Agmates

Dr. Tim Ball [pictured] is a renowned environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg.

Dr. Ball employs his extensive background in climatology and other fields as an advisor to the International Climate Science Coalition, Friends of Science and the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

In the Canadian Free press on Wednesday Dr Ball writes:

• Proponents of human induced warming and climate change told us that an increase in CO2 precedes and causes temperature increases. They were wrong.
• They told us the late 20th century was the warmest on record. They were wrong.
• They told us, using the infamous “hockey stick” graph, the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) did not exist. They were wrong.
• They told us global temperatures would increase through 2008 as CO2 increased. They were wrong.
• They told us Arctic ice would continue to decrease in area through 2008. They were wrong.
• They told us October 2008 was the second warmest on record. They were wrong.
• They told us 1998 was the warmest year on record in the US. They were wrong it was 1934.
• They told us current atmospheric levels of CO2 are the highest on record. They are wrong.
• They told us pre-industrial atmospheric levels of CO2 were approximately 100 parts per million (ppm) lower than the present 385 ppm. They are wrong.

This last is critical because the claim is basic to the argument that humans are causing warming and climate change by increasing the levels of atmospheric CO2 and have throughout the Industrial era.

In fact, pre-industrial CO2 levels were about the same as today, but how did they conclude they were lower?

Read the rest of the article here.

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As much as the Labor government and Green groups desire to see Australia make cuts to its carbon emissions in the end it might be up to the Liberal / National Party to decide if it passes into law.

THE worsening economic downturn and deepening business concerns are hardening the Coalition’s resolve to delay the Rudd Government’s emissions trading scheme by one or two years.

National Party Senate leader Barnaby Joyce won’t be supporting the Emissions trading Scheme legislation.

National Party senator Barnaby Joyce has said there was no way he could vote for an ETS in the current economic environment,

The Liberals are saying they support the scheme, but want its start delayed by a year or 2. But you can take that with a grain of salt. As the Liberals showed in the Senate last week they will strongly oppose legislation right up to the final hour before the vote then cave in and support the government.

But Malcolm Turnbull and his emissions trading spokesman Andrew Robb made it clear yesterday that they could force a delay because many businesses would be struggling just to survive the next few years,

Spot the difference:

Barnaby Joyce say ‘there’s no way’ which means - ‘there’s no way’

Andrew Robb says ‘that they could force a delay’ - which means, ‘ah maybe, not sure, depends’

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I actually did not ever think that I would stand and applaud a Union Boss. In today’s Australian the national secretary of the Australian Workers Union Paul Howes [pictured] gives it to the big banks.

THE hypocrisy of big banks such as Westpac and National Australia Bank that signed up to a corporate communique on climate change calling for aggressive unilateral targets needs to be exposed.

Having participated in what can be described only as a global stuff-up of our financial system, they now are trying to tell Australian corporations that operate in the real economy, and generate real wealth and real jobs, how to behave on climate change.

It’s time their dishonest motivation was exposed. Now that the huge profits made out of shoring up risky mortgage markets and fancy financial products have unwound - devastating the lives of countless millions of ordinary citizens - the banks are looking to create a new source of revenue from carbon-trading markets.

Be sure to click through and read the entire article it is an absolute rip snorta.

Paul is speaking for his union members and their families, but he is also reflecting the sentiments of Australian family farmers when he says:

My members and their wives, husbands and children are getting pretty tired of being told their jobs are dirty and polluting, particularly by bankers relentlessly pocketing their money and frittering away superannuation.

They work for sophisticated companies that are at the leading edge of efficient technology, environmental management and workplace safety.

They are proud of what they do, how they do it and the products they produce that help the rest of the world reduce their carbon footprint.

Its a pity that a few of our rural industry leaders did not speak as directly as Paul Howes.

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Whilst conservation, Green groups and Rupert Murdocks News media is pressuring the Rudd Government to announce deep cuts to Australia’s Greenhouse gas emissions, it’s own Climate Change adviser Professor Ross Garnaut is telling them not to go it alone.

In an article in today’s Australian Newspaper Professor Ross Garnaut writes:

“No country acting alone - not even the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, the US and China - can cause the risks of dangerous climate change to fall substantially by its actions alone. A co-operative effort involving all substantial economies is required.

Each country acting alone in its narrow national interest will calculate that it will be better off if it does as little as possible to reduce emissions, whatever other countries are doing, so long as it does not believe that its inaction will influence materially the actions of others.

In this, climate change is more difficult than other international policy issues.”

So what are the chances of an international agreement being reached?

It is more difficult than trade liberalisation, in which, despite the charades of trade negotiators, each country would be better off liberalising its trade whether or not other countries were doing so.

It is more difficult than arms control negotiations, in which there is at least a fiscal gain from doing more, whatever others are doing.

OK so the chances of reaching an international agreement on climate change appear to be worse than slim. What are the consequences of Australia going it alone. Garnaut is clear on this:

With climate change mitigation, one country acting alone accepts costs without substantial benefits.

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Nationals Senator Ron Boswell [pictured] writes.

Queenslanders can expect even more draconian electricity price increases under the Federal Government’s proposed Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Queenslanders have had three increases in the maximum charge price for electricity since the industry was deregulated, but these increases, large as they are, will be insignificant compared to the electricity cost increases expected under the Rudd Government’s proposed ETS.

Treasury modelling predicts that, under a CPRS -5 scenario, the average wholesale electricity price will increase by 66% in Queensland between the years 2010 and 2015*.

This increase in the wholesale costs will translate to an average household electricity price increase of 21% in 2010 under the lowest target ETS (CPRS -5) and a 44% price increase in 2013 under the Garnaut -25 scenario**.

The modelling shows that the Rudd Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme will be a huge cost burden on Queensland Families.

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Just when I was starting to think the News limited was starting to act responsibly in relation to climate change reporting they come out with this clanger today.

I actually saw this in News Corps Brisbane Courier Mail complete with a really cute photo of the little white possum.

White possum said to be first victim of global warming

SCIENTISTS say a white possum native to Queensland’s Daintree forest has become the first mammal to become extinct due to man-made global warming.

The white lemuroid possum, a rare creature found only above 1000m in the mountain forests of far north Queensland, has not been seen for three years.

Experts fear climate change is to blame for the disappearance of the highly vulnerable species thanks to a temperature rise of up to 0.8C….

Scientists believe some frog, bug and insects species have also been killed off by climate change. But this would be the first known loss of a mammal and the most significant since the extinction of the Dodo and the Tasmanian Tiger.

“It is not looking good,” researcher Steve Williams said.

“If they have died out it would be first example of something that has gone extinct purely because of global warming.”

According to the report, this is it, this is the biggie that proves global warming.

It is a big one, and a big one to bang the drum over. It is equally as shocking as losing an iconic marine species like a whale or the dugong.

But now the power of the internet to debunk such obvious BS. This google search of the BOM site looking up the historical mean maximum weather station at Cairns took all of 5 minutes. Below is the chart that reporter Peter Michael would have found if he’d bothered to check his fact before printing this alarmist dribble.

Look at that. The temperature this year is exactly what its been for the average of the last 30 years. The green line is the mean max temp for this year. The red line is the mean max average temp for the last 30 years.

What a load of dribble this report is - just alarmist hype. The report states:

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Our friend John Ray [pictured] on his very good site Greenie Watch writes:

“Comments sent to EPA by research physicist John W. Brosnahan of Vanderpool, Texas, who develops remote-sensing instruments for atmospheric science for such clients as NOAA and NASA and who has published much peer-reviewed research.

Brosnahan has given permission for public release of his statement

As a research physicist who has spent the past 30 years of my career in atmospheric science, I am surprised that government agencies, politicians, and much of the public have been manipulated by a political agenda with no scientific basis, which is the best way to describe the “non-link” between CO2 and global warming.

There is virtually NO physical science to support any role of man’s generation of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in climate change. All of this pseudo-science is driven by poorly conceived computer modeling and represents a political agenda that uses science and the public as pawns.

Read The Entire Article Here

Queensland Nationals Senator Ron Boswell [pictured] writes:

The Rudd Government’s Climate Change White Paper, due for release by the end of the year, must address the predicted cost increases to the agricultural sector from an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Farmers will be hit from day one of the government’s proposed ETS with major increases to power, fuel and fertiliser costs.

According to the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2006, Agriculture makes up 16% of Australia’s total Greenhouse Gas Emissions which means that the cost increases from an ETS to this sector will be dramatic.

ABARE modelling suggests that before agriculture is even included in an ETS the cost increases for a cropping operation will be (4%) four percent and the cost increases for livestock producers will be (3%) three percent.

The same ABARE modelling predicts that when the Agriculture sector is included in 2015, at a carbon price of $40, the sector would suffer total cost increases of (18%) eighteen percent to a livestock operation and (6%) six percent to a cropping operation.

The livestock and cropping industries will have to bear costs that their overseas competitors won’t have because they are based in countries without an ETS.

Rockdale Beef has estimated that their abattoir, with a turnover of 180,000 head per annum, would need to purchase $6million worth of permits ($33.60 per head) to cover their increased processing costs due to an ETS. Furthermore, at a stocking rate of 50,000hd, the feedlot would need an additional $840k per annum ($16.80per head) to offset emissions due to on site ruminant activity.

Somebody has to wear the increased costs to domestic and exported agricultural products and this burden will be placed on the producer, the consumer or both.

The Rudd Government’s White Paper should address the major cost increases for agriculture even before the sector is officially included in an ETS.

What Industry in the current global economic crisis could possibly survive an increase in costs of up to 18% ?

END

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Americans voted for change in electing Barack Obama. When you change the US President you change the world.

President-elect Obama recorded a message for the Global Climate Summit, promising “a new chapter of American leadership on climate change.”

There will be no stopping Kevin Rudd and Labor now. The Emissions Trading Scheme in Australia will definitely go ahead now. Thats bad news on two fronts.

1. Its really bad news for our rural industries.

2. Looks like I’ve lost my wager with James.

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Daily Telegraph Journalist Piers Ackerman is scathing of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudds first 12 months in office.

“A year in office and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s pre-election agenda is in tatters.

Australian schoolchildren don’t have their promised computers, FuelWatch is dead, GroceryWatch is dying and the states are not enjoying a new spirit of co-operation.

Signing Kyoto has done nothing but underscore the certainty that Labor’s insistence climate change is man-made will increase unemployment beyond the levels expected from the global financial mess.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s modelling, on which the overblown, apocalyptic Garnaut report is based, has been shot to pieces.

And the Treasury modelling on which the Government has based its planned emissions-trading scheme doesn’t take into account the current economic situation.

After condemning the Howard government for entering into unilateral agreements with other nations, and promising to concentrate on multilateral arrangements, it’s pursuing a unilateral free-trade agreement with China even though its recent handouts to the car industry - more on them later - make a mockery of any free-trade credentials.”

And he’s only just getting wound up. You can read the complete article here.

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