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Was talking to a friend the other day, and she asked whether I believed in Climate Change. I responded with, “science is not about belief, but about facts”. Then she used the “Denier” term in respect to Climate Change facts. I promised to share some facts with her.
Here ya go Amy.
Fact 1
It is not actually possible to measure the earths temperature. Let alone compare current temperatures to past temperatures to get accurate global trends. There is insufficient weather stations in some key locations, like Africa, the Arctic, the Antarctic, and oh yes, the oceans. The oceans are kinda catered for but the rest are typically “infilled” with data (guestimated?). There has also been changes to the number of, and the locations of measuring stations as well as varying methods of recording. Probably the best method we have to measure the earth’s temperature are the satellites. But these only cover the last 37 years, and have a few minor issues of there own.
Fact 2
Temperature data may not be what you think it is. Station siting in once rural areas and now in growing urban areas are affected by UHI. Homogenised data sets can be quite different from the raw data, creating different trends than were originally indicated.
Records in the US and Australia have had their past temperatures predominantly reduced, producing long term warming trends where there was little or none in the original records. I have seen direct evidence of this in the Adelaide record, and in NOAA data.
Fact 3
Every prediction/projection from Climate Scientists and promoters of CAGW has not been realised. The Arctic has not melted away. The Polar bears are increasing in population. The temperature has not risen as stated by the IPCC. The seas have not risen catastrophically. Storms have not gotten worse. There are no climate refugees. Australia and Texas are no longer in “permanent drought”. Crop yields have increased around the world. The Antarctic has been growing in ice. Standard of living has increased in the vast majority of countries. Children still know what snow is.
Fact 4
Sea levels around the world vary in their rates of rise (or fall). Long term gauges average 1.5mm rise per year. Global sea levels starting rising 200 to 300 years ago, with yearly trends of 1.35mm and less than 1mm (dependant on which study). The satellite record for sea level indicates about 3mm per year since 1993. There is a disconnect between gauges and satellite results. Satellite data indicates a rate much higher than the average of tide gauges. All stated rates are far below what the IPCC has forecast.
Fact 5
Storms are not increasing in number or severity. No increase trend in accumulated cyclone energy. There has been a decrease in overall cyclones. The number of US tornadoes are not increasing. Cat 3 and above tornadoes have a decreasing trend.
Fact 6
Arctic ice has been reducing in area since 1979, however the satellite record prior to 1979 is never published on line by NASA, and shows ice area peaked in 1979 and had been much less in the years before. Not too dissimilar to the current levels.
Fact 7
Antarctic ice and Greenland snow and ice have been increasing over the satellite record.
Fact 8
The ice cores show that CO2 predominantly increases after the temperature. Mostly after 800 years. The science of ice core analysis is problematic and the CO2 concentrations in the ice core may not be representative of CO2 in the atmosphere, over the noted history.
Fact 9
The current CO2 data from Mauna Loa has been tacked onto CO2 data from the ice cores producing one long record, however, as stated above the ice core gasses may not be directly comparable to real world measurements. There is also a historical gap of 83 years which was erased to connect the two data sets, to form one continuous record. The Keeling curve.
Fact 10
Climate models predicted a “hot spot” in the atmosphere due to CO2 warming. This hot spot has never been observed.
Fact 11.
It is not possible to directly attribute any weather event or warming episode over short or long periods solely or even partially to CO2. There are too many variables influencing weather and climate to make clear connections.
Fact 12.
The projected temperature rise per the IPCC model mean, is currently much higher and diverging from both satellite records.
Fact 13.
The reported rise in global temperature from NOAA since 1880 is about 0.8°C. That is all.
Fact 14.
The reported rise in temperature from NOAA/NCDC from 1960 to 2017(blamed on AGW) is within 0.1°C of being the same as the temperature rise from 1910 to 1941(apparently natural causes)
Fact 15.
The yearly error bars on the NOAA/NCDC global temperature data set prior to 1952 is 0.4°C. Half of the reported total rise.
Fact 16.
The survey purporting to the 97% consensus has been found to be flawed statistically, and in methodology.
Fact 17.
Fact 18.
Cold kills far more people than heat.
Fact 19.
The IPCC is a UN body chartered with the task of gathering evidence to support the theory of AGW, and to recommend policy to governing bodies around the world. It is not chartered to gather any evidence that does not support the theory of AGW.
Fact 20.
CO2 is not listed as a pollutant on the Australian or US government pollutants list. It is however, plant food.
In closing.
This list of facts that bring into question the authenticity of the CAGW theory is by no means complete. There is much more. And more in this video.
But given just this information above, it is difficult to imagine that the science of AGW, CAGW, Climate Change, or Climate Disruption, is so settled. Science by definition is never “settled”, and it is never agreed on by “consensus”. Even if CO2 does have a net warming effect on the earth, it appears that it is not as much as stated by the IPCC, and it appears not to be catastrophic. Any additional warmth appears to have had far more benefits than any of the projected negatives.
There also appears to be some heavy bias in the “climate” community towards the AGW theory. Ommition, mirepresentation, and alteration of information and data which would bring into question the AGW theory is common. Funding and research is popular for any AGW supported area, while any other climate research not supporting AGW is either not funded, or obfuscated, or outright rejected in peer review.
So
Should I believe in Climate Change?
If I did, I might be denying much more than just a scientific theory.
Facts are pesky little buggers, arn’t they.
RGB
Not only are South Australians to put up with the lights going our regularly, but when the lights are on, we are to pay through the nose for it.
Businesses and Industries are shutting down or moving out because costs are too high making them unprofitable. Energy debt is on the rise, and is a contributing factor in homelessness, either from loss of employment and or inability to pay energy bills.
How is South Australia supposed to be be economically viable with energy costs like this?
The private ownership of our electricity operations and the “green dream” of inefficient and unreliable wind mills and solar panels is destroying our industries. Erasing our jobs, and eroding our standard of living. Won’t be long before we are living in the new “Dark Ages”.
Here’s an idea. Why not match our energy production methods with the two biggest industrial countries in the world.
Both nations use more coal, gas and nuclear. The contribution of wind to their grids is less than 10%, while ours is over 30%.
Why not ask your local MP why we have to pay so much for our electricity, contributing to our businesses and industries shutting down.
If you don’t want to be like my friend above living in the dark ages, then maybe you should ask your state MP what they plan to do about it.
RGB
Remember when SA had a water crisis? The drought was never going to end. Global Warming had dried up all of the water. The dams were nearly empty. Even the mighty Murray river was looking a little worse for wear. Supposed learned people like Tim Flannery were sprouting “gloom and doom” re our water resources. “never going to rain again” I think he said.
Water restrictions were put in place, but that was never going to be enough for such a “serious and permanent crisis”. That’s what we were told.
A desalination plant was the only answer for “water security”. WA had one. Queensland and NSW were building them, and Victoria was about to start one as well. (the Taswegians were too busy playing with their hydro power to worry about such things. Our leaders love a crisis to “fix”. So in grand style they decided to spend all of our money to fix it. Not to worry about the fact that droughts have always happened, and they also happen to always end too. So how much did all this cost? Not that much.
So, how much drought is there in SA, or Australia for that matter?
Here is the state of drought in Australia for the 12 months ending March 2017.
The last 12 months has seen the end of drought in the entire continent of Australia. So much for those “never going to rain again” predictions. Tim Flannery has a lot to answer for. Should send him the bill for the current ongoing cost of the Desal plant.
Now, apparently we have another crisis in SA in which we need,
“Energy Security” .
I kid you not. This time however our leaders have created the crisis themselves, by subsidising unreliable solar and wind, and at the same time helping to make reliable (and cheap) energy production less viable.
Would you trust this government to fix a problem they created?
Would you trust this government to fix the energy crisis in a similar way to the water crisis?
Because effectively, this is exactly what they are proposing to do. Implementing a fix based on green propaganda, unproven technology and unproven scientific theory.
$550 million is the initial cost for another power station and a “big battery”. The cost of which will no doubt be passed on to us via electricity price hikes or taxes, or even council rates. Guess who will also pay for the ongoing costs too! Soon we will all be in financial crisis!
Here is just one more example of the ludicrous nature of the system we have been given. Just the other day our wonderful wind turbines were producing so much “free” electricity, that Aemo instructed one of the gas fired generators to stay on line for “grid stability”. So we get cheap electricity from the wind mills, but still have to pay for the gas fired generator!!!!! What is the point of having the wind mills if we still have to run the other generators?????? Tom Koutsantonis must have been proud that he helped avoid another crisis”!
Call or write your SA representative now to voice your opposition to this pointless and expensive initiative. Help save SA from energy poverty. We need an economically viable and pragmatic fix to our energy needs. Not another “green fantasy” crisis fix.
RGB
See what happens when the mind of a liberal suddenly realises the truth.
RGB
Former Greenpeace founder speaks about his journey through life and the corruption of the environmental movement and climate change. He explains why C02 is good for the earth and good for us.
RGB
Old wives tale #2. (I love this one!)
Wearing glasses makes your eyes worse?
If I had a dollar for every time some one asked me this question, I would have retired 20 years ago and would have lived in every tropical paradise in the world.
But, before I get carried away with the drama and the rhetoric, lets just take a deep breath and establish a few facts first. The key to finding out the truth, is to ask the right questions. Ask the right questions, and you will get to the information to establish some truth(most of the time).
Question 1. (This one to ask yourself) Did my eyes get worse first, or did I wear glasses first?
Answer : 99% of the time, it is yes “my eyes got worse before I got spectacles”, as logic would ordinarily dictate.
Question 2. (This one also for yourself) If I don’t wear my glasses for a week or two, do my eyes get better?
Answer : Mostly, “my eyes do get a little better, but I still have to wear my specs to see clearly.” The reason this happens is that the muscles go back to “straining” to see more clearly, so you do see a bit better, but it is not ideal to be stressing your eyes for any length of time. It is not their natural state.
Question 3. (The real question) Why is it that my eyesight gets worse as I get older?
Answer : Hmmm. A bit complicated. But here it goes.
As we age our muscles deteriorate, including the muscles in our eyes. This means they are less able to cope with correcting any pre-existing (usually minor) focusing errors in the eye, as well as not being able to flex enough to focus our eyes for near vision. For anyone to see clearly up close, the eye muscles have to do some work. So, just as it gets harder to “run” a marathon or lift heavy weights as we get older, so it is also harder to be able to focus up close as we age.
Also, the crystalline lens inside our eye tends to get harder and less flexible as we age, so is less able to “flex up” to focus at a close distance.
Question 4. Will I eventually go blind? Haha. The short answer is …..NO. This is a near focussing issue with the eye muscles and the slight hardening of the crystalline lens, not to do with any major deterioration of the critical parts of the eye.
Here is the clincher that should put any doubts to rest. If, as you think, your specs have made your eyesight worse, then that would mean that it would be possible to change your eyesight with glasses.
Spectacles designed to make your eyesight better?
Clearly, that is just not possible (pun intended).
Ps. I am able to write this blog because I use spectacles to see clearly, in spite of my age.
Pps. The information is true for the vast majority of people, however, all is not known about how the eyes develop and change as we grow and age. Research is ongoing. There are some individual cases and some weird effects that do happen. If anyone has examples, please share in the comments.
RGB
Disclaimer: This information is of a general nature and not intended to be specific advice for any one individual. As always, if you have a issue with your vision, consult a qualified Optometrist/Optician.
I have so many better things to do than concern myself with people and politicians that want to increase my taxes, increase my energy costs, and make me feel guilty so I will want to pay for “the sins of humanity” Just read the following and hopefully understand it is just madness what is being proposed by those that supposedly “know better”.
We have been conned, and some of us are still being conned. The more people that speak up, the sooner we can actually start concerning ourselves with real issues. Not unicorns and rainbows. (No offence intended toward unicorns and rainbows. They are wonderful and I hope to see more of them).
Here is the evidence.
https://co2islife.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/climate-science-on-trial-the-smoking-gun-files/
Bobby Creek Road
We played with the kangaroos again this morning on the way to Bobby’s Creek road. The Emu’s and the Wedgy’s were a little shyer though, keeping well away from the road. Fortunately the Roo’s tire pretty quickly of playing with cars, and so made their way through or over the fence. One needing to learn how to jump a little higher, as he clipped the top of the fence almost completing a somersault with a half twist. Shame about the landing. Could have been a “ten”!
Sunny day, but with plenty of scattered cloud, which would persist all day. With a nice cool breeze, this made it a perfect day for walking in the Flinders.
Our trek today takes us from Bobby Creek road through to Jarvis Hill. Not far from Hawker. The road took us though the scrubby bush, slowly evolving into a off road track, albeit a good one. We meandered through the undulating grassy hills which were in the process of drying out. Although, there was still some water persisting in some of the creeks.
Water is always a rare sight up here, and it still amazes me that there are tadpoles a plenty in the remaining pools. Where do the frogs go during the many dry months? Life is truly amazing.
Plenty of hawks and kites circling for their breakfast this morning, as we continue on our hike through the waves of greens and yellows. The coloured carpet softening the harsh red and sandy earth below. A quiet reverence filling the space within my mind, but seemed to extend in all directions to the visible horizon. Nice.
We wandered on in the bright sunshine, refreshed with the chilled breeze. All external senses engaged, while the mind quiet and still while we drifted through the landscape.
We met the first of our scaled friends just after our first break. Lazing in the sun, this very sandy coloured specimen greeting us with the usual grumpy stumpy hello.
His blue tongue flashing a fairly decent warning. This would be the first of many today. Stumpy’s rule this landscape.
Life abounds out here at the moment. From grasses, and wild flowers, to all manner of six and eight legged warriors, and of course the stately and confident lizards. Do I have to mention the Kanga’s, Emu’s and a vast variety of birds? My favorite though (sorry Stumpy), was the Bearded Dragon. What a beautiful creature! Too cool to even be bothered by us.
We wandered on the plains adjacent the ranges, mostly on good tracks, but occasionally having to contend with loose rocks of all sizes. How many ankles have been twisted on these I wondered?
Patches of white were splashed carelessly about by Mother Nature’s artist, with the occasional curse of the Patterson, only finding salvation in the arms of Jane. In spite of it’s reputation, purple looks good in any environment.
The walk along these ranges seemed to go on for ever, and was at times quite challenging with loose rocks on the trail. We did however finally “hang” a right, heading downhill and looking towards Jarvis Hill, visible in the distance as a slight “V” in the opposing hill line.
Mt Elm Camp site dunny
We had a brief stop at Mount Elm camp site before our final leg. It looked like an internally troubled hiker may have “blown” the door off the camp dunny! I was however, not game to investigate further!
Once again the last few K’s seemed the longest, and as the gradient slowly increased, it only confirmed my suspicions of this ever increasing truth. The trail also got a little “abstract” before we hit the road (thank you Garmin for keeping us on track).
A shortish walk up the hill and around a couple of bends before we arrived at the gate of our relief. The beer was especially cold today, as we shared our company with the smallest of lizards. As we sat at our table of recovery and satisfaction, two Skinks cavorted about for our entertainment.
With our catch up walks now done, we will continue our trek north of Wilpena Pound in 2017. The last leg of our Heysen adventure takes in Wilpena Pound to Parachilna Gorge. But for the moment, I will have to cope with my PHTD.
In Short
Bobby Creek Road to Jarvis Hill
Distance : 25.6 kms
Duration : 5 hours 10 minutes
Pace : 5 Kph
Terrain : Good tracks on the flat and undulating hills. Rocky, uneven ground and scrubby in later parts of the trail.
Elevation : Gain 573 mtrs. Loss 331 mtrs
And…. the rest in pictures.
Recent erosion from the storms
Shortly before turning towads Jarvis Hill
RGB
A coolish and cloudless day greeted us this morning. Certainly much cooler than the usual October weather in the Flinders. The road to our start point had plenty of furry and feathered friends greeting us along the way, slowing our journey at many a point. Mostly Kanga’s who seem to want an early morning race. One hitting 44kph! Just a young’n too. Leaving our friends, we kicked up a trail of dust leading to the gorge. The rock face stood large in front us. An amazing rock sculpture that is Buckaringa Gorge.
Lizards feature quite regularly on our two walks this trip. Lazing in the sun seemingly without a care. Right in our “boot scootin” way on the trail. Until we get too close of course.
The Stumpy’s are always grumpy, flashing their blue tongues. Every bit as aggressive as a Maori, in full Haka. The bearded dragons however are pretty chilled. Not moving a muscle no matter what we do. Grant has also learned to look first before stepping on them. It only took about a thousand Km’s to learn that one.
Seems to be a very healthy ecosystem out here. The recent rains have transformed the normally dusty grey landscape into a myriad of colours. Muted greens, browns and ochre bleed into each other, just like a Monet painting.
Once at the entrance of the Gorge we hang a right heading across the creek heading North East and onto a slightly overgrown track. Gaitors were a definite necessity today, as we were not keen to end up with porcupine 
socks.
The trail wanders along the edge of the range undulating a little up and down with open views to our right of scrubby grassland with the occasional tree line creek. Plenty of Roos to the left and the right, with one Mob numbering in the teens.
The scrubby bush persisted for the first 11 kms or so without any decent rest spots. Not until we walked through the second gorge did we find a comfortable seat. The Heysen camp site with a seat and tank water was a welcome respite instead of having to sit in the prickly grass. Those grass burs f’n stick to everything.
A couple of wild goats welcomed us into the second gorge, but did not stick around to chat. The goats headed off into the scrub while we climbed the stile to the right and after a short rest at the camp site, we headed up the first of the two major hills. About 50 metres each. Nice views from the top, and even though there has been plenty of rain with the recent storms, it does not take much time for the land to dry out. This was evident today.
Off in the distance we could see a break in the landscape. A lighter coloured crescent splitting the land in two. It became apparent soon that we would be heading straight towards this oasis in our muted Monet landscape.
Coming off the second hill, our “roman road” trail did not deviate until we reached the break in the landscape which is the “glistening” Willochra creek. But before we hit level ground, we spied a pelican circling high in the sky. I had not seen a pelican out here before.
Must be water in the creek I thought, or that jumbo of the bird world must be really lost!
The creek is a wonderful place to stop for lunch. The layered cliff face with whites and browns, stood silent watching over the still waters. Wonderful clay pattern in one section. Looking just like a paved patio. If you do this walk, plan to spend your longest break here.
After a short steep climb up the cliff face, we were once again walking the fence line in the grass and burs, leaving Willochra creek to disappear from view. Once again swallowed up by the hardened dry landscape.
A couple of K’s later and after crossing Kanyaka creek, we hit the road. Although the walking was a little easier, the hardness of the road and the increased heat was starting to take it’s toll. Even though the road walking was only 4.5kms, it seem much longer and harder. Why is it that the last few K’s always seem to be the hardest. Strange that.
Our trail end today was Bobby Creek Road, and while we were still 3 odd kms from our end point, we could see a shiny blue glint in the distance. The bright beacon of my small piece of civilization parked in the harsh wilderness. The thought of a soft seat and a cold beer teasing us for just a little longer.
In Short
Buckaringa Gorge to Calabrinda (Bobby Creek Road)
Distance : 21.4 kms
Duration : 4 hours 14 minutes (walking time). A bit over an hour of breaks.
Pace : 4.9 kph
Terrain : Undulating hills with only two major hills (50mtrs each). Rocky in places
And the rest…….
Camp site just off of Buckaringa scenic drive
Lone cyclist heading off into the wilderness.
Feathered friends
Looking back towards Buckaringa Gorge from Willochra Creek
Willochra Creek
The Camry still rockin on in The Flinders.
RGB
