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2016 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #39
Posted on 25 September 2016 by John Hartz
Story of the Week... SkS Highlights... La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... SkS in the News... SkS Spotlights... Video of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...
Story of the Week...
SkS Highlights...
New study undercuts favorite climate myth ‘more CO2 is good for plants’ by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian) received the most comments of the aricles posted on SkS during the past week. How climate science deniers can accept so many 'impossible things' all at once by Graham Readfearn (Planet Oz, Guardian) attracted the second highest number.
La Niña Update...
A weakening La Nina climate pattern is going to make weather and climate forecasts a bit trickier this fall and winter.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has called off its La Nina watch, and evidence suggests conditions are weakening and returning to neutral.
"It means we have a less confident forecast," said Tony Barnston, chief forecaster for Columbia University's International Research Institute on Climate and Society. Barnston is one of the 10 climate scientists from NOAA and institute who decide whether a watch should be put in place.
A weakening La Nina adds a lot of uncertainty to climate predictions by Robert Ferris, CNBC News, Sep 23, 2016
Toon of the Week...
Quote of the Week...
In a toast during a leaders’ lunch yesterday at the United Nations, the outgoing secretary-general (Ban Ki-moon) jokingly challenged Obama to a round of golf in retirement, because “we need to find something to do.”
He singled out Obama’s work on climate change as a particular highlight of his own term.
“One of the most memorable moments of my tenure took place just over two weeks ago, at the G-20 meeting, when we stood together as the United States and China joined the Paris Agreement,” said Ban.
“Climate diplomacy faced much opposition and involved many sleepless nights. But now the agreement is on the brink of entering into force. This achievement will surely echo down the decades,” he said.
Obama Warns of "Mass Migrations" If Climate Change Is Not Confronted by Jean Chemnick, ClimateWire/Scientific American, Sep 21, 2016
Graphic of the Week...
SkS in the News...
The just published peer-reviewed article, The ‘Alice in Wonderland’ mechanics of the rejection of (climate) science: simulating coherence by conspiracism (Lewandowsky et al) is the focus of:
- Climate Science Denial: A rational activity built on incoherence and conspiracy theories by Sou (HotWhopper)
- Alice in Denialand: Mad as Hatters by ClimateDenier Roundup by Climate Denier Roundup (Daily Kos)
- The Argument Against Anthropogenic Climate Change Is On Drugs by Greg Laden (Greg Laden's Blog)
- How climate science deniers can accept so many 'impossible things' all at once by Graham Readfearn (Planet Oz, Guardian)
The Market Forces article, Suncorp understands the importance of 2ºC, fails to commit to it, begins with:
Creator of the award-winning Skeptical Science website John Cook and Associate Professor Kristen Lyons were among the shareholders attending the Suncorp AGM today in Brisbane, trying to find out why a company that is losing billions of dollars in climate change related damage is not doing anything about it. Suncorp is one of the largest insurance companies in Australia representing 3,500 employees and serves close to nine million customers.
In their Washington Post article, Scientists know climate change is a threat. Politicians need to realize it, too, Kerry Emanuel & Ben Santer links to the intermediate version of the SkS rebuttal article, The 97% consensus on global warming, in:
The climate is changing in dangerous ways, and we are responsible for most of these changes. This is not a matter of conjecture or political opinion — it is the conclusion of the overwhelming majority of climate scientists, based on solid evidence that mounts each year. Rising sea levels, extreme heat, increased incidence of floods and drought, ocean acidification and expansion of tropical diseases pose an unacceptable level of risk to our descendants. So do many other climate-related threats.
John Cook's appointment to the faculty at George Mason University is the focus of:
- Kudos to Cook, and Cartoon Coverage of UK Denial Conference by Climate Denier Roundup (Daily Kos)
- Something went wrong at WUWT. Is Anthony Watts ceding his title? by Sou (HotWhopper)
SkS Spotlights...
The Third Pole is a multilingual platform dedicated to promoting information and discussion about the Himalayan watershed and the rivers that originate there. The project was launched as an initiative of chinadialogue, in partnership with the Earth Journalism Network. It is a registered non-profit organisation based in New Delhi and London, with editors also based in Kathmandu, Beijing, Dhaka and Karachi.
We work with an international network of experts, scientists, media professionals and policy makers to share knowledge and perspectives across the region.
We aim to reflect the impacts at every level, from the poorest communities to the highest reaches of government, and to promote knowledge sharing and cooperation within the region and internationally. We welcome your comments and contributions.
Contact info@thethirdpole.net to write for us, contribute data or join our network.
Video of the Week...
Greenland’s ice sheet is melting faster than previously thought, Climate State/YouTube, Sep 22, 2016
Coming Soon on SkS...
- The Madhouse Effect of climate denial (John Abraham)
- IPCC special report to scrutinise ‘feasibility’ of 1.5C climate goal (Roz Pidcock)
- New MIT app lets you check if your car meets climate targets (Dana)
- Mapped: How Germany generates its electricity (Simon Evans & Rosamund Pearce)
- Scientists: How the new focus on 1.5C is reshaping climate research (Roz Pidcock)
- 2016 SkS Weekly News Roundup #40 (John Hartz)
- 2016 SkS Weekly Digest #40 (John Hartz)
Poster of the Week...
SkS Week in Review...
- 2016 SkS Weekly News Roundup #39 by John Hartz (SkS Original)
- How climate science deniers can accept so many 'impossible things' all at once by Graham Readfearn (Planet Oz, Guardian)
- Rising seas could ease coral bleaching but will be ‘too little too late’ by Robert McSweeney (Carbon Brief)
- 375 top scientists warn of 'real, serious, immediate' climate threat by John Abraham (Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian)
- How the Greenland ice sheet fared in 2016 by Ruth Mottram, Peter Langen & Martin Stendel (Carbon Brief)
- New study undercuts favorite climate myth ‘more CO2 is good for plants’ by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian)
- 2016 SkS Weekly Digest #38 by John Hartz (SkS Original)
97 Hours of Consensus...
Piers Forster's bio page and Quote source
High resolution JPEG (1024 pixels wide)
here we have an erroneous link:
[...]Something went wrong at WUWT. Is Anthony Watts ceding his title? by Sou (HotWhopper)[...]
here is the correct url:
http://blog.hotwhopper.com/2016/09/something-went-wrong-at-wuwt-is-anthony.html
[JH] Thank you for bringing this glitch to our attention. The correct url has been inserted.
This new paleo study in Neture:
Evolution of global temperature over the past two million years
creates some spin in the media. Particularly the sentence in the abstract:
results in claims (e.g. in smh here wrong IMO) that we may be already committed to 7 degree warming.
I don't have access to the full text to form my opinion about that claim. Anyone who has, or who has found a better op-ed can explains how this new study relates to, and how it changes the constrains on ESS estimates? Thanks.
chiskoz:
There is a post on this paper over at RealClimate:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2016/09/the-snyder-sensitivity-situation/
Thanks Bob. Gavin on RC just expertly clarified what is also my concerns about this study. Nothing to add.
This time of year (late Sept) usually means the CO2 levels have hit a seasonal bottom at Mauna Loa. This year it bottomed comfortably above 400ppm. Last month of observations show that every day the average were within 400-402 while only some hourly averages notched below. So, almanac collectors, get an ampule of air from Aug 29 (which by a statistical fluke ended with 399.5ppm) if they still have it! Otherwise you won't get it: other stations that might still hit 400ppm extremum next year, (eg. Cape Grim inTas) may not be selling them, Antarctic stations definitely do not.
I still remember from primary school that CO2 should constitute 0.035% of the atmosphere. It was still 0.039% when I first started to learn climate science. Even that is an ancient history already.