear is hydroelectricity , then fossil fuels .
Renewable energy sources bring up the distant rear .
In order , they are solar , wind , and biofuel/biomass .
The extreme amount of land consumed by renewables is only part of the problem .
Because renewables supply intermittent power , backup has to be provided either in the form of grid-scale batteries or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the links between fossil fuel interests and the pro-renewable-but-anti-nuclear lobby and makes a convincing case that there is a synergy between the two .
By blocking nuclear power , which offers a continuous supply of electricity , expansion of quick-start natural gas power plants become necessary to fill in when the sun is down and the wind falters .
In a section that constitutes a goldmine for political foes of California ’ s aristocratic families headed by the Brown , Getty , Newsom , and Pelosi clans , Shellenberger spells out exactly how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their oil and gas interests at the same time as they have steadily worked to eliminate nuclear power .
This is a scandal ripe for further investigation .
Renewables don ’ t just consume land and cause increased use of fossil fuel to provide the necessary backup power , they ’ re killing wildlife .
Lots of wildlife .
Defenders of wind power make the stunningly deceptive claim that “ house cats kill more birds than windmills.
” This knowingly ignores the fact that cats don ’ t kill endangered raptors , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other hand , are slaughtering raptors at alarming rates , along with bats and insects .
In all three cases , this is no joke .
Any competent ecologist will explain the threat of extinction posed by windmills to these species , as well as how essential their survival is to ecosystem health .
To dwell exclusively on Shellenberger ’ s takedown of renewables would not do justice to the rest of his book .
One of his primary themes is the land use impact of various policy choices , not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with respect to agriculture and livestock .
He explains that adopting modern agricultural practices is a more significant variable , by an order of magnitude , than climate change in affecting crop yields .
He explains the potential of indoor agriculture , aquaculture , and mechanized agriculture to dramatically reduce the land required for global food production .
He even cites studies that find “ industrial beef ” requires “ fourteen to nineteen times less land than pasture beef.
” This point , that “ renewable ” energy and “ sustainable ” agriculture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the environment , is lost on the climate activist lobby .
Shellenberger devotes a chapter in his book to explaining how the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) has become politicized , and that the “ Summary for Policymakers ” they periodically release often misrepresents the source reports to highlight worst-case scenarios .
These hyped summaries are then selectively quoted by activist journalists and agenda-driven politicians to exaggerate the IPCC findings even more .
Pursuant to this message , no price is too great .
If climate change is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it doesn ’ t matter if the forests burn to fuel cooking fires , or windmills and solar farms destroy habitats and species .
For those of us who already are convinced that climate change is not an existential threat , but a manageable one that may take its place among a host of other serious challenges , no further discussion is required .
Politicians are corrupt , business investors are opportunistic , scientists are politicized , socialists exploit the climate agenda , and ordinary people find meaning in the climate crusade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patriotism .
Enough said .
Something else Shellenberger highlights , however , bears special emphasis .
He makes a case for big infrastructure .
Not only nuclear power plants but also hydropower and power grids .
He describes the plight of Africans for whom reliable supplies of water and energy would completely transform their lives .
Big infrastructure in Africa would enable prosperity , political stability , and space-efficient agriculture .
It would eliminate the need to forage for wood or hunt game .
It would take pressure off nature preserves .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development and demographic trajectory already achieved or well underway in the rest of the world ; a stabilizing population , female emancipation , lower infant mortality , higher life expectancy , increased literacy , better public health , urbanization .
Instead , Shellenberger writes , “ sustainable ” development aid rarely funds infrastructure in Africa .
An example of a project that attracts almost universal condemnation from the global environmentalist is the Grand Inga Dam complex on the Congo River .
If completed , these hydroelectric dams would generate far more power than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibly exceeding 40 gigawatts of continuous electricity .
Overall , Africa ’ s hydroelectric potential has barely been tapped .
Africa also lacks a reliable electricity grid , or a natural gas pipeline network .
With the exception of South Africa , there are no nuclear power plants in Africa .
The economic and environmental benefits of big infrastructure in Africa not only would accrue to Africans , greatly improving their standard of living and quality of life .
It is also an opportunity that American investors and civil engineering firms ought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. government .
This not only would extend American influence in Africa and offer remunerative opportunities to American businesses , but it would also be a way to revive America ’ s nuclear power and civil engineering industries .
Moreover , it would preclude other nations , most notably China and Russia , from stepping in to fill the vacuum .
America ’ s response to the “ climate crisis , ” is set to go into overdrive if Biden becomes president next year .
If it does it will make all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially for low-income Americans , and diminish America ’ s ability to do good in the rest of the world .
Virtually all climate skeptics attempt to stress this moral foundation , from the irrepressible Marc Morano to more nuanced “ lukewarmist ” experts such as economist Bjorn Lomborg or scientist Judith Curry , but they face an overwhelming political and cultural momentum that marginalizes their voices .
The consensus enforcers may have a tough time shoving Shellenberger into that box .
Shellenberger , who acknowledges climate change is a problem , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeccable credentials as an environmentalist .
He has spent his entire life fighting for environmental causes and was one of the pioneering “ ecomodernists , ” a school of thought that sought ways to decouple economic growth from environmental destruction , and promoted practical and optimistic solutions .
Shellenberger ’ s earlier book Break Through : From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility , co-written with fellow environmentalist Ted Norhaus , earned him the distinction of becoming one of Time magazine ’ s “ Heroes of the Environment 2008.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that apocalyptic environmentalism offers , Shellenberger concludes his book with a discussion of environmental humanism .
As he puts it , “ we need to go beyond rationalism and re-embrace humanism , which affirms humankind ’ s specialness , against Malthusian and apocalyptic environmentalists who condemn human civilization and humanity itself .
.
.
we must ground ourselves first in our commitment to the transcendent moral purpose of universal human flourishing and environmental progress , and then in rationality.
” This environmental humanist agenda that prioritizes love for humanity is a direct challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer the question , as Shellenberger writes “ are they motivated by love for humanity or something closer to its opposite ?
” To emphasize his point , Shellenberger notes that saving the African gorillas , or , for that matter , the California condor , was not something we did because we needed the gorillas , or the condors , for our survival .
We saved them because we love them .
Surely we can find a way , in the beliefs and crusades that animate us , to do the same @ @ @ @ @

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


climatedepot--2020-08-10--Watch: Danish Broadcasting Corp TV features Morano as ‘Fast-talking debater – ‘I believe you should

Watch: Danish Broadcasting Corp TV features Morano as ‘Fast-talking debater – ‘I believe you should crush your opponent’

Marc Morano on debating : `` I believe in this ...
I believe you should crush your opponent . ''
Morano : ' I 'm not a researcher , but every now and then I play one on TV' Morano : ‘ I ’ m not a researcher , but every now and then I play one on TV ’ This is the story of a group of men who for decades have been trying to make all of us doubt the effects of climate change .
That uncertainty has been created by the oil companies , among other things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convincing debaters from conservative think tanks .
One of them is Marc Morano .
He is head of communications at the think tank CFACT .
For many years he has been involved in the climate debate , although he answers the question of whether he has a research and climate background : – I ’ m not a researcher , but I occasionally appear as one on television .
Meet Marc Morano and get the full story of the campaign against the climate in the video above .
Climate Depot Note : This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doubt ” argument on Danish TV .
Rebuttals here : Dr. Singer : ‘ I would prefer to avoid having to go to court ; but if we do , we are confident that we will prevail.
’ ‘ Oreskes book “ Merchants of Doubt ” contains a number of serious scientific errors ; also , it is not in accordance with the kind of scholarship expected from an academic historian .
Instead of primary sources , she relies on secondary and even tertiary sources who have obvious , demonstrated agenda.
’ Reviews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in warmist film is ‘ terrifyingly impressive , sadistic ’ – ‘ Evil Personified ’ ‘ The doc ’ s most engaging character ’ – ‘ A magnificent antihero , a cheery , chatty prevaricator ’ – ‘ Slick ’ – ‘ Scary ’ – ‘ A loathsome mercenary ’ – ‘ Sleazy spin doctor ’ Wash. Post : ‘ Morano is , arguably , the star of ‘ Merchants of Doubt ’ – ‘ Morano makes for a jocular — and weirdly unapologetic — advocate for what can only be called ignorance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientist , ” Morano jokes , flashing a huge , telegenic grin , “ but I play one on TV.
” ‘ Merchants of Doubt ’ director Kenner , 65 , does admire people such as Marc Morano , a professional climate-change denier and founder of the Climate Depot Web site who is , arguably , the star of Kenner ’ s film .
After a stint in the 1990s reporting for Rush Limbaugh , Morano worked briefly as a flack for Sen. James M. Inhofe ( R-Okla. ) , who famously called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , Morano most often pops up on TV shows arguing against the science of climate change .
In front of Kenner ’ s camera , Morano makes for a jocular — and weirdly unapologetic — advocate for what can only be called ignorance .
‘ Kenner blames the Marc Moranos of the world , who are paid to sow not just doubt but fear.
’ Climatologist Dr. Judith Curry rips the ‘ bankruptcy of the ‘ Merchants of Doubt ’ meme – ‘ Morano is actually quite broadly knowledgeable about climate science @ @ @ @ @


climatedepot--2020-08-11--COVID lockdowns to morph into climate lockdowns: Biden’s VP pick Kamala Harris seeks Green New Deal

COVID lockdowns to morph into climate lockdowns: Biden’s VP pick Kamala Harris seeks Green New Deal so ‘we can change human behaviors’

Climate Depot 's Marc Morano : `` The Biden Harris ticket will go all-in on climate absurdity .
Promoting 'solutions ' like zero-emission goals and the Green New Deal .
If elected , their policies would further wreak havoc on the American economy already ravaged by COVID lockdowns and restrictions .
If Biden and Harris are elected , expect the COVID lockdowns to morph into the climate lockdowns . ''
See : Flashback : ‘ Fantastic ’ for the climate : Activists See Coronavirus Lockdowns As Dress Rehearsal for ‘ Climate Emergency ’ – Special Report Joe Biden has selected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate .
( See : Biden picks California Senator Kamala Harris as VP nominee ) Harris has been a staunch advocate for climate change and a big booster of the Green New Deal .
In 2019 , Harris promoted the Green New Deal as a way “ we can change human behaviors.
” “ It is a fact that we can change human behaviors without much change to our lifestyle and we can save the future generations of our country and this world , ” Harris said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the climate debate .
See : Kamala Harris , Ocasio-Cortez Push ‘ Climate Equity Act ’ To Be Scored Based On How Much They Impact Black People – Sen. Kamala Harris of California and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York are teaming up on a proposal requiring lawmakers who introduce climate bills to consider the impact such legislation will have on black people and poor communities .
Former Vice President Al Gore is happy with the pick of Harris for VP .
Biden “ has selected an extraordinary running mate in Kamala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental justice a top priority in her career in public service.
, ” Gore wrote .
Gore said in a tweet that Kamala Harris “ has made climate and environmental justice a top priority ” in her political career , and he said she ’ d be a “ strong advocate in the White House.
” The Sierra Club ’ s Michael Brune called Harris “ a true leader who recognizes that climate action does not exist without climate justice .
The Biden Harris 2020 is the strongest environmental ticket ever.
” Kamala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transition ’ To Installing Wind Turbines And Solar Panels Kamala Harris laughs about paper straws quickly collapsing , but still wants to ban plastic straws Climate change is an imminent threat to our planet unless we correct course .
It ’ s within our power to do so .
Now is the time .
pic.twitter.com/q1mToVv6GE 2019 : How Kamala Harris ’ s $ 10 trillion plan would address climate change – California Sen. Kamala Harris on Wednesday released her plan for addressing climate change , calling for $ 10 trillion in public and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and invoking her past as a prosecutor to target companies that are driving greenhouse gas emissions .
“ As president , I will hold polluters accountable for the damage they inflict upon our environment and set us on a path to a 100 percent clean economy that creates millions of good-paying jobs , ” Harris said in a statement .
“ This crisis demands urgency and boldness , and as president , I will act.
” Biden ’ s Green Dreams Are About Controlling You , Not The Climate – His Green New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ it will only decrease your standard of living ’ Steve Milloy : “ None of what the Joe Biden green team has in store will improve the environment ; it will only make your life poorer and harder.
” “ A green push is a political agenda .
It ’ s not about controlling the climate .
It ’ s about controlling you .
You can see this for yourself in the prescriptive lifestyle climate activists demand : Don ’ t eat meat .
You don ’ t need a car .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ water .
Dry your clothes on a clothesline .
As Al Gore asked at the end of his 2007 movie , “ An Inconvenient Truth , ” “ Are you ready to change the way you live ?
” While you ’ re changing the way you live , China , India , and soon Africa will be emitting greenhouse gases like there ’ s no tomorrow to raise their national standards of living.
” “ A Biden administration would move to ban fracking , the oil production technology that has liberated Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries , or OPEC , cartel .
In no time , American drivers would be facing European-style gas prices and sweating every time Iran , Russia , or Saudi Arabia moved to threaten the global oil supply.
” The New York Times recently ran an opinion column commanding readers to “ Stop Using Toilet Paper.
” It advocated for using something reusable or upgrading your toilet so it shoots streams of targeted water .
It seems nothing environmental extremists do can be too intrusive .
Watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Green New Deal as AOC Backs Out : The Dem Party has shifted ‘ into serious , unscientific , nutty territory ’ Watch : Morano on Fox & Friends on CNN ’ s 2020 Democrats Climate ‘ Crisis ’ Town Hall – They seek to be ‘ the masterminds of our economy , regulating every aspect ’


climatedepot--2020-08-11--Harris Poll: Americans No Longer Care About ‘Climate Change’ (Sorry Greta) – Rates ‘2nd to last on a

Harris Poll: Americans No Longer Care About ‘Climate Change’ (Sorry Greta) – Rates ‘2nd to last on a list of a dozen options, ahead of only overpopulation’

We asked a panel of U.S. adults a series of questions about today ’ s most crucial issues , environmental policy options , and their own behavior .
In all three categories , I was personally surprised and discouraged to discover that our devotion to the world around us is flagging .
In a survey we at the Harris Poll conducted last December , American adults said climate change was the number one issue facing society .
Today , it comes in second to last on a list of a dozen options , ahead of only overpopulation .
Among Gen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than third dismiss climate change as unimportant .
COVID-19 and the recession have , of course , reordered priorities around the world .
Still , the coronavirus didn ’ t elbow aside other issues as muscularly as it did climate change .
( Incidentally , global warming is a bigger concern to retirement-age women than any other age group except millennial men . )
Additionally , we asked about policies the government could adopt to fight global warming or help the environment generally .
There was majority support for only one of nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credits or rebates for greater energy efficiency in buildings .
Moreover , 13 % of all respondents say the government should do nothing to improve the environment , a stance that rises to nearly one in five of all survey takers in the South .
More telling is what we are doing—or should I say , what we no longer are doing .
We know from this survey , conducted on July 24 , that American adults are burning less fuel than they did before the pandemic hit .
In pre-COVID-19 America , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to drive .
Today , with more people working from home , or not working at all , just 61 % say they are using their cars to get around .
Similarly , only 14 % of adults say they are still flying , down from 21 % last winter .
That ’ s an environmental plus since it means we ’ re pumping less greenhouse gas into the air .
But we are also reverting back to a society that throws too much away .
Younger men , in particular , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single-use plastic bags and disposable boxes , often with those plastic straws scorned for littering the landscape and polluting waterways .
We are toting reusable bags less often on errands .
Probably because more of us are home , we also are consuming more energy to keep our homes cooler in the summer and warmer in chilly months than we used to .
And when the pandemic ends—or at least is suitably controlled—American adults say they ’ ll behave in ways that would increase their carbon footprint .
According to our survey , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we did before , take public transportation less , bicycle or walk less , buy more clothes , and have more stuff packaged up and shipped to our homes .
And most of us plan to jack up the home AC and heat even more than we already have .


climatedepot--2020-08-11--Teen Activist Accuses Greta Thunberg Of ‘Spilling Out Propaganda’

Naomi Seibt ( pictured ) , the German dubbed the ‘ anti-Greta Thunberg ’ of climate change , targeted Ms. Thunberg for “ not knowing any more than a random teenager ” after the Swedish teenager waded into a row over coronavirus .
Fury erupted earlier this year after Ms. Thunberg had been chosen on a panel of so-called experts to discuss the world ’ s handling of the coronavirus .
Attacks were aimed towards broadcaster CNN for Ms. Thunberg ’ s inclusion , including Ms. Seibt , who claimed her rival had as much knowledge of the topic as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an exclusive chat with Express.co.uk .
Ms. Seibt likened Ms. Thunberg ’ s alleged “ expertise ” to herself , by playfully saying she could be a doctor because she “ once sewed my teddy bear ’ s arm back on ” .
But it wasn ’ t just the space made for Ms. Thunberg on the panel that riled Ms. Seibt .
She accused CNN of offering a platform to the activist to spout her views on the discussion , and inevitably climate change .
Ms. Seibt said : “ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case of the coronavirus because at least she was a climate activist in some sense .
“ And at least she said we need to listen to the experts , although in terms of climate change she never names who those experts are .
“ But in the case of the coronavirus , she doesn ’ t have a clue about what is going on and who knows the most about the coronavirus and what we should do .
“ So she just spills the propaganda that she is so supposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Greta doesn ’ t know any more than any random teenage girl who reads the mainstream news .
“ I was actually shocked that she was invited on that panel as an expert .
I think she was even called an expert on that panel.
” Although condemned on social media , CNN and Ms. Thunberg herself defended her inclusion on the panel by claiming she was not on there as an expert .
Taking to Twitter , Ms. Thunberg explained : “ It seems some people thought I was going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of course has never been the case .
“ I am not an expert .
I am an activist .
“ The only people claiming that I ’ m an ‘ expert ’ are those who are trying to ridicule me.
” Ms. Seibt – who does not like the comparison to Ms. Thunberg , who she says has left youngsters around the globe “ panicked when they should have hope ” – and her anger at the teen arose after she was unable to discuss varying opinions on climate change .
Ms. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a byproduct of the use of fossil fuels – does affect the climate , but she argues that how bad it is for the environment is constantly blown out of proportion by the likes of Ms. Thunberg .
Ms. Thunberg and her army of supporters refer to research from 2013 that claims 97 percent of scientists argued that human activities are behind climate change .
Previously , Ms. Seibt has said that that research was “ way too vague ” , and has called on institutions such as the European Union to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to reach a more fair consensus on how to tackle the decline of the world ’ s environment .


climatedepot--2020-08-11--‘Cheap’ Offshore Wind Power Is An Expensive Green Delusion

Back in 2017 , there was great excitement among environmentalists and the media , when it was announced that two offshore windfarms had bid remarkably low prices into the government ’ s Contracts for Difference auction , offering to supply electricity to the grid for around half the price that had been seen in earlier auctions .
How had this remarkable change in the economics of offshore wind power been achieved ?
Nobody really knew for sure , although eco-minded correspondents in the mainstream media were insistent that the change was real .
In a paper published shortly afterward , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there was little evidence that the costs of offshore wind farms were falling at all .
Indeed , they were generally rising , as developers moved into deeper waters in search of more reliable wind speeds .
Even discounting factors like this , like-for-like costs seemed to be only falling slightly .
There was absolutely no sign of revolutionary change .
Defenders of the green orthodoxy argued that the Hughes analysis was backward-looking , and couldn ’ t take into account technological advances ( although they never said clearly what these were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theory , outlined in a later paper , is that the low CfD bids are in essence a gamble on future electricity prices .
He thinks that the developers are hoping that electricity prices will be so high by the time the windfarms come on stream in 2022 that they will be able to walk away from their CfDs and take the market price instead .
There would be only small contractual penalties for doing so .
Hughes et al .
have continued to argue that the cost of offshore wind power remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some more hard evidence appeared showing that Hughes is correct .
One of the low-bidding windfarms published its latest financial accounts , and these allow us to get a feel for whether the cost reductions are real .
Moray East is a 100-turbine , 950MW behemoth that is currently under development off the Scottish coast .
The developers have said that it will cost £2.6 billion to build , although this figure comes with caveats .
It almost certainly doesn ’ t include the offshore transmission assets that the company has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grid .
Moreover , announced costs for wind farms are invariably understated .
Hughes thinks that the ultimate cost will be somewhere around £3.8 billion .
If the wind farm is to make a profit at around £60/MWh , its costs need to be less than half that level ( on an optimistic assumption about how much electricity it will generate ) and more realistically a third of it .
As at the year-end ( 31 December 2019 ) , Moray East was still in the early phases of development .
The foundations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission assets were under construction , but far from finished .
Ducting for some of the cables had been completed .
How much would we expect the company to have spent thus far ?
I used the cost breakdown analysis published here to work out the percentage of total cost represented by each of the main components .
I then applied these , and a guesstimate of how complete each component was , together with Hughes ’ £3.8 billion total to come up with an expectation .
The answer : just over £1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far ?
£1.2 billion .
It seems almost unarguable therefore that this is a £3.8 billion wind farm , not a £1.9 million one ( which is what it would have to be profitable under the CfD , even making the most generous assumptions about the capacity factor that it might achieve ) .
It could be argued that my guesstimates are wildly wrong , but think about it in another way .
To make a profit at £60/MWh , Moray East ’ s capital cost must be well below £1.9 billion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to complete the rest of the capital works – including the turbines themselves – for £0.7 billion .
This isn ’ t going to happen .
Electricity is either going to become very , very expensive , or certain investors in the offshore wind business are going to lose their shirts .
Read more at The GWPF


climatedepot--2020-08-11--Media Blame Isaias On Climate Change – As Hurricane Numbers Decline

Hurricane Isaias hadn ’ t even made landfall in the United States before the media began proclaiming Isaias was the result of human-caused climate change .
Not only is there no evidence for such a claim , but hurricane numbers have been declining as global temperatures modestly warm .
Also , even the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) disputes any connection between global warming and hurricanes .
A New York Times article , titled “ Hurricane , Fire , Covid-19 : Disasters Expose the Hard Reality of Climate Change , ” provided typical media coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Twin emergencies on two coasts this week — Hurricane Isaias and the Apple Fire — offer a preview of life in a warming world and the steady danger of overlapping disasters.
” There is nothing unusual , however , about hurricanes forming and wildfires burning simultaneously since the hurricane and wildfire seasons overlap .
TV weatherman Dan Satterfield added to the misinformation , publishing a blog post titled “ Hurricane Isaias Will Be Wetter and Stronger Because of Climate Change.
” Satterfield cited no evidence for this claim – because there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as detailed in Climate at a Glance : Hurricanes , hurricane impacts are at an all-time low .
“ The United States recently went more than a decade ( 2005 through 2017 ) without a major hurricane measuring Category 3 or higher , which is the longest such period in recorded history , ” notes the Climate at a Glancesummary .
“ The United States also recently experienced the fewest number of hurricane strikes in any eight-year period ( 2009 through 2017 ) in recorded history .
Additionally , America ’ s most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an 11-year period ( 2005 through 2016 ) without a landfalling hurricane of any size—the longest such period in recorded history.
” Even the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2018 “ Interim Report ” observes there is “ only low confidence for the attribution of any detectable changes in tropical cyclone activity to anthropogenic influences.
” Applied to Isaias , strong upper-level wind shear battered Isaiasin the Caribbean Sea .
That wind shear prevented Isaias from becoming very organized and was the primary reason the storm struggled to barely reach Category 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Glance : Hurricanes , “ Wind shear inhibits strong storms from forming and rips apart storms that have already formed .
Scientists have learned that global warming is likely to cause more wind shear in places where hurricanes form and intensify.
” And indeed , the much-ballyhooed warmer ocean waters due to global warming were no match for the global warming-fueled wind shear that stunted Isaias ’ growth .
In summary , real-world hurricane data , the United Nations IPCC , and the particular history of Isaias show global warming did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse .
Any assertion to the contrary is fake science , even in the eyes of the United Nations .
Therefore , we can thankfully expect Facebook and Twitter to soon issue a warning label , or block anyone from linking to or reposting , the media ’ s false claims that global warming spawned or worsened Isaias .


climatedepot--2020-08-11--German ZDF Public Television Under Fire For Use Of Deceptive, Fudged Hockey Stick Chart

‘ Die Welt ’ science editor Axel Bojanowski ( right ) comments “ This is how climate change is forged ” .
He had 4 leading scientists confirm the above hockey stick chart was dubious .
Image : Die Welt , Source : : DeWikiMan/commons.wikimedia.org/CC BY-SA 4.0 ; Bojanowski/private ZDF weather moderator Özden Terli under fire : Did he deceive viewers on historical climate with sleight of hand ?
ZDF meteorologist Özden Terli has been a topic at this blog several times .
Now ‘ Die Welt ’ science editor Axel Bojanowski has taken a closer look at a weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presented July 24 , 2020 .
The article is behind a paywall , but is worth the money .
The centerpiece is the chart from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research ( PIK ) .
It depicts a hockey stick temperature curve that is supposed to convey drama .
Excerpt from the article in Die Welt : The weather report of the “ Heute Journal ” on ZDF on July 24th presented something that was supposed to be sensational .
Moderator Özden Terli presented a graph that allegedly showed the course of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Age .
At first ‘ the warming was very slow , ’ Terli explained , ‘ and then it was stable for a long time ’ .
Suddenly , however , since around 1900 , the temperature “ jumped up ” .
The graph showed an almost vertical red line , the peak of which far exceeded all temperatures since the Ice Age .
“ This jump is quite enormous , ” Terli said .
Millions of viewers were shown that the present day would be warmer than all the rest of human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a scientific sensation , or a hoax.
” Bojanowski interviewed several experts on the subject and their reactions speak volumes because the graph cleverly mixed two things together , namely smoothed averages from the past with measured current values .
Fluctuations in the past can thus no longer be seen .
The experts ’ verdict was unanimous : it is dubious .
Bojanowski analyzes : The graph was a sleight of hand : the steep red line at the end was not comparable to the data in the previous period .
It showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the 19th century .
However , no such precise records exist for earlier times .
Most of the time in the history of civilization can only be shown with average values .
Often there is only one temperature value for hundreds of years , or data has been “ smoothed ” , i.e .
only its average value is shown – short-term warming or cooling is not shown .
In order to make the period from industrialization to the present day ( the steep red line ) comparable with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it should therefore only be shown as a dot showing the average temperature from 1900 to the present day – the red line would only be an inconspicuous dot.
” And because Bojanowski has been there before , the subject of drought can be brought up again .
In a weather report Terli attributed this to changes in the climate system .
But without going into other sources .
Perhaps the weatherman would then have noticed that annual precipitation in Germany has increased over the past 120 years .
… It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wetter , Katka Horneffer , allows Özden Terli to include such inserts in the weather report again and again .


climatedepot--2020-08-12--Polls show ‘climate change’ issue going down in flames as coronavirus steals spotlight

Even as Democrats place climate change at the forefront of their election strategy , polls show the novel coronavirus pandemic is taking the wind out of the climate issue ’ s sails .
A Harris Poll survey conducted for Fortune found that climate change has dropped since December from first to second-to-last on a list of a dozen issues facing society , according to Harris CEO Will Johnson , who added he was “ personally surprised and discouraged to discover that our devotion to the world around us is flagging.
” “ Among Gen X men , in fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unimportant , ” said Mr. Johnson in a Monday post .
“ COVID-19 and the recession have , of course , reordered priorities around the world .
Still , the coronavirus didn ’ t elbow aside other issues as muscularly as it did climate change.
” The post was headlined : “ Amid COVID-19 , Americans don ’ t care about climate change anymore.
” Meanwhile , a Gallup poll taken July 1-23 found climate change ranked last on a list of 16 non-economic issues , with “ coronavirus/diseases ” ranking first and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second , while crime and the judicial system rose in importance .
Only 1 % of 1,007 U.S. adults surveyed ranked “ climate change/environment/pollution ” as “ the most important problem facing this country today , ” down from 2 % in the May 28-June 4 poll , according to the Gallup results released Aug. 5 .
The surveys come as Democrats for trillion-dollar investments in wind and solar energy as part of a national strategy to combat the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide .
The Biden campaign ’ s climate plan would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emissions by 2050 .
Previous surveys have shown that Americans are concerned about climate change but not concerned enough to open their wallets .
An AP-NORC poll released last year found that 68 % were unwilling to foot even a $ 10 increase in their monthly electricity bill to combat global warming .
“ Was there any amount Americans were willing to pay to combat climate change ?
Yes , $ 1 dollar , ” said the Cato Institute analysis .
“ Fifty‐seven percent ( 57 % ) of Americans would be willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fee in their electric bills to combat climate change.
” Given a list of nine policy initiatives that could “ fight global warming or help the environment generally , ” the Harris Poll found that only one drew majority support : 51 % supported “ tax credits or rebates for greater energy efficiency in buildings.
” “ Moreover , 13 % of all respondents say the government should do nothing to improve the environment , a stance that rises to nearly one in five of all survey takers in the South , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic has resulted in reduce greenhouse-gas emissions .
Airline travel has plummeted , and car travel has also decreased as many Americans work from home under shelter-in-place orders .
When the pandemic ends or comes under control , however , “ American adults say they ’ ll behave in ways that would increase their carbon footprint , ” Mr. Johnson said .
“ According to our survey , we ’ ll drive as much as we did before , take public transportation less , bicycle or walk less , buy more clothes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shipped to our homes , ” he said .
“ And most of us plan to jack up the home AC and heat even more than we already have.
” The poll of 1,083 representative respondents also found that a plurality , or 39 % , saw the pandemic as good for the environment in the short run , but damaging in the long term .
Climate activists have sought to connect the virus to global emissions .
Former Vice President Al Gore tweeted in May that “ we are in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic and climate change.
” “ The climate activists are still in shock over how their issue has collapsed as a concern among the public , ” said Climate Depot ’ s Marc Morano in an email .
“ The environmental left is now striving to figure out how to piggyback the climate issues onto COVID in order to stay relevant.
” Junk Science ’ s Steve Milloy , a member of President Trump ’ s EPA transition team , said in a statement that the Gallup poll “ shows that once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on climate change.
” “ Real , serious threats confronting the nation today ( coronavirus , the economy , China , and urban rioting to name a few ) rationally and greatly outweigh the alarmist fantasies of far-off bad weather , ” said Mr. Milloy .
“ Perhaps Joe Biden and the Democratic Party should take note .
”


climatedepot--2020-08-12--Oil Drilling Drops to 15-Year Low With Shale in Full Retreat Due to ‘Worldwide Lockdowns’

( Bloomberg ) — Drillers cut exploration in U.S. oil fields to a 15-year low as billions of barrels from old discoveries became worthless and explorers abandoned growth plans .
The number of active oil rigs in the U.S. fell by four to 176 , the lowest since 2005 , according to Baker Hughes Co. data released Friday .
Energy companies have been parking rigs on an almost uninterrupted streak for more than four and half months .
Stung by the pandemic-driven slump in demand and prices , oil explorers are fleeing from the very lifeblood of their business : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corp. and Chevron Corp. have warned they probably will wipe billions of barrels of reserves from their books because weak prices have made them unprofitable to pump .
Instead of searching for new untapped deposits of crude , oil executives are channeling cash into dividends and other shareholder-friendly initiatives to appease investors fed up with years of poor returns .
© Bloomberg Shale explorers parked three quarters of working rigs in 2020 “ North American E & Ps are in a battle for investment relevance , not a battle for global market share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer at Parsley Energy Inc. , told analysts during a conference call .
“ Allocating growth capital into a global market with artificially constrained supply is a trap our industry has fallen into time and time again.
” Most of the weekly rig decline occurred in the Permian Basin , North America ’ s biggest oil field , the data showed .
Drilling also dropped in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas and stagnated in the Bakken and Denver-Julesburg regions in North Dakota and Colorado , respectively .
Worldwide lockdowns to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on crude demand at a time when shale explorers were already struggling with too much debt and restive shareholders .
While benchmark U.S. oil futures have roughly doubled to $ 40 a barrel since the start of May , prices are still down by more than 30 % for the year .


climatedepot--2020-08-12--New Study: Green New Deals: Bad for Americans & Bad for Europeans: ‘Would drive energy prices higher

New Study: Green New Deals: Bad for Americans & Bad for Europeans: ‘Would drive energy prices higher, disproportionately harming low-income Europeans, while doing little to improve the climate’

The American Green New Deal ( GND ) has far more to do with government control than it does climate @ @ @ @ @ reasoning can and should be applied to the European GND .
Policymakers on both sides @ @ @ @ @ market-based reforms that will drive innovation and economic growth and yield better environmental outcomes .
@ @ @ @ @ measures such as the GND will leave Europeans worse off economically and environmentally .
Europe @ @ @ @ @ proposal promises no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 but would reduce living standards @ @ @ @ @ economic freedom .
A European Green New Deal would drive energy prices higher , disproportionately @ @ @ @ @ doing little to improve the climate .
The EU should instead roll back energy subsidies @ @ @ @ @ fuels regulations or bans , and keep the door open for nuclear energy .


climatedepot--2020-08-13--Train derailment blamed on ‘climate change’ – ‘Scotland’s transport sec. said the climate crisis is

Train derailment blamed on ‘climate change’ – ‘Scotland’s transport sec. said the climate crisis is presenting increasing challenges for rail safety’

Scottish minister warns of ‘ climate challenge ’ after Stonehaven train crash By Libby Brooks and Gwyn Topham The climate crisis is presenting increasing challenges for rail safety , senior transport figures have warned , as family and friends paid tribute to three people who died in a derailment in Aberdeenshire following thunderstorms and torrential rain .
The train ’ s driver , Brett McCullough , and conductor , Donald Dinnie , died along with a passenger , Christopher Stuchbury , when the 6.38am Aberdeen to Glasgow service came off the tracks and slid down an embankment near Carmont , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A further six people were injured , two of whom remain in hospital , both in a stable condition .
Visiting the site of the accident on Thursday , the Scottish transport secretary , Michael Matheson , said it was reasonable to presume the weather had had an impact on events , adding he hoped investigating authorities would advise whether efforts to address the challenges posed by extreme weather events should be stepped up .
“ [ Network Rail ] are well aware of our views about the need to make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ types of mitigations that help to manage a challenge of these types of localised , intense weather events , ” he said .
He also sought to reassure the public , adding : “ These tragic events are very rare .
It ’ s now some 13 years since someone was killed on the railway network in the UK because of an incident of this nature and safety standards over the last 20-30 years have increased significantly to make the railway network one of the safest in Europe.
” Claim : ‘ Climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steel Bridges to Collapse by 2040 – In this study , we attempt to quantify the effect of clogged joints and climate change on failure of the superstructure of a class of steel bridges around the U.S .


climatedepot--2020-08-13--‘I was personally surprised & discouraged’ – Harris Poll CEO laments: ‘Americans Don’t Care About Cl

‘I was personally surprised & discouraged’ – Harris Poll CEO laments: ‘Americans Don’t Care About Climate Change Anymore’ – Drops from #1 issue to 2nd to last

Marc Morano responds : “ The climate activists are still in shock over how their issue has collapsed as a concern among the public , ” said Climate Depot ’ s Marc Morano in an email .
“ The environmental left is now striving to figure out how to piggyback the climate issues onto COVID in order to stay relevant.
” '' Maybe when we ’ re feeling safer and more prosperous , we ’ ll care more about the fate of our planet .
For now , though , global warming isn ’ t the rallying cause it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Additionally , we asked about policies the government could adopt to fight global warming or help the environment generally .
There was majority support for only one of nine initiatives , with 51 % endorsing tax credits or rebates for greater energy efficiency in buildings .
Moreover , 13 % of all respondents say the government should do nothing to improve the environment , a stance that rises to nearly one in five of all survey takers in the South . ''
Will Johnson , CEO of the Harris Poll : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discover that our devotion to the world around us is flagging ...
In a survey we at the Harris Poll conducted last December , American adults said climate change was the number one issue facing society .
Today , it comes in second to last on a list of a dozen options , ahead of only overpopulation .
Among Gen X men , in fact , more than third dismiss climate change as unimportant . ''
Battered by pandemic and economic collapse , do Americans have the capacity to care about the environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a national poll we just conducted .
We asked a panel of U.S. adults a series of questions about today ’ s most crucial issues , environmental policy options , and their own behavior .
In all three categories , I was personally surprised and discouraged to discover that our devotion to the world around us is flagging .
In a survey we at the Harris Poll conducted last December , American adults said climate change was the number one issue facing society .
Today , it comes in second to last on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of only overpopulation .
Among Gen X men , in fact , more than third dismiss climate change as unimportant .
COVID-19 and the recession have , of course , reordered priorities around the world .
Still , the coronavirus didn ’ t elbow aside other issues as muscularly as it did climate change .
( Incidentally , global warming is a bigger concern to retirement-age women than any other age group except millennial men . )
Additionally , we asked about policies the government could adopt to fight global warming or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority support for only one of nine initiatives , with 51 % endorsing tax credits or rebates for greater energy efficiency in buildings .
Moreover , 13 % of all respondents say the government should do nothing to improve the environment , a stance that rises to nearly one in five of all survey takers in the South .
More telling is what we are doing—or should I say what we no longer are doing .
We know from this survey , conducted on July 24 , that American adults are burning less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit .
In pre-COVID-19 America , 77 % of adults said they used to drive .
Today , with more people working from home , or not working at all , just 61 % say they are using their cars to get around .
Similarly , only 14 % of adults say they are still flying , down from 21 % last winter .
That ’ s an environmental plus , since it means we ’ re pumping less greenhouse gas into the air .
But we are also reverting back to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Younger men in particular are ordering more takeout food , packed in single-use plastic bags and disposable boxes , often with those plastic straws scorned for littering the landscape and polluting waterways .
We are toting reusable bags less often on errands .
Probably because more of us are home , we also are consuming more energy to keep our homes cooler in the summer and warmer in chilly months than we used to .
And when the pandemic ends—or at least is suitably controlled—American adults say they ’ ll behave in ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to our survey , we ’ ll drive as much as we did before , take public transportation less , bicycle or walk less , buy more clothes , and have more stuff packaged up and shipped to our homes .
And most of us plan to jack up the home AC and heat even more than we already have .
There are some bright spots for the environmental cause .
Americans are shifting their diets away from meat .
( Cattle for dairy and beef production is one of the biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approximately 15 % of worldwide emissions . )
Two-thirds of us say we currently recycle at home , and even more say we will , though how much of what we put in our blue bins actually gets recycled is another matter .
Air travel won ’ t be coming back to pre-pandemic levels , our survey shows .
And we say we ’ ll pick up our reusable bags again .
One last point : Americans know the consequences of backsliding .
We asked the survey ’ s 1,083 representative respondents whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment short term and long term .
The multiple choice option chosen the most , at 39 % , is that it is helping short term , but causing long-term damage .
Maybe when we ’ re feeling safer and more prosperous , we ’ ll care more about the fate of our planet .
For now , though , global warming isn ’ t the rallying cause it was only a few months ago .
Will Johnson is CEO of the Harris Poll , one of the world ’ s leading public @ @ @ @


climatedepot--2020-08-13--Shock research shows masks ineffective during surgeries: ‘A lack of substantial evidence to support

Shock research shows masks ineffective during surgeries: ‘A lack of substantial evidence to support claims that facemasks protect either patient or surgeon from infectious contamination’

Ritter et al.
, in 1975 , found that “ the wearing of a surgical face mask had no effect upon the overall operating room environmental contamination.
” Ha ’ eri and Wiley , in 1980 , applied human albumin microspheres to the interior of surgical masks in 20 operations .
At the end of each operation , wound washings were examined under the microscope .
“ Particle contamination of the wound was demonstrated in all experiments.
” Laslett and Sabin , in 1989 , found that caps and masks were not necessary during cardiac catheterization .
“ No infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of whether a cap or mask was used , ” they wrote .
Sjøl and Kelbaek came to the same conclusion in 2002 .
A review by Skinner and Sutton in 2001 concluded that “ The evidence for discontinuing the use of surgical face masks would appear to be stronger than the evidence available to support their continued use.
” Lahme et al.
, in 2001 , wrote that “ surgical face masks worn by patients during regional anaesthesia , did not reduce the concentration of airborne bacteria over the operation field in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by Chris of the family Masters As a person who went to medical school , I was shocked when I read Neil Orr ’ s study , published in 1981 in the Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England .
Dr. Orr was a surgeon in the Severalls Surgical Unit in Colchester .
And for six months , from March through August 1980 , the surgeons and staff in that unit decided to see what would happen if they did not wear masks during surgeries .
They wore no masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate of surgical wound infections from March through August 1980 with the rate of wound infections from March through August of the previous four years .
And they discovered , to their amazement , that when nobody wore masks during surgeries , the rate of wound infections was less than half what it was when everyone wore masks .
Their conclusion : “ It would appear that minimum contamination can best be achieved by not wearing a mask at all ” and that wearing a mask during surgery “ is a standard procedure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so amazed that I scoured the medical literature , sure that this was a fluke and that newer studies must show the utility of masks in preventing the spread of disease .
But to my surprise the medical literature for the past forty-five years has been consistent : masks are useless in preventing the spread of disease and , if anything , are unsanitary objects that themselves spread bacteria and viruses .
• Ritter et al.
, in 1975 , found that “ the wearing of a surgical face mask had no effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” • Ha ’ eri and Wiley , in 1980 , applied human albumin microspheres to the interior of surgical masks in 20 operations .
At the end of each operation , wound washings were examined under the microscope .
“ Particle contamination of the wound was demonstrated in all experiments.
” • Laslett and Sabin , in 1989 , found that caps and masks were not necessary during cardiac catheterization .
“ No infections were found in any patient , regardless of whether a cap or mask was used , ” they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same conclusion in 2002 .
• In Tunevall ’ s 1991 study , a general surgical team wore no masks in half of their surgeries for two years .
After 1,537 operations performed with masks , the wound infection rate was 4.7 % , while after 1,551 operations performed without masks , the wound infection rate was only 3.5 % .
• A review by Skinner and Sutton in 2001 concluded that “ The evidence for discontinuing the use of surgical face masks would appear to be stronger than the evidence available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lahme et al.
, in 2001 , wrote that “ surgical face masks worn by patients during regional anaesthesia , did not reduce the concentration of airborne bacteria over the operation field in our study .
Thus they are dispensable.
” • Figueiredo et al.
, in 2001 , reported that in five years of doing peritoneal dialysis without masks , rates of peritonitis in their unit were no different than rates in hospitals where masks were worn .
• Bahli did a systematic literature review in 2009 and found that “ no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wound infection was observed between masks groups and groups operated with no masks.
” • Surgeons at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden , recognizing the lack of evidence supporting the use of masks , ceased requiring them in 2010 for anesthesiologists and other non-scrubbed personnel in the operating room .
“ Our decision to no longer require routine surgical masks for personnel not scrubbed for surgery is a departure from common practice .
But the evidence to support this practice does not exist , ” wrote Dr. Eva Sellden .
• Webster et @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obstetric , gynecological , general , orthopaedic , breast and urological surgeries performed on 827 patients .
All non-scrubbed staff wore masks in half the surgeries , and none of the non-scrubbed staff wore masks in half the surgeries .
Surgical site infections occurred in 11.5 % of the Mask group , and in only 9.0 % of the No Mask group .
• Lipp and Edwards reviewed the surgical literature in 2014 and found “ no statistically significant difference in infection rates between the masked and unmasked group in any of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review in 2016 and the conclusion was the same .
• Carøe , in a 2014 review based on four studies and 6,006 patients , wrote that “ none of the four studies found a difference in the number of post-operative infections whether you used a surgical mask or not.
” • Salassa and Swiontkowski , in 2014 , investigated the necessity of scrubs , masks and head coverings in the operating room and concluded that “ there is no evidence that these measures reduce the prevalence of surgical site infection.
” • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literature in 2015 , concluded that “ there is a lack of substantial evidence to support claims that facemasks protect either patient or surgeon from infectious contamination.
” Schools in China are now prohibiting students from wearing masks while exercising .
Why ?
Because it was killing them .
It was depriving them of oxygen and it was killing them .
At least three children died during Physical Education classes — two of them while running on their school ’ s track while wearing a mask .
And a 26-year-old man suffered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half miles while wearing a mask .
Mandating masks has not kept death rates down anywhere .
The 20 U.S. states that have never ordered people to wear face masks indoors and out have dramatically lower COVID-19 death rates than the 30 states that have mandated masks .
Most of the no-mask states have COVID-19 death rates below 20 per 100,000 population , and none have a death rate higher than 55 .
All 13 states that have death rates higher 55 are states that have required the wearing of masks in all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
“ We are living in an atmosphere of permanent illness , of meaningless separation , ” writes Benjamin Cherry in the Summer 2020 issue of New View magazine .
A separation that is destroying lives , souls , and nature .
_____________ * from Christopher Fry , A Sleep of Prisoners , 1951 .
Masks as magical thinking : Many ‘ claim to believe in science .
In reality , they believe in scientists .
There is a very big difference ’ PETER HITCHENS : Face masks turn us into voiceless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science forcing us to wear them , it ’ s politics – Lockdowns are ‘ the biggest state takeover of life & work ever attempted by non-Communists ’ Statistician Dr. Matt Briggs : ‘ Mask Madness — Our Latest Moral Panic ’ – ‘ Having healthy asymptomatic people wear masks at what is clearly the end of a routine pandemic is asinine ’ Dr. Briggs : “ We might as well have a tinfoil hat mandate to protect from aliens .
It would , at this point , be just as useful.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This time not against alcohol , but against breath .
Three-quarters of Americans falsely believe death is lurking in people ’ s breath.
” “ The AP , like our dear leaders , uses the term “ cases ” as if they were cases , i.e .
illness requiring treatment .
When what these foolish people mean is infections , symptomatic or not , past or present .
It is medical malpractice to mix the two up.
” “ As said , it is probably not worth looking at the evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are made up.
” “ Forcing masks on people in “ passing encounters in public spaces ” has no medical justification .
None.
” Settled science ?
In 2006 The ‘ Science ’ Of Pandemic Mitigation Was Nearly The Opposite Of What It Is In 2020 Flashback 2006 study : ‘ Surgical mask does little to prevent inhalation of small droplets bearing influenza virus…air stream simply diverts around the mask ’ On masks : “ But studies have shown the ordinary surgical mask does little to prevent inhalation of small droplets bearing influenza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become blocked by moisture from breathing , and the air stream simply diverts around the mask.
” The final paragraph begins : “ Experience has shown that communities faced with epidemics or other adverse events respond best and with the least anxiety when the normal social functioning of the community is least disrupted.
” On “ Prohibition of Social Gatherings ” : “ During [ flu ] epidemics , public events with an expected large attendance have sometimes been cancelled… There are , however , no certain indications these actions have had any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an epidemic.
” “ But a policy calling for communitywide cancellation of public events seems inadvisable.
” BBC : Coronavirus : ‘ Re-think face masks in shops ’ says scientist – The Welsh Government should “ think again ” about making face masks compulsory in shops , a member of the Independent Sage group has said .
Dr Gabriel Scally , a visiting professor of public health , said wearing a face mask “ acts as a reminder that these aren ’ t normal times ” .
“ Each individual action adds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Welsh Government has advised the use of face masks where social distancing is difficult .
Also see : The Case Against Mandatory Mask Regulations A 2015 study on masks of 1600 health-care workers showed those wearing masks were 6 times as likely to have flu-like illnesses as those in the control group after 4 weeks… ” – The conclusion : “ This study is the first RCT of cloth masks , and the results caution against the use of cloth masks… moisture retention , reuse of cloth masks , and poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of infection.
” Sweden ’ s Covid Expert Says ‘ World Went Mad ’ With Lockdowns Don ’ t be conned by the media/public health bureaucrats claim of spiking COVID cases : ‘ Overall hospitalizations are rising because people are returning to hospitals for elective surgeries that were postponed ’ Flashback 1969 : American life went on as normal during Hong Kong Flu killer pandemic – Woodstock was not canceled , economy was not lockdowned , civil liberties not suspended , ‘ schools were not shut down…Face masks weren ’ t required ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks don ’ t work & how governments are operating a science vacuum


climatedepot--2020-08-13--Former NYT reporter Alex Berenson rips ‘death counts’: ‘The overall effects of [COVID] have essentia

Former NYT reporter Alex Berenson rips ‘death counts’: ‘The overall effects of [COVID] have essentially been impossible for the avg. person to see without a microscope’

Alex Berenson : `` The overall effects of this epidemic have essentially been impossible for the average person to see @ @ @ @ @ are not overflowing .
Bodies are not piling up in the streets .
Most of @ @ @ @ @ under 55 ( 65 ?
70 ? )
who has died of # Covid .
@ @ @ @ @ like the world is ending ?
Why ?
More than anything else , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ sordid - fascination with death counts , updated in real time and presented without context @ @ @ @ @ , how many people generally die in a year , etc ) ... Why are @ @ @ @ @ ?
We ’ ve never done this for any other illness .
Never . ''
@ @ @ @ @ SARSCoV2 worldwide is slightly worse than a bad flu year .
And the 700,000 people @ @ @ @ @ less than half the number who have died or traffic accidents OR diarrhea OR tuberculosis @ @ @ @ @ 2 % of all deaths . ''


climatedepot--2020-08-13--Kamala’s Nutty Green Vision: Ban Plastic Straws, Limit Red Meat

Joe Biden ( D ) announced Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) as his running mate on Tuesday — someone who holds far-left positions , particularly on climate change , an issue central to the progressive wing ’ s vision for America .
Despite initially positioning herself as a more “ moderate ” candidate during the primary , Harris holds a common vision with the far-left , proposing a ban on plastic straws and altering the food pyramid as part of a greater effort to address climate change .
Biden , whom many have described as a “ moderate ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embrace radical left-wing policies .
While the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force displayed Biden ’ s ease in moving further to the left , his choice for a running mate reinforced that reality .
While climate change remains among the least important issues for Americans moving into the 2020 election , it remains a central piece in the Democrat Party ’ s overall platform , and Harris ’ s vision is just as radical as those of Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) — champions of the Green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and adopt a Green New Deal , ” Harris said during a debate last summer .
“ On day one as president , I would reenter us in the Paris Agreement and put it in place so we would be carbon neutral by 2030.
” That same summer , Harris teamed up with Ocasio-Cortez to advance the “ Climate Equity Act , ” which would rate economic regulations “ based on its impact on low-income communities , which are disproportionately affected by climate change because they are often in flood zones , near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to polluted lands known as brownfields , ” according to the New York Times .
Harris doubled down on her radical positions during CNN ’ s Climate Change Town Hall last September , expressing support for both banning plastic straws and creating incentives to end the use of single-use plastic altogether .
“ I think we have to create incentives to ban these — we have to create incentives , and there is no question that we have seen innovation takes place when leaders lead , ” she said .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said when asked if we should ban plastic straws .
“ I ’ m going to be honest , it ’ s really difficult to drink out of a paper straw…we ’ ve got to kind of perfect that one a little bit more.
” She added that officials should “ encourage innovation.
” “ And I think we can do a little better than some of those flimsy plastic straws .
But we do need to ban the plastic , ” she reiterated .
During that same forum , Harris said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the food pyramid ” to reduce red meat consumption as part of a greater effort to address climate change .
“ I ’ ve actually worked on this issue in the past , and it ’ s about consumer awareness , ” Harris said , reminding the audience that she , too , enjoys a burger from “ time to time.
” “ I strongly believe the American consumer is left without the information that you need and deserve to have about what it is that you are putting in your body or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those things , ” she said .
“ The California Democrat added that included upon that list ‘ should be a measure of the impact on the environment , ’ ” as Breitbart News reported at the time .
Despite her advocacy for consumer awareness , Harris gleefully participated in the Polk County Democrats Steak Fry in Iowa in September — which featured over 10,000 sizzling steaks — even busting a move at the event : Notably , Biden assisted organizers in grilling the steaks , demonstrating no concern for the purported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ :


climatedepot--2020-08-13--Kamala’s Anti-Fracking Stance Is Biden’s Albatross In Swing States

Less than two hours after Kamala Harris was named Joe Biden ’ s running mate , President Donald Trump had cast the California Democrat as the oil industry and fracking foe .
“ She is against fracking .
She ’ s against petroleum products , ” Trump said at a White House news conference Tuesday .
“ I mean , how do you do that and go into Pennsylvania or Ohio or Oklahoma or the great state of Texas ?
She ’ s against fracking .
Fracking ’ s a big deal.
” It ’ s a line Trump will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the former California attorney general who has vowed to fight the fossil fuel industry in court , embraced the Green New Deal and last September said there was “ no question ” she ’ d ban hydraulic fracturing .
But the criticism may have limited appeal beyond Trump ’ s political base and is likely to boost enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket among progressive voters .
Harris ’ s positions on the issue put her to the left of Biden , who has made clear he would not seek an outright ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposed through congressional action .
Nevertheless , Harris and Biden have both promised to curtail oil and gas development on federal lands and waters managed by the U.S. government .
And a senior campaign official reiterated last month that Biden would block new fracking on federal lands .
The “ fracking ” technique is used to coax oil and gas out of some 95 % of U.S. wells today , and Trump has been touting his support for the industry as he campaigns for a second term in Pennsylvania and other swing states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy agenda was already “ setting up to be the greenest in U.S. history , ” but adding Harris to the ticket signals the Biden administration would “ aggressively ” pursue its policy goals , ClearView Energy Partners said in a research note to clients .
Some oil industry figures already fearful of Biden ’ s environmental agenda worry Harris would bolster his resolve to combat climate change and stifle fossil fuel development , including through regulations making them more expensive to produce .
But industry advocates plan to emphasize the importance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. economy and critical to its post-pandemic recovery .
“ The oil and gas industry represents about 8 % of the American economy , ” and is “ a very important component of our recovery , ” American Petroleum Institute President Mike Sommers said by phone .
“ The world looks a lot different behind the desk in the Oval Office than it does on the campaign trail , and we ’ re an industry that represents 10 million American workers and will be a key part of that recovery.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not least from the historic drop in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
Gas companies seeking to build new pipelines have been stymied in court recently , and some economists have argued a more effective recovery plan would involve green-friendly policies .
As California attorney general , Harris filed lawsuits against Phillips 66 , ConocoPhillips and other oil companies for alleged environmental violations .
Her office secured criminal indictments against Plains All American Pipeline LP for a 2015 spill in Santa Barbara , California , which resulted in convictions in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Harris also has a history of tangling with oil refiners that have operations in California — a pugilistic approach that could add heft to Biden ’ s threat to target fossil fuel executives and “ put them in jail.
” For instance , Harris opposed Chevron Corp. ’ s planned expansion of a refinery in Richmond on grounds it risked accidents and would exacerbate climate change .
And Harris criticized a bid by Valero Energy Corp. to receive rail shipments of crude at its Benecia refinery , emphasizing the risk for spills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ route .
Nevertheless , some environmental activists have complained Harris didn ’ t do enough to pursue oil companies for misleading the public on the risks of climate change .
Though Harris ’ s office was reported to have investigated Exxon Mobil Corp. on climate accusations , it never filed a suit — an approach later pursued by other attorneys general in Massachusetts and New York .
Harris has since been supportive of the efforts and last year joined other senators in an amicus brief supporting a climate lawsuit against oil companies by @ @ @ @ @


climatedepot--2020-08-14--VP nominee Kamala Harris has a particular climate-change agenda: environmental justice

The former California AG , with proposed Climate Equity Act , has already indicated she ’ ll address air quality in poorer zip codes and punish those who pollute If presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s climate-change policy is , by some accounts , too broad to make implementation a surety , the focus of his newly named vice presidential pick may recast the party ’ s green agenda moving forward .
Senator Kamala Harris , who Biden tapped to be his running mate on Tuesday , has grown increasingly firm in her commitment to a particular angle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : environmental justice .
Her addition to the top of the Democrats ’ ticket for November comes just days after she released new legislation , the Climate Equity Act .
In it , she and co-sponsors aim to ensure that any environmental regulation or legislation would be rated based on its impact on low-income communities , similar to a Congressional Budget Office score .
She and Biden spoke together from Delaware on Wednesday , with Harris pledging to create millions of jobs and fight climate change through a clean-energy revolution .
“ Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and selling the Biden climate agenda is her ability to tie climate to social justice and public health issues , ” wrote Our Daily Planet editors Miro Korenha and Monica Medina .
“ She approaches climate justice from a prosecutorial lens and much of her own presidential climate plan focused on holding polluters accountable for the damage they ’ ve inflicted on vulnerable communities as well as strengthening laws to prevent these actions going forward.
” For Harris , formerly the district attorney for San Francisco and the attorney general of California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy beyond federal efforts , the inequity attached to climate-change policy can no longer be ignored .
Environmental justice , for instance , extends to addressing pollution known to be several times greater in economically-deprived neighborhoods than their richer counterparts , and includes a more punitive response for polluters .
Environmental justice takes on public-health concerns at a time the nation is already on heightened alert over the COVID-19 pandemic and those most vulnerable to its harm .
Harris ’ s climate-change stance , for which she ’ s linked arms with Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and others , carries its own challenges as government bodies and corporations , including tech giants Amazon AMZN , 1.38 % and Apple AAPL , 2.05 % , attempt to quantify and transparently report on carbon reduction , combating deforestation and more , actions taken even as the Trump administration reduces the potency of the Environmental Protection Agency .
Uniform data on climate efforts has been a challenge .
Harris previously forwarded a $ 10 trillion climate plan that would tap both public and private efforts while in the midst of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year .
At that time , her plan included a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2045 , five years faster than the target of the Green New Deal framework championed by Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive Democrats .
Harris has championed expanding clean-energy tax credits as well as increased vehicle fuel-economy standards .
Fuel economy rules were reduced by the Trump administration , initially to a mixed response from most auto makers who had retooled to meet state rules and take advantage of shifting demands of younger consumers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ forwarded by Harris and others are concerning to Republican lawmakers and right-of-center trade groups , including R Street Institute , National Taxpayers Union and others .
They generally seek more balance in keeping heating and cooling costs low for Americans and they promote carbon sequestration as a way to harness emissions .
Republicans have also been emphasizing the need to keep up trade pressure on the world ’ s other big emitters , including India and China .
Those issues are among the key facets of the proposed GOP-led Growing Climate Solutions Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Climate Power 2020 found that 71 % of respondents favor greater government action on climate change ; the group said 41 % of the voters sampled are Republican .
“ 2020 is the defining moment for how our nation addresses the climate crisis .
Vice President Biden ’ s decision to pick Kamala Harris as his running mate reflects his campaign ’ s commitment to making climate action a Day 1 priority in a Biden-Harris administration , ” said Lori Lodes , executive director of Climate Power 2020 .
This article appeared on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ //www.marketwatch.com/story/vp-nominee-kamala-harris-has-a-particular-climate-change-agenda-environmental-justice-2020-08-12


climatedepot--2020-08-14--Stonehaven Train Derailment–Did Climate Change Play A Role? Claim ‘flies in the face of the facts’

First reports indicated the train was derailed by a landslip , after heavy rain and thunderstorms caused flooding and travel disruption in the east of Scotland .
One rail industry source said the train was initially halted because of flooding on the line .
The driver apparently contacted control to ask permission to switch tracks .
It is believed the train reversed and switched to clearer tracks before the crash .
What role did the weather play ?
He said it was too soon to speculate about the cause of the derailment .
But he added : “ What I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that weather has had an impact.
” He revealed the train had been travelling north , attempting to return to Aberdeen , when it crashed… .
Network Rail was warned about its resilience to severe weather just four weeks before the Aberdeenshire derailment .
A health and safety report by the Office of Rail and Road noted a spike in landslips , demonstrating the “ vulnerability ” of the railways .
Network Rail said it was working with meteorologists to strengthen the information it receives about flash flooding caused by extreme weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitoring of high-risk sites to test whether it can be improved .
The government-owned company added that its extreme weather action teams will “ incorporate immediate learning into their plans as soon as it becomes available ” .
Chief executive Andrew Haines said : “ Our climate is changing and it is increasingly challenging the performance and reliability of the railway , but incidents like yesterday ’ s devastating accident are incredibly rare , and our railway remains the safest major railway in Europe .
“ Our network was designed for a temperate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we get extremes such as storms and floods .
“ We ’ re seeing this more and more and although we can address them on the ground with precautionary measures , we are acutely aware we need a long-term resolution , and we had already secured additional funding and resources to help achieve this .
“ Yesterday was a tragedy , a truly horrific event , and my thoughts remain with everyone affected .
Understanding what happened is the key to making sure it never occurs again.
” Until a full investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what happened at Stonehaven .
However , quite disgracefully , Network Rail ’ s CEO is already trying to shift the blame on to climate change .
I have seen no actual rainfall data for the area on the day of the accident , but we can look at daily rainfall data for the three weather stations close to Stonehaven : KNMI ’ s data runs from 1961 to 2018 , and there is no evidence that daily rainfall is becoming more extreme at any of the stations .
I have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blamed on heavy winter rainfall this year .
But again this flies in the face of the facts : And as we know , of course , we had a notably dry spring this year .
Nor have June and July been particularly wet , so the ground could not have been unusually wet prior to this week ’ s storms .
It will be a scandal if Network Rail are able to wriggle out of their failures and responsibilities by blaming this accident on climate change .


climatedepot--2020-08-14--Mann, Rahmstorf Struggle To Defend: Flawed Hockey Stick Chart Under Fire (Again) In Germany

Yesterday I reported on how science editorAxel Bojanowski at German national daily DIE WELT had written a commentary on the @ @ @ @ @ climate hockey stick by ZDF German broadcasting .
Naturally whenever anything of the sort happens @ @ @ @ @ dog Stefan Rahmstorf of the alarmist Potsdam Institute rushes out to discredit the dissenter and @ @ @ @ @ chart .
And Rahmstorf again made the mistake of attacking the messenger of the news @ @ @ @ @ It was probably the only option left for the ever haughty Rahmstorf , because the @ @ @ @ @ his stinging hockey stick commentary on statements made by four experts .
Rahmstorf likely had @ @ @ @ @ four distinguished colleagues .
So it was probably easier and safer for him to just @ @ @ @ @ and editor Bojanowski .
What follows is part of the Twitter exchange between Rahmstorf and @ @ @ @ @ :


climatedepot--2020-08-14--Trump vs Biden: Deep Split Over Future Of US Shale Gas

Gone are the days when US policymakers broadly agreed on the role of natural gas as a “ bridge ” to a low-carbon future .
As the 2020 US presidential race proves , the partisan divide on the issue has widened and deepened .
President Donald Trump continues to see gas as a green fuel , and has made the road easier for LNG project approvals , regulations and access to land .
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is calling for all fossil fuels , gas included , to be eventually phased out under a net-zero emissions economy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of former President Barack Obama , when Biden served as vice president .
The Obama-Biden White House spoke positively about gas ’ role in replacing coal-fired power and generally granted land access for gas development with some environmental stipulations .
Today , Biden is championing an ambitious climate agenda that would eventually squeeze out gas , assuming that he wins and the plans are pushed through and then upheld by future administrations .
On top of targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 , Biden is eyeing a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and production on federal lands .
These goals are quite ambitious , however , and would likely run into resistance from Congress , the courts and fossil fuel-dependent states .
The shift is significant but unsurprising .
Concern about climate change has steadily risen among the US electorate as extreme weather events have intensified , surveys show .
Reinforcing these sentiments is the growing environmental justice movement , intended to protect racial minorities from disproportionate environmental risk , which has gained momentum following the police killings of George Floyd and other African Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Covid-19 pandemic has driven home the consequences of a world ill-prepared for crises .
Energy Intelligence explores the most important issues for the US gas industry and how Biden and Trump compare .
Biden ’ s climate platform calls for “ every federal infrastructure investment ” and “ any federal permitting decision ” to consider greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts .
This suggests that Biden would set a higher bar for LNG export authorizations and gas pipeline decisions , with extra layers of review and a greater likelihood that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would also take place through the lens of Biden ’ s emissions targets , leaving little room for gas over the long run unless still-costly carbon capture technologies are deployed .
Under Trump , LNG exports have been consistently authorized by the Department of Energy as part of the pursuit of American energy dominance ( WGI Jul.29 ’ 20 ) .
His appointees to the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission , which decides on physical LNG export infrastructure , have generally done the same even as climate considerations have been integrated into agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have seen much the same landscape and , just a few months ago , Trump enacted reforms that significantly simplified the approval process for pipelines under the National Environmental Policy Act .
On the upstream side , Biden ’ s platform calls for “ aggressive methane pollution limits for new and existing oil and gas operations.
” This would likely involve numerical targets for methane reductions and require the use of best-in-class technologies governing leak detection and repair .
Trump , by contrast , has rolled back Obama-era methane regulations significantly and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon , to the chagrin of environmentalists who note that methane is a potent , albeit short-lived , greenhouse gas .
Majors , as well as some independents , also acknowledge the need to slash methane emissions if gas is to have any role in a low- or zero-carbon world ( WGI Jul.15 ’ 20 ) .
But Dan Naatz , president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America lobby group , says US producers would prefer regulations that don ’ t mandate a particular technology for methane reductions .
“ Technology always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the betterment , ” he tells Energy Intelligence , insisting that the industry agrees on the need for dramatic improvements .
“ As we ’ re making technology better , it doesn ’ t make sense to cut it off.
” Cutting off access for climate reasons is indeed what Biden has proposed , but only for new oil and gas developments , and only in areas under federal control .
The post Trump vs Biden : Deep Split Over Future Of US Shale Gas appeared first on The Global Warming Policy @ @ @ @ @


climatedepot--2020-08-14--Growth Of Antarctic Sea Ice Due To Fewer Clouds, Chinese Scientists Find – ‘Antarctic sea ice witnes

Growth Of Antarctic Sea Ice Due To Fewer Clouds, Chinese Scientists Find – ‘Antarctic sea ice witnessed a modest extension over the past 4 decades’

Researchers have discovered that lower cloud coverage in the Antarctic can promote sea ice growth .
Unlike the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice in the warming climate , Antarctic sea ice witnessed a modest extension over the past four decades , according to the paper published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres .
The researchers from China and the United States found that Antarctic sea ice had a strong rebound from 2011 to 2012 .
“ We quantified the effects on sea ice growth via a thermodynamic model based on reanalysis and satellite data and concluded that lower cloud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sea ice storage , ” said Wang Yunhe , a researcher from the Institute of Oceanology , Chinese Academy of Sciences .
“ Clouds are like a down jacket for the Antarctic to preserve heat during winter , ” said Bi Haibo , a researcher from the institute .
“ Fewer clouds mean more heat is lost from the ocean.
” Rapid temperature decline and thicker sea ice in the Antarctic during the winter in 2011 was mainly due to fewer clouds , he said .
The post Growth Of Antarctic Sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scientists Findappeared first on The Global Warming Policy Forum ( GWPF ) .


climatedepot--2020-08-14--After Backlash, German Research Foundation Regrets Censorship Of Science Statement

The statement by satirist Dieter Nuhr which caused the censorship controversy ( source NoTricksZone ) ; Knowledge does not mean you are 100 % sure , but that you have enough facts to have a reasoned opinion .
But many people are offended when scientists change their mind : That is normal !
Science is just THAT the opinion changes when the facts change .
This is because science is not a doctrine of salvation , not a religion that proclaims absolute truths .
And those who constantly shout , “ Follow science !
” have obviously not understood this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it is the only reasonable knowledge base we have .
That is why it is so important .
The DFG expressly regrets having prematurely removed Dieter Nuhr ’ s statement from the website of the online campaign # fürdasWissen .
Mr. Nuhr is a person who stands in the middle of our society and is committed to science and rational discourse .
Even if his pointedness as a satirist may be irritating for some , an institution like the DFG is committed to freedom of thought on the basis of the Enlightenment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The discussion about the article exemplifies the developments that currently characterize many public discussions about science .
A culture of debate has developed in various areas of our society in which it is often not the factual and stronger argument that counts , in which less listening and inquiries are made , but more and more often hastily judged and condemned .
The common dialogue is increasingly being replaced by polarized and polarizing disputes .
Especially when it comes to key issues such as climate change or the coronavirus pandemic , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the constructive exchange between science and society are hindered .
Scientists who make their findings public and describe options for political action are increasingly the target of unobjective attacks and personal defamation .
This also applies to social movements These developments are not beneficial to society and are all the more worrying as science plays a central role in overcoming current challenges , with which it is currently strongly perceived and valued in society .
For her part , she is dependent on a critical , open and constructive communication culture .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an opportunity to initiate an intensive examination of the current culture of debate around science .
The DFG stands for diversity of opinion and freedom of expression as well as a differentiated culture of discussion .
It will continue to do its utmost to achieve this in the future – together with other actors from science , media , politics and other areas of society at home and abroad .


climatedepot--2020-08-14--Australia’s Lockdowns And Green-Energy Shakedowns

Politicians have given Australia an impossible task – fight a COVID lockup while also enduring a green-energy shakedown .
A COVID depression is already locked in .
Recovery dictates that we must reverse the lockdown and also rid our weakened economy of the Green parasites forever sucking our energy .
Australia seems to specialize in political stupidity .
Victoria ’ s scorched-earth policy has wrecked its economy .
Despite this damage , they dream of replacing their nation-building brown-coal electricity with unreliable wind and solar toys .
Their once-free people cower in their homes while police and troops detain peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only decline when populations develop immunity .
Lockups ensure that community immunity develops slowly .
South Australia has destroyed its manufacturing industry with uncompetitive employment rules and intermittent green energy .
They dream of more Big Batteries to keep the lights on .
WA is protected from many Eastern fads and viruses by the mighty Nullarbor Plain .
It quietly thanked the hard-working mining industry for funding both state and federal governments .
NT has made anti-fracking for hydro-carbons into an election issue while endorsing bizarre plans to waste billions erecting about 150 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ green electricity to Singapore .
This needs 720 km of land transmission feeding a 3,700 km undersea extension cord from Darwin , crossing the deep and unstable Java Trench , to Singapore Island .
And for the times that NT is not sunny , it needs humungous battery storage .
Queensland has shut its borders to millions of customers and workers from interstate and overseas while discouraging new mines and reliable power supplies .
NSW is determined to kill coal and gas power with locked gates and bureaucratic obstructions .
Canberra plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Snowy 2 white elephant ( a net consumer of both water and electricity ) while endorsing industry-killing emissions targets .
The federal government is also undermining the federation with a centralizing “ National Cabinet ” and has taught a generation of youngsters that they can eat and party without working by getting onto the federal jobs replacement gravy train .
Meanwhile , orchardists , farmers , and abattoirs can not find workers .
Trusting people are mesmerized and traumatized by the COVID scare .
Ballooning government debts and looming depression will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , a smug cohort of people on government salaries , handouts , and safe pensions feels no pain .
This includes politicians , the bureaucracy , academia , and the scare-a-day BC .
We need a new Eureka Rebellion dedicated to slashing taxes and government expenditure , opening interstate borders , repealing red and green tape , abolishing all emissions targets , withdrawing from the Paris Climate Dreamworld , and restoring our freedoms and our federation .
Viv Forbes has studied and worked in science , industry , economics , finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vested interests in hydrocarbon fuels except as a consumer but does have a solar panel on his roof .


climatedepot--2020-08-14--Analysis: Warmist Prof. Andrew Dessler’s Bloopers

I looked at Andy Dessler ’ s claims that monsoon floods in India are connected to climate change in an earlier post today .
Andy ’ s track record for climate pronouncements sadly leaves a lot to be desired !
I first came across him in 2012 , shortly after starting this blog .
The year before he wrote in the Houston Chronicle : As you sit by the pool and sweat this summer , one book you should be reading is The Impact of Global Warming on Texas ( University of Texas Press , June 2011 , second edition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group of Texas academics , is a sober analysis of our state ’ s vulnerability to climate change — and the things we can do about it .
It is a particularly appropriate read as we suffer through the hellish summer of 2011 .
While it is unknown exactly how much human activities are contributing to this summer ’ s unpleasant weather , one lesson from the book is clear : Get used to it .
The weather of the 21st century will be very much like the hot and dry weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this forecast is the fact that the weather extremes that we are presently experiencing were predicted in the first edition in 1995 .
Well , that prediction did not work out very well , did it Andy ?
Being so badly wrong about something he should have known about did not stop our Andy from spouting more nonsense about things he knew nothing about : The Guardian are of course more than happy to publish any nonsense they have been given by the likes of Mann and Dessler .
Even though it bears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But for Andy , facts are a bit irrelevant .
It is politics that matter most : That was back in 2008 , but he is still pushing his far left agenda today , judging by his Twitter feed : With a track record like that , it is little wonder that Roger Pielke Sr had this to say about Dessler , Mann and Elsner in 2015 :