Climate Change Anyone?

No one single weather event can ever be evidence for global climate change but it's still important to note the increasing frequency of extreme weather events--like, say, hurricanes. JOANNA M. FOSTER has a great blog post at the NYT on the predicted frequency of hurricanes this year.

Fighting Science Pt. 2

Saw this post on the NYT green blog by FELICITY BARRINGER. It seems certain climate change deniers don't think enough polar bears are drowning to justify the concern the media and scientists give them.

As a result, Ms. Barringer reports that lead scientist Dr. Monnett was:

placed on administrative leave two weeks ago by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement and was informed that his integrity was in question.

My favourite part is this description of Dr. Monnett's conversation with the investigators about his calculations:

One of the more lively moments in this transcript is the back-and-forth between the investigators and an increasingly exasperated Dr. Monnett over how to structure the mathematical calculations representing polar-bear mortality. He indicated, with consistent acidic references to “fifth grade” equations on percentages, that the investigators or their informants needed remedial work on their mathematics.

Don't miss the last paragraph of the blog where Ms. Barringer reports on two other environmental scientists whose work and integrity is being questioned.

I think this is becoming a regular tactic of climate-change deniers. I expect to see more stories like these in the news (but I don't expect to read in the news when these scientists are exonerated).

Fighting Science

Everyone, I'm sure, remembers when climate scientists at the University of East Anglia had their emails stolen and then those emails were used by climate change deniers to accuse them of wrong doing. This controversy gave climate change deniers some credibility, destroyed the credibility of the scientists involved, and, in my opinion, derailed any momentum that might have been generated by COP15 in Denmark later in the year.

To be honest, I still don't think the green movement worldwide has recovered.

But did you know that the scientists were exonerated over a year ago?

And, interestingly, last month those same scientists released all the raw data (via Andy Coghlan at New Scientist) that they analyzed to conclude that global temperatures were rising over time.

But I don't know anyone talking about that. And I doubt the green movement is about to take off again.

Like wildlife don't have enough to worry about...

Now it seems organized crime has taken to poaching. Jennifer Viegas of Discovery News writes:

While the criminals are becoming wealthier, the poor global economy has weakened conservation groups' ability to counter the crimes.

In these poor economic times we can't forget how badly environmental advocacy groups need our support.

Climate Change Anyone?

Is it me or does no one talk about climate change anymore. It's like it's a bad word or something.

Well, here's one recent article at least about receding permafrost in Russia posted on Discovery News.

Is Wi-Fi dangerous? Pt. 2

I don't envy Elizabeth May.

A couple of tweets and she's getting it from everywhere. Sarah Boesveld of the National Post has covered the so-called wi-fi tweetstorm. So has DANIEL LEBLANC of the Globe and Mail. And many, many others.

But I think Ms. May understands coverage and criticism from the mainstream media. She might be a little surprised by how relevant the mainstream media finds her now that she's made history as Canada's first elected Green MP but she's learning.

But all that isn't the reason I don't envy her.

She's posted a thoughtful nuanced piece about her thoughts on wi-fi. It hasn't really gotten the same coverage as her 140 character tweets but at least they're out there and anyone, even green supporters, can check them out. Except it seems green supporters are her most vicious critics. Check out these lengthy, (lengthy), posts (one, two) by Sudbury Steve (Be warned, they're lengthy).

Debate is healthy in a democracy but are you really this angry about a couple tweets, Steve?

The population problem Pt. 2

Some more more background on the population problem.

This by Gilbert Chin, Tara Marathe, Leslie Roberts published in Science.

Also this by JUSTIN GILLIS and CELIA W. DUGGER of the New York Times.