Monday, February 02, 2009

Snow Affects Climate Change Booklaunch!

I think this comes under the headline of 'you couldn't make it up'. On this day of all days, the snowiest experienced in London for many a year, Labour MP Colin Challen is launching his new book in Portcullis House tonight ... wait for it ... on Climate Change.

The book is called TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE - THE POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. What a shame the climate is preventing me from attending.

26 comments:

T England. Raised from the dead. said...

Thank goodness for global warming!Imagine how bad things could be otherwise ;o)

Peter Mc said...

No Iain the weather is preventing your attendance. Get some science.

Johnny Norfolk said...

These climate change people used to carry notices rouund proclaiming the
"The End of the World"

We ignored them then and we should ignore them now.

Climate change is weather.

dheigham said...

I hate to tell you Ian, but climate change implies a greater incidence of extreme weather. That includes cold snaps. On average cold snaps will become less cold, but there will be more of them, for the rest of your expected life.

Unknown said...

I'm still something of a skeptic on climate change, but if the enviro-fundamentalists are right the effect of a changing climate is unlikely to be uniform across the planet.

The UK has an extremely mild (if rather wet) climate for a location at its latitude. If climate change impacts upon the Gulf Stream, the UK can expect much cooler (and drier) weather as much of the rest of the world warms up.

Wallenstein said...

Climate change != global warming.

And global warming doesn't mean every day will be warmer than before... even a slight change in the course of the gulf stream (caused by melting arctic ice)cwould mean chillier UK temps in winter.

Hamish said...

So climate change means change.
Not necessarily colder, not necessarily warmer.
What's wrong with that?

Bert Rustle said...

A comment on Lawrence Auster's blog http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/012444.html

Alex K. writes: David Attenborough's attack on the book of Genesis as the supposed cause of environmental devastation gave me this idea. If I had a lot of money to spare I think it would be funny to buy ads on London buses that said:

THERE'S PROBABLY NO GLOBAL WARMING.
Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.

T England. Raised from the dead. said...

Iain!
Want to see my Snow snake?

Tidey Sum said...

@Johnny Norfolk - As has been pointed out twice in the comments the climate isn't the weather. The weather is a set of atmospheric conditions at a particular time, the climate is the long term trend in atmospheric conditions.

This isn't being pedantic, it's the error which makes unstated opinion of the post - that because the weather is sometimes cold we're not experiencing climate change - completely wrong.

Simon Gardner said...

Notwithstanding the silly comment by Johnny Norfolk nobody much in proper science today doubts any more that global warming is fact - whatever today's weather.

Pogo said...

Well, I'm a proper scientist and I doubt the "fact" of global warming. There is no long-term empirical evidence of it, just "scenarios" derived from computer models - which ain't science.

Pogo said...

Actually, to be pedantic, I was a proper scientist... I'm retired. :-)

Kevin Williams said...

Actually Simon - there are plenty of scientists who dispute the science only you are never allowed to hear their opinion, they are ignored, labeled "deniers" excommunicated and struck off. Ever wondered why Dr David Bellamy hasn't been on the box latelly?

read more at the kitchen:

http://devilskitchen.me.uk/2009/01/i-love-this-consensus-weve-got-going.html

Unknown said...

If you're so convinced of your facts Simon, go and read the posts at Wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com and see what Anthony and other contributors have to say.

If you can prove your facts then submit them in a suitable place for discussion rather than making BOLD statements here. What you don't seem to realise is that because you make it out that the case is proven and there is no room for dissension, others take issue with that as much as on whether or not the science is right or wrong.

For myself, the Climate is Changing, is a true and correct statement. What is disputed is whether it is getting warmer or colder.

If it IS getting colder then surely we're all wasting time and effort on futile arguments and not preparing properly for the worst. After all, the cold will have a far greater detrimental effect that warmth ever will.

T England. Raised from the dead. said...

I know it's a long way off but I wonder what the “go green merchants” who want to punish Britain because of its minuscule carbon footprint are going to do about the world moving closer to the sun?
Ok I’m being a bit premature but the world has only had us parasites on it for a blink of an eye & has done alright up till now producing different species has it not?

I refuse to believe the clap trap the green merchants are spouting until we have a proper debate & both sides get a FAIR crack of the whip & are not being silenced by those out to make money from new sources of power!

Anyone deluded religious types might remember Noah & his ark, get the feeling we’ve been here before, at least if you’re religious you get a call from god to build an ark!

Jonny said...

Simon - I'm a proper scientist too, and I also doubt the 'fact' of global warming.

So do the 652 proper scientists who signed the Manhattan Declaration.

Anthropogenic Global Warming is a politico-religious movement. Science doesn't come into it.

http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=63

- said...

They're having a fairly epic heatwave in Australia Iain. Too cold here, too hot there. What does that prove?

Nothing really, but it doesn't disprove anything either.

Dick Puddlecote said...

Simon @ 3:23pm: Notwithstanding the silly comment by Johnny Norfolk nobody much in proper science today doubts any more that global warming is fact - whatever today's weather.

'The debate is over', 'the evidence is overwhelming' etc. yadda yadda.

Long experience has taught me that those who take this line are invariably attempting to crush debate, and suppress any differing opinion.

All I can say is that this global warming is bloody cold.

Mulligan said...

The debate is over, which could more accurately be described as "la la la la la we're not listening".

And to think scientific concensus used to state the earth was flat.

Simon Gardner said...

Telly Tax Rebel said... “Ever wondered why Dr David Bellamy hasn't been on the box lately?”

Because he went bonkers?

Simon Gardner said...

And to the chorus, I said “nobody much” which I stand by.

Kevin Williams said...

simple simon said :

Because he went bonkers?

now now Simon - glasshouses, stones etc.

DespairingLiberal said...

I don't know if you've noticed Iain, but here in Britain it is winter. In Victoria, Australia where right now it is summer, they are having record high temperatures.

You may also not have heard that one possible prediction for global warming is that Britain will be plunged into a new ice age. Try looking up Atlantic Conveyor on Wikipedia.

Kevin Williams said...

yeah it's very hot in auz at the moment - caused by warm winds blowing in from the outback - it's weather not global warming. (bangs head up against the wall ffs )

and - while you are recommending reading material, try reading the Manhattan Declaration - real science, real scientists and not a sandal wearing lentil munching doom mongering liberal in sight (thank feck)

Mike Jeffries said...

One possible explanation for the cold weather, both last winter and now, is that the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) Index went negative in 2009. The AMO is a cycle of temperature change in the Atlantic, with alternating warm and cold periods of between 20 and 40 years, and a temperatures rasnge of around plus or minus 1 degree F. Last year it dipped into the cold part of the cycle for the first time since the late 70's. If it follows the usual pattern, it means that the weather over the next two or three decades should be similar to the 1950's and 60'.

An additional factor which may be making the weather in 2010 even worse than might otherwise have been the case is that we are in an extended solar minimum. This is a period at the end of the sun's own 40 year cycle, in which there are very few solar flares. This has a cooling effect upon the earth's upper atmosphere, which in turn affects the latitude and direction of the jetstream.

It is not known whether the AMO and the solar scyle are connected, but taken together, a solar minmum and a drop in the temperature of of the Atlanatic would appear to have quite severe consequences. Or, at least, this is one possible explanation.