Shrinking Stevenson Screens cause global warming (and peeling paint, long grass…)

The Australian BOM has lost its way

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology is paid more than a million dollars a day, and the planet is under seige, yet the paint is peeling off some Australian thermometer screens, the grass is long, and wasps are nesting in them. What once were large 230 litre wooden boxes have shrunk to 60 litres and are now even turning to plastic.  The old glass thermometers are being replaced with electronic gear that can record a burst of hot air — yet somehow those freak high spikes are supposed to be comparable to temperatures recorded 100 years ago by slow glass thermometers.

Old larger boxes protected thermometers from sudden changes in air temperature.

Stevenson Screens, Australia, Bureau of Meteorology.

Left: Len Walker with a 230L screen in 1940. Right: Blair Trewin with a modern 60L Stevenson screen.

Possibly the hardest thing to explain is that even though the BOM collected comparison data on the different types of thermometers, which might help to assess new versus old, they routinely throw the data away. Compounding that, the metadata on sites is incomplete, missing, lacking in documentation.  Giant six lane highways are built next to equipment sites but not recorded. There is a huge disconnect between the urgency and the fear of climate change and the care and attention paid to measuring the climate. Despite all this the BOM repeatedly tells the public that the science is settled, and we’re hitting new record temperatures which are supposedly accurate to a tenth of a degree.

Bill Johnston is a seasoned weather observer and agricultural climatologist.  He’s been documenting the dismal state of our national climate monitoring network for years, all unpaid. See his previous posts here on Bourke, Port Hedland, Canberra, and Sydney Observatory.

Bill Johnston’s paper: Blowing the whistle on Stevenson screens

Bring on an audit! — Jo

______________________

Australia’s climate-trust catastrophe!

A climate critique by Dr. Bill Johnston

The Bureau of Meteorology has lost its way. Replacement of standard 230-litre Stevenson screens with 60-litre ones, which accelerated over recent decades; automatic weather stations (AWS) becoming primary instruments in September 1996; installing PVC screens in the hottest places they could find, closing offices, sacking staff and reducing maintenance to one or fewer site-visits per year have warmed Australia’s climate.

Lack of site control is endemic and it’s not true that changes in data are due to climate change and warming. Small Stevenson screens relocated to dusty paddocks and airports, which are seldom cleaned or repainted, are invariably biased-high (Figure 1). It matters that paint peels off and screens lose their lustre, grime builds up and that grass is not regularly mowed (Figure 2). Recent record temperatures and increases in the frequency of warm days are predominantly due to relocating screens to warmer aspects, AWS and small screens becoming primary instruments, and lack of maintenance.

Stevenson Screens, Australian, Bureau of Meteorology.

Figure 1. While the screen and other equipment at Wagga Wagga airport were well maintained by Bureau staff in June 2016 (left), placement of the AWS temperature probes 2-cm closer to the north-facing rear of the screen made the temperature warmer on warm days. At Rutherglen (right), by July 2019, the neglected screen was grimy; home to a mud wasp (arrowed) and outside paint was peeling around the roof and louvers. Lack of regular maintenance results in bias and causes the frequency of warm days to increase. (Sensors measure relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T).). Stevenson Screens, Australian, Bureau of Meteorology.

 

The Bureau has lost its way

Standards have slipped and the Bureau’s core function of monitoring the weather can no longer be trusted. The community is poorly served by its penchant for hitting the headlines with exaggerated claims of record hot days, months and years in time for the evening news.

Even worse, in 2017 they established seven new sites in southwestern NSW in the warmest places they could find using PVC screens with mat-black interiors that radiate heat onto the instruments on warm days. It is therefore no coincidence that temperatures have increased in recent time; that records are regularly smashed and that heatwaves and extremes seem more frequent. However, it’s a major problem for climate catastrophists that trends and changes don’t reflect what’s actually happening with the weather.

The climate emergency doesn’t exist. In order to fit the narrative, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology has altered the conditions under which temperature is measured. Aided by the Monash misinformation hub, the ABC, The Conversation the Fairfax press and The Guardian, a campaign is underway to tag our normal weather as non-normal and extreme.

Australian BOM

Figure 2. Deterioration of the roof and north-facing rear of the Rutherglen screen in July 2019 caused by poor maintenance is likely to result in bias on warm days (Left). On the right is the overgrown automatic weather station at Bridgetown (WA) in September 2015. (Photographs by the Author.).

 Bill Johnston’s paper: Blowing the whistle on Stevenson screens

 Past Posts:

All Bill Johnston’s posts: http://joannenova.com.au/tag/johnston-bill/

9.8 out of 10 based on 112 ratings

360 comments to Shrinking Stevenson Screens cause global warming (and peeling paint, long grass…)

  • #

    Given that the BOM can barely forecast the weather one day in advance, it’s very doubtful that they can assess anything beyond one day, either past or future.

    650

    • #

      Great comment. I feel you have nailed it.

      212

    • #
      Travis T. Jones

      You only had one job …

      Bureau of Meteorology prepares to cop flak for failing to forecast Geelong storm –

      https://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/bureau-of-meteorology-prepares-to-cop-flak-for-failing-to-forecast-geelong-storm-20140220-332dq.html

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      • #
        WXcycles

        Mr Williams said radar readings were taken at six-minute intervals and just a hint of the storm was seen at the very bottom of the radar settings. By the time the second reading came, the storm was already blasting Geelong. He said the bureau usually waited for two readings before issuing a warning, because conditions could peter out to nothing and it did not want to give false warnings. “Because it tracks six minutes apart we wait to see at least a second reading with the characteristics of a storm before we are confident about issuing a warning,” he said. “We were unable to give a warning because it developed in situ. “I lay awake thinking about it last night … I don’t think we could done it any differently.

        https://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/bureau-of-meteorology-prepares-to-cop-flak-for-failing-to-forecast-geelong-storm-20140220-332dq.html

        Storms can form faster than data can be captured using 6 min updates. It happens regularly with convective cells, Spring storms are notorious for doing that. About the only thing that would have helped is streaming video of the area and maybe some pilot reports around the area. Models may indicate instability is present, but only observations will find a fast forming large towering cumulus that suddenly turns into a thunderstorm – and only after it suddenly goes above the freezing-layer, which was rather low in this case.

        70

    • #
      AndyG55

      how true that is. !

      Unfit for purpose.. ANY purpose.

      170

    • #
      OriginalSteve

      Q. What does the “Marie Celeste” and the BOM have in common?

      30

    • #
      Matthew Wall

      A good scorer beats a good player every time.

      20

    • #
      Nick Werner

      Based on a recent post about number of hot days, it sounds like BoM’s maintenance budget has been diverted to fund the Adjustment Bureau.

      50

    • #

      The most difficult temperature to forecast is in the past — decades ago — the numbers keep changing over time as the BOM “cooks the books”.

      It’s MUCH EASIER to forecast the climate 100 years in the future — no matter what you say, you’ll be dead and gone by then, so can never be proven wrong.

      This great article, and some other good articles here in the past week have, in my opinion, upgraded this climate science website to the best in the world.

      I follow at least six other climate science websites every week, and have edited a climate science blog for five years.

      The only improvement I could suggest are a clearer picture of Jo Nova on the home page, and publishing as many Bill Johnston posts as possible !

      140

      • #
        Latus Dextro

        A perfectly good civilization is going to waste…

        I just wonder, if the useful dolts at the BoM understand what happens when their purpose is achieved.
        Like the MSM and politicians, they will join the long lines at food kitchens. A few may be required at the Ministry of Truth and perhaps as indoctrinators or propagandists.
        We do not stand on the cusp of great “change,” at some dawn of a magnificent globalist age of 1000 years.
        Jack booted ‘right think’ never worked out.
        Been there, done that, over and over.
        NOT AGAIN.

        50

      • #
        John PAK

        One of BoM’s problems is that the staff are threatened with sacking if they speak out about what is actually happening. I’m not sure exactly what the senior management are trying to cover up. My info came second-hand from a member of BoM but I’d suggest that it could be the fact that they know full well their (v expense) data have wide error bars and that they already know we are heading into severe planetary times where extremes of temperature, both hot and cold, are going to become the norm and it has nothing to do with the politically correct AGW view but they need to perpetuate the million-a-day habit.

        20

    • #
      AndyG55

      “I feel you have nailed it.”

      YEP, he most certainly did, GA.

      Right on the bullseye. !

      00

    • #
      rk

      No, No, No The BOM sometimes can’t even forecast the weather one minute ahead. A personal experience: One evening in the early 1980’s I was operating an evening flight from Adelaide to Perth. Around 9 PM about 200 miles from Perth we asked for the latest Perth weather and were told it was CAVOK (fine) for the next six hours. Some minutes later we were alarmed to see bright flashes in the distant sky. On going to the 180 n.m. range on the weather radar we saw a line of thunderstorms to the west of Perth approaching to the east as they always do. We estimated it to be 30 minutes from Perth and just made it into Perth before it closed. The nearest alternates for jet aircraft are an hour away at Kalgoorlie or Meekathara and we weren’t carrying that sort of fuel – this is the sort of disgraceful forecasting even 30 + years ago when they can’t even look out the bloody window let alone take notice of their weather radar. A couple of years ago an old Flying instructor friend reminded me of a TV program done on the Brisbane BOM centre and here they all were on a Sunday afternoon watching a cooking program on a huge TV screen whilst the TV Crew were supposed to show them working on their weather forecasting.

      50

  • #
    Dave

    The link under

    “Bill Johnston’s paper: Blowing the whistle on Stevenson screens” doesn’t seem to work!

    Thanks Dane and Another Ian. Fixed now. – Jo

    20

  • #

    Privatize BOM, Confiscate all assets of existing and past BOM employees using the funds to reset the system back to usefulness.

    191

    • #
      WXcycles

      Unfortunately the State must and necessarily will maintain a State met-service, as for instance, modern military forces and their comms and weapons are highly dependent on detailed forecasting, which can not be trusted to a privatized service. The military and other agencies need to develop their own in-house forecasting capabilities and data aggregations.

      But certainly the parts not needed for valid and essential State services like those should be sold-off, at this point, as the BOM is clearly a very corrupt organisation, and feels its’ essential-service status can protect it from such corrupt politicized people being cleaned out wholesale.

      That complacency has to be replaced with hard-core accountability for corrupt, improper and neglectful practices.

      90

      • #
        OriginalSteve

        Speaking of using force…police horses bust up rowdy climate protesters…..

        https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-29/protesters-clash-with-police-outside-melbourne-mining-conference/11648540

        “Climate change protesters have clashed with police in violent scenes outside an international mining conference in Melbourne.

        “Police arrested 47 people outside the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, where the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) is being held this week.

        “About 250 demonstrators were met by more than 300 police at the venue on the Yarra River.

        “Police used pepper spray on some protesters, and used horses to force the demonstrators away from the entrances to the building.
        …………..
        “A protester, Paul, said the woman, a 23-year-old from Chile, was injured when a police horse backed onto her.

        “”I was standing beside her, one of the police officers had sprayed me, then threw her back away from me, and then the horse reared up and stepped on both of her legs,” he said.

        “”Both legs have been broken, definitely — she’s got no feeling in her legs, she can’t move her toes.”

        “Authorities have not confirmed her injuries.

        Ah yes…and just why were such protesters in the way of police horses….?

        20

  • #
    David Maddison

    The poor “scientific” practices of the BoM would fail even high school science classes.

    The have changed the measuring enclosure both in volume and material plus they don’t maintain them (a wasp nest will generate a lot of heat) plus they changed the measuring technology plus they routinely throw away data plus also inappropriately adjust data to suit their hypothesis.

    390

    • #
      theRealUniverse

      ‘The poor “scientific” practices of the BoM ‘ is also on par with the poor “scientific” practices of the IPCC which wouldnt pass an undergrad study. Must be catching..

      180

    • #
      glen Michel

      There are a few culprits there. I have had “dealings” with them in the past, so I can presume that they are connected with other international meteorological bodies. Malfeasance, or whatever you call it , they operate and co operate with impunity. It is rotten and a disgrace to scientific practices.

      141

    • #
      Boambee John

      plus they routinely throw away data plus also inappropriately adjust data to suit their hypothesis.

      David M

      I wonder if the destruction of original data might constitute the destruction of Commonwealth records under the Archives Act.

      I assume that an appointed delegate authorised this destruction, an FOI request for the reasons for the destruction and the name of the authorising officer might cause some nervousness in the Bureau. IIRC, there are penalties for inappropriate destruction of Commonwealth records. The ressons would have to be good, and within guidelines in the Act and any associated regulations.

      90

      • #
        Lawrie

        If it was decided by the contributors here that an FOI into certain aspects of the BoM was a worthwhile project I would be happy to help fund the request. I have no idea what these things cost but it would be interesting just to watch the BoM squirm and worth the expense. Since our(I stress our) government will not bring these taxpayer funded climate alarmists to heel it will be up to the people. We might even consider a Go Fund Me page if for no other reason than to let the BoM know that we are serious and they are in our sights. I am sure we are not the only people who are suspicious of the BoM data.

        40

    • #
      Latus Dextro

      Dave, the point is that it doesn’t matter.
      The callous immunity displayed by competent dolts is merely testament to their arrogance and “planet saving” globalist mission.
      For the most part the political class don’t care and the MSM are vociferous cheer leaders.

      Little do any of them realise how useless they all become once the UN implementation objective is reached in 2030.
      They’ll have plenty of time to share their stories in the long lines to the food kitchens.

      40

    • #
      STJOHNOFGRAFTON

      “(a wasp nest will generate a lot of heat)”

      Can you verify this claim with scientific data?

      01

    • #
      Lance

      David, it seems Dr. Nakamura agrees with you entirely.

      https://electroverse.net/another-climate-scientist-with-impeccable-credentials-breaks-ranks/?fbclid=IwAR0CEogwQUtuZ9AsDU_A9-FtuhiiAOEUEZDtySnx10nGzN3j7lmBe7LTiPM

      “Nakamura writes: “The global surface mean temperature-change data no longer have any scientific value and are nothing except a propaganda tool to the public.”

      The climate models are useful tools for academic studies, he admits. However: “The models just become useless pieces of junk or worse (as they can produce gravely misleading output) when they are used for climate forecasting.”

      Climate forecasting is simply not possible, Nakamura concludes, and the impacts of human-caused CO2 can’t be judged with the knowledge and technology we currently possess.

      The models grossly simplify the way the climate works. “

      30

  • #
    David Maddison

    Waps and bees are similar animals and bees can generate a lot of heat.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/14581592/

    [About 12 comments that are off topic about bees and wasps have been removed. – Jo]

    100

    • #

      I live in wasp central (mud and paper, plus those scamps who build rock candy nest in the fingers of garden gloves) and I’m actually a fan of these particular aculeata. Nothing will keep them from my north east facing eaves. On the rare occasions they have to be moved on (guttering work etc) I get to see how long they take to rebuild.

      I’d say that wasps building on Stevenson screens shows a level of maintenance which is completely unacceptable. That’s apart from any warming effect.

      150

  • #
    David Maddison

    Is there any reason given for reducing the size of the Stevenson Screen?

    90

    • #

      Maybe there’s less to clean?

      Especially in red dust country you’d need to make sure that the top and grilles stayed very clean, otherwise…heat soak!

      I’m assuming that cleaning would not be less frequent because stations are automated. And I’m assuming that a cover of dust would invalidate all readings registered after the last verified cleaning. (Actually, I’m not assuming. I’m just playing with the climatariat’s heads, the way they play with ours.)

      170

      • #
        Sceptical Sam

        Not unlike solar panels really.

        They’re only as good as their last clean.

        But I’m yet to meet a clean green.

        160

        • #
          Fred Streeter

          But I’m yet to meet a clean green.

          Well, we are never likely to meet, but I can assure you that I am both Green and Clean.

          However, I do not accept the CO2 nonsense, and so am in the naughty corner.

          60

          • #
            Bill in Oz

            Ditto for me Fred !
            An organic farmer for 25 years
            Planting trees & conserving the soil
            Farming sustainably !

            And now the whole environmental movement
            Is off on this CO2 wild goose chase !
            Grrrrrrrr !

            70

            • #
              Sceptical Sam

              Well, in my book you are both conservationists.

              Welcome to the sensible.

              Greens fail to see the difference.

              And what is the difference?

              Conservationists understand the science, think for themselves and can do their sums.

              The greens on the other hand, ignore the science and cannot think for themselves. In addition, they’re generally innumerate.

              50

            • #
              Fred Streeter

              An organic farmer for 25 years
              Planting trees & conserving the soil
              Farming sustainably !

              We have only our allotment. 🙁

              Two plots though. 🙂

              (And we are offering to take on a third – unworked for 3 years – to keep it from reverting to a briar patch.

              We may catch up with you yet!)

              30

      • #
        Another Ian

        A build up of dust sure doesn’t help heat away from a dozer radiator.

        100

    • #
      MichaelinBrisbane

      Cheaper.

      70

    • #

      David M, prob’ly due to climate change. We know there’s a whole lot of shrinking going on due to rising temps… shrinking fish, (Yale E360)’shrinking birds, ( The Auk 2018) yikes, even mammal dwarfing! ( D’Ambrosia et al) Yes it’s globull warming alright.

      50

  • #
    Binny Pegler

    One of the core problems we face (and this is not restricted to climate science).
    Is that downloading 1/2 dozen old papers on any subject. Then writing your own paper (with your own spin) is now considered actual scientific research.
    It’s certainly a lot cheaper and easier way of getting something published then going out to remote and uncomfortable locations and setting up your own instruments – Especially if getting meaning full amounts of data takes years.

    251

    • #

      an example would help both to verify your claim and to understand it.

      111

      • #
        peter

        A previous boss of mine, now retired & deceased – God bless his soul, already a double doctorate (Medicine & PhD)was getting close to retirement. So he reviewed, revised and re-submitted all of his previous publications. He was awarded another doctorate! Brilliant!! I was most impressed. Only an academic could get away with that, I thought. A post-grad student who did that would be dismissed from the university for plagiarism. Is that a good enough example Fig-leaf?

        Or perhaps you would like better the very recent example of an Iranian researcher at an Australian university (Macquarie, I think) who was found and/or suspected of falsifying data, duplicating data (and graphs)and plagiarism in all of his publications and even his own PhD. He was sacked for some strange reason. LOL. How can anyone be suspicious of published science when it is all peer-reviewed? LMFAO!!

        141

        • #

          Who was this and what were the publications? I’ll alert retraction watch and see what happens.

          So all you are saying is that scientific [snip – no one said that – Jo] occurs and that means something something. you then give examples of where the system has dealt with the [snip — “thing no one said” – Jo] and handed out a punishment. Way to refute your own polemic.

          Binny (not her real name for sure) asserts that there is a core problem that republishing is a core problem in science. I’d like evidence not feel good assertions.

          [Quote people GA or parse your paraphrasing more carefully. Thanks – Jo]

          04

          • #
            peter

            You asked for an example and I gave you two. The scientific publication system is wide open to this sort of problem. Peer review doesn’t prevent it. Reviewers haven’t got the time to fully check a paper. A few hours is spent to see if the paper is scientifically plausible. Who is going to check all the data by repeating all the experiments/observations/measurements?

            Years ago I submitted a paper to Analytica Chimica Acta. The Editor got back to me requesting more data. I complied, sending her a lot more data. She then complained that I had sent her too much data to deal with, Lol, but they still published it. The point is that I went back into the Lab, after hours, on many days to complete it. I could easily have concocted fake data from the original data and made it look plausible. Who was to know? Do you see a problem there? Do you think climate scientists might be aware of the same? The pressure on academics to publish or perish is very real. Do readers see a problem with scientific publication? If not, they should.

            A final note. On University News today (email) there was a report of a South Korean researcher being in real trouble in South Korea because they had included under-age members of their family as “co-authors”. Now why do you think they did that? At least they didn’t include the family dog, Lol. Just a thought.

            50

            • #
              Peter Fitzroy

              Still hearsay

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              • #
                AndyG55

                “Still hearsay”

                Its all you have, PF.

                Someone told you CO2 caused warming,

                But you KNOW there is no evidence,

                but you swallow and regurgitate.

                72

            • #

              you did not give me an example of this

              Is that downloading 1/2 dozen old papers on any subject. Then writing your own paper (with your own spin) is now considered actual scientific research.

              you gave me one well publicised example of paper retraction that resulted in dismissal and an anonymous previous boss of yours who appears to have done what you said but did not provide enough information for me to judge that.

              basically you made up a feel good statement that fitted your own perception.

              01

              • #
                peter

                Oh dear Fig-leaf, are you ever a perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black. You remain anonymous under a pseudonym on this site but demand names from others – good on ya.

                They say you should not speak ill of the dead. My former boss is now dead but was a good man who simply took advantage of what the system allowed. He worked as an academic in the UK, Melbourne and Newcastle, retiring as a full professor. In respect of privacy for him and his family, I will not name him.

                Most academics who indulge in dodgy research behaviour are never exposed. They may even be promoted and go onto higher and higher levels of authority and perhaps fame. Have a close look at Prof Michael Mann perhaps?

                20

              • #

                Do you provide evidence for any of your rhetoric ever?

                02

              • #

                and I see that Binny was just a hit and run fact free feel good commenter

                [Binny has made some 500 or so comments on this site, hardly a hit and run. There is real Binny Pegler on facebook — how would you know if Binny wasn’t a real name?. This is unusually petty and pointless for you Gee Aye (not your real name). Did your cat die? — Jo]

                05

              • #
                AndyG55

                “hit and run fact free feel good commenter”

                A close relative of yours, perhaps, empty GA?

                10

          • #
            Peter C

            Thanks Jo for your wise moderating Comments!

            Gee Aye,
            You said:

            there is a core problem that republishing is a core problem in science.

            Ignoring the repetition, why is republishing a problem?

            20

            • #

              You can republish all you like of course but scientific journals publish on the basis of original research. You can’t have the same research published twice as original.

              10

              • #
                peter

                I thought I gave you examples of exactly that happening before?

                “Do you provide evidence for any of your rhetoric ever?” Are you asking that of Prof Michael Mann?

                20

              • #

                no example I could see.

                And I was responding to Peter C who asked “why is republishing a problem”, not to you, so your comment did not follow (or you didn’t try to follow)

                00

              • #
                Peter C

                Thanks Gee Aye,

                That’s what I thought. Republishing is not really a core problem in Science. It might be a way of getting your work to a wider audience.

                However most journals have a policy of Not Publishing work that has appeared in print before. So a rule of the journals.

                00

              • #

                The problem being that with the sheer number of journals it is not hard to massage the data a bit differently, add a slightly different spin and change the title and co-authors and hey presto another paper gets accepted and the lack of originality is not noticed.

                00

          • #
            AndyG55

            “Who was this and what were the publications I’ll alert retraction watch and see what happens”

            Already been retracted , GA.

            https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-26/swinburne-university-researcher-has-30-papers-retracted/11641136

            60

          • #
            Peter C

            parse your paraphrasing more carefully.

            Wow! That had me looking for my long lost copy of Fowler’s Modern English Usage.

            By the way, note the possessive apostrophe ‘s’,since Fowler does not end with an ‘s’. (a topic from a previous post).

            00

        • #

          reply is forthcoming… I included the F word but not aimed at anyone so it should soon be released.

          06

    • #
      theRealUniverse

      Yes, I think theres allot of that going on, well put.

      10

    • #
      Latus Dextro

      Nothing wrong with writing a narrative review or systematic review, from a particular perspective. Such a review could serve to highlight the range of methodologies and the scientific merit of the various studies one has brought together. There is a certain circularity about a review or meta-analysis, which is why they are not regarded or ranked highly on the hierarchy of evidence.
      Most in research understand that a review is not quality evidence. To this end, one cites original research. I have seen climate articles with an opening introduction that invariably commences with a statement about the urgency of the problem. The associated citation is invariably a review, a book or some apparently learned commentary or the IPCC, rarely it seems, is it empirical research.
      Therein lies a problem. It is not science. It is ideology in science.

      30

      • #
        OriginalSteve

        Speaking of nonsense…..

        https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-29/queensland-urged-to-abandon-coal-and-expand-renewables-rollout-/11650966

        Let me see now…..

        * Models that predict temp increase are all wrong – check
        * Govts following models claiming accuracy – check
        * Electrical infrastructure being dismantled based on “science” above – check

        “Queensland must rapidly ditch coal-fired power to meet Australia’s emission targets, report finds

        “Queensland’s current carbon emissions would “virtually guarantee the extinction of most of the Great Barrier Reef” within 12 years if replicated worldwide, according to a new report.

        “The report by Climate Analytics, a leading science institute funded by the World Bank, recommends Queensland stop burning coal for power by 2030 to play its part in keeping global heating to 1.5 Celsius under the UN’s Paris Agreement targets, agreed to by Australia in 2016.

        “Climate Analytics found hitting the necessary emissions reduction target would spell the end of Queensland thermal coal exports by 2040, as part of a “rapid and almost complete global phase-out” of coal for electricity.

        “Queensland is Australia’s biggest carbon-emitting state and will blow its total “carbon budget” of 1.2 gigatonnes by 2031 if its carbon dioxide emissions remain at their 2017 rate, the report found.

        “The first-ever analysis of an Australian state’s future emissions under the Paris Agreement paints world climate goals as being on a collision course with political support for coal in Queensland.

        “The report found the Palaszczuk Government’s goal to achieve 50 per cent renewable power generation by 2030 — considered ambitious in comparison to other state and federal targets — still does not go far enough.

        “A “Paris-compatible benchmark scenario” would instead require Queensland to shift to 64 per cent renewables, 1 per cent oil and no coal by 2030.

        “Climate Analytics director Bill Hare said that meant cutting emissions from electricity by 74 per cent by 2030.

        “”That’s very deep, it’s fast, but it’s feasible — and will likely lower power costs for consumers throughout the state,” he said.

        “Mr Hare said abandoning thermal coal was “not even really a choice because if you want to have a Great Barrier Reef for the future, then we really need the world to limit its emissions sufficiently to hold warming to 1.5C”.

        “”That means that the coal thermal markets are going to crash anyway,” he said.

        “”What’s really important is to get ahead of that curve and begin that transition early.

        “”There are many opportunities that have profound economic benefits for Queensland, not just for companies, but for communities and workers and so on.”

        “The report comes as Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan is pushing for a new coal-fired power station to be built in central Queensland and mining giant Adani plans to open the Galilee Basin for 60 years of coal exports.

        10

  • #
    David Maddison

    Even in 1884 it was recognised that the size and design of the Stevenson Screen was important.

    https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/qj.4970104902

    Does the BoM, in fact, employ any real scientists or are they just paid political propagandists?

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    • #
      StephenP

      Has anyone fitted out two Stevenson screens, one of 60 litres and one of 230 litres, in the same compliant location and then compared the results?

      80

      • #
        Steve of Cornubia

        All that tedious measuring and recording malarky is so 1800s.

        Nowadays, all you need is a model. I am completely sure that a BOM model created to forecast the effects of screen size on measurements would clearly show that they are doing everything right, the world is about to descend into a fiery hell and shut up.

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      • #
        Peter Fitzroy

        See comment 11

        014

      • #
        Graeme#4

        The two screen sizes were compared in what appears to be a good test program and a significant temperature difference was noted. See RMETS Buisan paper, 19 Feb 2015. “The results show that the medium-sized Stephenson screen tended to overheat daily maximum air temperatures (0.54 C on yearly average…”
        The BOM ran their own tests and stated that the difference was negligible.

        80

    • #
      Melbourne Resident

      This is all so simple. All we need are a minimum of 20 volunteers in suitable areas with paddocks that fit the old Stevenson Screen requirements – then – set up the two sizes of screens – both with mercury thermometers and the thermocouple thermometers alongside each other and do a direct comparison of all the results after a few months of monitoring. That should be sufficient for a trend analysis to prove or disprove the current BoM techniques are acceptable or not and the error range to apply to all their data. ‘Seemple’ as Alexander would say…

      Volunteers anyone? – I have a paddock in the Kinglake Ranges – we need a sponsor for the equipment and a supplier for the screens.

      00

  • #
    Snoopy Combley

    If anybody would like some really interesting data on global warming or lack there off, that the BOM has not bothered to doctor yet visit the following site.

    It is a unique site in that it is situated on the South West corner of Western Australia and there is no industry anywhere near it. It is surrounded on three sides by either the Indian or Southern ocean and more importantly it has been recording from the same site for more than 100 years. The prevailing winds are mostly from the oceans so no proxy heating. There has been some minor changes in that there are some bitumen car parks but the original building are still there from the early 1900’s. I would suggest it is probably the best possible proxy for temperature change in Australia.

    Should anybody like photographs of the site please email me on random1@dunworkin13.com

    Site information
    Site name: CAPE LEEUWIN
    Site number: 009518
    Latitude: 34.37 °S Longitude: 115.14 °E
    Elevation: 13 m
    Commenced: 1897 Status: Open
    Latest available data: 23 Oct 2019

    80

    • #
      Bill Johnston

      Hi Snoopy,

      The original Cape Leeuwin screen was up at the lighthouse where it was so over-exposed they reduced its height to 2-feet off the ground. Wind-shaking reset instruments which means that much of the early data is not much use. The screen moved to a new site, which according to a map and photograph was down off the point, where its performance improved but the Bureau don’t seem to know when that happened. From the start of the record to 1936 they used an old “observatory pattern screen” so it could have been that it moved when the screen was replaced in 1936 (or they may not know). By 1964, the screen was damaged; then it moved about 250 m south in October 1978 between two sheds (for protection) where the Bureau say they installed a small (60-litre) screen. The site was automated (using the same screen) in 1993 then in April 1999 they shifted to a new site in an updraft zone beside the cliff.

      From about 1942 to 1972, they mainly reported whole degrees-F,and the AWS also reported whole degrees-C from 1998 until 2002. Annual rainfall reduced markedly after the site moved to the up-draft zone in 1999. Further, the frequency of daily rainfalls greater than the wet-day median (2.5 mm) declined from 50 to about 35% of rain-days (and vice-versa for raindays above 2.5 mm/day), which indicates the current site on the side of the cliff is over-exposed.

      Although it is the longest continuous datset in WA, I don’t think it’s useful for determining trend or change; certainly not using naive Excel regression analysis.

      Cheers,

      Bill

      110

      • #

        Important comment, Bill.

        It’s a lesson to me. I’m always carrying on about the limitations of all statistics but I’m still pretty naive in accepting the long records of many sites as if they were at least vaguely accurate. It’s clear that one needs to know the full history and background just to be able to take a punt.

        My policy has been to check nearby sites before making a call on a particular event or extreme, and also to check for any old reportage or anecdote (eg there is a tiny amount of info on a maritime disaster at the time of Port Macquarie’s 1848 mega-rain, though obviously there are no other 1848 readings for cross-checking). And I like to check rain and temp together to get a better picture of the actual weather producing a reading or trend.

        In light of what you say above about Cape Leeuwin, cross-checking is not enough and in the case of many sites the full story may not be knowable. Many in the data crunching industry insist that best available data should be deemed adequate and thus fed into the stats mill because any stat is better than no stat.

        In fact, only adequate data can be adequate. Should be obvious, but we lose sight of that in our haste and need to make our pronouncements.

        40

      • #
        Peter C

        Thanks Snoopy and Bill,

        That is what I like so much about this blog. We get comments from people with local knowledge and also from people with expertise.

        30

  • #

    So throw another shrimp on the…

    Wait a moment. We can bake it in one of those contraptions!

    90

  • #
    Peter Fitzroy

    Well, nothing like having an axe to grind is there, and the BOM is just such.
    Firstly – Screen Siteing – https://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/CIMO/CIMO15-WMO1064/1064_en.pdf (look for Annex IV
    Secondly – Size of screens – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272494986_Impact_of_two_different_sized_Stevenson_screens_on_air_temperature_measurements
    Thirdly – Plastic vs Wood – https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/joc.1381
    Lastly SAT vs Satellite – http://euanmearns.com/surface-versus-satellite-the-temperature-data-set-controversy/

    All the SAT and Sat temps show the same trend (and I used UAH for Andy’s sake)
    SAT measurements are in agreement worldwide (ie every inhabited continent is showing the same trend)
    Size, and construction material do not matter as much as site selection (and here there is a classification system to manage information gleaned from poorly sited screens)

    The conclusion is that the primary contention of this paper is not supported anywhere where real science is done.

    131

    • #
      • #
        Peter Fitzroy

        hunh, nice little cherry pick there Sam

        021

        • #
          Sceptical Sam

          Not true, but you’d know about cherry picking. It’s the alarmists’ standard practice.

          Nevertheless, the data-set I put up accesses the full set; the full extent of the set runs from 2004. No cherry picking there. And no significant trend either. Which puts the lie to your fudging.

          It’s interactive. You should play with it Gee Aye, you might convince yourself that you’re on the wrong tram.

          200

          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            One incomplete dataset, now that is cherry picking.

            013

            • #
              Sceptical Sam

              There’s still no significant trend.

              That’s the point that confounds you?

              The data-set defudges your fudge. One fact proves you wrong.

              You are no scientist.

              130

          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            One incomplete dataset, now that is cherry picking.

            017

            • #
              Sceptical Sam

              Repeating the lie over and over again doesn’t prove your point.

              It’s the standard procedure in propaganda. You’re getting the idea it seems, in that regard.

              170

        • #
          AndyG55

          No warming in the USA this century

          No warming in Australia this century

          No warming in Japan this century

          Only atmospheric warming is from El Nino events

          NO EVIDENCE of any CO2 “forced” warming ANYWHERE, is that PF !!

          111

    • #
      AndyG55

      Link 2 discussion re screen size.

      The results show that the medium-sized Stevenson screen tended to overheat daily maximum air temperatures (0.54 ∘ C on yearly average)

      The bias appeared throughout the whole year but in particular during the warm season from May through October. Air temperature observations from the nearby station Daroca confirmed an overheating bias introduced by a change from a large-sized Stevenson screen to a medium-sized one in Calamocha.

      Thanks PF.

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    • #
      AndyG55

      3rd reference

      “These biases were generally smaller than those between pairs of wooden screens, including the existing operational screen[large screen], which was the coldest screen at each site.”

      You are doing well in confirming the result in the topic.

      Smaller screen -> higher temperature.

      180

    • #
      Ian G

      The problem is also the ethermometer which has a response time of one second which the old mercury therms didn’t have.
      For instance in Casino today (28th Oct) the top temp was 27.6C at 1:00pm. It was also 26.7C at 1:00pm. That’s an 0.9C difference in one minute, virtually the whole of the warming since 1900.
      The BoM should be averaging ten minute intervals which would be more in line with the older therms if they wish make temp comparisons – otherwise the temp record is a complete joke.

      340

      • #
        Kalm Keith

        Good illustration.

        120

      • #
        Peter Fitzroy

        How do you know? where is your evidence. I could say here in my car it went from 25 to 24 as I drove out of the car park, but I can not prove it.

        Without proof this is just a story told in a pub

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        • #
          el gordo

          Splitting hairs over temperatures is not where the action is, the models have failed to capture reality.

          ‘It seems obvious that we should ask hard questions of scenarios initiated in 2005 to project outcomes for 2050 or 2100 that fail to accurately describe what is observed in 2020. Individual scenarios are not predictions, but they can certainly be more or less consistent with how the world actually evolves.

          ‘We should also ask questions when an entire set of scenarios collectively fails to encompass real-world observations – such as is the case with the reference scenarios of the IPCC AR5 database and actual atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide.’

          Roger Pielke (Forbes)

          150

          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            Yep old predictions of the future are not as accurate as we would like, and they never have been.
            I seem to remember that I was promised flying cars and cheap fusion power back in the 80’s.

            Let’s suppose that there exists a prediction of a cooler phase starting real soon now. On this blog I’ve seen that prediction made several times a year over the years I’ve been following it, (I go back to the time when everyone from WUWT and here loved the forthcoming BEST reanalysis), and that is time comparable with your quote from the forbes article. Not one of those predictions of a cooling phase has come true.

            So who to believe?

            /want a flying car so bad

            217

            • #
              el gordo

              Even if the hiatus continues flat for another decade, the klimatariat has failed to forecast accurately and all their models are junk science.

              150

            • #
              el gordo

              Regional cooling signal.

              ‘A late-season chill just caused a pair of frosty mornings in parts of southern Australia, with some areas seeing their lowest back-to-back minimums in more than a century this late in the year.

              ‘A high pressure system in the wake of a cold front allowed clear skies and light winds to combine with a mass of cool air during the last two nights, providing ideal conditions for low minimum temperatures.’

              Weatherzone

              120

              • #
                Bill in Oz

                I have 4 peach & nectarine trees that were blasted by those frosts.
                All flowers frosted off and all green shoots as well..
                no fruit this year..
                In fact I wonder if they haven’t been killed off.

                100

              • #
                Kalm Keith

                Bill,

                I have a palm type tree in the backyard that is about 5 metres tall.
                After the recent drought it appears lifeless and presumably dead.
                It’s probably at least 20 years old but this last drought has snuffed it.

                My loss is miniscule compared with that of the farmers who have been dissed by both arms of politics. A pox on them all.

                The Politicians of course.

                KK

                71

            • #
              Brian

              Well el gordo, it is Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and the US us experiencing record cold and snowfall, particularly in the West and the Plains. Across the Atlantic Europe is bracing for record cold. In the south of Australia unseasonable cold snap. Even the urban heat island effect can’t compensate.

              100

            • #
              AndyG55

              “forthcoming BEST”

              Sorry PF, but many knew before it started that it was A CON.

              Muller pretending to be a sceptic only fooled some people.

              AW was warmed several times.

              71

            • #
              AndyG55

              “old predictions of the future are not as accurate as we would like”

              Prediction range of climate computer games was as wide as a barn

              … and they STILL MISSED

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        • #
        • #
          AndyG55

          “where is your evidence”

          Stop your idiotic TROLLING and childish attention-seeking, PF

          About time YOU produce evidence for CO2 warming

          About time YOU told us what change has happened in the last 40 years that is scientifically caused by human CO2

          /PF, EMPTY on all counts

          92

        • #
          AndyG55

          “How do you know? where is your evidence”

          How do you know the slight warming is caused by human CO@

          Where is YOUR evidence, PF !!

          /PF = TOTALLY LACKING

          102

        • #
          AndyG55

          “Without proof this is just a story told in a pub”

          So, push like warming by human CO2, hey PF

          NO PROOF, just a fantasy story.

          Do take your foot out of your mouth when you type, petal !!

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        • #
          Peter C

          where is your evidence. I could say here in my car it went from 25 to 24 as I drove out of the car park, but I can not prove it.

          Your testimony of an event is evidence. Your are confusing evidence and proof.

          10

      • #
        Bill Johnston

        Thanks IanG,

        The temperature record is useful for describing the weather, but not tracking the climate.

        Cheers,

        Bill

        100

    • #
      Michael262

      Real science is whatever you like to believe, everyone is a Googlespert

      09

  • #
    el gordo

    Morrison bans Craig Kelly from appearing on Q&A.

    30

    • #
      robert rosicka

      I wonder why , Kelly would eat em alive .

      80

    • #
      Sceptical Sam

      My view is that Morrison should ban all members of the government from appearing on the ABC’s Q&A.

      Q&A is a disgrace and the ABC should be required to fix the farce.

      180

    • #
      el gordo

      There would be an attempt to embarrass the government through Kelly, but he is still the favourite son over at Sky and can maintain his rage there. We need an audit and Kelly is the revolutionary to accomplish it, as the PM continues to sit on his hands.

      “We must all be mindful of sticking to that and not running off on other issues that we didn’t take to the election. Especially not doing so publicly.” Scott Morrison July 2019

      70

    • #
      glen Michel

      A set up. We saw what happened to Roberts. That’s the problem when you have much to say and little time to say it.

      61

    • #
      GD

      ScoMo is a warmist in skeptic’s clothing.

      40

      • #
        el gordo

        The PM is an empty vessel on climate change, so its up to us, Craig Kelly and Sky News, to call for an audit.

        60

  • #
    Tmatsci

    Is there any international standard for the measurement of temperature? I have searched but cannot fine any. It seems to me that the whole of climate measurement is dogged by lack of standards and the resulting arbitrary manipulation of inconvenient measurements. Indeed I raise again the question of how the average temperature of the planet is estimated.

    70

  • #
    OriginalSteve

    Bonkers……

    https://dailycaller.com/2019/10/25/schumer-gas-cars-plan/

    “Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer is preparing to spend hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars on a plan that would fast-track the elimination of nearly every gas-powered vehicle in the country.
    The Senate’s top Democrat wants to spend a massive amount of money enticing Americans to exchange their gas-guzzling vehicles for an electric car. Schumer’s proposal, which he announced in a New York Times editorial Thursday, shows Democrats are lurching leftward on the issue.

    ““That’s why I am announcing a new proposal designed to rapidly phase out gas-powered vehicles and replace them with zero-emission, or ‘clean,’ vehicles like electric cars,” Schumer wrote after suggesting scientists agree that climate change represents an imminent threat to the U.S.
    He added: “The goal of the plan, which also aims to spur a transformation in American manufacturing, is that by 2040 all vehicles on the road should be clean.” The plan would remove more than 63 million gas-powered cars from the road by 2030, Schumer estimates.

    The senator’s idea comes as Democrats continue shifting leftward on environmental issues. (RELATED: Democrats Released Their Green New Deal. Here’s How People Are Reacting To The Rollout)
    House Democrats introduced a Green New Deal in February calling for a “10-year national mobilization” toward a series of goals aimed at fighting global warming. The deal’s proponents called for the eradication of fossil fuels before lawmakers stripped the idea out of the final product.

    “Conservative analysts are already criticizing Schumer’s plan.

    ““The money would be wasted. Even if Americans stopped driving entirely today and forever, there would be no discernible impact on, much less improvement of the weather or climate,” Steve Milloy, a lobbyist on behalf of the energy industry, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

    20

    • #

      I see that the Pixie Ann Wheatley gene is rapidly mutating now amongst Democrats.

      First there was AOC, and now it seems they all think they can get away with it.

      I wonder what happens when they find out it can’t be done.

      Who IS advising these people?

      Sounds to me like it could be some guy called Baldrick.

      Tony.

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    • #

      The car industry is in strife in a number of critical places. Pierre Jovanovic, an actual French journalist (yes, that exists), has been reporting on the under-reported disaster of the German industry. The lay-offs in all branches are pretty startling, and when you think how many “German” cars are made away from Germany, you can start multiplying. (Yeah, I know, making BMWs out of plastic hasn’t helped.)

      So what to do? Why, print money and obligate the purchase of a new generation of cars, of course! I mean, one can still park a lazy billion or two in maybe-Leonardos, 90 yr old bottles of Scotch…but the number even of silly places to park debt is shrinking. So we’re all going green and electric! And all done with whatever is below sub-prime.

      A nasty downside of this initiative is that, like so many of Big Green’s plundering campaigns, a thrifty and practical alternative is being eclipsed. Hybrids can be an excellent choice, and they just keep getting better. But do we hear about hybrids any more? Nope. That word is almost as impolite as “conservation”.

      110

      • #
        Dennis

        Interestingly I read that Toyota have announced that they will concentrate on Hybrid technology for Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles.

        Earlier Toyota made representations to our Federal Government suggesting that the EU Standard for vehicles be ignored for the Australian market and the North American Standard adopted instead. I am not aware of the differences but understand that would better suit Hybrid technology.

        20

      • #
        Dennis

        Meanwhile in California another driver of a Tesla S EV incinerated when the lithium ion battery pack ignited after a collision, and the “space age” door handles could nt be operated to get the driver out.

        I believe that lithium ion battery explosions, exothermic reaction, are not yet causing many problems, but present a danger if bumped too hard or are too hot including during fast charging.

        And that extinguishing a lithium ion fire is impossible until cooled down with substantial quantities of cold water, and even when extinguished have been known to reignite and even a couple of days afterwards, as in at the wrecking yard.

        80

        • #
          Greg in NZ

          Bonkers cont’d:

          “Māori leader Mike Smith has shot the first arrow in a global war between indigenous communities and oil companies. Smith has started legal proceedings in the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Rainer Seele, the CEO of Austrian oil giant OMV. He said oil company executives deserved to stand trial for genocide and other climate crimes impacting on indigenous communities now and in the future”.

          https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2019/10/so_how_did_he_get_to_new_york.html

          “‘We’re in a climate emergency. We’ve got to pull out all the stops against the fossil fuel companies’ [he said]. Smith is currently in Vienna, Austria… Smith recently travelled to Mexico where he met with indigenous leaders… He also attended the United Nations Indigenous Caucus earlier this year…

          “Smith’s lead counsel is human rights lawyer Alison Cole… a UN war crimes investigator”.

          https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/116938671/iwi-leader-mike-smith-takes-omv-oil-boss-to-international-criminal-court

          A brown man flying around the planet shouting white man fossil fuel kills brown people. Uh-huh, OK. This is the same Mike Smith who fatally ‘interfered with a tree’ on the summit of One Tree Hill in 1994 – not with an adze nor an axe nor an electric chainsaw – with a petrol-powered chainsaw. Tu meke bro, too much fella.

          70

      • #
        TdeF

        Hybrids are going to be standard where fully electric cars are a joke. Doubling mileage, a gain for the planet which has nothing to do with Climate Change and everything to do with common sense and conservation. On top of that there are real advantages in so many areas. And if you really have to run full electric, many can do it for a reasonable distance. A self charging battery makes perfect sense, the least consumption, the least output of anything and a reasonable kerb weight. It is what the Formula 1 cars are perfecting with their KERS system, the balance of battery and fuel, performance, handling and distance.

        50

  • #
    OriginalSteve

    https://climatechangedispatch.com/canada-federal-carbon-tax/

    “Ottawa’s policy to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) is based on the conventional theory that a carbon tax imposed on items with a high content of carbon dioxide will raise the price or cost of those items.
    “The higher price will dampen expenditure on carbon-intensive goods and services and as a result, carbon dioxide emissions will decline.

    “Imposed on producers, a carbon tax creates an incentive for them to find new ways to manufacture goods or provide services with a smaller carbon footprint, thereby reducing the amount of carbon tax they have to pay.
    ………………..

    “A review of Canada’s carbon tax plan by Carbon Action Tracker, a non-profit organization tracking carbon-reducing policies in 32 countries producing 80 percent of global carbon emissions, concluded:

    ““Based on the implemented policies under (the Paris) framework, Canada is likely to miss its Paris Agreement … target to reduce economy-wide GHG emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Given the uncertainties around the potential reliance on carbon sinks, the CAT rates this target highly insufficient.”

    “There are good arguments for a revenue-neutral carbon tax but the GHG reductions from Ottawa’s carbon tax system will not have a major impact on carbon emissions.

    “To reach Canada’s commitment to reducing its GHG emissions by 30 percent below the 2005 level of 732 million tons of CO2-equivalent by 2030 will require either an immediate, drastic increase in carbon taxes or a second-best solution of imposing carbon reductions on all major segments of the economy and providing fiscal relief for those sectors where the employment ramifications of major reductions in carbon are deemed unacceptable.

    “Political leaders must be honest with Canadians about how the climate-change policies they favor will achieve the Paris target, what these policies will cost and when they will be implemented.

    10

  • #
    PeterS

    It can be stated truthfully that the measurement, gathering and processing of ground based temperatures measurements are not scientific for a variety of reasons. This shrinking screen revelation is just one more reason. The long term temperature charts simply can’t be trusted and should be treated not much better than astrology charts.

    80

  • #
    Gerry

    ‘The Conversation’ has banned all climate realists from the show. A new name is being considered and I believe ‘The Affirmation’ is a firm favourite!. ‘Where everyone gets paid to agrees with everyone else’.

    100

  • #
    John F. Hultquist

    In what Meteorology Class did they teach the techs how to deal with wasps and bees?
    Our outside heat pump unit has louvers and lots of space inside. A couple of days before scheduled maintenance I clean it out because our service tech is allergic. Yellow jacket is the common wasp we see. Ours, I think, are Vespula pensylvanica.

    I’m buying stock in companies that make fine wire-mesh screen.

    40

  • #
    DaveR

    Just to repeat:

    It is an offence for any public servant to delete or not preserve primary data collected under an enabling act, such as the Meteorology Act (Cwth) 1955.

    It is also an offence under the Public Service Act (Cwth), and is captured under several other acts that deal with data integrity and security.

    Put simply, the law regards collected primary data as an asset of the nation, paid for by taxpayers. Never mind any adjusted data, it is derived from the primary collected data.

    When are the BOM data handling activities going to be challenged? In the USA, this would have been legally tested at the slightest indication of malfeasance. Perhaps an FOI request to ascertain the magnitude of the issue would be a good start.

    120

    • #
      Sceptical Sam

      That’s probably correct. However I’d like to see the legislation that requires that.

      I can find nothing in the BoM Act (Meteorology Act 1955).

      The closest I get is the Archives Act 1983 which says at Section 26:

      26 Alteration of Commonwealth records

      (1) A person commits an offence if:

      (a) a Commonwealth record has been in existence for more than 15 years; and

      (b) the person engages in conduct; and

      (c) the person’s conduct results in an addition to or an alteration of the record.

      Penalty: 20 penalty units.

      https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00772

      30

  • #
    pat

    noticed BoM’s Hendon had a lot to say in this piece:

    25 Oct: ABC: Sudden stratospheric warming is the unusual climate variation affecting ozone, heat and wind
    ABC Weather By Kate Doyle and Ben Deacon
    While it might be tricky to officially assign this cold front to the SSW, the link between SSW and the ozone hole is clear-cut according to Harry Hendon, senior principal research scientist at the Bureau of Meteorology.
    “We can say conclusively that the lack of the ozone hole this year was a result of the stratospheric warming,” he said…

    Global action under the Montreal Protocol to ban pollutants that cause ozone depletion is often touted as an international environmental success story.
    Dr Hendon, however, said the smaller ozone hole this year was probably not the result of anything humans had done…READ ON
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-24/sudden-stratospheric-warming-linked-to-smaller-ozone-hole/11631836

    so decided to check what he’s had to say previously – about anything – and the first thing I came across was this. thought it was amusing;

    23 Jul 2016: Stock&Land: Change in BOM forecasting system
    by Gregor Heard
    The ACCESS-S system will replace the current Predictive Ocean Atmospheric Modeling for Australia (POAMA) tool.
    The BOM’s senior principal research scientist Harry Hendon said one of the key upgrades of the new system would be better resolution.

    “POAMA-2 has low resolution, with grids of 250km, whereas the new ACCESS-S will run on 60km grids,” Dr Hendon said at the recent Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) expo.
    “To put that in perspective, we will now be able to see Tasmania clearly on the maps, we’ll be able to make out the Great Divide which has higher rainfall, it will generally be more accurate.”
    Dr Hendon said the ACCESS-S system was being supported by the UK Met Office, with whom the BOM works closely…

    In terms of forecasting, Dr Hendon said the BOM was working towards putting out a monthly forecast.
    “In forecasting, a month is a big deal, we are working to get greater accuracy in that space, which would be important for agriculture,” he said…

    Dr Hendon said in the forecasting world there was an increasing focus on dynamic modeling.
    “We are looking at what is coming up from our readings, rather than what happened in the past, such as historical statistics or readings.”
    “There will be issues as we don’t know how well the models work in conditions where they haven’t been tested, but we will be monitoring it all closely.”
    https://www.stockandland.com.au/story/4047769/change-in-bom-forecasting-system/

    20

  • #
    pat

    I posted about this last nite on Jo’s previous thread; video is now up:

    VIDEO: 8min: 27 Oct: Sky News: Sky News host Chris Kenny facing ‘scandalous attack’
    Sky News host Chris Kenny says the ABC and The Guardian are undertaking “scandalous” activities on climate change and has said “attacks” have been levelled at himself by “climate science fact deniers”.
    Mr Kenny said “at your expense, the ABC has broadcast slurs against this station, against me, against Alan Jones and Andrew Bolt, and they’ve done it based on half-truths and their own climate alarmist bias, without, mind you, ever coming to us for the facts”…

    Mr Kenny said himself and fellow Sky News hosts have come under “attack” for “having the audacity to share with you the exact words spoken by a leading climate scientist”, namely Professor Andy Pitman. “Playing Professor Pitman’s words is not misrepresenting him,” Mr Kenny said.
    https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6098212996001

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    • #
      OriginalSteve

      Yup…and the ABC is going to choke on its own verbal vomit soon…watch…..

      60

      • #
        robert rosicka

        Quite funny the more Pitman explains himself the deeper the hole he digs .

        60

        • #
          AndyG55

          “the deeper the hole he digs “

          Typical alarmist, caught accidentally telling the truth, tries to dig themselves out of it by shovelling BS.

          we see the same thing with a certain troll.

          He just loves to keep digging…..

          Its hilarious to watch him keep shovelling his own BS back on top of himself.

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    pat

    hilarious:

    27 Oct: SMH: Warnings cancelled after storms brought chance off ‘giant hail’
    by Lucy Stone
    A severe thunderstorm warning has been cancelled for a storm cell that moved over the Sunshine Coast hinterland, reportedly dropping small hail.
    Forecasters later warned an area further north, between Cherbourg and Maryborough, could expect similar conditions, but that warning was also cancelled shortly after it was issued.

    The Bureau of Meteorology first sent out an alert at 5.45pm on Sunday warning severe storms had developed and were heading toward the coast between Gympie and Noosa. By 6.15pm the residents near Gympie were being warned of the possibility of “giant hail”, bigger than five centimetres…
    But just after 6.45pm, the bureau cancelled both warnings, saying it would continue to monitor the situation.
    Just after 8pm, the bureau warned damaging winds and large hailstones were likely as thunderstorms developed near Murgon and Tiaro over the following hours. That warning was cancelled half an hour later…

    On social media, several users reported seeing small hail falling…
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/hail-strong-wind-warning-for-sunshine-coast-hinterland-storm-20191027-p534pt.html

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    pat

    maybe it’s just me, but I find almost everything about BoM’s forecasts to be funny:

    28 Oct: KatherineTimes: Katherine’s force field has been switched on again
    by Chris McLennan
    Katherine’s force field which deflects early wet season rain has been switched on again.
    Just check out the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest rain charts.
    There has been a smattering of rain about the place but one isolated, little white patch in the middle – yep Katherine.
    Anyone who was in Katherine on Friday afternoon know it rained…
    Not much, but enough to have people scurrying for cover…
    The Bureau of Meteorology’s instruments at Tindal did record 0.4mm at 2am on Sunday…

    The bureau has certainly changed its forecasts for Katherine…
    And every day there is a chance of a thunderstorm.
    Because it is Katherine, where people watch their radar app closely and then see a promising storm pass around to the left or right of the town., it remains just a chance.
    https://www.katherinetimes.com.au/story/6461510/katherines-force-field-has-been-switched-on-again/

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    pat

    behind paywall:

    Climate debate abounds with deception by CHRIS KENNY
    The Australian – 17 hours ago
    “And if you look at the Bureau of Meteorology data over the whole of the last 100 years there’s no trend in data, there’s no drying trend, there’s been a drying …”…

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      robert rosicka

      I cant see a drying trend in the last 20 years from the graph I posted yesterday and over the last 119 years it’s just random no pattern just some good years some medium and some poor .

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    Leo G

    It appears that the louvre panels, shown on the Wagga Wagga Airport Stevenson screen in Figure 1, have been fitted upside-down.

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      robert rosicka

      Well spotted yes it does appear that they are upside down .

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        robert rosicka

        Unless there is a double layer of screens inside and out , outside slats arranged to keep water from rain out ?

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      Peter C

      yes Leo G,

      That is very strange. I wondered if the whole picture was upside down, but the background trees refute that.

      I had the opportunity to take a close look at the weather station at Benalla. There is a Stevenson screen and a rain gauge. Both items are on a gravel surface , although the surrounding surface is unwatered grass. There is no surrounding fence so I was able to go right up and inspect it at close range. The screen container was locked so I could not look inside. The plywood roof panel was badly rotted on the North side. The screen is 60L, then same design as shown in the top picture on the right.

      I had a good look at the pole stand and the underneath. There a quite wide slots underneath so rising air from below would pass into the screen. However it has little wood feet resting on the steel frame, so metal conduction of heat into the screen is unlikely.

      [Snip. Email coming Peter….]

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      Dave

      The new Screens have a double layer of Louvers!

      Some old details here!

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        Leo G

        Not just the new screens, it seems. Thomas Stevenson’s screen, as developed by the early 1860s, was designed to protect against reflections from snow and included a double row of louvres. It was susceptible to ice accumulation between louvre panels.
        The lab where I worked in the early 1980s managed a pyrometry screen with a single row of louvres. I had assumed that this was the norm but I was evidently wrong.

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    Graeme M

    Speaking of BOM. As I understand it, the global increase in temperature is measured against the 1850-1900 global average. Does anyone know where the Australian average for this period (1850-1900) can be found? Most BOM data is plotted against the 1961-90 average. I assume there is no Australian average for the earlier period?

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    • #

      Graeme M, Hadley and BEST somehow use the same thermometer network as the BOM to come up with a trend from 1850. In the case of Hadley in 1850 there is just the one land based thermometer though — in Aceh — in the Southern Hemisphere, but they do add in some actual Australian data in the mid 1850s.

      Our BOM doesn’t seem interested in the pre 1910 era if they avoid it.

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        Sceptical Sam

        Our BOM doesn’t seem interested in the pre 1910 era if they avoid it.

        That’s because they’e made cherry picking an art form.

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        Graeme M

        That’s very interesting. I wonder if there is any research that has attempted to create a temperature reconstruction for late 19th century australia? It would be useful to know just what the pre 1900 Australian temps might have been. I know there has been discussion here about those temperatures but I don’t recall any reference to published research.

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        Graeme M

        I had a quick dig around but didn’t find anything, though the paper referenced in this article observes something interesting about natural climate variation post 1900 (and presumably about the period 1850-1900). Given the extreme wet events in the early 1890s on the east coast, it seems likely that Australia was much wetter before the turn of the century. Whether that translates to any facts about temperatures I don’t know.
        https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379118302051

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          el gordo

          ‘Cool and wet conditions were identified in the early parts of the 1860s, 1870s and 1890s, while dry conditions were found in the late 1870s, 1880–1885, and during the well-known Federation Drought (1895–1902).’

          Ashcroft et al 2013

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            Greg in NZ

            El G, thought you may find this book intriguing:

            The Collapse of the Eastern Mediterranean: 950-1072 AD by Ronnie Ellenblum, was mentioned by ex-meteorologist and resident AGW/CCC P.R. gofer, Erick ‘We’re Burning!’ Brenstrum:

            https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights/audio/2018719832/nights-after-dinner-speaker

            He has a monthly, 20 min. recap on the planet’s climate weather, and as usual, tonight was floods! fires! drought! death and destruction! with nary a squeak about record cold, record snowfalls, record everything opposite to the b******s he spouts [my one-and-only official Broadcast Standards Complaint was over his blatant disregard of recorded cold, snow and ice observations two years ago).

            Hilariously, the host referred to those of us who haven’t fallen for the recycled religious doomsday cult as “Doubters”. Ain’t no doubt about it – it’s a crock – as his parting sentence [unintentionally? ironically?] made all too clear: “Climate Change has had a lot to do with history”.

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      Graeme#4

      Are you sure that temperature averages are plotted against a 1961-90 average? Looking at Perth’s monthly temp data recently, it seems to use 1995-present as the average. (Perth’s last site move was in 1995.)

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    Another Ian

    Around this area

    “Alarmists in Local Media – Using Surface Data: ”

    In

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/10/28/weekly-climate-and-energy-news-roundup-383/

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    Back in the 1960s I considered buying a Stevenson Screen and operating it to Met Office standards but gave up because the site and unit maintenance requirements were so specific and detailed that it was impractical for anyone with other obligations and interests.
    It now turns out that it was impractical for the Met Office as well.
    It was entirely clear that lack of maintenance would quickly lead to inaccurate results and they would always be to the warm side because the perfect base standard was designed to achieve as near as possible the coolest temperature i.e. the temperature of free flowing air with no interference from surrounding vegetation or structures.
    Current figures are obviously not achieving that.

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    Kevin Anderson

    EXCLUSIVE: Inside story of how Australia’s political leaders want to keep the public in the dark about WHY three Chinese warships sailed into Sydney on a visit so secret it shocked the world.
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7607707/How-Australias-political-leaders-keeping-public-dark-Chinese-warships-Sydney.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJzcRoDA5sE
    Three Chinese warships make surprise entrance into

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    Richard Ilfeld

    It might be hard to run a community on electric vehicles only when the electricity is turned off.
    It’s not a good time to laugh at California.
    But it is time to ponder.
    Communities that are hurricane prone, harden their assets over time to mitigate future, predictable damage.
    California has ‘voted’ to allow their situation to become more precarious over the years, with predictable results.
    It’s not the only place.

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    graham dunton

    Shrinking Stevenson Screens cause global warming (and peeling paint, long grass…)

    An analysis of that introduction can relate to our politicians shrinking balls, as for peeling paint, many do spend a fortune looking good, while waiting to retire,in that long grass. So, let’s hope they are funding grasshoppers to keep the grass down.

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    A fine Irish overview of skeptical climate science (my latest article)
    https://www.cfact.org/2019/10/28/a-fine-irish-overview-of-skeptical-climate-science/

    The beginning:
    “The Irish Climate Science Forum has published an elegant (and graphic filled) 36 page white paper that provides a dynamite overview of many of the most important skeptical climate science arguments. I have posted an annotated link to it on my Climate Change Debate Education website here:

    http://ccdedu.blogspot.com/2019/10/an-irish-overview-of-latest-climate.html

    The title is “Overview of the Latest Climate Science for Policymakers” because it was prepared as input to an Irish government inquiry. It is also a great reference document for educational uses. It could even be used as a textbook.

    For that matter, if I had the resources I would send a copy to every journalist that writes about climate change and every politician that pontificates about it. I encourage our readers to do just that.”

    There is a lot more in the article. This is great stuff.

    David
    My Climate Change Debate Education fundraiser:
    https://www.gofundme.com/f/climate-change-debate-education
    Please donate!

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      Chad

      David, that is a very useful consise summary of many of the relavent facts in the debate
      However,…i believe any serious debate of the relevent facts MUST address two key points that are at the very core of the whole issue..
      1).. the lack of any scientific linkage betweem atmospheric CO2 levels , and global temperature.
      2)… the actual contribution (ppm, or %) of Antropogenic CO2 to the increase in atmospheric CO2
      If those two points can be convincingly communicated, then all other points of discussion are mute.

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        theRealUniverse

        I agree with both 1 an 2. Actual human contribution of CO2 has to be shown. Of course irrelevant when it doesnt have any effect.
        Fact is that the CO2 has a ‘half life’ less than 10 years. All human contributions are ESTIMATED and cannot be measured.

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      sophocles

      O/T
      David:

      Read and enjoyed your article Black Listing Climate Skeptics will not work [2019-08-10.]
      I downloaded the Black List File and found most of my favourite authors included in it, like Joanne and David Evans. Yes, I did notice you were in there 🙂 A few weren’t such as the Connolly team but never mind.

      I’m wondering if I should write a Big Thank You note to the DeSmogBlog authors of it. I now have a handy reference for checking whether or not an author unknown to me is someone worth reading: ie: Honest, if they’re in the list, great, if they’re not, I will likely skip the article/op-ed or whatever as being not worth reading — just more propaganda.

      Keep up the good work …

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    Ian G

    It is now 6:00am in NSW (29th Oct) and it appears the BOM site is down.

    Is it just me or has anyone else having trouble?

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    Kevin Anderson

    Swinburne University researcher has 30 papers retracted, loses job.
    Dr Ali Nazari from Swinburne’s School of Engineering has had dozens of papers retracted by scientific journals this year over concerns about duplication of data.
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-26/swinburne-university-researcher-has-30-papers-retracted/11641136

    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ali_Nazari9

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  • #
    Maptram

    An estimate of the spending required to stop climate change is $73 trillion and who benefits from the expenditure. It seems that whatever is estimated is never enough, when the money has been spent and climate change hasn’t been stopped, the next estimate will be higher.

    https://au.yahoo.com/finance/news/73-trillion-required-stop-climate-041102001.html

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    RickWill

    This blog post is somewhat misguided.

    The BoM’s brief has changed in the last twenty years. There is no longer any need to accurately measure weather variables. They have powerful models that can tell them exactly what the temperature will be in the next hour, week, month, year and century. Fortunately the models can also accurately tell them what the temperature was in the past so keeping records is just a waste of effort. Running and refining models can be done from the comfort of an air-conditioned office. There is a no longer any need to venture out in the heat, cold, rain, snow, wind, dust, flies or any other nasty condition that occurs to measure anything weather related.

    When you really get down into the detail of the weather models, the IPCC actually control the weather. The IPCC arrive at a consensus on what the weather has been and should be and the BoM model produces what is requested. Accurately measuring anything weather related is no longer relevant.

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      Greg in NZ

      And that, as they say, Rick, is today’s ™settled science™ in a nutshell.

      Which, as most of us here understand (except someone with the same name as the chap below), is contrary to – the antithesis, reverse, complete opposite of – the original scientific method as initiated by ex-Captain, and ex-Governor of NZ, Robert FitzRoy, way back in the 1850s:

      “FitzRoy retired from active service in 1850. In 1854 he became chief of the new meteorological department of the UK Board of Trade. He instituted a system of storm warnings and published the first regular daily weather report on 3 September 1860”.

      https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/robert-fitzroy

      These days, the cart is leading the horse, as they say.

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        RickWill

        Homegenisation of the temperature records is a crime against the diligent scientists, postmasters, lighthouse keepers, farmers and so on who took or managed the process of taking regular recordings of weather variables over a long period of time.

        The BoM, by their actions, work on the premise that what was done in the past had no scientific merit. And yet here we see just how poorly they manage the present collection of weather data. To be kind, they are a disrespectful incompetent rabble. To be less kind, they support their own political agenda with no respect for scientific endeavour.

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      Greg in NZ

      And that, as they say, Rick, is today’s ™settled science™ in a nutshell.

      Which, as most of us here understand (except someone with the same name as the chap below), is contrary to – the antithesis, reverse, complete opposite of – the original scientific method as initiated by ex-Captain, and ex-Governor of NZ, Robert FitzRoy, way back in the 1850s:

      “FitzRoy retired from active service in 1850. In 1854 he became chief of the new meteorological department of the UK Board of Trade. He instituted a system of storm warnings and published the first regular daily weather report on 3 September 1860”.

      https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/robert-fitzroy

      These days, the cart is leading the horse, as they say.

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        el gordo

        Sad the way he ended his life, do they still have all the data in the government archives?

        In other news, the high pressure belt has completely collapsed and the South Island will have an extended snow season.

        http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDY65100.pdf

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          Greg in NZ

          https://www.metservice.com/warnings/road-snowfall-warnings

          South Island Road Snowfall Warnings for the Lewis, Arthur’s, and Lindis passes, as well as the Crown Range and Milford roads/passes. Not a biggie, but cold snow showers and flurries expected for the next couple of days. Could be why I live back up North.

          Indeed, a sad ending for the skipper of the Beagle, a man who allowed Maori and settlers to conduct business with each other (when the Crown’s funds ran dry) and who oversaw the first regular weather maps to be issued to seafarers. Obviously he went against the consensus of the day… and suffered for it.

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        • #
          Peter C

          Sad the way he ended his life!

          Captain Stokes, an earlier Captain of the Beagle, did much the same, while still in command,

          Faced with the more difficult part of the survey in the desolate waters of Tierra del Fuego, Captain Stokes fell into a deep depression. At Port Famine on the Strait of Magellan he locked himself in his cabin for 14 days, then after getting over-excited and talking of preparing for the next cruise, shot himself on 2 August 1828. Following four days of delirium Stokes recovered slightly, but then his condition deteriorated and he died on 12 August 1828.[8] Captain Parker King then replaced Stokes with the First Lieutenant of Beagle, Lieutenant William George Skyring as commander, and both ships sailed to Montevideo. On 13 October King sailed Adventure to Rio de Janeiro for refitting and provisions. During this work Rear Admiral Sir Robert Otway, commander in chief of the South American station, arrived aboard HMS Ganges and announced his decision that Beagle was also to be brought to Montevideo for repairs, and that he intended to supersede Skyring. When Beagle arrived, Otway put the ship under the command of his aide, Flag Lieutenant Robert FitzRoy.[9]

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            Graeme No.3

            Fitzroy was a first class seaman. The Beagle belonged to a class known as ‘coffin ships’ because they were unstable in heavy weather. Fitzroy had the Beagle modified before setting out on the voyage, but sailed it for 5 years around the world.
            He himself was worried about his mental stability, faced with a multiple year voyage where as captain he couldn’t socialise even with his officers (too much for the previous captain), and his uncle (Lord Castlereagh) had committed suicide by slitting his throat (as did Fitzroy). That is why Darwin was selected as a companion.

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      Another Ian

      ” The IPCC arrive at a consensus on what the weather has been and should be and the BoM model produces what is requested. Accurately measuring anything weather related is no longer relevant.”

      The official view from within the “Camelot bubble”?

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    el gordo

    With a quiet sun we need an audit and Royal Commission urgently.

    More Australians die from the cold, its official.

    http://www.co2science.org/articles/V22/oct/a14.php

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      Greg in NZ

      Not only 25 spotless days in a row, giant jets are now erupting skywards:

      “Flying south over the Yucatan Peninsula we noticed a single super cell creating numerous blue jets & sprites. The most amazing thing I’ve seen in my aviation career”. Chris Holmes.

      Transient Luminous Event (blue jet) photographed erupting out of storm cloud, 15 Oct, 35,000′ above the Yucatan.

      https://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=156954

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      Greg in NZ

      Not only 25 spotless days in a row, giant jets are now erupting skywards:

      “Flying south over the Yucatan Peninsula we noticed a single super cell creating numerous blue jets & sprites. The most amazing thing I’ve seen in my aviation career”. Chris Holmes.

      Transient Luminous Event (blue jet) photographed erupting out of storm cloud, 15 Oct, 35,000′ above the Yucatan.

      https://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=156954

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    David Maddison

    I posted this link once before but here it is again.

    https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/joc.4287

    Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS)

    International Journal of ClimatologyVolume 35, Issue 14
    SHORT COMMUNICATION Free Access
    Impact of two different sized Stevenson screens on air temperature measurements
    Samuel T. Buisan Cesar Azorin‐Molina Yolanda Jimenez
    First published: 19 February 2015
    https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.4287
    Cited by: 6
    About
    Sections

    Share on
    ABSTRACT
    In this study we evaluated the impact of the size of two naturally ventilated wooden Stevenson screens on air temperature measurements in the first‐order meteorological station of Calamocha (northeastern Iberian Peninsula, Spain). The 1‐year field experiment consisted of comparing air temperatures measured at the two most commonly sized Stevenson screens used by the Spanish Meteorological State Agency (AEMET) since last century; the medium‐sized Stevenson screen employed at the second‐order weather stations, versus the large‐sized Stevenson screen mainly used at the first‐order meteorological stations. The main objective was to report the air temperature difference between these two differently sized Stevenson screens, and to study the impact on the observed differences of some weather elements (i.e. relative humidity, wind speed, total cloud cover, atmospheric pressure and global solar radiation). The results show that the medium‐sized Stevenson screen tended to overheat daily maximum air temperatures (0.54 °C on yearly average) and also air temperatures recorded at 1300 UTC. The differences on daily minimum air temperatures were negligible (−0.11 °C on yearly average). This overheating bias (not statistically significant) occurred under anticyclonic situations that lead to clear skies, high solar radiation, weak winds and low relative humidity. The bias appeared throughout the whole year but in particular during the warm season from May through October. Air temperature observations from the nearby station Daroca confirmed an overheating bias introduced by a change from a large‐sized Stevenson screen to a medium‐sized one in Calamocha.

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    pat

    who won the election? this is utterly depressing.
    ***opening line of the summary is telling. near the end, Geraldine finally asks how much will customers save, and Matt says he believes prices will come down by $10 a year!

    AUDIO: 11min05sec: 29 Oct: ABC Breakfast: Geraldine Doogue: NSW, Federal govts to underwrite energy interconnector upgrade by $102m
    ***Energy network companies have welcomed moves*** by the New South Wales and Federal governments to back the upgrade of an interconnector that acts like a giant extension cord between NSW and Queensland.
    They say the $102 million in taxpayer support for Transgrid’s QNI interconnector will make electricity more reliable, as more renewables enter the system and old coal plants close.

    The project comes as the clock ticks down on the closure of AGL’s Liddell coal-fired power station in the Hunter Valley, due in 2023.
    Guest: Matt Kean, NSW Minister for Energy and Environment
    https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/nsw,-federal-govts-to-underwrite-energy-interconnector/11648576

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      RickWill

      That is hilarious. The dingbats think that closing a coal fired power station will lower electricity prices – that is so ridiculous it is laughable. If they took two minutes to look at what happened to electricity prices when coal fuelled generators closed in SA and Victoria they would readily appreciate that closing coal fired power stations increase price.

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      David Maddison

      Let’s not fight this.

      The sheeple will only understand when they freeze in the dark.

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    David Maddison

    This has been mentioned before on this website but should pro-science people alter their emphasis?

    To date we have been arguing for the implausibility of a tiny amount of anthropogenic trace gas, no more than 4% of the total of 400ppm CO2 to cause the “catastrophic” warming claimed.

    Due to the deliberate dumbing down of the “education” system in Western countries over the last five decades or so there is insufficient knowledge of science for the sheeple to understand.

    The sheeple would far more readily understand the (a) existing inaadequacy of the global climate record with reasonable data for the last 100 years only recorded in US, Canada, Western Europe and Australia and (b) retrospective adjustments of what data does exist in order to “prove” warming and (c) “homogenisation” processes to either adjust existing data points or to create new temperature measurements of the past when none existed before, such as in Africa. South America and oceanic areas as has been pointed out by Tony Heller.

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      Chad

      David, your suggestion is logical and may well sway some folk, but you have to understand that even the IPCC admit that none of this is about temperature or climate change…. its actually all about SOCIAL change, with CO2 just being the tool to redistribute wealth and power.
      Unfortunately that goal is now imbedded in the core activists and nothing short of a civil upheaval is going to stop the rot i fear. !

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      truth

      It should be easy for people to understand that everything about the CAGW Cult’s behavior belies the urgency and honesty …and the probity ..of its message….eg…they should be suspicious re…

      That seminal questions that are vital to avoiding catastrophe from the Cult’s prescriptions are never asked by journalists and policymakers…questions are not tolerated by the Cult.

      Lack of transparency by ‘scientists’ and science and research organisations…that ensures the very suspicion and mistrust they claim to want to allay….will instead grow.

      Angry …desperate dismissal of dissent.

      Scientists proclaiming the absolute critical importance of the issue..while carelessly or wantonly losing and ditching or refusing to reveal… raw data.

      Refusal of FOI requests even when they must be acceded to by law…and even when warmists are demanding trust and cooperation from the people.

      Government not bothering to enforce the FOI laws.

      Demands at government level that the conclusions of scientific organisations investigating re admitted scientific malfeasance… be reworked to arrive at a different conclusion eg UK parliament required the UK Institute of Physics to ditch their original damning report of Climategate and resubmit a new bland one that was more acceptable to the policymakers..

      Universities giving the run-around and nothing but contempt to scientists who contest the validity of their research eg in the Douglas Keenan case vs Albany State University’s global temperature research…especially its historical temperature figures for China.

      The fact that even with the ’12 years before extinction’ mass hysteria the CAGW cult thinks it’s not an important enough issue for all scientific views to be heard.

      The fact that the Cult would rather induce almost psychotic fear in children…than allow calm discussion on the strength of the science .

      That warmists try to alarm the world about the polar ice melt…see the blanket of soot[not CO2] on the ice…know it’s melting the ice…and do nothing to mitigate it …because they want CO2 to be blamed for the melt .

      That successive Australian Chief Scientists have in effect signalled to the Australian people and students…that the tenets of science that underpinned the incredible advances of the 20th Century are just rubbish…that a result could be legitimately declared…consensus announced…on earth’s climate…the most apocalyptic issue of the millennium…the consensus diktat enforced to protect their hypothesis from scrutiny and further research …all that before the most vital research was even done.

      That these Chief Scientists want Australia to accept the proposition that all that needed to be known for their definitive declaration on CAGW was known before clouds were even researched…before the temperature of 70% of earth ie oceans…could be reliably measured …ie before ARGO floats were deployed in 2005…before it was known whether cloud feedback was +ve or –ve…before climate sensitivity on which their hypothesis depends was known.

      That the issue they claim is existential for the earth…is on the other hand not important enough to our BoM to warrant meticulous maintenance by them of comparability in the siting …condition…size etc of Stevenson screens past and present to ensure their claims of warming are anything approaching credible.

      That we’re expected to believe that the successive Chief Scientists…the scientists at CSIRO …BoM and all the universities see nothing discordant…no extreme discontinuities that sceptics see in the dodgy anti-science consensus…the temperature record…in the corruption of peer review…the data manipulation…the threats and sackings of dissenting scientists…in the devaluation of science and scientific method.

      That a great new democratically-elected Australian Prime Minister had to be destroyed…his career and life annihilated…a hate culture manufactured around him…in order to prevent him from doing what the Australian people voted for in a landslide…repeal of the carbon tax and an end to the CAGW madness and to the blind adherence to the diktat of the UN….and to prevent Tony Abbott from commissioning an audit of BoM …as he was trying to do.

      That the eviscerated PM had then to be denied his freedom of speech rights as a backbencher….to prevent the Australian people from being exposed to views that honored Australia’s best interests instead of the interests of the UN and Global Socialism.

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    CameronH

    Nothing will happen about this because the BOM is providing the Government, the opposition, and the bureaucracy what they want. Proof that their destructive policies are valid.

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    pat

    ABC chooses Leeton Mayor, an Independent, to push drought/CAGW story.

    summary on “Breakfast” home page:

    Leeton Shire Mayor Paul Maytom speaks with RN Breakfast on the need for a long-term plan on drought, ***linking drought policy and water reform to future ***climate change.
    https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/

    summary on segment page omits mention of CC.
    around 9min25sec: Mayor: essentially, we have to face reality. climate change is here. it’s been recognised where we are today is quite different to where we were 10 years ago. so drought we might have had 10 years ago is quite different to where we are now, & we have to face that reality. we have to somehow plan for the future that we didn’t have this before, but it’s now there. this drought is not just a normal drought. it’s going to be more severe, and they’ll go for longer, so we have to develop strategies for 20, 30 or 50 years…allowing for the fact the climate is changing quite dramatically and we have to do things more effectively.

    AUDIO: 10min57sec: 29 Oct: ABC Breakfast: Geraldine Doogue: Leeton Mayor calls for more equity in ‘broken’ system as drought drags on
    Some National backbenchers want to see every drought-affected local government area receive up to $10 million for drought-related spending.
    But one suggestion that’s already been ruled out is deploying the army to assist struggling farmers.
    Guest: Paul Maytom, Mayor, Leeton Shire Council, NSW
    https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/leeton-mayor-calls-for-more-equity-in-system-as-drought-drags-on/11648788

    Councillor Paul Maytom – Mayor
    Paul Maytom has been a Councillor on Leeton Shire Council for 30 years…
    http://www.leeton.nsw.gov.au/about-council/councillors/councillor-paul-maytom-mayor.aspx

    19 Sept: Leeton Shire Council: Council to prepare Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
    In his report, Mayor Paul Maytom said that in recent weeks he had been challenged about whether Council and the community were doing enough about increasing resilience to climate change.
    “Last month I attended the Cotton Collective Conference in Griffith and heard a sobering presentation by Prof Mark Howden of the ANU Climate Change Institute to several hundred farmers. While I am not here to argue about the science behind climate change, all the facts show that temperatures are going up, weather extremes are becoming the norm, rainfall patterns are changing and there is an increasing frost risk in the Riverina. It would be negligent for any farmer, community or Council to ignore these warnings”.
    Cr Maytom acknowledged in his Minute that although Council had already done some things towards reducing its environmental footprint, including installing solar on its administration building, stadium and sewerage treatment plant…

    “It would be a foolhardy Council that buries its head in the sand and denies that the climate is changing. While I am not wanting to declare any emergency, I consider it our collective responsibility as today’s leaders to leave the earth a better place for future generations. I am pleased that my fellow Councillors have agreed that the first step to increasing our climate resilience is understanding what vulnerabilities we and future generations will face.”
    http://www.leeton.nsw.gov.au/about-council/latest-news/council-to-prepare-climate-change-vulnerability-assessment.aspx

    30 Sept: TheIrrigator: Leeton mayor Paul Maytom tries to find a way forward on climate change
    by Talia Pattison
    LEETON mayor Paul Maytom has had a long-range plan to address climate change in the shire shot down…

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    pat

    AUDIO: 6min32sec: 29 Oct: ABC Breakfast: Major website outages disrupt businesses across Australia
    The Bureau of Meteorology and Channel Seven News sites are now working after spending several hours offline.
    British banks Lloyds and Halifax also went down.
    It’s not yet clear what caused the outages.
    Guest: Nigel Phair, director, University of New South Wales Canberra Cyber
    https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/major-website-outages-disrupt-businesses-across-australia/11648720

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  • #
    Peter Fitzroy

    JusT back from fire control duties, which in my case is manning the roadblock. we now have two fires, the new one is the trouble maker, with all of our village on watch and act. Getting significant ash fall, some smoking slightly. Must enact stage 1 of fire plan which is fill the gutters with water.

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    • #
      Peter Fitzroy

      Upgraded to emergency alert, implementing stage 2 of fire plan

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        • #
          el gordo

          This must be the fire … keep safe Mr Fitz.

          ‘Strong north easterly winds are blowing smoke and embers well ahead of the main fire creating numerous spot fires. Spot fires have started to the west of Lake Cathie village, and in the area of Lake Innes Nature Reserve.

          ‘Firefighters and aircraft are working to slow the spread of the fire and protect properties in the area.’

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          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            That’s the one. the area I was working in burnt after lunch, but so far we are ok. It’s too dangerous to work (even as a traffic controller, which is my volunteer role), so its down to the air support and the dozers, which are working mainly on a containment line on Houston Mitchell Drive, which is to the west. North which is where I was based, is still closed, but that fire has run into the lake, which is slowing it (but not the spot fires). Wind has increased somewhat, which is why we were all pulled back.

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    • #

      Well done you.

      Take care.

      Drove a Corolla (well four of them) for twenty years.

      And for the last thirty years, two vehicles of less than 2 Litre Capacity.

      I guess they count as rolling coal vehicles to you.

      Tony.

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    • #
      Peter Fitzroy

      jumped the sw containment, this makes it even more interesting, non-stop sirens, choppers, seaplanes, and the big tanker. like living at Williamtown, with less PFAS

      02

      • #
        Peter Fitzroy

        SW jump is to be expected as that is the way the North Easters will push the front. I’m SE so atm quite safe

        02

      • #
        Peter Fitzroy

        Back on fire control @3

        02

      • #

        Ahh! Good old PFAS fire fighting foam. It’ll keep lawyers in Porsches for decades to come.

        Until you’ve actually seen fire fighting foam deal with high intensity aircraft fires (and keep in mind it’s all we had in those days) then you’ll never really understand that it’s the best there is for those fires.

        Still, the lawyers need those Porsches so badly, they called on Erin Brockovich to come over and lead the beat up charge for that biggest legal monetary windfall of all, the ‘class action’ suit. And she did it for free too. Yeah Right!

        I was at ‘Billsville’ for ten years, and what you are experiencing now was day to day life.

        As I said, take care, and hey, see how we both have a sense of humour? Something you don’t see at those other sites where we don’t get to go.

        Tony.

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          Peter Fitzroy

          Interestingly, Tony, I grew up next to Kingsford Smith, where back in the day they had an old Lancaster for fire evac drill, and a mock up made out of iron for fire practice. I don’t know what sort of foam they used (this was the late 60’S), but the lancaster still had most of its fittings, and was great fun to play in. Of course in those days security was non-existent, but the firemen would chase you if they saw you mucking about

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            Peter Fitzroy

            Oh, and I spent 10 years studying bushfires, and working on the early predictive models, which are now pretty damn accurate

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              Kalm Keith

              The only functional relationship that could be used to create a bushfire “model” relates bushfire intensity to the main factor.

              It’s well known that bushfires will always be present in Australia’s environment but intensity and spread can be reduced as the Californians found with their most recent fire.

              The model:

              Fire intensity is directly proportional to the time elapsed from the last controlled maintenance burn.

              As Greece and California found out last year, you can only pretend that reality can be ignored for a finite period before it finally bites.

              KK

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              • #
                Peter Fitzroy

                We were interested in fuel load, %cover, time since last major burn, aspect, soil type, humidity and dew point, veg type, season, days since rain, soil water index, temp, wind strength, and radiant heat at the fire front.
                So yes, the last controlled burn is a factor, although slashing also works, but it not the only one.

                And another thing, you do not fight a fire, you fight the spot fires where you can, and backburn if you can. The energy would boil you in seconds, and it evaporates the strongest of water jets before they can do anything useful. Bombing retardant works best

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              • #
                Peter Fitzroy

                Oh, and the other thing the predictive model does is show where containment lines should be placed. Best is having the fire reach the line at dusk, or just after, worst is having the crews cut off from safety because the line was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The models are vital for crew safety, and they are damn good indeed.

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              • #
                Kalm Keith

                In the current fire the Californians are finding some relief in that the fire path includes some vineyards which don’t have much to burn.

                They seem to be effective firebreaks.

                10

            • #
              theRealUniverse

              Well ok I suggest fighting the fires with hundreds of millions of liters of CO2! yes thatll put them out and feed the trees after!

              20

          • #
            Peter C

            PF,

            I thought your story about playing about in a Lancaster bomber at Kingsford Smith Aerodrome ( as they were called then) was quite interesting.

            20

            • #
              Peter Fitzroy

              It was on the south eastern side, near muddy creek. The fire station was at the intersection of the two runways, to the south east as well. (and back a bit)

              10

    • #
      Peter Fitzroy

      Seek shelter as the fire arrives. Check http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au or 1800679737, bit late for that, but still, no longer on call for 3 pm, as I’m stuck, with the neighbours, with fires on 2 sides now.
      and apparently into some homes

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    pat

    ABC gets an odd question!

    ***22:07 – 24:54 – in response to this question. audience applauds. Q&A host, Hamish Macdonald, smiles. asks David Littleproud about his mixed messages on CAGW and its impact on the drought. Littleproud backpedals. loves solar & wind etc.

    VIDEO: 1hr5min: 28 Oct: ABC Q&A: The Drought
    CLIMATE CHANGE DROUGHT
    ***(22:07)
    Grant Howard submitted a video question: Hi, my name’s Grant Howard and I’m a land holder and coal miner in central Queensland. Given the State Governments aren’t implement (sic) emergency management adaption plans for climate change, when will the government acknowledge that the current spate of natural disasters are linked to anthropogenic climate change? And when will they stop the root cause by stopping new thermal coal mines?
    https://www.abc.net.au/qanda/2019-28-10/11624850

    there’s almost always a back story to those who get to ask a question on Q&A. Mackay Conservation Group is a rabid anti-Adani mob. this article is behind paywall in a couple of papers:

    2 Oct: Facebook: Mackay Conservation Group: “Why coal mining and Queenslanders don’t mix”
    by Grant Howard
    At 17, fresh out of school, I landed my first job as a coal miner and have been doing that ever since. I grew up in a coal heartland of Wollongong, south of Sydney, the location of some of the oldest mines in the country…
    For the last two decades I have been lucky to live and work in Queensland. I have worked through boom and bust cycles where mining corporations hired workers, then laid them off and shut mines when it suited. I witnessed the growth of automation which has led to a contraction of jobs, and will continue to do so in the future. I have also seen the industry talk up job prospects to get their latest mine approved, and then seen the actual numbers drop once production began…
    In recent years I bought a piece of land outside of Mackay where I stay when I’m not rostered on in the Bowen Basin…

    After watching what climate change is doing to my land, and knowing that burning fossil fuels is making these extreme conditions worse, it strikes me we have a clear choice. We can protect Queensland’s unique way of life and exceptional environment by transitioning to clean energy. Or dig more coal, for limited jobs and economic benefit, at a time when the trend away from coal is accelerating.

    Although I work in the coal mining industry, I know that the vast majority – 98.8 per cent – of Queenslanders work in other, more job-intensive industries. This means that while Queensland might dig and sell a lot of coal, this industry isn’t bringing a lot of jobs with it.

    In Australia we’re still trying to hang onto an industry in decline. ***Meanwhile, global giants like China have recognised that coal is a polluting and dying industry and are working to grab the wealth and employment opportunities presented by clean energy.***

    The Adani mine owners are claiming that the new mine will bring jobs and prosperity to Queensland. But I have grave doubts about this. Jobs growth is a red herring and it’s production levels and profit that they have their eye on…

    Back in the 1980s I had a teenage interest in science and read about climate change. I thought governments would do something to stop it happening. Now in my 50s, I recognise I was wrong. As a result of government inaction, the special places I once took for granted are suffering from a rapidly changing climate…
    If we changed direction and swiftly moved away from mining and burning coal, lifting our ambition to be the early adopters of job-generating new technologies, we could still protect the special lifestyle we all enjoy today.

    FROM COMMENTS:
    Lesley N Nye Keegan I read it in the paper this morning. It is a wonderful opinion piece by Grant. Mackay Conservation Group Is it possible to check the actual heading for the piece because in the paper it was ‘Not too late to preserve Qld’ which seems to me to be a far better heading. I wonder which was the heading Grant put to the story when submitting it to the Mercury

    Dave Warfield Talk about biting the hand that feeds you, You and this country would be nothing without mining…
    https://z-m-www.facebook.com/mackayconservationgroup/posts/2159054120863337

    20h ago: Facebook: Mackay Conservation Group
    Fire preparedness has taken on a new urgency in the Mackay region after last year’s devastating fires that saw the Eungella rainforest and 110,000 hectares of surrounding land burn.
    Thank you to Kuttabul, landholder Grant Howard for organising an informative Community Fire Forum at the Kuttabul Pub on Saturday.
    The take-home message: climate change is making the Mackay region hotter and drier. Expect an increase in the frequency and severity of bush fires…
    Thank you Aaron Regan Bush-fire Officer (Reef Catchments), Andrew Houley -Area Director (Rural Fire Service) and Mark Ogge – Principal Adviser (***The Australia Institute) for your presentations and Emma Barrett from the Mackay Conservation Group for facilitating the meeting…
    https://www.facebook.com/mackayconservationgroup/posts/2207923899309692?__tn__=-R

    14 Jun: Mackay Conservation Group: Adani is just the tip of the melting iceberg
    Posted by Peter McCallum
    Environmental organisations such as Mackay Conservation Group have focused on preventing the Adani mine from being constructed for several years. We have built a movement of two million people around the country who support organisations that are part of the Stop Adani alliance. That leads some people to wonder why we aren’t focussed on the other mines planned for the Galilee Basin and elsewhere…

    31 May: Media Release: Queensland Government Signs Death Warrant for Black Throated Finch Rather Than Stand Up to Adani…ETC
    https://www.mackayconservationgroup.org.au/adani

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    pat

    so it was a “climate election” after all?

    27 Oct: SMH: Scott Morrison banned Liberal MP Craig Kelly from the ABC’s Q&A program
    By Michael Koziol
    Prime Minister Scott Morrison banned outspoken Liberal MP Craig Kelly from appearing on the ABC’s flagship Q&A program last month in an attempt to moderate public perceptions of the government on climate change.
    Privately, many Liberal MPs are concerned about the government’s climate change position, arguing it was a weakness in the election campaign despite Mr Morrison’s surprise win…

    Mr Kelly was due to appear on Q&A on September 16, but a few days before the show it was announced that he would be replaced by Liberal senator James Paterson…
    Mr Kelly sought permission from Mr Morrison’s office to appear on the prime time program but it was denied. “They just said leave would not be approved,” he told The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age.

    Mr Kelly was preparing a number of “charts” to hold up during the live-to-air program to support his belief that the scientific consensus on climate change is a “lie” and a “fraud”.
    A few days after the Q&A episode aired, Mr Kelly told Parliament there is “no link between climate change and drought” and anyone worried about sea levels rising should examine old photographs of the sea level around Fort Denison to see that it had not risen.

    The controversial MP from south Sydney continues to appear regularly on pay TV network Sky News “after dark”, including interviews with Andrew Bolt and Peta Credlin this week.
    “Sometimes it’s better to ask for forgiveness rather than seek permission,” Mr Kelly said.
    Before the election, Mr Morrison intervened to save Mr Kelly from almost certainly losing preselection at the hands of local Liberals who wanted to replace him with the moderate-aligned Kent Johns…

    Airing in prime time on a Monday night, Q&A is one of the high-profile media slots of the week for government and opposition politicians, along with Sunday morning’s Insiders program, also on the ABC.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/scott-morrison-banned-liberal-mp-craig-kelly-from-the-abc-s-q-and-a-program-20191025-p534ey.html

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      truth

      Proof that Scott Morrison doesn’t want Australians to know the truth about CAGW. Craig Kelly is by far the most informed MP on the issue…much more so than the Ministers.

      If he’d had the chance to speak without being shut down, he would have given the Australian people information that no one on Q&A could refute.

      Morrison’s had a dust-up with Canavan re his twitter tirade against the gentailers especially vs Origin’s Calabria on the issue too so may find it hard to shut down dissent…hopefully.

      The PM shows his true Photios/Turnbull colors…he’s just letting the damage happen as the Turnbull/Photios transition to 3rd world Australia continues and the penetration of intermittents increases to the 80% the Cult claims it will be by 2030…at which point he’ll say it’s unstoppable .

      If nothing’s done Australia will then be irreversibly on the way to being the only nation on the face of the earth that is 100% reliant on an insecure 100% weather-dependent electricity system forever…with no security of baseload…while all of Australia’s competitors …every one of them…will have baseload security forever.

      Not once has Australia ever voted for this…we voted against it and our vote was vetoed….ditched.

      Democracy will increasingly be on the skids as extraordinary measures become the norm …for the planet…and the system becomes more unstable by the day…admitted by AEMO again and again.

      10

      • #
        Kalm Keith

        “Not once has Australia ever voted for this…we voted against it and our vote was vetoed….ditched.”

        Democracy, what’s that?

        My grandchildren will never see a democracy.

        What’s eventuated from the last election doesn’t give the religion involved a good image, Scott?, Scott?

        So much for the farmers, so much for the Veterans, so much for Australia’s industrial future.

        There’s a massive unresolved evil in this country and it needs to be Removed.

        KK

        00

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    TdeF

    If someone had told me that meteorological measurement was going to be a core subject in this country’s life I would not have believed it! Or that eating meat was criminal. Or that cows and sheep and kangaroos and termites were killing the planet I would have thought it mad. Or that anyone would play with temperature data for money and politics. I guess we live in interesting times.

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      pat

      ABC Brisbane had a caller re a school tuck shop this morning. meat pies on the menu.

      ABC’s female co-host said she thought meat pies and sausage rolls were out of tuck shops, were frowned upon.

      the children love them, said the caller.

      the constant activism by theirABC, over each and every little thing, should be stopped by management.

      not recommended listening.

      AUDIO: 10min33sec: 29 Oct: ABC Breakfast: Govt to review environmental laws as scientists warn of extinction crisis
      The Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley will today announce a review of the nation’s environmental laws: the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
      It comes as conservation scientists warn of an “extinction crisis” unless the laws are beefed up and properly enforced.
      The Government is planning to significantly expand its network of Indigenous Protection Areas which should help protect some native species.
      Guest: Sussan Ley, Federal Environment Minister
      https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/environmental-law-review-as-scientists-warn-of-extinction-crisis/11648618

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    robert rosicka

    Jo’s Facebook page looks like it’s now getting a good following , on this story it’s getting good coverage among the deplorables

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    pat

    so much support, plus XR, according to today’s MSM:

    15 Sept: GreenLeft: Support builds for mass civil disobedience at mining conference
    by Kerry Smith
    The Blockade IMARC Alliance has vowed to shut down the conference, which will bring together more than 6000 mining company executives and friends at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 28-31.

    The proposed act of mass civil disobedience already has the support of inner-city Moreland City Council and neighbouring Yarra City Council.
    Socialist Alliance councillor for Moreland Sue Bolton said: “Major fossil fuel companies like BHP and Yancoal will be joined at IMARC by companies like Rio Tinto, who have profited from decades of exploitation at mines in West Papua, Bougainville and elsewhere.
    “I’m sure many residents of Moreland will join this important protest against the crimes of these corporations.”
    The Victorian Greens state executive has endorsed the protest…
    The University of Melbourne Student Union is also getting behind the blockade and has erected large signs on the Student Union building to advertise the protest action.
    According to Blockade IMARC Alliance spokesperson Maria Soupos, “Support is coming in from across the community for this protest…
    https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/support-builds-mass-civil-disobedience-mining-conference

    a mere 100 turned up, but got plenty of media attention, nonetheless:

    29 Oct: Age: Mining protesters to be ‘as disruptive as possible’ in second day
    By Rachel Eddie and Riordan Davis
    More than 100 protesters were picketing the entrances of the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, chanting “land rights not mining rights, shut IMARC down” and “blood on your hands”…

    VIDEOS: 29 Oct: ABC: Climate protesters clash with police outside Melbourne international mining conference
    By Stephanie Ferrier and staff
    More than 100 protesters were met by almost as many police

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      pat

      the remainder of the ABC article excerpts which didn’t go through – support from unionists as well, and even a Chilean who is now allegedly injured:

      A protester, Paul, said the woman, a 23-year-old demonstrator from Chile, was injured when a police horse backed onto her…
      “Both legs have been broken, definitely — she’s got no feeling in her legs, she can’t move her toes.”…

      Emma Black, a spokesperson for the Blockade IMARC alliance, said demonstrators had managed to block some doors to the conference venue…
      She said police had employed “some incredibly aggressive and intimidating tactics” in response to the protesters.
      “We’re the non-violent ones. The police have been incredibly violent this morning,” Ms Black said…

      Ms Black said the protesters belonged to more than 20 organisations, and included unionists, environmentalists and animal rights activists…
      Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack described the protesters’ behaviour as “disgraceful”, saying they were merely craving media attention…

      VIDEO: 2min38sec: Stephanie Ferrier, ABC Vic; mentions Socialist Alliance. is asked by studio presenter is it a legal protest, do they have a permit? Steph ignores the question…
      https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-29/protesters-clash-with-police-outside-melbourne-mining-conference/11648540

      VIDEO: 3min: 7Sunrise: Emma Black interview, mentions XR support
      https://www.facebook.com/Sunrise/videos/536052177227575/

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      • #
        robert rosicka

        If you look hard at the coverage you will see familiar faces in the renta protester crowd , seen the guy that was a science teacher but had no clue of science .

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      theRealUniverse

      Those attending the conference should go out and address these eco loons on what actually comes from mining..not just coal needed for power but steel and other elements that these eco loons use in their phones and computers, cars, bicycles , trains (because they cant drive) so that they can get to these rallies (meaning attempts to destroy economies by subversive forces).

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    Zane

    They are a card-carrying member of the Climate Brigade. Like all other government funded institutions and organisations. Nests of leftists living on taxpayer funds.

    30

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    theRealUniverse

    If you believe the news..most of California is on fire. Is this true, comment from you know who news is that the fire season is starting earlier each year? fake news? On iceagenow continuous noting of record cold events in North America, even here in Aus.
    GSM producing extended dry seasons? possible. This is NOT CO2 caused of course.
    Could some CA fires be started deliberately? Some suggest electric line faults.
    Strange times..

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    sophocles

    Shut it down: fire the staff, starting from the top with prejudice.
    Contract it all out to Japan Meteorological Services — they’re honest.

    Don’t muck around.

    Here in NZ we need to do the same with NIWA …

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    Just another thought here.

    You have to wonder at the morals and ethics of those at the BOM. If they are indeed committed to Quality Assurance then all of the issues raised here would be a gigantic FAIL. So it follows they are not committed to Quality assurance and to properly reporting the weather and temperatures.

    The only commitment I can see is to the Climate Change hoax and again one wonders at the morals of people who would knowingly put in place measures which would create higher recorded temperatures, knowing these misrepresented the actual situation.

    Sussan Ley needs to have the enquiry but be prepared to completely finish the BOM as we know it. Contract the whole lot out to somebody competent with clear Quality Assurance KPIs and regular audits to review compliance. They would be far more trustworthy than the current over paid and corrupted lot we have now. She herself should tender her resignation as well for complete incompetence. She is complicit in this scam.

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      Vishnu

      Well do froth on – “again one wonders at the morals of people who would knowingly put in place measures which would create higher recorded temperatures, knowing these misrepresented the actual situation.”

      They haven’t knowing attempted to create a lie – all the weather stations were established long before climate change was an issue and I’d suggest they take their duties very seriously. Just you disagree with them and want more. Doubt your own morality – or tell them to their face.

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      • #

        Vishnu
        I work in Quality assurance and take offence at your baseless claims. I would gladly visit the BOM and review their practices, I have alerted Sussan Ley to these issues and have offered to assist.

        So…
        We have almost 25% of the BOM stations not meeting the BOMs internal standards.

        We have poor or no maintenance of stations creating higher temperature readings

        We have the change to instantaneous readings which means that gusts of wind will push up the temp for a second or so and register as a higher temperature. Whereas in the past this did not occur and falsely gives higher temps.

        We have the homogenised graphs totally misrepresenting the actual temperature record

        These are all “red flags” to me in Quality Assurance and if this had occurred in the Food plants I audit then I would have marked them as critical and unless immediate action were taken they would be stopped from producing.

        Your claim “all weather stations were established long before climate change was an issue” is incorrect but also misses the point here. The BOM are meant to MANAGE the stations and the data properly – they are clearly not doing so. And they have over time moved stations and have the ability to correct all those non compliant stations, but apparently don’t bother as their bad siting gives false high temperatures, which in their world of “climate change” is quite ok. But from a Quality assurance point of view is totally incorrect and, as I said, morally wrong.

        Billions are being wasted and people are using the BOMs bad figures to justify this. Industries are being shut down and poor people are being hit with power bills they can’t pay. But from the above the BOM don’t want to know about Quality Assurance or proper science

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        • #
          Lionell Griffith

          I suggest “they” do know proper Quality Control. That is why they can so consistently go against every proper practice of it. If they were simply ignorant, they could be accidentally right part of the time. However, with full knowledge, they do exactly the wrong thing EVERY TIME! This even though it would benefit them to do the right things.

          “They” are NOT looking out for your interests.

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          Vishnu

          Funny how all the global temperature reconstructions give the same answer though isn’t it and line up with UAH data too.
          Will you be off to Huntsville to audit all the UAH adjustments too.

          07

      • #
        AndyG55

        “and I’d suggest they take their duties very seriously”

        Which is why around 25% of temperature sites are UNFIT FOR PURPOSE !!

        Send your “suggestion” back down the S-bend where it came from, vishy !!

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    Vishnu

    On sacking BoM – That’s smart – emergency services and pilots might wish to sue all those involved in sacking BoM. But dream on.
    Old guys having a tantrum.

    010

    • #
      TdeF

      It’s all automated. What do the 500 people do?

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      sophocles

      Typical of Vishnu: goes picking non-existant holes without reading or comprehending.
      Brainless prat.

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        robert rosicka

        You’re being a bit hard on brainless prats by comparing the Vishnu to them .

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        • #
          sophocles

          I don’t think so, Robert.
          He does do a great prat-fall, though, doesn’t he/thingy/it?
          … a true virtuoso.

          The only way you can tell the prat is brainless is the quality of the ‘clunk’ as the head hits the floor or something else equally as solid. Brainless ones have a particularly dense sound to them. As they are all brainless, I don’t think they’re going to worry about the comparison.

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      el gordo

      BoM needs to be dismantled piece by piece, starting with the National Centre for Extreme Weather.

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    robert rosicka

    OT but this is what happens when experts get together .

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-29/power-pole-sparks-safety-concerns/11650004

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    • #
      Kalm Keith

      This is what happens when the left Elites clash with the Union Mooment over who’s tougher.

      Just pity all those who are building a new home because they will be losing maybe $500 plus a week in holding charges until the union deems that re-education has been accomplished.

      Anyone considering opening a business may take this incident as a warning and think twice.

      Australia is a dangerous place, what with skimmers in local government, state government, federal government, the banks, power generators and the Mooment.

      But never fear, Scotty’s here , and that just makes it worse.

      KK

      40

    • #
      beowulf

      I waited over 20 hours for Ausgrid to fix my (town) power supply on the weekend. Could only get an automated response by phone: no idea what the fault is and no idea when it will be fixed. There were no storms, no trees down, nothing out of the box going on. Other homes throughout town never lost power.

      Mind you it took them about 7 years to replace a defective transformer at the end of the street which used to black out my end of the street for 2 or 3 hours of a night regularly every couple of months while everyone else had power. They happened to have crews out after the Pasha Bulka storm and decided that was a good time to replace the transformer which they obviously knew was cactus, and we’ve not had another major blackout until now.

      A car took out a pole near my parents’ place so Ausgrid jerry-rigged power through some back street lines. That lasted for over 3 months with brown-outs, bulbs burning out, fridge motors fusing regularly before Ausgrid fixed things properly. One house went through 2 fridges. When my father checked it, the voltage was down below 200V but Ausgrid denied it.

      Not happy Ausgrid.

      40

  • #
    robert rosicka

    And is this a sign of what’s to come as NSW has a lock of reserve power so early in the year .

    https://www.aemo.com.au/Electricity/National-Electricity-Market-NEM/Data-dashboard#nem-dispatch-overview

    20

  • #
    Kalm Keith

    Take a look at the sub-comments at #1 above.

    The writer while claiming sarcasm has shown that he doesn’t understand it.

    Funny.

    KK

    30

    • #
      AndyG55

      GA has always been a self-perpetuating JOKE. 🙂

      40

    • #
      AndyG55

      The ONE TIME he actually gets something correct…

      Then he turns around and trips on his own BS..

      Very funny, that’s for sure..

      50

      • #
        Peter C

        LOL,
        Thanks KK, otherwise I would have missed it. I saw the early comment from GA but not the follow up.

        GA got too many Green Thumbs. He worried that maybe his sarcastic comment had been misinterpreted as actual praise. The rule is; never overestimate the intelligence of your audience!

        So he thought he should explain.

        There is an old saying; better to be thought a fool….

        40

  • #
    pat

    this story has been online for nearly 12 hours, but nothing from ABC/Guardian/SMH etc?

    29 Oct: Australian: Scott Morrison, Matt Canavan ‘in heated row’ over coal-fired generator
    by staff writers
    Scott Morrison and Matt Canavan reportedly had a heated argument over a new coal-fired generator in Queensland with the Resources Minister overheard shouting “this is f***ed” during the closed door meeting.

    Tensions over the roll-out of a new coal-fired generator at Collinsville in central Queensland boiled over during a fiery exchange in the Prime Minister’s office in Canberra last Tuesday, The Courier Mail reports.
    The clash was reportedly so loud it was heard by others waiting in the corridor outside, including first time MP Phil Thompson and Capricornia MP Michelle Landry.
    The war-of-words is alleged to have been sparked by a “go-slow” directive given by the Prime Minister’s Office on a business case for the new generator…
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/scott-morrison-matt-canavan-in-heated-row-over-coalfired-generator/news-story/f117a35c10f52b2a9a48818f7e203fcd

    300+ comments, almost entirely SCATHING of SCOMO.

    50

    • #
      Peter C

      Who supports the new coal fired power station, Canavan or Scomo?

      20

      • #
        Chad

        You had better hope it is ScoMo.
        Because if he doesnt suppot it there is no chance it can happen.!

        00

      • #
        truth

        Canavan supports it…Morrison’s dead set against it ..reportedly wants an environmental impact statement on the already done environmental impact statement… doesn’t want anything to get in the way of his Turnbull/Photios transition of Australia to 3rd world energy insecurity and poverty.

        ‘It’s why Morrison appointed a Cabinet of Photios footsoldiers and says virtually nothing about Australia’s energy future. …he wants the ‘transition’ to be past the point of no return by the time Australians wake up to the fact that Australia is to be crippled by government/CAGW/IPCC policy as no other nation on earth is.

        No other government on earth is doing such existential harm to the security and futures of its citizens.

        30

  • #
    robert rosicka

    Listening to ABC drive radio while the hard left socialist presenter was questioning one of the lead protest organisers about the Melbourne protests today .
    This guy is an engineer and claimed the Arctic will be ice free in one or two years and that’s why he wasn’t having kids and was part of the protest .

    20

    • #
      Speedy

      The good news, Robert, is that your XR protester will be correct, in his own case at least. By not having kids, he will ensure that his DNA will not be passed onto future generations, thereby improving the gene pool. Some call it “natural selection”. He calls it “extinction”. We call it “Darwin’s Law”.
      Cheers,

      Mike

      70

  • #
    DOC

    This stuff must be sent to all the Ministers in Canberra and to people like Craig Kelly’
    It should be delivered with a note saying they will never get away with saying they were
    never warned when ‘the science’ is at last outed as serving the destruction of this nation’s energy
    systems, its economy and impoverishing the people.
    The demand must be made to investigate fully the BOM, its methodology, its known defects in
    locations, use of dark colours for heat absorption, poor maintenance of equipment and questionable,
    all pervading inclusion of a non proven thesis as a message seemingly governing its actions. Add the
    apparent manipulation of data by a methodology closed to scientific examination as to its acceptability
    and accuracy.
    The only way to move the system is to leave the politiciansit totally exposed and responsible when the
    current world of human induced global warming theory falls apart leaving the destruction of our way of
    life in its wake.

    80

  • #
    Bill Johnston

    Thanks to all who have contributed to this post.

    Global warming and all that flows from that is bi-partisan policy in Australia. No matter who we vote for, global warming hype is what we get.

    If you happen to send a letter to the Minister in charge of this mess (smiley Sussan Ley from the Farrer electorate based in Albury, which is on the river Murray), expect a reply from a fob-off merchant who doesn’t understand what is going-on, and if she did she won’t tell.

    If Ley won’t get off her hands and do something about this mess, she should get out of the way and be replaced by someone who will. An inquiry headed by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott would be just the ticket.

    Morrison is a smoother not a mover like Abbott was, and there is ample evidence that people within the Bureau of Meteorology have changed and massaged data to align with a falsified climate narrative. There is actually no warming or cooling; climate change is provably the greatest taxpayer-funded scam ever and ever.

    On the back of the scam, which is strongly supported by The Guardian, people are hurting; people are dying, have lost their childhood and are too screwed by fear to go to school …. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2019/sep/23/greta-thunberg-to-world-leaders-how-dare-you-you-have-stolen-my-dreams-and-my-childhood-video.

    Meanwhile, thanks to advances in every sphere the real word is getting better and better.

    The taxpayer-funded global warming industry is totally evil.

    Cheers,

    Bill

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    • #
      Vishnu

      ” There is actually no warming or cooling; climate change is provably the greatest taxpayer-funded scam ever and ever.”

      Well interesting assertion, but sceptics never produce an alternative analysis for Australia do they. Easier just to howl at the moon.

      Interesting when Watts and Berkley’s BEST analysis – oh look similar answers.

      Why are Australian sceptics scared to present an alternative analysis? Coz it’s hard work – politics and sniping is more fun eh?

      09

      • #
        Kalm Keith

        Anahl nathrac doc hiel thien Dre, uth vath spechud.

        20

      • #
        Kalm Keith

        An excellent self description.

        20

      • #

        The old show-me-yours stunt…

        Here’s my pile of steaming tripe. Don’t likee? Then where’s your pile of steaming tripe?

        50

      • #
        AndyG55

        Trying to lke Watts with BEST, pure slimy dribble, Vishy

        Yes Watts got CONNED by Muller et al

        BEST uses all the WORST data they can find, makes it easier to FABRICATE their end product.

        Once asked that sychophantic drone Mosher to identify 6 stations they were getting data from..

        He couldn’t identify even one of them.

        I found just one, on top of a building in the middle of urban sprawl.

        They truly are the WORST !!! Junk data in.. even more JUNK out

        50

        • #
          Vishnu

          More sooking by Mr no no no and yes another outburst of incomprehensible ranting. How’s the feet after shooting them multiple times?

          04

      • #
        Bill Johnston

        Data are in the public domain Vishnu; all you really have to do is research the sites I mentioned, then show how changing to automatic weather stations and small Stevenson screens (plus sacking staff and pulling back on maintenance; spraying out the grass …. gravel mulching … moving beside dusty tracks et al.) didn’t cause anything to change.

        Thanks for your interest,

        Bill

        30

        • #
          Vishnu

          Yes less than optimal. These systems never designed for climate change precision. And much before climate change even got going in the 1990s.
          But the challenge for sceptics is still doing your best analysis and see what you get. What are you afraid of?

          04

          • #
            AndyG55

            “These systems never designed for climate change precision

            PRECISELY,

            They are WORSE THAN USELESS for finding changes in climate.

            Clown-vish finally gets it right !!!

            But he still thinks you can “fix” horrendously bad and tainted data.

            No scientist, are you clown-vish.

            30

          • #
            el gordo

            ‘These systems never designed for climate change precision.’

            BoM says 19th century data is good and should be utilised, do you agree?

            30

          • #
            Graeme#4

            If these systems aren’t designed for temperature precision, then why does the BOM regularly make claims about “the hottest day evah”, when the temp difference is within the error bars?

            30

  • #
    pat

    on Sky’s Bolt Report tonite, Bolt played a little of Albanese’s big post-election policy reset to woo back blue collar workers:

    Anthony Albanese returns to coalface to woo blue-collar workers
    In-Depth – The Australian – 11 hours ago

    Bolt decried that Albanese was doubling down on the CAGW policies rejected by voters:

    Anthony Albanese flags a jobs ‘revolution’ as new direction for Labor
    Sarah Martin, Chief political correspondent
    The Guardian – 4 hours ago
    Opposition leader’s first vision statement says a shift to clean energy will unlock new economic opportunities.
    The new skills pledge comes alongside a push by Albanese to recast Labor’s climate policy as part of a new industrial “revolution”, saying the shift to clean energy will underpin an Australian manufacturing boom that unlocks new jobs and export opportunities.
    “The world is decarbonising. With the right planning and vision, Australia can not only continue to be an energy exporting superpower, we can also enjoy a new manufacturing boom. This means jobs,” Albanese said…

    Richo was spot on. said Scomo had now fully embraced CAGW, so you had to expect Labor to embrace CAGW even more strongly. Liberal senator James Paterson was asked about the Coalition Govt’s own CAGW stance – Paterson thought it understandable, given everyone’s on board these days and you could hardly expect Australia to be the only country in the world not to try to meet their Paris targets.

    Bolt gave up and said he wouldn’t put Paterson on the spot any further.

    the past few days have been pivotal. Craig Kelly being gagged to some extent; Coalition Govt full tilt on RE, no interest in coal. very depressing.

    50

    • #
      Serp

      Albanese is a pathetic sad character maundering on about revolutionising Australia’s energy sector and creating thousands of jobs by turning to hydrogen and batteries; it’s painfully obvious that he is unconvinced there is any merit in the script he’s reading from.

      What hope is there for Australia when both major parties have been taken hostage by innumerate green zealots and their profiteering multinational partners in the decarbonisation themed IPCC carnival of lies?

      10

  • #
    Ben

    Logically, the only way to increase the incline of the warming is to lower the older values. The only other option is to increase the new values. And that would be too obvious.

    40

  • #
    Peter C

    Mr Climate Change,

    Did anyone notice the caption on the top picture (on the right).

    The BOM’s Mr Climate Change himself!

    30

    • #
      Graeme#4

      Looks different to what I expected, although that would be an earlier photo.

      20

    • #
      el gordo

      Are you referring to Blair the ‘great adjustor’?

      30

      • #
        Graeme#4

        More than that EG. It appears that he has been responsible for the entire homogenisation debacle.

        40

      • #
        Vishnu

        Like Roy Spencer is also the great UAH adjuster … mmm

        02

        • #
          AndyG55

          Poor vishy, doesn’t comprehend the difference between adjustments made for known predictable factors

          And “adjustments™” made to support an agenda, based on NOTHING verifiable.

          Vishy is NO SCIENTIST. !

          20

          • #
            Vishnu

            Ooo took both feet off in that shotgun blast. Hard to watch. You utter drip. Read up on history of errors in UAH processing and report back.
            AndyG – the gift that keeps giving.

            01

  • #
    DrDweeb

    “supposedly accurate to a tenth of a degree”

    What we have is precision to .1C with an accuracy +/- xC

    20