Category Archives: "Political" Science

EPA’s action Jackson on the “resolution of disapproval”

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EPA’s action Jackson on the “resolution of disapproval”. Anthony Watts posts a press release and the prepared remarks of U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson aka “clean Lisa” about, among other things, a resolution of disapproval proposed by Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, aka “dirty Lisa”.

Dirty Lisa doesn’t like anything to interfere with her oil industry supporters making money (and give her a little taste). She’s trying to undermine the EPA’s ability to, you know, perform environmental protection.

Anthony leaves the hard work of invoking gubmint conspiracies to his faithful commenters.

Off to the conference

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“Off to the conference“. Anthony Watts’ is off to the right-wing Heartland Institute’s 4th International Conference on Climate Change. All the regular lunatics will be there, all the legitimate scientists will be as far away as possible. The right-wing activists are trying to build the event up in their usual way.

I wonder what new scientific insights will astound us all?

NIWA’s Kiwi Kaper

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“NIWA’s Kiwi Kaper“. Anthony Watts gravely informs us of an uncovered climate conspiracy in New Zealand. But fear not, a “skeptical” (right-wing) New Zealand politician is calling for the replacement the existing New Zealand NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) climate record of a 0.92°C twentieth-century warming trend with something more ‘suitable’. Namely that it should be depicted as “remarkably steady at 12.6°C“.

A former politician named Barry Brill tries to fake it up with a “substantial essay” on a right-wing Australian website called Quadrant Online. Barry is also Chairman of the fraudulent denialist “New Zealand Climate Science Coalition”, caught in 2009 telling flat-out lies about NZ weather records.

The claims are all about “smuggled data” from Dr. Jim Salinger that doesn’t gibe with denialist’s anecdotal recollections, cherry-picked counter-examples and imputed political motivation. Somehow a conspiracy to manipulate climate data was initiated in 1994 in order to support a left-wing political agenda created in 2007.

Here’s the response from the NIWA to the denialist games. The above chart illustrates the dishonesty of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition’s claim that temperatures have been “remarkably steady“. There’s a “kaper” alright, Anthony. You’re part of it.

Climate Craziness of the Week – New Scientist: The Denial Depot Edition

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“Climate Craziness of the Week – New Scientist: The Denial Depot Edition“. New Scientist has printed a number of articles about “denialism”. Anthony Watts thinks it’s a “sanctioned hatefest” and that New Scientist is now “nothing more that a political science mouthpiece.” Anthony makes sure his readers can get to the articles and bombard the comments.

Why are any articles critical of climate change denial proof that the publication is corrupt, while supportive articles are always evidence of courageous reporting. Confirmation bias is a funny thing.

So why do so many people refuse to accept the evidence? What are the clear lines between scepticism and denial? How does denialism satisfy deep emotional needs? Do smokescreens really work wonders for big business? Is it easy to send a lie flying around the world, and almost impossible to shoot it down? Must we let denialists be heard, and respond with patience, vigilance and tireless rebuttal? Is calling an opponent a denier is illiberal, intolerant and ineffective?

That’s some uncomfortable reading there Anthony. Unless you can convince yourself to dismiss it as a “hatefest”.

Preview of Kerry-Lieberman climate bill

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“Preview of Kerry-Lieberman climate bill“. Anthony Watts says that “Steve Milloy’s Green Hell blog has the scoop.” He leaves the ranting to his commenters.

That would be the Steven Milloy, the guy who works for the denialist Competitive Enterprise Institute? The guy who has lied about the risks of DDT, global warming, Alar, breast implants, secondhand smoke, ozone depletion, and mad cow disease? The guy who criticizes ‘corporate social responsibility’ efforts? Who used the World Trade Center attacks to advocate the benefits of asbestos? Who denies evolution? Who celebrates the death of environmental opponents?

Oh yeah, that’s the guy to turn to for objective insight. Steve Milloy is a one-note libertarian flunky.

Kerry-(Graham)-Lieberman: a monstrous collection of payoffs to big business

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“Kerry-(Graham)-Lieberman: a monstrous collection of payoffs to big business“. Anthony Watts pastes in a post from the  right-wing Competitive Enterprise Institute’s house denialist Myron Ebell. He’s dismissing the proposed Kerry – Lieberman “American Power Act” as a tax grab while simultaneously being a “monstrous collection of payoffs to big business special interests”.

Nothing like some reflexive Republican hot air to inform the debate. Read other pundit’s responses at the New York Times website.

Drill spill kills bill?

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“Drill spill kills bill?“. Anthony Watts finds it delightfully ironic that BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is affecting the chances of passing an energy bill that addressed climate change issues. Why? Because it promoted deep-water drilling to win Republican support. So new political and public concern over a compromise to woo Republicans may kill the bill and accidentally prevent nasty climate regulations from impeding Anthony’s lifestyle…

I thought the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was, literally, an environmentalist conspiracy. Oh noes, it back-fired!

Marketing Advice For Mad Scientists

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“Marketing Advice For Mad Scientists“. Anthony Watts says that the 250 scientists (all members of the élite US National Academy of Sciences) who have signed a letter condemning the recent political and personal attacks on scientists, particularly prominent climatologists, are not exhibiting “good judgement”.

Anthony also says that “it has not gone over too well” because Andy Revkin, a journalist who is now courting page views from Denialists, says so. The letter even uses “the d-word”! And they’re not climate scientists. Oops, they are. Barely literate Anthony even calls it “poorly written”.

In fact it’s such a failure that Anthony has to resort to putting words in their mouths to assuage his resentment. His post reminds me of the class clown hunched down in the back row, snickering at his own ‘brilliance’.

Anthony’s also putting in a full court press delaying or editing the few comments that challenge his version of the truth, even though his commenters are working themselves into even more of a lather than usual. I particularly enjoyed the comments comparing the letter to the bogus “30,000 scientists” that “signed” the crack-pot Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine Petition.

Read the Science letter here.

Sensenbrenner Report Challenges EPA Greenhouse Finding

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“Sensenbrenner Report Challenges EPA Greenhouse Finding“. Anthony Watts gives us part of a post by the right-wing media outlet Pajamas Media about a “staff report” produced for Republican Congressman James Sensenbrenner “on the scientific issues that tend to discredit the EPA’s endangerment finding for carbon dioxide as a pollutant.” (emphasis mine.)

This is pretty funny, as I’ve been reading selections of the EPA’s response to submissions opposing the recent finding that CO2 emissions have environmental consequences. They’re straight-faced but hilarious slap downs of denialist stupidity. You can find a bunch of them at Rabett Run.

They’re also excited to report that the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will be hearing testimony from “noted skeptic (as well as a Pajamas Media contributor)” Christopher Monckton, Viscount Monckton of Brenchley. This is called an “own goal” in soccer.

Virginia Attorney General goes after Mann and UVA

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“Virginia Attorney General goes after Mann and UVA“. Anthony Watts is pleased that Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a denialist right-wing nutter and Tea Party supporter, is moving on from encouraging discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, attacking the Environmental Protection Agency and fighting against federal health care reform.

Now he wants the University of Virginia to produce documents relating to Dr. Michael Mann’s state funding while he was at UVA between 1999 and 2005. Seems every posturing right-wing politician wants to go on a bullying Climategate-style fishin’ trip these days. I predict he’ll return with nothing more than the bait he set out with.

Let’s just say it: this is an ignorant McCarthy-style witch hunt.