climatedepot--2020-06-20--‘Scientists’ warning on affluence’: Study: Wealth harms the planet! Solutions? ‘Degrowth’; ‘Eco-soci

‘Scientists’ warning on affluence’: Study: Wealth harms the planet! Solutions? ‘Degrowth’; ‘Eco-socialism’; Banning ‘oversized vehicles’; ‘Eco-feminism’; ‘Maximum income levels’

Since the level of consumption determines total impacts , affluence needs to be addressed by reducing consumption , not just greening it17,28,29 .
It is clear that prevailing capitalist , growth-driven economic systems have not only increased affluence since World War II , but have led to enormous increases in inequality , financial instability , resource consumption and environmental pressures on vital earth support systems42 .
A suitable concept to address the ecological dimension is the widely established avoid-shift-improve framework outlined by Creutzig et al.43 .
Its focus on the end-use service , such as mobility , nutrition or shelter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential impact reductions beyond sole technological change .
This analysis can be directed at human need satisfaction or decent living standards—an alternative perspective put forward for curbing environmental crises44,45 .
Crucially , this perspective allows us to consider different provisioning systems ( e.g .
states , markets , communities and households ) and to differentiate between superfluous consumption , which is consumption that does not contribute to needs satisfaction , and necessary consumption which can be related to satisfying human needs .
It remains important to acknowledge the complexities surrounding this distinction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth imperatives below .
Still , empirically , human needs satisfaction shows rapidly diminishing returns with overall consumption45,46 .
As implied by the previous section on affluence as a driver , the strongest pillar of the necessary transformation is to avoid or to reduce consumption until the remaining consumption level falls within planetary boundaries , while fulfilling human needs17,28,46 .
Avoiding consumption means not consuming certain goods and services , from living space ( overly large homes , secondary residences of the wealthy ) to oversized vehicles , environmentally damaging and wasteful food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving and flying47 .
This implies reducing expenditure and wealth along ‘ sustainable consumption corridors ’ , i.e .
minimum and maximum consumption standards48,49 ( Fig .
2 ) .
On the technological side , reducing the need for consumption can be facilitated by changes such as increasing lifespans of goods , telecommunication instead of physical travel , sharing and repairing instead of buying new , and house retrofitting43 .
However , the other two pillars of shift and improve are still vital to achieve the socio-ecological transformation46 .
Consumption patterns still need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carbon-intensive goods and services , e.g .
mobility from cars and airplanes to public buses and trains , biking or walking , heating from oil heating to heat pumps , nutrition—where possible—from animal to seasonal plant-based products43,46 .
In some cases this includes a shift from high- to low-tech ( with many low-tech alternatives being less energy intense than high-tech equivalents , e.g .
clothes line vs. dryer ) and from global to local47 .
In parallel , also the resource and carbon intensity of consumption needs to be decreased , e.g .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and public transport and increasing energy and material efficiency43,46 .
It is well established that at least in the affluent countries a persistent , deep and widespread reduction of consumption and production would reduce economic growth as measured by gross domestic product ( GDP ) 51,52 .
Estimates of the needed reduction of resource and energy use in affluent countries , resulting in a concomitant decrease in GDP of similar magnitude , range from 40 to 90 % 53,54 .
Bottom-up studies , such as from Rao et al.55 show that decent living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brazil and South Africa with around 90 % less per-capita energy use than currently consumed in affluent countries .
Trainer56 , for Australia , and Lockyer57 , for the USA , find similar possible reductions .
In current capitalist economies such reduction pathways would imply widespread economic recession with a cascade of currently socially detrimental effects , such as a collapse of the stock market , unemployment , firm bankruptcies and lack of credit50,58 .
The question then becomes how such a reduction in consumption and production can be made socially sustainable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to address this question , we first need to understand the various growth imperatives of capitalist social and economic systems and the role of the super-affluent segments of society60 .
Growth imperatives are active at multiple levels , making the pursuit of economic growth ( net investment , i.e .
investment above depreciation ) a necessity for different actors and leading to social and economic instability in the absence of it7,52,60 .
Following a Marxian perspective as put forward by Pirgmaier and Steinberger61 , growth imperatives can be attributed to capitalism as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries7,51,62 , although this is debated by other scholars52 .
To structure this topic , we will discuss different affected actors separately , namely corporations , states and individuals , following Richters and Siemoneit60 .
Most importantly , we address the role of the super-affluent consumers within a society , which overlap with powerful fractions of the capitalist class .
From a Marxian perspective , this social class is structurally defined by its position in the capitalist production process , as financially tied with the function of capital63 .
In capitalism , workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , implying that they must compete in labour markets to sell their labour power to capitalists in order to earn a living .
Even though some small- and medium-sized businesses manage to refrain from pursuing growth , e.g .
due to a low competition intensity in niche markets , or lack of financial debt imperatives , this can not be said for most firms64 .
In capitalism , firms need to compete in the market , leading to a necessity to reinvest profits into more efficient production processes to minimise costs ( e.g @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machines and positive returns to scale ) , innovation of new products and/or advertising to convince consumers to buy more7,61,62 .
As a result , the average energy intensity of labour is now twice as high as in 195060 .
As long as a firm has a competitive advantage , there is a strong incentive to sell as much as possible .
Financial markets are crucial to enable this constant expansion by providing ( interest-bearing ) capital and channelling it where it is most profitable58,61,63 .
If a firm fails to stay competitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken over by a more successful business .
Under normal economic conditions , this capitalist competition is expected to lead to aggregate growth dynamics7,62,63,65 .
However , two factors exist that further strengthen this growth dynamic60 .
Firstly , if labour productivity continuously rises , then aggregate economic growth becomes necessary to keep employment constant , otherwise technological unemployment results .
This creates one of the imperatives for capitalist states to foster aggregate growth , since with worsening economic conditions and high unemployment , tax revenues shrink , e.g .
from labour and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise60,62 .
Adding to this , states compete with other states geopolitically and in providing favourable conditions for capital , while capitalists have the resources to influence political decisions in their favour .
If economic conditions are expected to deteriorate , e.g .
due to unplanned recession or progressive political change , firms can threaten capital flight , financial markets react and investor as well as consumer confidence shrink51,58,60 .
Secondly , consumers usually increase their consumption in tune with increasing production60 .
This process can be at least in part explained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , further mechanisms are at play as explained further below .
In response to the aforementioned drivers of affluence , diverse solution approaches and strategies are being discussed47,52,76 .
We differentiate these as belonging to a more reformist and a more radical group ( Table 1 ) .
This is based on the categorisation by Alexander and Rutherford77 .
The reformist group consists of heterogeneous approaches such as a-growth80 , precautionary/pragmatic post-growth52 , prosperity42 and managing85 without growth as well as steady-state economics86 .
These approaches have in common that they aim to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within today ’ s dominant institutions , such as centralised democratic states and market economies52,77 .
The second , more radical , group disagrees and argues that the needed socio-ecological transformation will necessarily entail a shift beyond capitalism and/or current centralised states .
Although comprising considerable heterogeneity77 , it can be divided into eco-socialist approaches , viewing the democratic state as an important means to achieve the socio-ecological transformation51,65 and eco-anarchist approaches , aiming instead at participatory democracy without a state , thus minimising hierarchies54,87 .
Many degrowth approaches combine elements of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role for state action than eco-anarchists50,51,88 .
Degrowth is defined here as “ an equitable downscaling of throughput [ that is the energy and resource flows through an economy , strongly coupled to GDP ] , with a concomitant securing of wellbeing “ 59 , p7 , aimed at a subsequent downscaled steady-state economic system that is socially just and in balance with ecological limits .
Importantly , degrowth does not aim for a reduction of GDP per se , but rather accepts it as a likely outcome of the necessary changes78 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of patriarchal social relations and the parallels between the oppression of women and exploitation of nature89 , while post-development approaches stress the manifold and heterogeneous visions of achieving such a socio-ecological transformation globally , especially in the global South90 .
Degrowth advocates propose similar policy changes as the reformist group50,80 .
However , it is stressed that implementing these changes would most likely imply a shift beyond capitalism , e.g .
preventing capital accumulation through dis-economies of scale and collective firm ownership , and thus require radical social change59,62,91 .
Eco-socialists usually focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and employment , price controls and public ownership of at least the most central means of production to plan their downscaling in a socially sustainable way65,77 .
Both groups agree on the crucial role of bottom-up movements to change culture and values , push for the implementation of these top-down changes and establish parts of the new economy within the old47,50 .
Finally , eco-anarchists do not view the state as a central means to achieve the socio-ecological transformation .
Instead , they stress the role of bottom-up grassroots initiatives , such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transformation as well as cultural and value changes as a necessary precondition for wider radical change .
With these initiatives scaling up , the state might get used to remove barriers and to support establishing a participatory-democratic and localised post-capitalist economy54,77 .
In summary , there seems to be some strategic overlap between reformist and the more radical eco-anarchist and eco-socialist approaches , at least in the short term77 .
The question remains how these solution approaches help in overcoming the capitalist dynamics previously outlined , since here bottom-up and governmental action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important to recognise the pivotal role of social movements in this process , which can bring forward social tipping points through complex , unpredictable and reinforcing feedbacks92,93 and create windows of opportunity from crises77,94 .


climatedepot--2020-06-22--UN: Covid, Climate Change & Racial Justice are all Linked

“ We have seen illustrated to everyone that social inequality issues are part of the sustainable development agenda , ” Kingo said .
Lise Kingo , the executive director of the UN Global Compact , under which businesses sign up to principles of environmental protection and social justice : She said there were “ very , very clear connections ” between the Covid-19 and climate crises , and the Black Lives Matter protests around the world , which she said had helped to reveal deep-seated inequalities and “ endemic and structural racism ” .
Covid-19 pandemic is ‘ fire drill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says UN ’ s sustainable business chief According to the UN , everything bad you see in the news is linked to climate change .
Or something like that .
Covid-19 pandemic is ‘ fire drill ’ for effects of climate crisis , says UN official Lise Kingo says social equality issues must be part of sustainable development agenda The coronavirus pandemic is “ just a fire drill ” for what is likely to follow from the climate crisis , and the protests over racial injustice around the world show the need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustainability and health , the UN ’ s sustainable business chief has said .
“ The overall problem is that we are not sustainable in the ways we are living and producing on the planet today , ” said Lise Kingo , the executive director of the UN Global Compact , under which businesses sign up to principles of environmental protection and social justice .
“ The only way forward is to create a world that leaves no one behind.
” She said there were “ very , very clear connections ” between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black Lives Matter protests around the world , which she said had helped to reveal deep-seated inequalities and “ endemic and structural racism ” .
“ We have seen illustrated to everyone that social inequality issues are part of the sustainable development agenda , ” Kingo said .
The UN secretary general , António Guterres , said building a fairer society would be essential to the world ’ s health , as well as to saving the planet from climate breakdown and ecological destruction .
“ Today , the fabric of society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our ability to build a fair globalisation , ” he told the two-day UN Global Compact virtual conference of business leaders , which started on Monday .
“ Where once ‘ do no harm ’ was a common approach for the business community , today we are arriving at a new landscape of elevated expectations and responsibilities .
But despite progress , serious threats would undermine our future , including climate change , poverty , loss of biodiversity and widening social inequalities .
The pandemic has underscored the world ’ s fragilities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global health .
”

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climatedepot--2020-06-22--Naomi Seibt – Climate of Freedom: THE CONSENSUS FRAUD part 1


climatedepot--2020-06-22--Failing Cities and States use Climate Change Lawsuits as Fiscal Escape Hatch

Cities and states are suing energy companies in a desperate attempt to erase their poor spending choices .
Local officials argue oil and gas companies contribute to climate change and must be held accountable , but beneath this façade , leftist politicians are trying to win the lawsuit lottery to stave off fiscal insolvency .
Government officials keep pursuing these suits because they can ’ t figure out how to fix the budget deficits they have created .
Suing big corporations in friendly jurisdictions is an escape hatch to avoid the repercussions of decades of wasteful spending .
Unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans who have money invested in energy companies , and if successful , energy costs would likely rise across America .
Analyzing the legal actions taken by various localities show they are trying to make a quick buck .
Over and over , states and cities make unprovable and exaggerated claims contradicting Supreme Court precedent .
Sometimes the mask slips and officials even admit that the suits are really about generating revenue .
Local officials claim climate change will soon devastate their cities in legal filings , but argue the opposite when money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research , describes this hypocrisy .
“ It seems the left hand isn ’ t watching what the far-left hand is up to .
San Mateo County , California , for example , claims in its lawsuit against the energy industry that there ’ s a 93 % risk of a devastating climate-change-related flood by 2050 .
Yet its municipal bond offering to potential investors dismissively notes that it ’ s ‘ unable to predict whether sea-level rise or other impacts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm will occur.
’ ” San Francisco city officials made similarly apocalyptic arguments in their lawsuit , only to claim climate science was uncertain when trying to win over investors .
City leaders were either lying about the devastating impacts of climate change or tricking investors into buying property that would soon be underwater .
Thankfully , a federal judge threw out the San Francisco ’ s case writing , “ The court will stay its hand in favor of solutions by the legislative and executive branches.
” The Supreme Court reached an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the judiciary doesn ’ t have the authority to regulate emissions because the Clean Air Act gave regulatory powers to Congress and the EPA .
Congress can change the law to make energy companies ’ activity illegal , but the courts can ’ t .
So why are localities filing dishonest suits attempting to penalize legal activity ?
Because local officials have spent years running up deficits on pet projects and now need to generate revenue before they go belly up .
Public records reveal the leaders of Rhode Island view lawsuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent spending cuts .
Janet Coit , director of the Department of Environmental Management , says suing oil and gas companies is meant to generate a “ sustainable funding stream.
” Coit ’ s comments show the real purpose of climate change suits , to bail out politicians who have made unwise choices for years and are now feeling the heat .
Rhode Island is a prime example of spending run amok , as state officials have accumulated a structural deficit projected at $ 4.1 million for the 2019-2020 fiscal year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island ’ s governor ignored the deficit in her January State of State address .
A similar cycle is playing out in other jurisdictions , all governed by irresponsible leftist leaders .
New York was facing an annual deficit between six and eight billion before COVID-19 hit because of an unwise minimum wage increase coupled with Medicaid expansion .
State officials tried to fill this gap by suing Exxon Mobil but were humiliated in court .
New York City leaders are picking up where the state left off by suing several energy companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Oakland ’ s finance director was particularly blunt about why the city was running a deficit , “ We believe expenditures are growing faster than revenues .
We do believe this continues to have a lot of pressures on our core city services.
” The city ’ s politicians racked up deficits of over $ 100 million , and now the same politicians are suing energy companies to make up for their poor choices .
The same process is occurring in Baltimore and Boulder where cash-strapped cities , run into the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoping to win the judicial jackpot .
Cities and states that have racked up debt because of profligate spending are trying to avoid spending cuts .
Local officials are playing the lawsuit lottery by filing exaggerated and meritless claims against energy companies in hopes of finding a sympathetic judge .
Instead of dragging energy companies to court and threatening to punish the consumer for city officials ’ irresponsibility , these bureaucrats need to focus on repairing their fiscal health .


climatedepot--2020-06-22--The Green Effect: Vegetarians Skinnier, Less Outgoing Than Meat Eaters

LEIPZIG , Germany — Thinking of going vegetarian ?
You ’ re far from alone , and it isn ’ t all that difficult to figure out why .
Meat consumption is linked ad nauseam to cardiovascular issues and other health problems .
Conversely , a plant-based diet is seemingly the darling of healthy eating these days .
Add in a growing sense of environmental responsibility among consumers , and it ’ s no surprise that millions try out vegetarianism .
Now , an interesting new study finds that adopting a no-meat lifestyle can impact people beyond just their heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences say that the less meat a person consumes , the lower their average BMI/body weight .
They also say that vegetarians also tend to be more introverted , shy , and reserved than meat eaters .
These associations held true regardless of an individual ’ s age , gender , and level of education .
Diets were assessed via surveys that asked participants how often they had eaten various animal food products over the past year .
Meanwhile , personality traits were analyzed using numerous tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why vegetarianism leads to a lower BMI , the research team theorizes it probably has to do with meat products nowadays being so processed .
“ Products that are excessively rich in fat and sugar are particularly fattening .
They stimulate the appetite and delay the feeling of satiety , ” explains first study author Evelyn Medawar in a release .
“ If you avoid animal foods , you consume fewer such products on average.
” Additionally , typical vegetarian fare usually contains lots of fibers that are good for one ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weight loss or a lower overall BMI .
“ People who eat predominantly vegetable foods may therefore absorb less energy , ” adds Medawar .
Even among those who aren ’ t following a vegetarian lifestyle , not all animal foods are equal when it comes to a low BMI .
Researchers noted that people who eat lots of “ primary ” animal foods ( sausages , meat ) usually have a higher BMI than others who stick to mostly “ secondary ” animal products ( milk , cheese , eggs , etc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER & GET THE LATEST STUDIES FROM STUDYFINDS.ORG BY EMAIL !
“ A person with a 1.2 point lower BMI on average either completely avoids certain animal products , such as the primary ones , and is on a vegetarian diet .
Or she continues to eat meat and fish , but less often , ” Medawar explains .
Perhaps most fascinating is that vegetarianism ( and veganism as well ) plays a large role in one ’ s personality .
Point blank , the authors say people who don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shy .
“ It is difficult to say what the reason for this is , ” says study co-author Veronica Witte .
“ It could be because more introverted people tend to have more restrictive eating habits or because they are more socially segregated because of their eating habits.
” Prior research had found a possible connection between plant-based diets and neuroticism , but this study found no such association .
“ Earlier analyses had found that more neurotic people were generally more likely to avoid certain groups of foods and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solely on the avoidance of animal products and could not observe any correlation , ” says Witte .
The research team also investigated if being vegetarian often leads to depression , but again , found no evidence of such a relationship .
“ We could not detect this correlation , ” theorizes theorizes .
“ It is possible that in previous analyses other factors had blurred the results , including the BMI or conspicuous personality traits that are known to be associated with depression .
We accounted for them.
” The study is @ @ @ @


climatedepot--2020-06-22--NYT’s ‘doozy of a fake climate claim’: No, NY Times, Climate Change Will Not End the 30-Year Mortgag

NYT’s ‘doozy of a fake climate claim’: No, NY Times, Climate Change Will Not End the 30-Year Mortgage

James Taylor : The Times published an article titled , “ Rising Seas Threaten an American Institution : The 30-Year Mortgage.
” The subtitle reads , “ Climate change is starting to transform the classic home loan , a fixture of the American experience and financial system that dates back generations.
” The reasoning , according to the Times , is “ More banks are getting buyers in coastal areas to make bigger down payments — often as much as 40 percent of the purchase price , up from the traditional 20 percent — a sign that lenders have awakened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less of their own money at risk.
” The New York Times is asserting a doozy of a fake climate claim today , scaring readers into believing they will no longer be able to get home mortgages because of climate change .
The assertion is preposterous .
Let ’ s break it down : This morning , the Times published an article titled , “ Rising Seas Threaten an American Institution : The 30-Year Mortgage.
” The subtitle reads , “ Climate change is starting to transform the classic home loan , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system that dates back generations.
” The reasoning , according to the Times , is “ More banks are getting buyers in coastal areas to make bigger down payments — often as much as 40 percent of the purchase price , up from the traditional 20 percent — a sign that lenders have awakened to climate dangers and want to put less of their own money at risk.
” So , allegedly , for the less-than-one-percent of the American population that is rich enough and privileged enough to build or buy an oceanfront @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger down payment due to obvious coastal flooding risks .
According to the Times , we are supposed to cry for the One-Percenters who are asked to put more money down on their oceanfront home mortgages .
Well , boo hoo hoo , that is simply banks executing responsible lending practices for people living on the water , with or without climate change .
Worse , however , is the way the Times completely misrepresents the situation in the title and subtitle of its article .
Rising seas are not “ threatening an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The 30-year mortgage will remain the standard for the 99.9 percent of the population that is not seeking to get loans for an oceanfront home .
The Times has deliberately published an article with a misleading , overly alarmist title and subtitle to induce people who scan the titles of news articles to fear without reason that climate change will keep them from getting a home mortgage .
Climate change or no climate change , only a tiny , extremely wealthy percentage of the population may be asked to put more money upfront @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the population have nothing to worry about at all regarding the future of 30-year mortgages .
This is what happens when “ news ” organizations determine that it is their moral responsibility to lie and mislead people to promote a certain point of view regarding a dubious climate crisis .
Truth is twisted , misrepresented , or completely thrown out the window .
The truth is , there is no threat to the “ fixture of the American experience and financial system that dates back generations.
” 30-year home mortgages aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate alarmists like the New York Times are held accountable for lying and promoting such preposterous scares .


climatedepot--2020-06-22--2010 PREDICTION FAIL: UN IPCC’s Richard Alley: ‘We may pass Greenland tipping point’ in 10 years – 2

2010 PREDICTION FAIL: UN IPCC’s Richard Alley: ‘We may pass Greenland tipping point’ in 10 years – 2020 Reality check: Greenland’s temps ‘no higher than they were in the 1930s’

2010 Prediction by UN IPCC 's Prof. Richard Alley , a Pennsylvania State University : `` Sometime in the next decade we may pass that tipping point which would put us warmer than temperatures that Greenland can survive . ''
2020 Update : Paul Homewood 's analysis : `` Since then , however , Greenland ’ s temperatures have returned to normal , and are no higher than they were in the 1930s .
Far from being the start of a new trend , 2010 was simply an outlier : The Peterman Glacier is still more or less in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago Ten years ago , the Guardian warned us that Greenland would have passed a tipping point by now , with the whole ice sheet due to disappear by the end of the century : The entire ice mass of Greenland will disappear from the world map if temperatures rise by as little as 2C , with severe consequences for the rest of the world , a panel of scientists told Congress today .
Greenland shed its largest chunk of ice in nearly half a century last week , and faces an even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a geosciences professor at Pennsylvania State University “ Sometime in the next decade we may pass that tipping point which would put us warmer than temperatures that Greenland can survive , ” Alley told a briefing in Congress , adding that a rise in the range of 2C to 7C would mean the obliteration of Greenland ’ s ice sheet .
The fall-out would be felt thousands of miles away from the Arctic , unleashing a global sea level rise of 23ft ( 7 metres ) , Alley warned .
Low-lying cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ What is going on in the Arctic now is the biggest and fastest thing that nature has ever done , ” he said .
Speaking by phone , Alley was addressing a briefing held by the House of Representatives committee on energy independence and global warming .
Greenland is losing ice mass at an increasing rate , dumping more icebergs into the ocean because of warming temperatures , he said .
The stark warning was underlined by the momentous break-up of one of Greenland ’ s largest glaciers last week , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ice drifting into the North Strait between Greenland and Canada .
The briefing also noted that the last six months had set new temperature records .
Robert Bindschadler , a research scientist at the University of Maryland , told the briefing : “ While we don ’ t believe it is possible to lose an ice sheet within a decade , we do believe it is possible to reach a tipping point in a few decades in which we would lose the ice sheet in a century.
” The ice loss from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nearly 50 years , although there have been regular and smaller “ calvings ” .
How did that work out then ?
The article was written in 2010 , which was the warmest on record .
Since then , however , Greenland ’ s temperatures have returned to normal , and are no higher than they were in the 1930s .
Far from being the start of a new trend , 2010 was simply an outlier : The Peterman Glacier is still more or less in the same position as it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , despite a slight dip last year , Greenland ’ s major glaciers stopped retreating seven years ago : And climate scientists wonder why they are a laughing stock !


climatedepot--2020-06-22--Empress Greta Thunberg Is Disappointed In Her Subjects: Urges the world to act ‘with necessary force

Empress Greta Thunberg Is Disappointed In Her Subjects: Urges the world to act ‘with necessary force’ on climate

Empress Greta Thunberg Is Disappointed In Her Subjects The world ’ s most obnoxious teen girl is at it again .
With the grownups having abdicated all responsibility across the western world , and the barbarians at the gates , think of Greta Thunberg as , well… Romulus Augustulus , empress of all she surveys .
For now ( via the BBC ) : Greta Thunberg says the world needs to learn the lessons of coronavirus and treat climate change with similar urgency .
That means the world acting “ with necessary force “ , the Swedish climate activist says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She doesn ’ t think any “ green recovery plan ” will solve the crisis alone .
And she says the world is now passing a “ social tipping point ” on climate and issues such as Black Lives Matter .
“ People are starting to realise that we can not keep looking away from these things ” , says Ms Thunberg , “ we can not keep sweeping these injustices under the carpet ” .
She says lockdown has given her time to relax and reflect away from the public gaze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ask ?
Ms Thunberg has shared with the BBC the text of a deeply personal programme she has made for Swedish Radio .
In the radio programme , which goes online this morning , Greta looks back on the year in which she became one of the world ’ s most high-profile celebrities .
The then 16-year-old took a sabbatical from school to spend a tumultuous year campaigning on the climate .
She sailed across the Atlantic on a racing yacht to address a special UN Climate Action summit in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ queuing to get pictures with her , with Angela Merkel asking whether it was okay to post her photo on social media .
The climate campaigner is sceptical of their motives .
“ Perhaps it makes them forget the shame of their generation letting all future generations down ” , she says .
“ I guess maybe it helps them to sleep at night.
” Her Majesty is upset .
She came into this world expecting perfection , and the adults have let her down .
In fact , they have deliberately destroyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willful inaction on the “ climate emergency ” that ’ s visible all around us .
Why , just look out the window !
It was in the UN that she delivered her famous “ how dare you ” speech .
“ You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words ” , she told the world leaders gathered in the UN Assembly .
She appeared on the verge of tears as she continued .
“ People are dying , ” she said , “ and all you can talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eternal economic growth .
How dare you ?
” She knew it was a “ lifetime moment ” and decided not to hold anything back , she says now .
“ I am going to let my emotions take control and to really make something big out of this because I won ’ t be able to do this again ” .
Still , the Empress is disappointed in her subjects , who have not lived up to her ideals , and that the glory that was once Rome — er , Sweden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN to her hotel on the subway and seeing people watching the speech on their phones , but says she felt no urge to celebrate .
“ All that is left are empty words ” , she says .
The phrase reflects her deep cynicism about the motives of most world leaders .
“ The level of knowledge and understanding even among people in power is very , very low , much lower than you would think , ” she told the BBC .
She says the only way to reduce emissions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make fundamental changes to our lifestyles , starting in developing countries .
But she doesn ’ t believe any leaders have the nerve to do that .
Instead , she says , they “ simply refrain from reporting the emissions , or move them somewhere else ” .
The teenager believes the only way to avoid a climate crisis is to tear up contracts and abandon existing deals and agreements that companies and countries have signed up to .
“ The climate and ecological crisis can not be solved within today ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swedish climate activist argues .
“ That isn ’ t an opinion .
That ’ s a fact.
” Indeed , Her Serene Highness has much , much more to say to her subjects — but hold !
There ’ s someone knocking at the gates .
A fellow by the name of Odoacer .
Read more at The Pipeline


climatedepot--2020-06-23--Steve Milloy: ‘Coal demand in India so high, abandoned mines are being re-opened. If wind/solar were

Steve Milloy: ‘Coal demand in India so high, abandoned mines are being re-opened. If wind/solar were really cheaper the coal, there would be no need to open abandoned mine’

Coal demand in India so high , abandoned mines are being re-opened .
If wind/solar were really cheaper the coal @ @ @ @ @ need to open abandoned mines.https : //t.co/3coMprPJ4R via @ economictimes


climatedepot--2020-06-23--Media still hyping melting glaciers despite historical context of faster melting in 1930s

2012 paper finds glaciers in Glacier National Park retreated up to 6 times faster during the 1930 ’ s than the past 40 years — Paper published in Quaternary Science Reviews ‘ Results indicate that alpine glaciers in Glacier National Park advanced and retreated numerous times during the Holocene after the onset of Neoglaciation 6,500 years before the present ’ and ‘ Retreat from the Little Ice Age maximum was the most dramatic episode of ice retreat in at least the last 1000 years.
’ A new paper published in Quaternary Science Reviews finds that alpine glaciers in Glacier National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times faster during the 1930 ’ s and 1940 ’ s than over the past 40 years .
The “ Multi-proxy study of sediment cores retrieved from lakes below modern glaciers supports the first detailed Neoglacial chronology for Glacier National Park ( GNP ) ” and shows “ maximum reconstructed retreat rates [ in ] 1930 ” of about 125 meters per year , compared to near zero in ~1975 and about 20 meters/year at the end of the record in ~2005 .
The authors report , “ Results indicate that alpine glaciers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numerous times during the Holocene after the onset of Neoglaciation 6,500 years before the present ” and “ Retreat from the Little Ice Age maximum was the most dramatic episode of ice retreat in at least the last 1000 years.
” Fig .
8. flux in mg/cm2/yr .
Filled gray line illustrates the reconstructed retreat rate of the Agassiz Glacier from its LIA terminal moraine , calculated from dating of trees in the glacier forefield ( ) .
Carbonate flux began to rise at the onset of ice retreat , and reached a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retreat rates ca AD 1930 .
Filled black line presents a tree-ring compilation ( BMS Douglas Fir ) sensitive to summer drought collected in the vicinity of the Agassiz Glacier ( ) .
Black fill ( note reversed scale ) denotes wetter , cooler conditions that were responsible for advance of the Agassiz Glacier to its LIA maximum position .
Retreat began with the switch to below-normal precipitation .
Relationship between climate , retreat of the Agassiz Glacier , and flux of carbonate in core UKL-1 from AD 1750 to the present .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ calculated from dating of trees in the glacier forefield ( ) .
Carbonate flux began to rise at the onset of ice retreat , and reached a peak nearly synchronous with theFilled black line presents a tree-ring compilation ( BMS Douglas Fir ) sensitive to summer drought collected in the vicinity of the Agassiz Glacier ( ) .
Black fill ( note reversed scale ) denotes wetter , cooler conditions that were responsible for advance of the Agassiz Glacier to its LIA maximum position .
Retreat began with the switch to below-normal precipitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from lakes below modern glaciers supports the first detailed Neoglacial chronology for Glacier National Park ( GNP ) , Montana .
Analysis focused on sedimentary properties sensitive to the extent and activity of upstream glacier ice , including : water , organic matter , carbonate , and biogenic silica content ; bulk density ; mass accumulation rate ; phosphorus fractionation ; magnetic susceptibility ; L*a*b* color values ; and grain size distribution .
Results indicate that alpine glaciers in GNP advanced and retreated numerous times during the Holocene after the onset of Neoglaciation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phases of glacier expansion were synchronous with the well-documented Garibaldi ( 5600–6900 BP ) and Tiedemann-Peyto ( 1900–3700 BP ) phases in western Canada .
Younger phases correspond with the First Millennium Advance in western Canada , as well as glacier with advances in the Sierra Nevada .
The culminating Little Ice Age ( LIA ) advance was the most recent and extensive of a series of advance/retreat cycles over the past millennium .
Retreat from the LIA maximum was the most dramatic episode of ice retreat in at least the last 1000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neoglacial record .
► Neoglaciation began 6500 BP .
► Intervals of expanded glaciers were broadly synchronous within the region .
► Retreat after the Little Ice Age was the most dramatic event of the last millennium .
Glacier National Park Quietly Removes Its ‘ Gone by 2020 ’ Signs As ‘ Glaciers Appear to be Growing , not Melting in Recent Years ’ Flashback 1923 : Experts said Glacier National Park would be ice-free by 1950 – In 1923 , experts said Glacier National Park would be ice-free by 1950. http : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debunked : ‘ Glaciers have been retreating for 20,000 years .
It has nothing to do with ( man-made ) ‘ climate change ’ New paper finds glaciers in Glacier National Park retreated up to 6 times faster during the 1930 ’ s than the past 40 years — Paper published in Quaternary Science Reviews – ‘ Results indicate that alpine glaciers in Glacier National Park advanced and retreated numerous times during the Holocene after the onset of Neoglaciation 6,500 years before the present ’ and ‘ Retreat from the Little Ice Age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ice retreat in at least the last 1000 years.
’ AP gets glacier melt right : ‘ Glacier National Park melting for 60 years before the park was founded in 1910 ’ National Parks Quietly Toss Signs Saying Glaciers ‘ Will Be Gone ’ By 2020 ( They ’ re Growing ) ‘ Global warming not the culprit ’ : Glaciers of Yosemite National Park are NOT disappearing from climate change Greenland ’ s Glacier Grows Alarming Climate Hysterics – A screaming lack of enthusiastic media coverage regarding recent evidence that Jakobshavn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greenland ’ s west coast , has now gone rogue .
Jakobshavn has represented the largest source of periodic ice mass loss over the last 20 years , and has produced about 10 percent of the country ’ s icebergs .
A study published last month in the journal Nature reported , “ Here we use airborne altimetry and satellite imagery to show that since 2016 , Jakobshavn has been re-advancing , slowing and thickening .
We link these changes to current cooling in ocean waters in Disko Bay that spill over into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bay ’ s upper 250 meters have cooled to levels not seen since the mid-1980s.
” Some glaciers melted faster before 2nd half of 20th century — Leading Arctic Researcher Shows That Glacial Melt Slowed Substantially Since 1952 — ‘ Leading Arctic expert William Carlson said that glaciers in Norway & Alaska lost half their size during the fifty years before 1952 .
Had that rate of loss continued , there would have been no glaciers left in Alaska or Norway by 2002 .
Given that there are glaciers remaining , we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was slower in 2nd half of century than it was in 1st half of century ’ UN Report : ‘ Glaciers increasing despite climate change ’ — ‘ Glaciers in many parts of the world are increasing ’ — ‘ Glaciers have grown in western Norway , New Zealand ’ s South Island , parts of Asia and the Tierra del Fuego in South America.
’ UN IPCC Wrong : Himalayan glaciers not melting because of climate change , report finds : ‘ Himalayan glaciers are actually advancing rather than retreating , claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN report said they would be melted within quarter of a century ’ IPCC Caught Again !
‘ Importance Of Glaciers As A Source Of Fresh Water Exaggerated , Say Austrian Scientists : ‘ IPCC has also grossly exaggerated the importance of glaciers as a source of fresh water…It is an exaggeration when it is claimed that the melting of glaciers endangers the water supply of 2 billion people .
’


climatedepot--2020-06-23--Blue states push to preserve unrealistic fuel economy standards – But ‘technology is not dinner — it

Blue states push to preserve unrealistic fuel economy standards – But ‘technology is not dinner — it can’t just be ordered’

The original rationale for fuel efficiency standards , originally triggered by the 1970s energy crisis and fears of “ peak oil , ” was put to rest about 10 years ago by the advent of fracking .
Neither shortages nor dependence on foreign oil is really a consideration any longer .
Unfortunately , the Supreme Court intervened on this issue in 2007 , before the reality of fracking could catch up with the standards and their supporting bureaucracies .
Massachusetts v. EPA paved the way for blue states and their environmental activist allies to hijack the fuel economy standard-setting process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Exploiting that ruling and the 2009 government bailout of the car industry , the Obama administration cowed automakers in 2012 into swallowing a fuel efficiency schedule that would roughly double fuel economy by 2025 .
This ambitious goal was a fantasy .
Technology is not dinner — it can ’ t just be ordered .
Fuel efficiency has improved by almost one-third since 2012 , but it is nowhere near the Obama administration ’ s edict and has no chance of getting there .
So in 2018 , the Trump administration proposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
It justified the freeze with improvements in car safety that slightly lower standards permit , reductions in traffic fatalities , reduction in vehicle costs , and the lack of discernible impacts on the environment and climate between the two levels of fuel efficiency .
As with all things Trump , blue states and their green allies are having none of it .
A host of blue states and environmentalist groups have sued the administration over its rollback of Obama-era standards .
Now the new standards will begin a tortuous multiyear journey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule-making documents , related analyses , and comments are thousands of pages long — practically beyond the comprehension and patience of anyone but regulatory mandarins who have spent their careers working on the standards .
All that aside , the dispute comes down to this : Plaintiff states want an average annual increase in fuel economy to be on the order of 2.7 % .
The Trump administration has determined that a 1.5 % annual increase is more than enough .
In 2012 , the Obama administration set fuel economy standards to increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because carmakers couldn ’ t achieve this standard through technology alone , there were only two options for meeting the Obama standard : light-weighing cars and selling more electric vehicles .
Lighter cars are less safe and increase the risk of accident fatalities .
No one disputes this — it ’ s just the physics of heavy and light objects crashing into each other .
But in its 2012 rule-making , the Obama administration was forced by its own political goals to pretend that making small cars lighter would have no impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , not a promising option for carmakers .
They struggle to sell the smaller , less convenient , more expensive cars .
Only about half of current electric vehicle owners say they would consider another one , according to a survey commissioned by the Department of Transportation .
These realities are being ignored by the media in favor of hyperventilation from ex-Obama officials saying desperate things to influence the ongoing litigation .
Gina McCarthy , the Obama EPA official who oversaw development of the 2012 fuel economy standards , now heads the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the two green groups suing over the new rule .
McCarthy claims the rollback will result in 1,000 premature deaths from emissions .
But as an EPA official , McCarthy oversaw multiple EPA clinical research studies showing automobile emissions harmed no one .
Another Obama EPA official is threatening the carmakers who support the rollback .
“ When the Democrats come into the White House , they aren ’ t going to forget what these companies have done , ” Margo Oge told the Washington Post .
The rollback is also being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lobbyist for Consumers Union , the left-wing publisher of Consumer Reports .
Friedman claimed that the rollback would push gas prices higher , despite the ongoing global oil glut and April ’ s negative oil prices .
Media quoting Friedman omit that he is another ex-Obama official intimately involved with the 2012 standards , who spent 12 years with environmental activist group Union of Concerned Scientists before that .
There are also current career EPA officials , many of whom worked on the Obama standards , who have been trying to sabotage the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency .
Beyond just fabricating and leaking information to allies on Capitol Hill , EPA career staff have also inserted litigation booby traps in rule-making documents ( such as McCarthy ’ s claim about emissions killing people ) to be exploited by blue state and green lawyers .
No one knows how any of this drama will play out , especially given the partisan nature of our judicial system and the ongoing election year .
But is any of this rigamarole worth the difference between the two sides — a 2.7 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuel economy ?
Carmakers are free to improve fuel economy by even more than 2.7 % if they want to and can .
So why compel them to do something technologically impossible that wouldn ’ t matter as far as the original or more recent purposes of the standards are concerned ?
A 1970s government slogan for fuel economy was , “ Don ’ t be fuelish.
” The lawsuit should now be dismissed with the admonition , “ Don ’ t be foolish.
” Steve Milloy publishes JunkScience.com , served on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the author of Scare Pollution : Why and How to Fix the EPA .


climatedepot--2020-06-24--Ross McKitrick: The flaw in relying on worst-case-scenario climate model – ‘The safe bottom end — we

Ross McKitrick: The flaw in relying on worst-case-scenario climate model – ‘The safe bottom end — we are already there’

Whenever you read a media story about how we ’ re heading toward catastrophe if we continue operating “ business as usual ” — i.e.
, if we don ’ t slash carbon emissions — the reports are almost always referring to a model simulation using RCP8.5 .
And you can bet that nowhere in the story will they explain that RCP8.5 is an implausible worst-case scenario that was never meant to represent a likely base case outcome , or that scientists have begun castigating its usage as a prediction of a doomed business-as-usual future .
The term RCP8.5 refers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used by scientists for climate model projections .
You might never have heard of RCP8.5 but you have definitely heard of forecasts based on it .
Listening to the politicians who make the strongest pleas for radical climate action , it is clear that their fears for the future are driven by RCP8.5 scenarios , yet it is also clear that they have no idea what it is or what is wrong with it .
RCP stands for “ Representative Concentration Pathways , ” or projections of how much carbon dioxide ( CO2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fossil fuel use over the coming century .
The United Nations ’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) generated a set of four RCP scenarios a decade ago , attaching to each a number indicating how much “ radiative forcing ” ( a measure of global warming potential ) each one generates .
RCP2.6 refers to a benign , low-end emission scenario with correspondingly minimal radiative forcing .
In the middle are RCP4.5 and RCP6.0 , and at the top end is RCP8.5 , a scorcher that predicts historically unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terence Corcoran : The ‘ resilience ’ ploy to seize the economy • World to Canada : You ’ re raising your carbon tax during a global pandemic ?
To appreciate how implausible RCP8.5 is , consider its coal use trajectory .
From the 1920s to the year 2000 , global coal consumption stayed between 15 and 20 gigajoules per capita , peaking at 20 in 1960 , falling back to 15 by 2000 , then rising to about 23 earlier this decade with the sudden industrialization of China and India .
Groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will gradually return to the 15-20 gigajoule per capita range by 2040 .
The RCP8.5 scenario offers a different outcome .
Instead of a return to normal , it projects coal use will rise to about 30 gigajoules by 2040 , 45 gigajoules by 2060 and 70 gigajoules by 2100 .
No one seriously believes this is even possible , including people who use RCP8.5 in their climate simulations .
It gets worse .
A recent study by Matthew Burgess of the University of Colorado and coauthors , which is currently available in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t even make sense in its own modelled reality .
It projects so much economic growth that today ’ s poor countries will be richer in 2100 than the wealthiest countries are today ( which would be nice if it happened ) , but they will also experience so much warming that they become uninhabitable wastelands .
How can both be true ?
RCP8.5 was created as an outlier ; an improbable worst-case scenario , not a likely business-as-usual forecast .
Yet countless scientists and economists have been using it as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works : feed RCP8.5 into a climate model , observe the catastrophe , then call it the “ likely ” scenario if we don ’ t cut emissions .
A more realistic business-as-usual scenario would look much more like the low end of the RCP range .
If you run a model with one of those , the future looks far less worrisome , the policy agenda is far less urgent and your study is far less likely to get any media attention .
Which may be why so many modellers prefer using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a commentary in Nature magazine , climate experts Zeke Hausfather and Glen Peters scolded their colleagues for misleading the public this way , and distorting the policy debate in the process .
Exaggerated emission forecasts are nothing new .
Another analysis last fall by Zeke Hausfather et .
al .
compiled CO2 concentration forecasts from the ’ 70s onward .
The figure shown on this page is based on their data .
In the ’ 70s , scientists made CO2 projections through 2000 .
Reality came in near the bottom end .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came in right at the bottom end .
The IPCC likewise has a history of playing up worst-case scenarios .
Prior to commissioning the RCP group , in 2000 the IPCC issued the Special Report on Emission Scenarios ( SRES ) , a set of emission paths ranging from low and slow CO2 growth to the infamous A1FI top-end scorcher , which climate modellers considered unrealistic at the time but which allowed the IPCC to issue scary-sounding “ up to six degrees ” warming forecasts .
In a column I published on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I noted that by the time it was shown to experts in early 2000 , A1FI had already overestimated global coal consumption growth in the ’ 90s by 40 per cent .
The SRES scenarios came in for more controversy in 2002 when Ian Castles , the former chief statistician of Australia , and former OECD chief economist David Henderson wrote to the IPCC to inform it that the SRES team had used an incorrect formula for computing foreign exchange rates , which systematically exaggerated the growth and emissions forecasts in low-income countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also found IPCC emissions scenarios to be exaggerated .
In two papers published in 2012 and 2013 , I and my coauthors compared the range of IPCC emission scenarios to historical trends and found the upper half of the range to be improbable compared to the lower half .
Thus for at least 30 years , when the IPCC and others have issued emission scenario ranges , the bottom end has always been the most realistic path and the rest has been exaggerated , yet the upper end gets all the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distortion to new heights .
The purpose of global climate policy is to get us from the dangerous upper end of the forecast range down to the safe bottom end .
But what users of climate projections need to understand is that we are already there .
In fact , we never left it .
We don ’ t need to kill the global economy to get onto an emissions path we ’ ve always been on .
If we want to avoid the RCP8.5 future scenario all we have to do is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because that ’ s the only place it exists .
Ross McKitrick is a professor of economics at the University of Guelph and a senior fellow of the Fraser Institute .


climatedepot--2020-06-23--Exposing Al Gore’s Deep Connection to the Post COVID Eco-Socialist ‘Great Reset’ Proposal

Earlier in June , the World Economic Forum ( WEF ) , a highly influential nonprofit organization based in Europe , announced its plan to push for a “ Great Reset ” of global capitalism ...
The stated purpose of the “ Great Reset ” is to use the coronavirus pandemic as a justification to completely overhaul the entire global economy , including the U.S. economy , to make a more “ equitable ” world and to fight climate change ... On NBC ’ s Today show , Gore evoked the “ Great Reset ” directly and called for radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight climate change .
“ So , I think this is a time for a ‘ Great Reset , ’ ” Gore said .
“ We ’ ve got to fix a lot of these problems that have been allowed to fester for way too long .
And the climate crisis is an opportunity to create tens of millions of new jobs , clean up the air , and reduce the death rate from pandemics , by the way , because the air pollution from burning fossil fuels heightens the death rates from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a time for a reset to fix a bunch of challenges , first among them the climate crisis , ” Gore added .
Earlier in June , the World Economic Forum ( WEF ) , a highly influential nonprofit organization based in Europe , announced its plan to push for a “ Great Reset ” of global capitalism .
Among the many world leaders who have already backed the plan are Prince Charles from the United Kingdom ; Antonio Guterres , the U.N. secretary-general ; Bernard Looney , CEO of BP ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bradford Smith , president of Microsoft ; and Gina Gopinath , the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund .
The stated purpose of the “ Great Reset ” is to use the coronavirus pandemic as a justification to completely overhaul the entire global economy , including the U.S. economy , to make a more “ equitable ” world and to fight climate change , which has on numerous occasions been identified as the world ’ s next great “ crisis ” by advocates of the plan .
In an article published on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , WEF founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said , “ Every country , from the United States to China , must participate , and every industry , from oil and gas to tech , must be transformed .
In short , we need a ‘ Great Reset ’ of capitalism.
” At WEF ’ s June event , the organization announced the Great Reset will be the subject of its much larger January 2021 event in Davos , Switzerland , where world leaders gather every year to help develop and coordinate left-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 Davos meeting is being billed as a “ twin summit ” by the World Economic Forum , because in addition to public and private meetings between the world ’ s most powerful business , government , and nonprofit leaders , the event will also feature collaborative meetings and planning sessions with a vast network of youth activists in the Global Shapers Community , a Switzerland-based nonprofit that has more than 7,000 members located in 400 cities around the world .
In the 2018–19 Global Shapers annual report , four key “ partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Climate Reality Project ( CRP ) , which has worked with the Global Shapers Community to “ participate in global climate trainings.
” None other than former U.S. Vice President Al Gore co-founded the Climate Reality Project , and he still serves as the organization ’ s chairman .
In the 2019 annual report for Gore ’ s Climate Reality Project , CRP reported , “ we train these inspiring individuals [ in the Global Shapers Community ] to connect climate issues with key fights like hunger and social justice.
” The Climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , “ We also help Shapers hone their communications and organizing skills to mobilize their communities for climate action and win .
“ Through these trainings – held at Shaper events around the world – we ’ re helping young leaders gain the skills to turn passion into real results , ” the report continues .
“ Many Shapers then train as Climate Reality Leaders to deepen their understanding of the crisis and build their advocacy and organizing skills even further.
” “ Climate Reality Leaders ” are climate activists trained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage in local , regional , and national activism .
Among other things , the Climate Reality Leaders work to “ shift their towns to 100 percent renewable electricity , ” as well as “ fight pipeline developments in frontline communities ” and “ organize climate strikes bringing hundreds of thousands into the streets.
” According to Gore ’ s organization , the Climate Reality Project has trained at least 1,350 Global Shapers over the past three years .
The Climate Reality Project ’ s close relationship with the Global Shapers Community proves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Great Reset ” and will be closely involved with its rollout in 2021 .
Additionally , in a recent interview with NBC ’ s Today television show , Gore evoked the “ Great Reset ” directly and called for radical economic changes to the world economy to fight climate change .
“ So , I think this is a time for a ‘ Great Reset , ’ ” Gore said during the interview , after describing the alleged economic benefits of renewable energy sources and electric cars .
“ We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems that have been allowed to fester for way too long .
And the climate crisis is an opportunity to create tens of millions of new jobs , clean up the air , and reduce the death rate from pandemics , by the way , because the air pollution from burning fossil fuels heightens the death rates from coronavirus .
“ So , this is a time for a reset to fix a bunch of challenges , first among them the climate crisis , ” Gore added .
Justin Haskins ( [ email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the editorial director of The Heartland Institute .
This article was originally published at : stoppingsocialism.com , a project of The Heartland Institute .


climatedepot--2020-06-23--Systemic Data Tampering: NASA GISS Alters US Southeast Data, Changes Cooling To Warming

Today we look at the NASA data from 6 stations from the US southeast region .
In every case the trends were warmed up by what NASA calls “ adjusting ” .
Four of the 6 stations showed a clear cooling trend , which were then altered by NASA to show warming .
Another station saw its flat trend turned into warming , and a another station had only modest warming but was altered to show stronger warming .
This is how NASA tells us the US has been warming over the past century , when in fact it really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s own data tell the story .
First we look at Greensboro , Alabama .
Here we see how warm it was in the 1930s , 1940s and 1950s , but look what happened once NASA GISS scientists got their hands on the data : in Newnan Georgia , NASA simply dropped all the inconvenient warm readings of the early 20th century , see below .
A cooling trend disappeared Orwellian style : In Hattiesburg , Mississippi , cooling was also altered to produce warming .
It has nothing to do with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with fudging historical data : If these types of people are capable of unabashedly rewriting history , imagine what they wouldn ’ t think twice about at the ballot boxes this coming November .
Look at what they did to the data from the Little Mountain station in South Carolina : Presto !
First you see the cooling , now you don ’ t .
It ’ s all been doctored .
Data source : NASA GISS Well , at least there wasn ’ t any cooling recorded at the station of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next chart shows .
But NASA insists that it has to be some warming , and so cooled the early data so that we get a warming trend .
Finally we look at what NASA did to the temperature data from Lake City , Florida , below .
A clear cooling trend was altered to show warming .
NASA GISS scientists obviously have no scruples about turning historical records into modern lies .
Anyone else would be put on the dock for such deceit – at least intensely investigated .
But NASA GISS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re “ experts ” , we are told , and so who are we to question them – no matter how fishy it all appears ?
There ’ s no one to really police them .
Unless this stops , very dark tyrannical times lie ahead for us .
The alterations are systemic .


climatedepot--2020-06-23--E&E Alarmist Article on Facebook’s Climate Model ‘Fact-checking’ Needs Its Own Fact-Checking

E & E News today published a news story backing the opinions of a partisan climate alarmist group that acts as a censor for opposing opinions on Facebook .
( see How CO2 boosters ’ op-ed slipped by Facebook fact-checkers ) Dr. Caleb Stewart Rossiter , a climate statistician who directs the CO2 Coalition of climate scientists and energy economists that is fighting the censorship , responded that it is the E & E article that desperately needs fact-checking : “ About the only thing that is accurate in this opinion piece masquerading as news story is this statement : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foundation used to craft many carbon regulations.
’ Climate models indeed are the only thing justifying the array of mandates and subsidies for wind and solar power that are making energy prices four times as high as they should be.
” ( See The Social Cost of Carbon and Carbon Taxes ) .
Dr. Rossiter noted that the UN ’ s own reports show that there has been no statistically significant increase in rates of sea-level rise , hurricanes , droughts , and other extreme weather during the era since 1950 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temperature ( see Climate Statistics 101 ) .
Said Rossiter , “ Why do Facebook ’ s censors go after anything we write about climate models ?
Because these models are the weak link in the alarmist narrative .
These rough estimates based on pre-programmed warming assumptions continue to run three times too hot compared to actual temperature data.
” ( see On Climate Sensitivity ) .


climatedepot--2020-06-24--Terence Corcoran: If we unquestioningly ‘follow the science,’ it could lead us nowhere – ‘Facts dist

Terence Corcoran: If we unquestioningly ‘follow the science,’ it could lead us nowhere – ‘Facts distorted’; Risk exaggerated & science warped to serve an agenda’

Surely one of the more embarrassing moments in Anderson Cooper ’ s career as host of his CNN nightly show was the night back in May when he brought in 17-year-old Greta Thunberg as a star interview for a CNN Town Hall — not on the climate crisis , for which Thunberg has been famously treated as an expert of sorts , but on the COVID-19 crisis .
The link between COVID-19 and climate change is a little unclear , so presumably Cooper and Town Hall co-host Dr. Sanjay Gupta , CNN ’ s medical expert , thought Thunberg would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus crisis .
The only advice from Thunberg , however , was to urge everyone to “ follow the science ” as suggested by Cooper , who seemed to be appealing to the 17-year-old for confirmation of his views : “ This is a time , it seems , that the global scientific community is so critically important and we ’ re really seeing how important it is to follow science.
” Thunberg took that soft hand off from Cooper as one might expect — as confirmation of her claim that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change .
“ People are starting to realize that we are actually depending on science and that we need to listen to scientists and experts .
And I really hope that stays , ” she said , adding that she also hoped it will apply to other crises “ such as the climate crisis and the environmental crisis.
” When it comes to COVID-19 , however , Thunberg seemed to have missed some of the science she said we should all be following .
She suggested it was misinformation to believe initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ During any crisis it is always the most vulnerable people who are hit the hardest , and that is children , ” she proclaimed .
“ Yes , this does affect elderly people a lot , but we also have to remember that this is also a children ’ s rights crisis because children are the most vulnerable in societies .
Children do get the virus and they also spread it.
” The actual science shows , as we all now know , that children are not the hardest hit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Children are in “ extremely low risk ” of getting the disease and when they do get it they are more likely to be asymptomatic .
Few have died .
Welcome to FP Comment ’ s 22nd annual Junk Science Week , guided by our standard definition : Junk science occurs when scientific facts are distorted , risk is exaggerated and the science adapted and warped by politics and ideology to serve another agenda .
Both CNN and Thunberg are manifestations thereof .
• Ross McKitrick : The flaw in relying on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The hottest doc of the year kills green energy Whether the politicization of science is more widespread today is unanswerable , but it seems fair to conclude that there have been few signs of retreat .
As we shall explore later this week , peer review regimes continue to fail , correlations are propelled into causation , health risks converted into draconian legislation .
Calls to follow the science are heard almost daily from politicians and activists — and many scientists .
But what are they advocating ?
When a politician who declares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( as per U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren ) , it ’ s akin to admitting lack of knowledge about the science behind whatever policy is being promulgated .
And what if , as is too often the case , the science politicians are following is tainted and falls into the great science world where deliberate distortions and exaggerations — even fabrications — are common ?
Lest anyone believe that doesn ’ t happen , it ’ s worth recalling the famous words of Stephen Schneider , the late Stanford University climate scientist who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years — saw fudging and fakery as the proper role of scientists .
“ On the one hand , ” said Schneider , “ as scientists we are ethically bound to the scientific method .
On the other hand , we are not just scientists but human beings as well .
To do that we need to get some broad-based support , to capture the public ’ s imagination .
That , of course , means getting loads of media coverage .
So we have to offer up scary scenarios , make simplified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention of any doubts we might have .
Each of us has to decide what the right balance is between being effective and being honest.
” There is one area of science where a small blow — or maybe it will prove to be large — has been dealt to the “ scary scenarios ” that have driven climate policy over much of the past two decades .
That scenario is the work of the UN climate agency — the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) — which produced a so-called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drastic action to curb carbon emissions the world would plunge into economic and environmental hell .
Guelph University ’ s Ross McKitrick outlines on this page today that the official UN climate scenario known as RCP8.5 — cited by media and others to describe climate change risk — is a form of junk science based on assorted wrong-headed assumptions , including impossible projections of carbon emissions increases .
McKitrick concludes : “ If we want to avoid the RCP8.5 future scenario all we have to do is stop feeding it into climate models @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place it exists.
” If we just unquestioningly “ follow the science , ” that ’ s where it seems to be leading , to places that don ’ t exist , to nowhere .


climatedepot--2020-06-24--USA’s energy deprived future if a warmist Prez wins: Facing ‘dizzying array’ of plans: Rejoin Paris;

USA’s energy deprived future if a warmist Prez wins: Facing ‘dizzying array’ of plans: Rejoin Paris; declare ‘climate emergency’; ‘Block pipelines’; ‘Halt drilling’; Halt fracking; ‘Ban all fossil fuel imports & exports’

The Bad : If next president is climate activist : `` Don ’ t wait on Congress .
Don ’ t wait to see if one type of policy solution works best ; just do them all . ''
- Brett Hartl , chief political strategist , Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund .
If climate activist president wins in 2020 : `` Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement is easy but is only the start .
Among numerous other options in circulation : Declare a climate emergency and reallocate resources .
Block pipeline construction and restrict pipeline use .
Halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fracking technology across the nation .
Ban all fossil fuel imports and exports .
Place a carbon adjustment fee on imported goods produced through carbon-intensive processes .
And on .
Presto-chango through unilateral executive power that ignores the legislative branch . ''
The Good : The `` Trump administration has largely eviscerated all of the major Obama climate policy efforts via executive orders , regulatory revisions , and administrative stalling , designed to make it as difficult as possible for any successor to shift gears again.
” For nearly thirty years , every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has been reliant on administrative powers rather than fresh legislation to pursue their environmental policy goals .
This reached new heights during the Barack Obama presidency , and the succeeding Trump administration has largely eviscerated all of the major Obama climate policy efforts via executive orders , regulatory revisions , and administrative stalling , designed to make it as difficult as possible for any successor to shift gears again .
Even before Trump ’ s election , federal courts and aggressive opposition , led by state attorneys general and governors , hobbled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clean Power Plan .
In recent years , I have been studying , with colleagues Frank Thompson and Kenneth Wong , the evolution of presidential power in domestic policy for a new book that will be published by Brookings Press come September .
This book will examine the growing penchant for expanding executive authority in multiple areas of federal policy , including climate change , as well as the increasingly prominent role of well-organized states to lead opposition in litigation and implementation , all with a focus on the Obama-to-Trump era .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are ways that administrative powers can and should be used , particularly when policies have a firm constitutional foundation and can build effectively through adaptive mechanisms provided by established legislation .
This would include some sections of the Clean Air Act that are tailor-made for such modifications as scientific understanding of risks advances .
But there are sobering political and legal limits on what this approach can accomplish .
If the United States is to finally move toward a climate policy regime that can prove to be enduring , effective domestically , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Any policy route that runs through Congress is daunting but an election is coming and new opportunities may emerge .
One consideration is whether there is any future legislative path that involves members of both parties in a hyperpartisan setting where Republicans have routinely blocked climate policy legislation at federal and state levels for the past decade .
Current congressional deliberations over separate bills that would phase out hydrofluorocarbons and provide permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund have continued to move forward with broad bipartisan support in recent months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate , which overwhelmingly approved the latter proposal on June 17 .
Each could plausibly be approved this year .
Neither case would approach the scope of a far-reaching climate bill but both can inform future legislative strategies .
They will offer insight into whether any form of legislative bipartisanship is politically feasible on climate change or if instead a purely partisan path is the lone game in town .


climatedepot--2020-06-24--Supreme Court to hear natural gas pipeline case – At stake? ‘How interstate natural-gas pipelines ha

Supreme Court to hear natural gas pipeline case – At stake? ‘How interstate natural-gas pipelines have been built for 80 years’

A decade of battles against pipelines proposed to crisscross the country is arriving at the Supreme Court .
Driving the news : The court ruled last week on the first such high-profile case , and two other actions also on pipelines are pending before the justices in decisions whose impacts could be far-reaching .
The big picture : These court battles represent the culmination of fights over fossil-fuel infrastructure of all kinds — beginning with the Keystone XL pipeline — as a proxy for a larger debate about climate change and energy .
• Over this same period , oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Natural gas has become the dominant electricity source , driving a buildout of pipelines and power plants .
• Environmentalists , together with local government officials and other advocates , have been fighting these projects through courts and permitting processes in the absence of the federal government taking action on climate policy .
Where it stands : The three actions at issue turn on the fine print of different legal details , but they all deal with the same underlying debate about to what degree oil and natural gas pipelines should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to break down thousands of pages of legal arguments into fewer than 200 words : • The Supreme Court ruled last week in favor of a 600-mile natural-gas pipeline proposed to go under the Appalachian Trail in rural Virginia ( many pipelines already do ) .
That decision also removed a hurdle for another 300-mile pipeline and could prompt development on other ecologically important lands , environmentalists say .
• The Supreme Court will consider on Thursday whether it will grant or deny review , or seek the input of the Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eminent domain and states ’ constitutional rights .
If the justices take it and reaffirm a lower court ’ s ruling , that could , in effect , give states veto power to block natural-gas pipelines .
• The Supreme Court is also expected to decide in the coming weeks whether to grant the Trump administration ’ s request last week to stay a lower court ’ s ruling on the still-unresolved Keystone project , which also resulted in permitting delays of numerous other pipelines .
By the numbers : The time it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the last decade largely in response to more opposition , which in turn increases projects ’ costs , according to analysis by energy analytics firm LawIQ .
• Before 2013 , it took a little under 2.5 years from application filing to construction completion .
• Since 2013 , that average has increased to nearly three years .
• However , for the two pipeline projects at issue in last week ’ s Supreme Court case — the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley Pipeline — they ’ re both already taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outstanding permits despite the court action .
( The Keystone review has been going for 12 years ! )
• This data is only for pipelines that haven ’ t been canceled .
If a permit is denied , a project tends to be shelved eventually , according to Rains at Washington Analysis .
The intrigue : The eminent domain case could create the biggest precedent for fighting pipelines going forward .
• A federal appeals court ruled in September that developers of the 120-mile PennEast Pipeline from Pennsylvania to New Jersey couldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 11th Amendment protecting states ’ rights , to seize land controlled by the state to build the project .
• The court said its conclusion could likely upend how interstate natural-gas pipelines have been built for 80 years .
“ But that is what the Eleventh Amendment demands , ” the court wrote in its September 2019 decision .
But , but , but : “ What the industry is struggling with at this point is whether all of these projects are even needed anymore , ” said Gary Kruse , managing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other than seasonal shortages in the Northeast , “ most of the rest of the country is probably properly supplied with pipeline capacity right now , ” Kruse said .
• A recent report by the environmental think tank Rocky Mountain Institute went a step further to say that natural-gas pipelines — and the power plants they serve — will be more expensive compared to renewable energy in the coming decade .
The bottom line : If President Trump loses reelection , expect Joe Biden to be increasingly hostile to fossil-fuel projects .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fight that ’ ll play out in the courts .
• “ I expect it to be a bit of a wild west for a while as the courts , agencies and the parties involved try to work through all of these emerging issues at once , ” says Gillian Giannetti , staff attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council .