Science & Climate: news

Here are links to articles about climate science written for laypeople.  I believe this climate trends will be one of the major factors affecting geopolitics in the 21st century.  The primary message I hope people take from this list of articles — and the posts based upon them — is that there is debate among scientists about these things — and that the science is rapidly progressing to provide answers.

The articles listed here are from mass market media.  For more information see these related Reference Pages on the FM sites:

• Science and Nature – my articles.
• Science & nature – studies & reports
• Science & Nature – the history of climate fears

This is not a discussion page.  Please post comments only about corrections or suggested additions.

Basic reference sources

(a)  The #1 site IMO:  The Discovery of Global Warming, on the site of the American Institute of Physics — “A hypertext history of how scientists came to (partly) understand what people are doing to cause climate change.”

This Website created by Spencer Weart supplements his much shorter book, which tells the history of climate change research as a single story. On this Website you will find a more complete history in dozens of essays on separate topics, updated annually.

(b)  Lists of articles with full citations:

• A timeline of the science and politics of climate science (from the AIP site)
• A Bibliography by year of climate science research (also from AIP)

1. A classic, also relevant to climate science today:  “A meeting with Enrico Fermi“, Nature (22 January 2004) – “How one intuitive physicist rescued a team from fruitless research.”
2. “A Critical Examination of Climate Change“, Douglas Hoyt and Warwick Hughes, posted at Hughes’ site, no date — An introductory briefing.
3. “Nuclear winter: science and politics“, Brian Martin, Science and Public Policy, October 1988 — Excellent background description and bibliography.  Vital background to understand the global warning debate.
4. “Aliens cause global warming”, Michael Crichton, lecture at the California Institute of Technology, 17 January 2003

 Articles for laypeople about climate change

1. “Soot’s Dirty Hand in Global Warming“, Scientific American, 8 February 2001
2. “Exxon Mobil Uses Scientist’s Data As Evidence of Natural Warming“, Wall Street Journal, 22 March 2001 — subscription only
3. “No second Chance: Can Earth Explode as a result of Global Warming?“, Thomas J. Chalko, NU Journal of Discovery (published by Natural University),  May 2001
4. “When Will the Next Ice Age Begin?“, New York Times, 11 November 2003
5. “Soot More Culpable in Climate Warming Than Expected“, Scientific American, 23 December 2003
6. “The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change“, Naomi Oreskes, Science, December 2004
7. “Reflections of a Climate Skeptic“, Henk Tennekes, 6 January 2006
8. “Is Global Warming a Sin?”, Alexander Cockburn, posted at the Counterpunch blog, 28/29 April 2007
9. “Impure as the Driven Snow“, Scientific American, 8 June 2007 — “Smut is a bigger problem than greenhouse gases in polar meltdown.”
10.  “Current melting of Greenland’s ice mimics 1920’s – 1940’s event“, Ohio State University Research, reporting on a presentation of 10 December 2007
11. “Ecological Impacts of Climate Change”, National Academies of Science, 2008
12. “Media Hype on ‘Melting’ Antarctic Ignores Record Ice Growth“, the Inhofe Press Blog at the site of the Senate Committee on Public Works and the Environment, 27 March 2008 — Includes a wealth of links.
13. “Earthquake Energy Rise on Earth“, Tom J Chalko, NU Journal of Discovery (published by Natural University), May 2008
14. The U.S. Scientists and Economists’ Call for Swift and Deep Cuts in Greenhouse Gas Emissions, UCS, May 2008.
15. “Earthquakes Became Five Times More Energetic, Discovers Australian Scientist Dr Tom Chalko“, MSNBC, 17 June 2008 — “The research proves that destructive ability of earthquakes on Earth increases alarmingly fast and that this trend is set to continue, unless the problem of “global warming” is comprehensively and urgently addressed.”
16. “Today’s Quakes Deadlier Than In Past“, CBS News reporting an AP story, 18 June 2008 — “Study: Seismic Activity 5 Times More Energetic Than 20 Years Ago Because Of Global Warming”  Update: CBS News has put this story in the memory hole.  No explanation, just a clean deletion.  You will not remember this, will you?
17. Climate & Hurricane Forum, sponsored by The Energy Business Watch, with presentations by 4 prominent scientists; 26 June 2008 —  The slides of the presentations are posted here.
18. “No smoking hot spot“, The Australian, 18 July 2008 — No greenhouse gas signature seen yet.
19. “Experts Confirm Open Water Circling Arctic“, NY Times Science blog, 6 September 2008 — A somewhat balanced, in a confused way, article about arctic ice.
20. “New theory predicts the largest ozone hole over Antarctica will occur this month“, U of Waterloo press release, 16 September 2008
21. “Global warming melts glaciers elsewhere, but not at Mount Shasta“, Chico News and Review, 9 October 2008
22. “Bad weather was good for Alaska glaciers“, Anchorage Daily News, 13 October 2008 — “For decades, summer snow loss has exceeded winter snowfall.”
23. “Arctic sea ice now 28.7% higher than this date last year – still rallying“, Anthony Watts, posted at his blog Watt’s Up with That?, 15 October 2008 — This years data may mark an inflection point in arctic cooling.
24. “Arctic air temperatures climb to record levels”, Reuters, 16 October 2008
25. ”Thirty years of warmer temperatures go poof“, Lorne Gunter, National Post, 20 October 2008
26. “Can’t See the Signal For the Trees“, by Willis Eschenbach, posted at Climate Audit, 23 November 2008
27. “Glaciers in Norway growing again“, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, 24 November 2008 — Translation provided by Anthony Watts (original source).
28. “Operating Environment 2008“, US Joint Forces Command, 25 November 2008, 56 pages — “A strategic framework that forecasts possible threats and opportunities that will challenge the future joint force.”  Note Part II, chapter G “Climate Change and Natural Disasters.”
29. “Sun’s Magnetic Field May Impact Weather And Climate: Sun Cycle Can Predict Rainfall Fluctuations“, ScienceDaily, 3 December 2008
30. “Satellite derived sea level updated“, Anthony Watts, Watts Up With That, 5 December 2008 — “The short-term trend has been shrinking since 2005.”
31. “Climate Change, Security, and Earth Observation“, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 5 December 2008
32. “2008 will be coolest year of the decade“, The Guardian, 5 December 2008 –  According to the media, warm years prove global warming — cold years are immaterial.
33. ”Dishonest debate“, editorial in the Union-Tribune, 8 December 2008, — “Credible climate policy skeptics are ignored”
34. “Holland Inundated? No Way!“, Hendrik Tennekes, posted at Climate Science, 12 December 2008 — Slowly scientists review wild claims of destruction from climate change.
35. “Danger ahead as the Sun goes quiet“, New Scientist, 7 January 2009
36. “Three Essays on Climate Models“, Henk Tennekes, 30 January 2009 — I recommend this for anyone seeking to learn more about the global warming debate
37. “Rise of sea levels is ‘the greatest lie ever told’“, The Telegraph, 28 March 2009
38. “Obama Looking at Cooling Air to Fight Warming“, AP, 8 April 2009 — Interview with John Holdren
39. “‘Still Sun’ baffling astronomers“, BBC, 21 April 2009
40. “Sun ‘at its quietest for 100 years’“, Press Association (a newswire), 21 April 2009
41. “Has the sun gone in? Earth’s closest star ‘dimmest it’s been for a century’“, Daily Mail, 21 April 2009
42. “A Quiet Sun Doesn’t Happen Overnight“, Charles Osgood, CBS, 21 April 2009
43. “The missing sunspots: Is this the big chill?“, The Independent, 27 April 2009 — “Scientists are baffled by what they’re seeing on the Sun’s surface – nothing at all. And this lack of activity could have a major impact on global warming.”
44. “World will ‘cool for the next decade’“, New Scientist, 9 September 2009
45. “Antarctic sea water shows ‘no sign’ of warming“, The Australian, 12 January 2010
46. “Desertification may have retarded global warming by as much as 20%“, Jerusalem Post, 23 January 2010
47. “Science chief John Beddington calls for honesty on climate change“, The Times, 27 January 2010 — Suddenly the things sceptics have recommended for years become respectable, but they remain outcasts.
48. “Temperature and CO2 feedback loop ‘weaker than thought’“, BBC, 27 January 2010
49. “UN climate change panel based claims on student dissertation and magazine article“, Daily Telegraph, 30 January 2010 — “The United Nations’ expert panel on climate change based claims about ice disappearing from the world’s mountain tops on a student’s dissertation and an article in a mountaineering magazine.”
50. It gets even better:  “The story of the Geography Major’s Dissertation“, ClimateQuotes, 31 January 2010 — “It is now official: The IPCC is citing self-acknowledged guesswork from non-scientific sources.”
51. “Conning the Climate: Inside the Carbon Trading Shell Game“, Mark Schapiro, Harpers Magazine, February 2010 — Free pirate copy here (while it lasts).
52. “Credibility is what’s really melting“, Mark Steyn, Maclean’s, 3 February 2010 — His opening paragraph exactly matches my experience.
53. “Rehabilitation of the country’s first CO2-exile“, De Telegraph, 13 February 2010 — “Henk Tennekes was made to clear his desk and resign as Director of the KNMI (Dutch Meteorological Institute). His sin? In a newspaper column the world-renowned meteorologist had disproved all the bold claims about climate change.”
54. “Another IPCC Error: Antarctic Sea Ice Increase Underestimated by 50%“, World Climate Report, 16 February 2010
55. “Consistent with Being in a Deep Fog“, Roger Pielke Jr, 16 February 2010 — Everything is “consistent with” climate change”.
56. “Bulk of Stimulus Spending Yet to Come“, Wall Street Journal, 17 February 2010
57. “Climategate 2.0 — The NASA Files: U.S. Climate Science as Corrupt as CRU (PJM Exclusive — Part One)“, Christopher Horner, Pajamas Media, 17 February 2010
58. “Wind contributing to Arctic sea ice loss, study finds“, The Guardian, 22 March 2010 — “New research does not question climate change is also melting ice in the Arctic, but finds wind patterns explain steep decline.”
59. “Heat-Toting Ocean Currents Chugging Along“, Andrew C. Revkin, blog of the New York Times, 26 March 2010 — Slowly the climate doomster fairy tales evaporate in the sunlight.
60.  “The climate-change nightmares of military strategists“, Fred Pearce, New Scientist, 8 April 2010 — Book review of Climate Wars by Gwynne Dyer.
61. “It’s the Sun, stupid“, Lawrence Solomon, National Post, 21 May 2010 — “Solar scientists are finally overcoming their fears and going public about the Sun-climate connection”