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Comment on What can we expect for this year’s Arctic sea ice? by WebHubTelescope (@WHUT)

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” Robert I Ellison | June 18, 2014 at 5:43 pm |

This post has degenerated past all saving. Australians don’t do loud mouthed self-aggrandizing – such as webby excels in – or puffed up humbug like mosh. Mostly it gets automatically classified as BS.

None of it seems remotely on topic or at all interesting. As off topic – but as a lover of literature I find this a bit disturbing.

‘I used Shannons concept of informational entropy to understand novelty and creativity in texts. Oh and some natural language
generation.’ “

That’s why I admire Mosh. He dives in and tackle tough problems.

Related to Mosh’s interests. As a spinoff project, I am maintaining a semantic web server that organizes a collection of environmental and energy models and simulations. This is linked off of my http://ContextEarth.com blog. The objective is to gather mostly simple models related to entropy but I usually get sidetracked into working on more complex problems, and these of course tend to eat up lots of time. I can understand how projects like BEST are a labor of love. Find something interesting and dive in. No one is stopping you.


Comment on What can we expect for this year’s Arctic sea ice? by WebHubTelescope (@WHUT)

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These sort of ideas seem well beyond what webby is able to get his head around – and we get the unedifying spectacle of abuse and insults gratuitously directed at me while sucking up to mosh in this instance.

Mosh doesn’t appreciate the fact that I won’t make an over/under bet.
Will I “suck up” to him and place a bet? nope.

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by mosomoso

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Faustino,

Catching on? KP is a PINO, Muralitharan is a BINO. Turnbull is a LINO. Greg Inglis is a QINO. And so forth.

- your affectionate Aussie mate

Comment on What can we expect for this year’s Arctic sea ice? by Robert I Ellison

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‘Equatorial total ozone variations with time scales of annual, quasi-biennial, and about 4-year periodicities are described by paying attention to their longitudinal structure. Analyses are made for 11 years from 1979 to 1989, using the global total ozone data derived from the total ozone mapping spectrometer on board the Nimbus 7 satellite. Over the equator an annual cycle in total ozone is conspicuous. Zonal mean values are maximum around September and minimum around January. The longitudinal structure shows a zonal wavenumber 1 pattern with minimum values around 140°E to the date line all year-round, indicating a close relationship to a region where the convective cloud activity is vigorous. By removing the climatological annual cycle from the original data, there appears the quasi-biennial oscillation in total ozone. This variation is characterized by zonally uniform phase changes and is strongly coupled with the quasi-biennial oscillation of the equatorial zonal wind in the lower stratosphere. Moreover, subtracting zonal mean values from the anomaly data mentioned above, we see an east-west seesaw variation with a nodal longitude around the date line. This east-west variation, having a characteristic time scale of about 4 years, is clearly related to the El Niño and the Southern Oscillation cycle. During El Niño events the longitudinal anomaly field in total ozone is positive in the western Pacific and negative in the eastern Pacific; the anomaly pattern is reversed during anti-El Niño events. Because the active region of convective clouds is located relatively in the eastern Pacific sector during El Niño events, it is suggested that the stronger upwelling and the higher tropopause associated with the convective cloud activity bring about less total ozone.’ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/92JD00530/abstract

Scaling the QBO to ENSO and calling it a model is the epitome of dumb science.

http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v7/n5/fig_tab/ngeo2138_F2.html

Now all you need to have a poor projection – on top of a curve poorly fitted to data – is to predict the QBO.

‘ENSO causes climate extremes across and beyond the Pacific basin; however, evidence of ENSO at high southern latitudes is generally restricted to the South Pacific and West Antarctica. Here, the authors report a statistically significant link between ENSO and sea salt deposition during summer from the Law Dome (LD) ice core in East Antarctica. ENSO-related atmospheric anomalies from the central-western equatorial Pacific (CWEP) propagate to the South Pacific and the circumpolar high latitudes. These anomalies modulate high-latitude zonal winds, with El Niño (La Niña) conditions causing reduced (enhanced) zonal wind speeds and subsequent reduced (enhanced) summer sea salt deposition at LD. Over the last 1010 yr, the LD summer sea salt (LDSSS) record has exhibited two below-average (El Niño–like) epochs, 1000–1260 ad and 1920–2009 ad, and a longer above-average (La Niña–like) epoch from 1260 to 1860 ad. Spectral analysis shows the below-average epochs are associated with enhanced ENSO-like variability around 2–5 yr, while the above-average epoch is associated more with variability around 6–7 yr. The LDSSS record is also significantly correlated with annual rainfall in eastern mainland Australia. While the correlation displays decadal-scale variability similar to changes in the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO), the LDSSS record suggests rainfall in the modern instrumental era (1910–2009 ad) is below the long-term average. In addition, recent rainfall declines in some regions of eastern and southeastern Australia appear to be mirrored by a downward trend in the LDSSS record, suggesting current rainfall regimes are unusual though not unknown over the last millennium.’

Webby has made a prediction – it is impossible that more frequent and intense La Nina can continue for a decade to three more – let alone longer term variability. It is after all an oscillation – and the obvious – and hugely documented decadal and longer variability just doesn’t exist.

He misses it all – his is very, very, very poor science – he fits the data series procrustean like to fit the theory – and I am a denier because I disagree with him. I’ve got news – but not such as he is capable of processing. I don’t deny any science – he does.

Comment on What can we expect for this year’s Arctic sea ice? by WebHubTelescope (@WHUT)

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Scaling the QBO to ENSO and calling it a model is the epitome of dumb science.

I always keep it simple because I don’t think this kind of climate science is complicated. The ENSO and QBO both share the same cyclic forcing, which is a slightly varying periodic signal centered around 28-29 months. As it turns out this is the folded frequency for the synodic lunar month of 29.53 days, which is pointing to the same forces which give rise to tides as being the stimulus for both ENSO and QBO.
http://contextearth.com/2014/06/17/the-qbom/

Kind of hard to knee-jerk refute this, just as the tide going in and out is difficult to challenge. But I will wait for a counter-argument.

BTW, this is real exploratory science, not suited for the incurious.

Comment on Climate data and financial data: Part 2 by Don Monfort

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You are obviously not very bright, petey. If it is temperature influence on agriculture what done it, why not look at actual agriculture production stats, instead of some freaking small changes in world temp anomalies that are derived mostly from sea surface temps? How much freaking corn, soybeans, potatoes and wheat is grown in the freaking ocean, petey? If you want to know how changes in temperature affect the U.S. CPI, look at the freaking crop stats and agricultural commodity prices for the U. S., petey.

The story is very inconsistent with no rationale but a lot of silly rationalizations. Small changes in world temperature anomalies affect the U.S. CPI and Moody AAA bond rates 3 and 5 years in the future, but arctic sea ice affects world GDP without delay. What kind of freaking sense does that make, petey?

There is so much wrong with this nonsense that almost nobody will even bother to comment on it. I have to wonder why Judith is continuing to post this foolishness. Judith, are you contemplating some sort of business relationship with Tom’s “publishing” business? Do you seriously believe there is any value in this crap?

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by JJ

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The Need to Act Now = The Election by Which We are Sure to Lose the Senate Is Only Four Months Away.

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by stefanthedenier


Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by John Vonderlin

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Mike Wilson,
Be reassured. Solar PV panels are typically made from silicon, not silicone, though silicone finds some usage in sealing the panels and your roof. Degradation of their output begins immediately, not after 15 years as you stated. However, depending on the variety of panel, it is only about .5% a year. Most solar companies warranty the panels to produce above 80% of their initial rating up to 25 years. Many years ago I bought old panels from a dismantled A.T.& T project and they were still performing admirably more than a decade later when I sold my off grid mountain ranch.
I can’t imagine what you mean by saying in regards to the energy of manufacturing that it is,” Like half the temperature of the sun’s surface for a day!” But, according to studies, the energy required to manufacture them is typically recouped in about a year and a half. That’s about 6% of the energy they should produce during their lifetime. Even less if they are re-purposed as we did.
While I have written numerous letters to the editor criticizing the quality of analyses of the economics of solar power that appear in our local paper here in Silicon Valley, yours is even worse.

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by John

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Tom, well said, like pretty much everything you post.

The only thing I would add is that with all the $ from Silicon Valley, and to a far lesser extent the federal government, solar will become cheap enough to compete with fossil fuels within 10 to 20 years, in my view. And when that happens, solar will be on the tops and sides of most new big buildings. It will be in the deserts of the world, as in western China, western India, eastern Pakistan, the deserts of Peru and Chile, and many parts of the Sahara. Unlike wind, it will produce power during summer and daylight peak hours most of the time, so it won’t need as much storage and backup as wind – thought it will still need some.

The issue then will be, who will manufacture the solar? Can we make it in the US, if wages have come up sufficiently in other places by that time?

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by gbaikie

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–David Springer | June 19, 2014 at 10:09 am |

If nuclear is all that cost-effective absent gov’t constraints how come China is building so many new coal-fired power plants instead of nuclear power plants? Surely you won’t ask us to believe it’s because China is concerned about proliferation, radioactive waste disposal, meltdowns, or any of the usual western concerns.

Your arguments are thus refuted, Lang. Nuclear power is not more expensive than fossil fuel power because of regulatory burdens.–

Coal [and other fossil fuel power plants] are the quickest ways to generate electrical power. Nuclear power [or building a dam] require more time. The US regulatory burden is mostly harmful in that they increase the amount of time to build a nuclear power plant- but without such necessary time burden, it still takes a long time to make nuclear reactor.

So also since Coal power is faster, by delaying added more power generation [whatever the type generation] one is essentially “promoting” coal use, as it’s the fastest thing to build in a energy crisis.
One could say China had and has energy crisis, the speed to get power generation in line was a factor in why China has and is building coal power plants, and is also reason Germany is building coal power plants.

But though US has most amount of nuclear power plants in the world, in the future China may rival the US or over take the US in this regard.

Comment on What can we expect for this year’s Arctic sea ice? by beththeserf

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by cwon14

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It’s not that they “didn’t understand” the “science”, it’s that they understood the politics.

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by rls

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When you personally know a politician it may be possible to overlook some flaws. McGovern and McCain are similar in my mind. Both were pilots and war heroes, both ran for president and lost, both have flakey ideas, and both have last names that begin Mc.

Comment on Climate adaptation – Bangladesh style by Rob Starkey

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and more attention to eliminating the corruption that prevents the construction of infrastructure


Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by jim2

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by Daniel

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“The first chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Lewis Strauss, predicted in a 1954 speech that nuclear power would someday make electricity “too cheap to meter.”

A half century later, we have learned that nuclear power is, instead, too expensive to finance.

The first generation of nuclear power plants proved so costly to build that half of them were abandoned during construction. Those that were completed saw huge cost overruns, which were passed on to utility customers in the form of rate increases. By 1985, Forbes had labeled U.S. nuclear power “the largest managerial disaster in business history.”

So says the Union of Very Concerned and Honest Scientists

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by Tom Fuller

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Hi Tim, That looks about right for solar. It’s growing between 20% and 30% annually, and that should continue. But we do need a portfolio approach–solar will not power the planet soon. We do need nuclear, hydro and in the emerging countries, coal. And even in Western countries, if the coal is ‘clean’ enough there’s a place for it.

What there is no more room for is power plants grandfathered in to escape emission regulations for pollution as well as emissions for political purposes. If they can clean up, fine. If it renders the plant uneconomical, shut it the hell down.

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by Tom Fuller

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Hi Tim, That looks about right for solar. It’s growing between 20% and 30% annually, and that should continue. But we do need a portfolio approach–solar will not power the planet soon. We do need nuclear, hydro and in the emerging countries, coal. And even in Western countries, if the coal is ‘clean’ enough there’s a place for it.

What there is no more room for is power plants grandfathered in to escape emission regulations for pollution as well as emissions for political purposes. If they can clean up, fine. If it renders the plant uneconomical, shut it the hell down.

Comment on Senate Hearing – Climate Change: The Need to Act Now by omanuel

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Daniel,

Here is a technical discussion on the pros and cons of developing nuclear energy: http://chiefio.wordpress.com/2014/06/04/lenr-year-of-answers/

I know why world leaders agreed to hide the source of energy that caused U and Pu atoms to fission over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but I believe we “shot ourselves in the foot” because governments cannot safely harvest nuclear energy and prompt textbooks that deny neutron repulsion is the primary source of energy in cores of:

1. Heavy atoms like Uranium
2. Some planets like Jupiter
3. Ordinary stars like the Sun
4. Galaxies like the Milky Way
5. The expanding Universe !

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