Category: Climate realism

By Richard Lindzen & William Happer, CO2 Coalition, July 14, 2024

The United States and countries worldwide are vigorously pursuing regulations and subsidies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to Net Zero by 2050 on the assumption, as stated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), that the “evidence is clear that carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main driver of climate change” and is “responsible for more than 50% of the change. ” 

We are career physicists with a special expertise in radiation physics, which describes how CO2 affects heat flow in Earth’s atmosphere. The physics of carbon dioxide is that CO2’s ability to warm the planet is determined by its ability to absorb heat, which decreases rapidly as CO2’s concentration in the atmosphere increases. … Read more

Activists’ tales of doom never pan out, but they leave us poorly informed and feed bad policy.

By Bjorn Lomborg, Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2024

Whatever happened to polar bears? They used to be all climate campaigners could talk about, but now they’re essentially absent from headlines. Over the past 20 years, climate activists have elevated various stories of climate catastrophe, then quietly dropped them without apology when the opposing evidence becomes overwhelming. The only constant is the scare tactics.… Read more

Ottawa isn’t spending the money necessary to manage forest-fire risks; it’s easier and cheaper to blame ‘climate change’

By Kenneth Greene, National Post, June 9, 2023

Unless you’ve been living in an underground cave, you’re aware that there’s been a massive explosion of forest fire activity across Canada that’s sending clouds of smoke south to our American neighbours. Not surprisingly, they’re not happy — the orange skies are more than a bit reminiscent of Hollywood post-apocalyptic movies.   … Read more

Physicist Howard Hayden notes that trivial causes have effects, but trivial effects

Below is an editorial from The Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP), August 5, 2024

Causes & Effects: Commentators on energy and environment are frequently distorting cause with effect. This includes calling trivial influences as The Cause. As a reminder, AMO physicist Howard Hayden distinguishes between Cause and Effect. Hayden writes in the Energy Advocate:

“Building the Empire State Building moved the center of mass of the planet. So did building the Grand Coulee Dam and letting it fill with water. The bright lights of cities at night send energy to outer space, thereby cooling the planet.… Read more

Only 2% confident that we will reach net-zero goal, recent study shows. Nor are they being told by Ottawa what Net Zero will actually cost them

By Nik Nanos, Globe and Mail, Aug. 10, 2024

Zap. You’re electrified! Welcome to the mantra of major economies around the world. The fight against climate change demands action. That means more electric vehicles, more carbon capture and global initiatives such as the Green Climate Fund, launched to help developing countries accelerate their energy transition.… Read more

Climate alarmism is fed by fanatics, not facts. Canada should be leading the move toward rationality

By Conrad Black, National Post, August 10, 2024

We must by now be getting reasonably close the point where there is a consensus for re-examining the issue of climate change and related subjects.

For decades, those of us who had our doubts were effectively shut down by the endless deafening repetition, as if from the massed choir of an operatic catechism school, of the alleged truism: “98 per cent of scientists agree …” (that the world is coming to an end in a few years if we don’t abolish the combustion engine).… Read more

Federal government is in charge of park management, and it let wildfire fuel pile up around Jasper for decades

By Jamie Sarkonic, National Post, July 25, 2024

As of the afternoon of July 25, heart-wrenching images from Jasper show that, at least on some streets, only charred skeletons remain after a wildfire, 400 feet high in some places, ravaged the townsite the previous night. Elsewhere, fortunately, buildings appeared untouched by the flames, but that’s only so helpful.… Read more

Cost of producing hydrogen is much higher than its energy output, while having zero effect on climate

Jonathan Lesser, New York Post, Feb. 24, 2024

One of the central tenets of the Biden administration’s energy policy is the pursuit of “green” hydrogen, defined as hydrogen manufactured with zero carbon emissions. This push has involved $7 billion dollars in subsidies for the creation of Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs as well as significant tax breaks for hydrogen production through the Inflation Reduction Act. … Read more

Hydrogen cost is 10-20 times natural gas, as shown by collapse of Australian hydrogen venture

By Francis Menton, The Manhattan Contrarian, July 20, 2024

These days, there is lots and lots of news about how the supposed “energy transition” is not happening. It is in Australia that we find the latest news on the inevitable collapse of impossible dream of “green” hydrogen as the means to make electricity from wind and sun work.… Read more