[co2 followed temperature] look at the whole picture

As I really don't wish to do the deniers' reading for them, let's zero in on just one of the main planks of their platform - CO2 does not trigger temperature increases, it's the other way about, therefore human agency does not contribute to climate change.

"It is correct that CO2 did not trigger the warmings, but it definitely contributed to them - and according to climate theory and model experiments, greenhouse gas forcing was the dominant factor in the magnitude of the ultimate change."

Look at this pdf for a fuller explanation and this site for a summary. The graph above reflects this data.

In other words, CO₂ does not initiate the warmings, but acts as an amplifier once they are underway. From model estimates, CO₂ (along with other greenhouse gases CH₄ and N₂O) causes about half of the full glacial-to-interglacial warming.

As the pdf said:

"The sequence of events during this termination is fully consistent with CO2 participating in the latter."

As well as that, it would be further exacerbated by "out-gassing from warming ocean waters, carbon from warming soils, and methane from melting permafrost."

In other words, with human contribution to CO2 and methane levels [even through animal husbandry] and the connection between these and temperature, then "human agency" on this basis alone cannot be ruled out as a major factor, let alone all other human activities vis a vis drinking water, over-cropping, erosion and so on.

To raise this objection was "fair debate". To call someone a "climate porner" is moronic. To say that no evidence is provided is less than scholastic.

And does the opinion of these people count for nothing?

[blogfocus saturday] disagreeing with the britblogger

The idea and it's not a very good one, is to take Britbloggers this evening [North Americans will be on Wednesday and Rest of the World the following Saturday] and to disagree with them in this olive-coloured post.

Yes … well I said it wasn't a very good idea. Anyway, see how you go:

1. CityUnslicker, who incidentally is leaving his humble abode [in the pic above], is a fine operator in finance and a top blogger to boot and he took me to task for talking down the banks. Now he posts this:

On the other hand, as the deposits are withdrawn and the Bank continues to struggle to raise finance in the stalled credit markets, the situation gets worse. With no money to lend for new mortgages and loans the whole system seizes up. If I was a pensioner with all my savings in Northern Rock then I would be there today getting my money out.

2. I don't think Juliet has completely got the idea of pigeons - they're for looking at and feeding, Julie:

Hmm...another racing pigeon has arrived...yesterday. British bird, different rings, not so grand...they are hanging out together. Maybe I should invest in a pigeon loft. What's wrong with their radar systems? They had better watch out -there will soon be enough of them to make a pie. :-)

3. Steve Green, at Daily Referendum, is annoyed at the sniping at David Cameron, of which I am one of the main exponents, wanting the Tories to have some sort of chance at the next election:

One of the main criticisms aimed a David Cameron is that he does not appeal to the common man. Well let's dissolve this myth once and for all: I'm the common man, I'm a life long Labour supporter from Barnsley S.Yorks. I'm working class and was raised by a single parent. I'm in my thirties, I'm married with three kids and I'm an home owner. I earn around about the average wage - a little more with overtime. But I don't see a toff when David Cameron speaks at the dispatch box, I see a man with a professional air and a vehement desire to see this country back on the right track.

4. Tony Sharp agrees with Steve about the sort of terrible thing I'm saying:

These critics are mainly people who are very focused on one or two specific issues they care passionately about. That is great. People should be energised by issues. But they seem incapable of seeing the big picture and realising that an opposition party leader has to have a starting position on a wide range of issues that are interconnected and realistic and from where change can be implemented.

5. The LibDem Norfolk Blogger, Nich Starling, has it in for people who abuse NHS staff. I have to take issue with Nich - I'd fine or incarcerate them:

The Norman Lamb, the Lib Dems health spokesman, has suggested that abusive drunks should be charged for their NHS treatment. Yes, I would go even further and given the NHS the right to charge for treatment and even remove treatment from those people who are violent, racist or verbally abusive to NHS staff who are performing their duties. Nurses, cleaners, porters and doctors deserve more protection.

6. Now the idea of this Focus was for me to disagree with the bloggers but I've scoured this post by the Phoenix-like Morningstar and I'll be damned if I can find anythng to disagree with:

For every statesman like statement you make showing how valuable it is to be in the EU, I can find one to push every little Englander button an Englishman has. I’ll just start by showing how much it costs to be in the EU through taxes and how little that buys us, then I’ll move on to every ridiculous law that has been passed down by people we didn’t elect, then I’ll head on to the EU accounts that haven’t been signed off for years because of the endemic fraud and how much that costs this country a year.

7. Now I have to take issue with Heraklites over ontology:

However, all the above points are somewhat incidental to the issue typically at stake when the Thatcher quote is discussed. Reactions to it are more often concerned with a different matter altogether: that of whether ontological or moral priority should be given to the individual over the social group. In other words, the argument is really about the conflict between political individualism and communitarianism.

And my metaphysical issue with Heraklites? That this superb blogger has not posted since September 3rd and therefore he isn't.

8. L'Ombre de l"Olivier is forever on about olives and anyway, why can't I visit his fabulous archives if I want to?

A little tree I found on the Ile de Porquerolles today [see below right]. What I find interesting is that such a little tree - it was no more than 5 foot/1.5 m high - has quite a lot of olives on it. Interestingly many of the "grown up" trees around it were distinctly lacking in olives. As always, you can click on the image to see it larger and you are invited to visit the olive tree blogging archives if you're a new reader.

Waiting for Beaman to post something super-duper so I can include him but until then, see you Wednesday for our North American friends. Cheers.

UPDATE: Check the Battle of Britain post below.

[battle of britain] please click on pic

Pic by Wiki

[record ice melt] northwest passage open

The Northwest Passage, the dreamed-of yet historically impassable maritime shortcut between Europe and Asia ...

Shhh - don't tell anyone this because I'll be accused of being a climate-porner by fellow bloggers:

Arctic ice coverage has receded this week to record lows, the European Space Agency said, raising the prospect of greater maritime traffic through a long-sought waterway known as the Northwest Passage.

No it hasn't. It hasn't receded at all and I'll go into denial if I want to - I'm a blogger, after all. Despite the overwhelming body of bl--dy evidence and the consensus of the major world scientists that it has, they actually know nothing and bloggers know everything. Don't argue or we'll start calling you names.

... has now fully opened up due to record shrinkage of Arctic sea ice.

[those scotch-soaked english] in iceland

Nannaa

I suddenly caught this picture but then, when I read the article, it was a chuckle to read an Icelandic version of England [not Britain or America but England - the poor lass can be excused, being Icelandic] in World War 2, just as I enjoy hearing the Russian version of it. Here is a sample:

There is a little nugget of truth you might not be familiar with: Iceland was invaded by the English on May 10, 1940, and remained occupied till the end of the war.

The story begins one dark and gloomy day in Copenhagen when German troops invaded the colorful and cozy capital with fancy guns and excess numbers. Denmark gave up after two whole hours and submitted to German rule (and they call the French surrender monkeys, outrageous).

As soon as Iceland caught wind of this, Althingi, Iceland’s parliament, met up and declared the King of Denmark unfit to rule us as a colony and thus claimed its independence. As we were on a roll we figured we would declare ourselves a neutral country too, what with the war going on thousands of miles away.

But the Allied Forces had other plans. In the name of neutrality we politely told the English to please go away and that we would not be joining their army “as a belligerent and an ally”. Little did we know that in London, Mr. Churchill himself met up with the War Cabinet to discuss a potential invasion of our little country.

The scotch-soaked icon himself explained how strategically crucial Iceland was and should it fall under the hands of the Germans the way its former rulers did the Allied Forces would lose the North Atlantic territory completely.

So it was agreed that Iceland should be taken over.

I mean one day you’re celebrating your independence going about your business tending to crops and sheep and the next thing you know an army descends upon you and all you have to protect you are a measly gang of 70 policemen.

Outraged Brits should note though that Nannaa admits the Brits not only [generally] kept their word to leave at the end of the war but [some] intermarried with the Icelanders - that would indeed have to be a super-race.

Defend England, anyone?

Another version of the story is here, presumably by Egilsdottir, as the Iceland Review writers have this quaint habit of not putting their names.

[alive and kicking] this is human interaction

You can forget the droning pollies with their hermetically sealed consciences and platitudes which we bloggers rail against. You can forget our clever little pieces about Andrew Jackson and Russia.

If you want to see a living, hurting, sometimes angry, actually alive person, go here and read of her heartache [although there's something a bit ghoulish about doing that] and then this amazing post:

I dropped my books in my colleague's hands, walked right up to the man and demanded that he talk to me.

"You want to have a discussion about abortion?" I said. "You want a conversation? Talk to me. Stop yelling and let me speak."

He ignored me.

So I did something completely out of character—I don't know what possessed me— I climbed up on the planter beside him and shouted over him until he shut up.

I was nervous and furious and I stammered to find the right words, but the students were yelling at him to be quiet.

"You had your chance to preach," one girl said. "Let her talk!"

This is what living is, what not being brain dead is all about.