Category Archives: Anti-Science

NASA climate model shows plants slow Global Warming by creating a new negative feedback in response to increased CO2

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“NASA climate model shows plants slow Global Warming by creating a new negative feedback in response to increased CO2“. Anthony Watts thinks that NASA has accidentally revealed that Global Warming, which isn’t happening, will “naturally” slow because of plant physiology.

But I thought that plants loved CO2, the gas that’s “essential to life!” Could it be that there’s less to this story than meets the eye? Italics mine:

Bounoua stressed that while the model’s results showed a negative feedback, it is not a strong enough response to alter the global warming trend that is expected. In fact, the present work is an example of how, over time, scientists will create more sophisticated models that will chip away at the uncertainty range of climate change and allow more accurate projections of future climate.

Of  course any time there is an improvement in climate modeling Anthony’s readers howl that it’s proof that them durn scientists don’t know nuthin’ and we should wait – forever – until they finally figure it all out. Or that scientists need to start listening to the “wisdom of the bloggers.”

Monckton’s Mexican Missive #2

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“Monckton’s Mexican Missive #2“. Denialist blowhard Lord Monckton, rattling around the UN climate conference in Cancun waiting for supplicants to seek out his guidance, provides another rambling “report” about how everyone at the Conference is stupid. And evil. And mean. And blindly “religious.” And demoralized. And conspiring. The list seems endless. Anthony Watts gives it all his seal of approval.

And yet this unsupported repetition of a wide list of debunked denialist claims and allegations of conspiracy, along with a random political broadsides and references to his dinner menu, are all we get from the leading “intellectual” of the denialist movement… What a train-wreck.

Monckton reaches his pinnacle of cleverness when he encourages people to call the “wicked” IPCC the “ipecac”. Oh, if we use the name of syrup of ipecac instead of their real name no one will take them seriously! They’ll just think of throwing up! Oh you are by far the cleverest guy in Grade Three and your readers are, tellingly, quivering with delight.

Quote of the Week – “weather is not climate”, flaming edition

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Quote of the Week – “weather is not climate”, flaming edition. Is a book about weather really about weather? Anthony Watts decides to showcase a climatologist’s response to a tangential question about Mike Smith’s book Warnings – The true story of how science tamed the weather, which recounts the history and technology of weather prediction (well, in the USA anyway). Professor Eric Steig responds that he hadn’t read the book but noticed a link on the author’s web page to a classic denialist misdirection about “weather” and “climate”.

Ooh! He’s jumping to hostile conclusions! That’s enough for Anthony to declare war.

But why is Anthony taking such an interest? Well, the author’s website does disparage “consensus” and has collected blurbs from a typical assortment of denialists (Pielke Sr. and Jr, Thomas Fuller). How unfortunate though that the book author leaps into the fray at a review of his book with a pretty straight-forward attempt to misrepresent climate predictions as “weather forecasts”:

Mr. Steig says, “No one is claiming they are predicting *weather* 100 years from now (or even 10 years from now!).” I suggest, he read p. 118 of the 2009 National Climate Change Assessment. It makes a WEATHER forecast for the number of heat waves to occur in Chicago during the period 2070-2099.

So, a weather forecast would be about particular weather events in a particular place and time. A climate prediction may include an estimate of the frequency of particular weather events without making a forecasts. Let’s repeat that in the form of an example for Anthony’s ditto-heads: a weather prediction is “there will be a 35°C heat wave tomorrow in Chicago” (or even “next April 20th”). A climate prediction is “in fifty years Chicago springs will probably endure twice as many heat waves.” Is there a difference between those statements? Yes.

So… Anthony’s Quote of the Week reveals a denialist eager to misconstrue weather and climate. Good one!

P.S. Anthony, repeating that Eric Steig must be “angry” because his Antarctica paper  has been “effectively rebutted” doesn’t make either claim true. Dr. Steig has an amusing take on the matter over at Real Climate.

New peer reviewed paper shows just how bad the climate models really are

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“New peer reviewed paper shows just how bad the climate models really are“. Ah yes, when I look for compelling climate science, I always turn to the civil engineers at Hydrological Sciences Journal. Just like Anthony Watts. Hey, it’s peer-reviewed! The author’s conclusion? Computer models suck.

So is anyone claiming that global climate models are perfect? Is anyone claiming that they are useful on a local or regional scale? Nope and nope.

Were the models really never compared against the past record? Of course they were! It’s how they were frickin’ developed.

So, what’s better? Still waiting for a credible devastating analysis of “the consensus”.

P.S. I’m just eyeballing things here, but don’t the paper’s temperature charts show an upward trend?

Various temperature time series spatially integrated over the USA. Figure 12 from Anagnostopoulos et. al., 2010.

The 4 legged AGW table

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“The 4 legged AGW table“. An excellent example of Anthony Watts’ version of science: a cartoon by the profound “Josh” that proves that climate science is fatally flawed!

Not. But Anthony’s readers will gobble it up.

How ’bout a cartoon showing the no-legged denialist table? It floats there, stubbornly rejecting gravity.

Surgical anesthetic gases coming under fire for global warming potential – Only one problem: they haven’t been observed in the atmosphere

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“Surgical anesthetic gases coming under fire for global warming potential – Only one problem: they haven’t been observed in the atmosphere“. Another anti-science whine from Anthony Watts. A study of anesthetic gases concludes that they are extremely active in the atmosphere, but are present in such modest quantities that they have little practical impact.

This seems to fall under the “learning is a waste of time” category. How dare scientists investigate something and not discover a way to make cheaper cars? If you don’t know exactly what you’re going to discover, why bother?

Time for a taxpayer revolt! The commenters are concluding that this paper is trying to ban medical anesthetics so more people will die. This calls for a head-smack.

P.S. I love the paper’s atmospheric radiance chart that Anthony reproduces. It unequivocally shows the “greenhouse effect”. Which doesn’t exist.

Oh, that greenhouse effect. From Andersen, 2010. Inhalation anaesthetics and climate change.

Google Earth announces new “earth engine” at Cancun

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Google Earth announces new “earth engine” at Cancun. Uh oh, Google has announced an “Earth Engine” for Google Earth at the Cancun climate conference. It integrates global satellite imagery for environmental analysis.

Look for Anthony Watts and friends to start a new round of microscopic cherry-picking and yet somehow continue to miss the actual global picture. Of course “top scientists” helped create it, so we know that it’s already “corrupt”.

Sea level rise: “jumpy” after last ice age

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Sea level rise: “jumpy” after last ice age. Anthony Watts thinks that a paper in Global and Planetary Change about sea-level changes 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age when sea-level was rising rapidly, means that any rise in sea-level now, when natural sea-level fluctuations are minor, is also entirely expected. Therefore Anthony has a press release that proves that there is no man-made Global Warming.

If sea-level was jittery during periods of rapid rise then of course it can be jittery during periods of stability! After Global Warming Art.

New book: Slaying the Sky Dragon

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“New book: Slaying the Sky Dragon“. You know a climate denial book is on shaky ground when even Anthony Watts has trouble with the list of authors! Yes, “Iron Sun” kook Oliver K. Manuel is among this confederacy of dunces.

Windmills on the Moon and dragon-riding astronauts!

Still, Anthony’s happy to report that Slaying the Sky Dragon: Death of the Greenhouse Gas Theory, available as an e-book only, has debunked the greenhouse gas theory. Funny how these devastating “refutations” of accepted science never seem to find their way into an actual scientific journal. Damn those cliquish scientists and their social networks!

Read the author’s modest description of their own work. Bemused emphasis mine.

Even before publication, Slaying the Sky Dragon was destined to be the benchmark for future generations of climate researchers. This is the world’s first and only full volume refutation of the greenhouse gas theory of man-made global warming.

Nine leading international experts methodically expose how willful fakery and outright incompetence were hidden within the politicized realm of government climatology. Applying a thoughtful and sympathetic writing style, the authors help even the untrained mind to navigate the maze of atmospheric thermodynamics. Step-by-step the reader is shown why the so-called greenhouse effect cannot possibly exist in nature.

By deft statistical analysis the cornerstones of climate equations – incorrectly calculated by an incredible factor of three – are exposed then shattered.

This volume is a scientific tour de force and the game-changer for international environmental policymakers as well as being a joy to read for hard-pressed taxpayers everywhere.

Journeyman denialist and former professor of geography Tim Ball seems the only author with even faintly relevant scientific credentials…

NOAA’s End Game on the 2010 Hurricane Season

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“NOAA’s End Game on the 2010 Hurricane Season“. Gee, Anthony Watts’ use of the phrase “end game” suggests that NOAA’s failing at hurricane prediction. Them dumb scientists don’t know nuthin’!

Or we can struggle all the way past the NOAA article title and read the subtitle: NOAA’s Prediction for Active Season Realized; Slow Eastern Pacific Season Sets Record. Exhausting, huh?

Hurricanes Karl, Igor and Julia.

Hurricanes Karl, Igor and Julia on Sept. 16. Source: NOAA

What does increased hurricane activity reflect? Warmer oceans.