In 2018 Climate change caused “disastrous” loss of 0.1% of World GDP

Warning: PR Stunts Ahead.
It’s serious folks: If you use models that don’t work, extrapolate, exaggerate, and spin the runes properly, at worst, man-made climate change caused “100 billion dollars of damage” in 2018. It’s another BIN moment (a Big Irrelevant Number).

To put that in perspective, the GWP (Gross World Product) is around $100 Trillion dollars. So, all that inflated climate damage rained upon us and 99.9% of the global economy wouldn’t even notice.

Climate change-induced disasters cost nations at least $100 billion in 2018, says watchdog

News, AFP, AAP, BBC, maybe ABC, CBC, CNN, CBC, everyone with a channel.

As reported by the same people who say “If you want heart surgery, ask a doctor.”

The bill for climate-linked disasters in 2018 is estimated to be more than $100 billion according to a leading UK relief organisation.

A Relief Charity added up these numbers. They couldn’t possibly have anything to gain by inflating them, could they?

From floods to extreme heat, 10 of the worst climate-linked disasters in 2018 caused at least $A120.8 billion worth of damage, says a study released by the charity Christian Aid.

I don’t think they meant to tell us that Antarctica was fine…

Extreme weather driven by climate change hit every populated continent this year, the British relief organisation says, warning urgent action is needed to combat global warming.

“This report shows that for many people, climate change is having devastating impacts on their lives and livelihoods right now,” said Kat Kramer, who heads Christian Aid’s work on climate issues, in a statement on Thursday.

Yes, it was the strongest storm since an even stronger one hit 50 years ago:

Topping the list were hurricanes Florence and Michael, which caused an estimated $A24 billion and $A21 billion worth of damage, respectively.

Michael was the strongest storm to hit the continental United States since 1969, and killed 45 people in the US and at least 13 in Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

 In 1969 CO2 levels were 322ppm, a wonderful 80 ppm lower than today. If only we could return to that and get storms  …just like Michael.

The BBC even found some tea leaf statistics:

Research published at the time showed that the rains accompanying Hurricane Florence were made 50% worse than they would have been without human influenced warming.

But the rains could have been 50% better if they were calculated on models that worked. We’ll never know.

Notice how the “warmest years on record” have ballooned out from the “hottest single year” to the hottest five, hottest ten, now top 20:

The 20 warmest years on record have been within the past 22 years, the United Nations said last month, with 2018 on track to be the fourth hottest.

Imagine hypothetically that the last warming was cyclic. To keep using the word “hottest” PR hacks would have to create an expanding progression as the warming peaked, plateaued, then ebbed. Just sayin…

9.7 out of 10 based on 66 ratings

192 comments to In 2018 Climate change caused “disastrous” loss of 0.1% of World GDP

  • #
    BernardP

    So now, every extreme weather event is attributed to man-made climate change? It’s beyond absurd. Day by day, month by month, the hype is spiraling out of control. The Greens are vying to take control of everything, while nobody in power is even hinting at putting a stop to it. Even President Trump is not attacking the supposed climate science consensus. The climate realists/skeptics are ignored and left to play among themselves in their little sandbox.

    How many billions were sent down the drain into futile, unproductive, measures to fight an imaginary enemy, Man-made climate change? What benefits would there have been if those billions had been spent to fight actual environmental problems?

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    • #
      Kinky Keith

      Bernard, A good point.

      The opportunity cost of “Climate Change Mitigation” is extraordinary and considering that it is the so called rich nations being milked, almost beyond belief.

      The main thing for me is that this money wasn’t “wasted” or “triggered away”,

      Someone has it!

      Perhaps Malex444, perhaps Algore and likeminded people and entities?

      We have been Enslaved by the most ingenious sting of all time when the harmless gas of life, CO2, is so vilified.

      The fact that our politicians want more renewables is:

      Frightening? Dishonest? Malicious?
      and so few fight back against the U.N.

      WW111 is nearly over, the greatest ripoff in history.

      KK

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      • #
        Kinky Keith

        Frittered

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      • #
        James Murphy

        so few fight back against the U.N.

        It’s my view that people with the power to change anything do not want to change, or they have no clue what to do, so they do something else instead – procrastination on a global scale.

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        • #
          Dennis

          Very clearly there has been a political driving force in all developed nations ever since the UN was established after WW2.

          In Australia Labor Attorney General Evatt (a communist and one of that faction that caused the 1950s split and formation of the Democratic Labor Party) created the plan to have UN member nations sign as many treaties as possible to provide compliant future governments to get around constitutional law, in Australia to implement treaties such as Agenda 21 and Agenda 30 with conducting a referendum to ask the people for approval.

          This could not happen if there was an opposition that opposed implementation because a serious opposition would take the necessary steps to demand referendums. With that opposition no government would dare to ask the people following debate and publicity arising from with the Parliament.

          PM Turnbull was sneaky when the National Energy Guarantee was proposed, it contained a clause effectively quarantining politicians from any liability for ignoring constitutional law. And now Labor if elected to government plans to proceed with that NEG.

          We have been divided and conquered by our two party system of government, Labor Green and Liberal National. No third party strong enough to challenge them.

          Which is why I will try and buck the system by voting Labor and Green last with Liberal National above them and a candidate I trust for my primary vote, and if available for second choice. In 2010 there was a hung parliament and Gillard Labor were forced into an alliance minority government (commentators likened the situation to the PM needing to learn how to herd cats). If in 2019 we end up with an even larger alliance numbers minority government maybe we can force the politicians to work for the people as they are meant to do?

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          • #
            Dennis

            While he was Prime Minister Liberal MP John Howard was asked if international law/treaties could be enforced in Australia.

            He replied only if the government of the day allows it to happen.

            But the Australian Constitution, and amendments by the UK Government in the 1930s and our government in the 1980s, secures our sovereignty as a nation and despite the minor role of the Queen, and her representative the Governor General who is our permanent Head of State, our government creates our laws and the High Court of Australia is the highest authority, no more UK Privy Council appeals.

            In my opinion too many politicians sit back and permit UK intrusion into our affairs, as President Trump stated when he addressed the UN in New York referring to them interfering in member nations.

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      • #
        Peter Fitzroy

        “harmless gas of life, CO2, is so vilified” – I’ll give you a thousand dollars to spend 30 minutes in a room with 10% CO2 (by volume).

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        • #
          Hivemind

          Do you have any idea how much coal would have to be burned to get atmospheric CO2 levels to 10%? I doubt it could be done because the plants would consume it at the same rate we produced it.

          The small increase in CO2 levels we see now is not caused by human emissions, but by ocean outgassing as the Earth warms naturally.

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        • #
          Dennis

          But, back to the real science. In medical sciences 1 atmosphere, i.e. the pressure of the air at the sea level is expressed as 760 millimetres of mercury, 760 mm Hg. So, if we assume that the air consist of 78% N2, 21% of O2 and 0.04% of CO2 then each of the three molecules exerts the following pressure:
          N2: (78/100)*760 = 593 mm Hg
          O2: (21/100)*760 = 160 mm Hg
          CO2: (0.04/100)*760 = 0.3 mm Hg
          Now we need to make connection between the partial pressure of CO2 in the air and in the blood, before breathing in and after breathing out. For the gas molecule to cross from the lungs to the blood it needs to have the higher partial pressure in the lungs than in the blood, and obviously, the opposite is true – if the partial pressure of the gas molecule is higher in the blood than in the lungs, it will cross from the blood to the lungs. When it comes to CO2, its concentration in the blood, after the blood has collected all the CO2 generated by the bio-chemical process keeping the cells alive reaches the pressure of 45 mm Hg, while the pressure inside the lungs after we breathe in the air is 0.3 mm Hg.
          Therefore, as long as the partial pressure of CO2 in the air that we breathe in is less than 45 mmHg, the human body will be able to clear out the cell-produced CO2. By the way, when people suffer serious brain damage which affects breathing, the function of those machines that maintain the life is to bring in the oxygen and make sure that all the CO2 is cleared from the blood stream.
          The number to watch for is 45 mm Hg of CO2 in the air, or 6% or 60,000 PPM – that is the concentration of CO2 that needs to be reached for the humankind to become extinct. If my math is serving me right, if we divide 60,000 PPM with 400 PPM we get the ‘kill factor’ for CO2: 150.
          In other words, the concentration of CO2 needs to increase 150-fold for the CO2 to become toxic.
          Bearing in mind that all those mathematicians and paleo-something scientists do not have a clue about the real capacity of the CO2 sinks, like the water and the biomass (more about it in the next report) I reckon that we are perfectly safe for a long, long time and should celebrate CO2 as a gas of life. If it was not for CO2, we would not be discussing it today.

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          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            CO2 is an asphyxiant gas and not classified as toxic or harmful in accordance with Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals standards of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe by using the OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals. In concentrations up to 1% (10,000 ppm), it will make some people feel drowsy and give the lungs a stuffy feeling.[115] Concentrations of 7% to 10% (70,000 to 100,000 ppm) may cause suffocation, even in the presence of sufficient oxygen, manifesting as dizziness, headache, visual and hearing dysfunction, and unconsciousness within a few minutes to an hour.[117] The physiological effects of acute carbon dioxide exposure are grouped together under the term hypercapnia, a subset of asphyxiation. Also the Lake Nyos disaster shows how deadly this gas really is.

            C02 gas exchange from lungs to the atmosphere will not occur at 10% – you will suffocate very quickly.

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            • #
              AndyG55

              Your IGNORANCE is becoming legendary Pfz. !!

              When does anonethink o that CO2 levels will reach 10%.

              1%, probably never again..

              even 0.1% is probably beyond possible levels (unfortunately).

              When you cut/paste nonsense, which is all you seem capable of, then NONSENSE is what you produce. It is your meme.

              CO2 at any realistic concentration is NOTHING BUT BENEFICIAL.

              There is NO REAL EVIDENCE of warming by enhanced atmospheric CO2.

              CO2 at trace levels, is actually a bronchial dilator, which is why raised CO2, as in from a paper bag, can help asthma sufferers.

              Remain IGNORANT Ptz. Its your natural state.

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              • #
                Kinky Keith

                Ducks don’t have paper bags so they just tuck their heads under a wing to help them get to sleep.

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              • #
                Peter Fitzroy

                Lake Nyos shows that C02 will kill. The original point was that a statement “harmless gas of life, CO2” was challenged by my statement about being in a room with 10% C02. My $1000.00 is safe. Veering off into average environmental values for C02 is just a red herring.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                Lake Nyos was a very much odd and unusual occurrence.

                Do you DENY that under any NORMAL level of atmospheric CO2 that is ever likely to occur, that atmospheric CO2 is TOTALLY and ABSOLKUTELY BENEFICIAL TO ALL LIFE ON EARTH?

                Do you DENY.. the REALITY of LIFE !!!

                CO2 at any realistic concentration is NOTHING BUT BENEFICIAL.

                There is NO REAL EVIDENCE of warming by enhanced atmospheric CO2

                EMPTY Futz is all you have.

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              • #
                sophocles

                Oi: get your facts right, Mr Fitzroy: CO2 is a trace gas at around 0.04%, or c. 400 ppmv in the atmosphere.

                According to NASA, the gases in Earth’s atmosphere include:

                Nitrogen — 78 percent
                Oxygen — 21 percent
                Argon — 0.93 percent

                Carbon dioxide — 0.04 percent
                Trace amounts of neon, helium, methane (0.001% or 1000parts per billion to make it sound scary and big) , krypton and hydrogen, as well as water vapor. In the tropics, water vapour routinely is c. 4%.

                At 0.04%, CO2 is a Trace Gas and can be ignored as having no effect. The plants we eat and all the others in the world would much rather CO2 concentration was at or around 900ppmv. That is the level they evolved for and they wouldn’t be struggling so hard if it were that high.

                NASA routinely runs it’s spacecraft with about 5000ppmv (5%) of CO2 and the USNavy at 5000ppmv-10000ppmv (10%) You never saw the astronauts “going to sleep at the wheel” and the Navy’s submarines are still magnificently effective weapons of war, although one did drive into a submarine volcano sea mount back in 2005, killing one sailor. (The USS San Francisco). The chart they were using didn’t show the sea mount so it wasn’t CO2’s fault. Fortunately, it didn’t sink. If you think 10% CO2 will kill you, then don’t volunteer for the submarine service. Don’t go to any concerts. All those people packed into a concert hall routinely raise CO2 levels to around 10% or 10000ppmv. Both organisations have tested to CO2 levels well beyond those, with no ill effects measured.

                Lake Nyos’s little disaster was when the normal atmosphere was replaced by a huge and sudden release of CO2. That will happen when sufficiently large quanitites of CO2 are released suddenly as it was then. No animal life survives 100% CO2. It wasn’t too much CO2 which killed but not enough oxygen.

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              • #
                Bobl

                Sophocles,

                10000 ppm is 10000/1000000 = 0.01 or 1%.

                00

              • #
                Sceptical Sam

                My $1000.00 is safe.

                Matey, you didn’t even get that right.

                Your thousand dollars is very much at risk.

                You’ve said nothing about coming out alive, or taking in a respirator.

                You really do need to think your simplistic nonsense through a little more.

                Your naivety and gullibility will eventually cost you a great deal of money – if it hasn’t already.

                30

            • #
              Kinky Keith

              Lake Nyos, keep away from volcanoes and their venting systems.

              100

              • #
                Serp

                … not to mention the imagined reservoirs in which carbon dioxide is sequestered should such a lunatic scheme as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) ever be implemented.

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              • #
                Kinky Keith

                Serp, CCS is the ultimate in Political Science.

                40

            • #
              RB.

              Concentrations of fatal cases of carbon dioxide vary between 14.1 and 26% CO2 and an accompanying O2 level between 4.2 and 25%

              I would most likely be alive at 10% for half an hour, as long as O2 was high, but I don’t need the $1000 that badly. That same paper looks at CO2 and oxygen mixtures on dogs with 30%+ CO2. That’s when they die within minutes.

              40

        • #
          robert rosicka

          Why would you pick 10% ? , current readings have it at .04% and of that only a very tiny fraction is due to my SUV and love of coal fired power .

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          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            10% of the allegedly harmless C02 is less than half the normal percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere, and it will kill you. I would also not that the 100% oxygen for a few minutes is survivable, but you would be quite sick. Science indeed

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            • #
              AndyG55

              Current atmospheric level of CO2 is 0.04%

              Get back to us when it becomes ANYTHING but TOTALLY BENEFICIAL.

              Until then you should keep searching for that empirical evidence of warming by that trace level of BENEFICAL PLANT LIFE CO2

              So far.. you have been TOTALLY EMPTY.

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            • #
              Kinky Keith

              Rubbish.

              Warmist Verbiage, that’s not science.

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              • #
                PeterFitzroy

                10% C02 at standard pressure and temperature will kill you. See above.

                Stop wandering off into the weeds.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                “Stop wandering off into the weeds.”

                Says Futz, from his little hallucinogenic stupid.

                Let’s get back to REALITY of atmospheric CO2 levels. !!

                ONLY TOTALLY AND ABSOLUTELY BENEFICIAL.

                No evidence of any issues at any level it can ever attain.

                41

            • #
              sophocles

              10% of the allegedly harmless C02 is less than half the normal percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere, and it will kill you.

              That’s rubbish. I take it from that garbled writing that you are trying to say that CO2 concentration at 10% of the normal oxygen concentration [of 21%] is enough to kill. That’s BS. Both Nasa and the US Navy have tested atmospheres at considerably higher levels than 10,000 ppmv with no loss of life nor any other detectable delitarious effects at the time on personnel. For safety, the Navy’s maximum value was set at 10,000ppmv for many years. It may be for fire safety—combustables combust less vigorously with more CO2 in the air.

              If you readthis article you will see the Navy and NASA now use 7000ppmv (0.7%) as their regular ship board atmosphere for tasks and missions of three months duration and are looking at reducing it more. That’s research for you. Run at a higher level, see what happens, then adjust. It all depends on sensitivity and accuracy of measuring equipment and the equipment and tasks required of the crew. More computerised equipment means more monitoring, testing and reviewing. More shipboard equipment requiring more accurate and faster crew engagement also means monitoring of onboard CO2 levels and experimenting.

              I would be interested to see your references for your … ah … surprising claims.

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              • #
                Kinky Keith

                The 10% figure is just a “what if” thing, it has no relationship to any real world issue.

                There’s absolutely no likelihood of atmospheric CO2 levels reaching his 100,000 ppm.

                To get that, the oceans would need to have a substantial temperature increase.

                KK

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              • #
                AndyG55

                “To get that, the oceans would need to have a substantial temperature increase.”

                Far more than the 0.08ºC in the whole of ocean 0-2000m that maybe has occurred in the last 60 years (according to NASA modelling)??

                40

            • #
              Bobl

              Yes, so what, less than about 180PPM CO2 and all life would be extinct,famine would hit at about 350 ppm (yes 350.org is promoting CO2 levels that would deliver a world wide famine) do you reckon 400ppm is closer to 180ppm or 100000ppm you are rabbiting on about, such a strawman.

              Research would suggest that optimal CO2 levels are around 1500-4000 ppm where plant productivity peaks. That’s THREE to TEN times what we have today. Levels like that would protect us from the very real existential threat of too low CO2 which almost caught us out over the last few million years.

              10

          • #
            AndyG55

            “Why would you pick 10% ?”

            Because Futz lives in an imaginary world, where atmospheric CO2 concentration is HUGE, and plant don’t use CO2 for growth.

            His whole AGW meme/mantra is based on fetid impure IMAGINATION, unsupported by any empirical scientific observations of any sort.

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        • #
          Kinky Keith

          Science Free Mr Fitzroy.

          How about you spend a few minutes in a room with 100% oxygen?

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          • #
            Peter Fitzroy

            nope, will you accept that C)2 is not harmless?

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            • #
              Kinky Keith

              More people have died from inhalation of oxygen, diving accidents, than from CO2.

              You take out too much CO2 from the bloodstream with excess oxygen via alkaloids.

              There must always be a bare minimum of CO2 in the bloodstream, otherwise you die.

              CO2 or any gas in excess will cause suffocation, not a very scientific argument.

              KK

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            • #
              Reed Coray

              Peter, Everything is harmful under certain conditions. For example, 10,000 pounds of any substance you can name sitting on your chest will keep you from breathing and is therefore harmful. Such a way of thinking renders any discussion of what is and what is not harmful, meaningless.

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            • #
              el gordo

              Yes sir … oxygen kills.

              ‘Contrary to popular myth, hyperventilating air at ordinary pressures never causes oxygen toxicity (the dizziness is due to CO2 levels dropping too low), but breathing oxygen at pressures of 0.5 bar or more (roughly two and a half times normal) for more than 16 hours can lead to irreversible lung damage and, eventually, death.’

              Science Focus (BBC)

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              • #
                Kinky Keith

                For elderly people near the end of life, higher intake of oxygen can be induced by a simple change in breathing pattern.
                Within a quarter hour the extra oxygen reduces bloodstream CO2 to dangerous levels.

                At a critical point of CO2 the brain can no longer detect the necessary CO2 signal breathing stops.

                KK

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            • #
              AndyG55

              “nope, will you accept that CO2 is not harmless?”

              At any possible atmospheric concentration , not only is it totally harmless, It is actually totally BENEFICIAL to all life on Earth..

              Even cockroaches are TOTALLY RELIANT on atmospheric CO2.. ye.. even you. !!

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            • #
              AndyG55

              “will you accept that CO2 is not harmless?”

              Will YOU accept that there is zero empirical evidence of warming by trace levels of atmospheric CO2, or any level, for that matter.

              So far, you have been totally INCAPABLE of producing one tiny bit of real evidence,.. EMPTY

              Now you can also show us evidence that CO2 is harmful at any possible atmospheric concentration.

              We know it has HUGE BENEFITS for plant life, hence ALL nature, but you have submitted zero evidence of any harm.

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              • #
                Peter Fitzroy

                you keep making the statement, you dismiss the papers I posted, and yet you have nothing but this assertion. How about you provide some evidence?

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              • #
                AndyG55

                So still ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but an EMPTY MESS.

                You have not posted ANY papers that show empirically that atmospheric CO2 causes warming. NONE

                Your grasp of science is minimal at best.

                Poor futz. It is YOU that is providing the TOTAL LACK OF ANY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE of CO2 warming, by producing NOTHING !!!!

                I don’t need to do anything except laugh at your empty responses. 🙂

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            • #
              sophocles

              No. With adequate levels of O2 in the air, very high levels of CO2 can be accommodated without harm or even awareness of it. As I have said, full Concert halls with thousands of people exhaling up to 40.000 ppmv per person with each breath, can see CO2 levels in the hall easily exceed 10,000ppmv. I’ve not yet seen anyone die from it after attending six or so concerts per year for over 45 years …

              It might pay to repost your papers/sources/data again. I don’t remember seeing any.

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        • #

          In the pre-Archean around 4.3 billion years ago we have isotopes that’s show biogenic signatures (Jack Hills in WA rock of which I have and sometimes carry to talk to the other side about global warming). The co2 was off scale at least 10% and yet life started in these hostile conditions. This is the silver bullet for global arming that no one is aware off. This was first proposed by my professor of geology isome 20 years ago, Simon Wilde. Worth checking.
          Stromatolites evolved some 3.6 To 3.8 mln years ago. They are yet another silver bullet as co2 was around 5-10%( 50,000 to 100,000ppm). These algae are responsible for the formation of oxygen and now they are choking in their own product. People exhale some 35,000ppm of co2 and 2000ppm is the usual concentration during the meetings. Perhaps this is the reason why Paris and Katowice failed as all expell too much of gas bagging co2 and fall asleep?

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        • #
          Reed Coray

          I’ll take you up on your offer if and only if you first spend 30 minutes with your head completely immersed in a bucket of that evil-of-all-evils, water. To claim that CO2 is harmful because at atmospheric concentrations of 10% or higher human life cannot be sustained is such a perverse interpretation as to be almost unbelievable–ALMOST. Since plants need CO2 to survive, we’d all die if the atmosphere contained no CO2. So following your line of reasoning, atmospheric CO2 is both a requirement for life and a wicked evil. On that basis, to characterize atmospheric CO2 as being harmful to life is inane, and can be arrived at only by a fool– nasty note to follow.

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          • #
            Kinky Keith

            We breathe out just over 40,000 ppm CO2 so anything up to about that in the air we breathe isn’t going to be instantly lethal.

            Not for too long though.

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        • #
          me@home

          Peter, you win the prize for the stupidest comment of the year – well done!

          00

    • #
      Mark M

      Trump Annihilates Global Warming Advocates In 10 Seconds!

      . US leads all countries in reducing carbon (sic) emissions

      . Paris is burning because of 2015 climate treaty

      . “If I was in the Paris Accord, we would be paying trillions of dollars, trillions of dollars, for nothing, and I wouldn’t do that.”

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qE8a1peSHo

      > Donald Trump’s presidency hasn’t just led to the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris climate agreement.

      It has also halted the rest of the world’s efforts.

      Trump Has Officially Ruined Climate Change Diplomacy for Everyone
      The evidence is in: the Paris Agreement doesn’t work without the United States.

      https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/12/trump-has-officially-ruined-climate-change-diplomacy-for-everyone/

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    • #
      Yonniestone

      How many billions you ask?, how about we try trillions and this being from 2015, Climate Crisis, Inc. has become a $1.5 trillion industry

      The CFACT article breaks down the money as a business model which makes more sense as this climate Boondoggle has nothing to do whatsoever with protecting the environment.

      The day people realise the vast sums of wealth misdirected to the pockets of %^%$##@!@ while their loved ones, friends, acquaintances and fellow countrymen suffered or died from cancers, arthritis, spinal injuries, respiratory conditions, food allergies, substance abuse etc etc.. see the money that could’ve helped or even cured even one of those ailments was stolen through the actions of those they elected or their very own blind faith through a clever use of social engineering then that day will either be one of shame or anger.

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      • #
        Kinky Keith

        A good list of Opportunities Lost.

        So much needed research bypassed to open the coffers to the Elites.

        KK

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  • #
    AndyG55

    “10 of the worst climate-linked disasters in 2018 caused at least $A120.8 billion worth of damage,”

    And NOT ONE of these NATURAL weather disasters (that have happened throughout history) can be “scientifically” link to human release of CO2.

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    • #
      James Murphy

      You don’t have to be anti-science and functionally innumerate to work for a modern environmental organisation activist cult, but it helps.

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      • #
        Yonniestone

        You don’t need that at all James, I’ve heard plenty of times from the younger generations how ‘Summers are getting longer’ or ‘Natural disasters are increasing’ or ‘The ozone layer still hasn’t repaired’ or ‘The ice caps are melting’ without a single scrap of evidence when challenged to present one, and this being a time of the internet with access to a plethora of scientific information that would easily prove those statements wrong.

        Your’e correct on a modern environment activist cult but the work is not paid monetarily its emotionally and socially, with the decades of Marxist based conditioning through education and social engineering we now have a significant proportion of our young that will believe in a cause if everyone else does regardless of its absurdity of implications, this is getting into dangerous waters where the idea of liberty and democracy is concerned.

        Look at our last Victorian state election, the swings to Labor were so large my first thought was electoral vote fr#@d but then considered the demographics of the electorate and reasoned it wasn’t out of the realms of reality, and even if vote rigging was publicly exposed I honestly believe they wouldn’t care if the means justified the end.

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        • #
          a happy little debunker

          my first thought was electoral vote fr#@d … I honestly believe they wouldn’t care

          They didn’t!

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          • #
            Yonniestone

            Yep forgot to add that little episode and the 2014 state election where “supposed” CFA volunteers were at voting booths in uniform giving out Labor HTV cards, this happened where I voted and after confronting the participants and the electrol officer found out it wasn’t illegal but not seen as ethical, whatever the hell that means.

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            • #
              OriginalSteve

              My self made wealthy great aunt has rather unprintable thoughts about the attempted unionisation of the CFA. Unionization isnt about unions, its about controlling who gets thier houses protected….so the El Prez can let some peopkes pkaces burn down.

              As to ethics – the Left has none.

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              • #
                RB.

                Before someone screams “tinfoil hat!” there was such a threat made by a fireman to a shop owner at the previous election. An off the cuff remark by union members campaigning but highlighted that they are halfway to blacklisting shopkeepers who put campaign posters for the wrong political party in their shop window.

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        • #
          Tel

          At least with respect to the “Ozone Hole” it is being measured, if you trust NASA and their satellite images. For some reason they only provide a convenient summary for the Southern Hemisphere.

          https://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/statistics/annual_data.html

          The average area of “hole” has remained fairly close to constant for the past 30 years, so phasing out CFC’s has had no effect whatsoever. That area is of course controlled by the pattern of circumpolar winds and those are completely unrelated to CFC’s, so it’s hardly surprising that there was no effect.

          The media has largely forgotten about this, but if we ever see that area going down, Ahhh! Suddenly they will remember that all of our efforts were worth it.

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          • #
            sophocles

            Tel:
            The convenient summary for the Southern Hemisphere is because that’s where the ozone hole exists. There have been two occasions I know of that the Arctic has had an “ozone hole” and both times was when very low (c. -50°C ) temperatures occurred. The air temperatures under the Antarctic ozone “hole” are routinely below -50°C.

            NASA claim the “hole” was discovered in 1984. It wasn’t. It was known right back into the 1950s as the Antarctic Anomaly.

            If you can acquire a copy of Rogello A. Maduro and Ralf Schauerhammer’s book The holes in the ozone scare and read it, you will be wondering why the Ozone Scare sounds so familiar, like, just like the IPCC maunderings. It almost seems the Ozone Scare was a dummy run for CAGW, to see what rubbish the scientific community could get away with. With gobs of research funding available, anything is possible, humans being so conveniently corruptable.

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    James Murphy

    Call me cynical, but the estimation of damages, plus the estimation of GWP must have some pretty massive error bars… so aside from squinting a bit, looking at the data from the other side of the room, and maybe standing on one leg, how could anyone derive any meaningful data out of the pile?

    Somewhat like changes to a grossly oversimplified “global temperature” value…

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  • #

    Extreme weather driven by climate change hit every populated continent this year, the British relief organisation says, warning urgent action is needed to combat global warming.

    Or in layman’s terms, ‘Send Money’.

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    • #
      ivan

      Or in layman’s terms, ‘Send Money’.

      Which translates into real world terms ‘Our board of directors need a 200% pay rise and new exclusive offices.’

      90

    • #
      sophocles

      No amount of money will work. It’s the sun.

      From the literature (peer reviewed and published!):
      1. Li et al Plausible modulation of solar wind energy flux input on global tropical cyclone activity. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics 2018

      2. Elsner et al. Daily tropical cyclone intensity response to solar ultraviolet radiation. Geophysical Research Letters 2010

      3. Hodges et al. The sun hurricane connection. Diagnosing the solar impacts on hurricane frequency over the North Atlantic basin using a space time model. Natural Hazards 2014

      Those linking mankind’s “emissions” to so-called extreme weather—and Tropical cyclones in all shapes and forms from Hurricanes through Typhoons—are generally regarded as extreme as it comes—are literally stupid. By proclaiming their ignorance without consulting the scientific literature, they do themselves as well as everybody else no service at all. Their proclamations are the height of stupidity.

      They and the IPCC are at least 10 and in other areas at least 20 years out of date.

      90

      • #
        Graeme No.3

        sophocles:

        As the great switch from Coming Ice Age to Global Warming hapened in the late 1970’s you might say they are 40 years out of date.
        You can be sure that they’ve never heard of Jack Eddy.
        As for ignorant I was chipped in the comments in The Australian for not knowing that the atomic weight of carbon is 14. I still don’t know that.

        As for the general hysteria I say don’t lose hope. Much is propaganda to cover their losses. And while it is a faint hope for the coming year, there is always the hope that John Setka (the head of the CFMEU) will fall (or be pushed) from the top of a high rise construction and plummet 15+ stories and land on Bill Shorten.

        81

        • #
          Hivemind

          I had to look it up. The atomic number of carbon is 14; I found the weight in Wikipedia, which is still trustworthy for non-political matters:

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon

          “Standard atomic weight (Ar, standard) [12.0096, 12.0116] conventional: 12.011”

          20

          • #
            Serp

            ptable.com is a good place to go first.

            You’ll find that the atomic number, an integer, is the index of the element’s position in the periodic table which corresponds to the number of protons in its nucleus, which for Carbon is six.

            20

            • #
              Serp

              forgot to mark as link: ptable.com

              10

            • #
              sophocles

              Your definition of atomic number is correct, Serp. With 6 protons, to be electrically neutral, there are also 6 electrons present in 2 orbitals, one close to the nucleus with 2 electrons and the second and outer orbital containing the other 4 electrons. This structure enables Carbon’s valency to be commonly 4.

              Isotopes:
              Most common at c. 98.3% is carbon 12, where 12 is the atomic weight given by the nucleus being comprised of 6 protons and 6 neutrons. Carbon 13 is the next most common at about 1.6% with 6 protons and 7 neutrons. Carbon 14 is formed in the atmosphere by GCRs (Galactic Cosmic Rays) and other atomic reactions, such as nuclear explosions and is present in negligible and variable (eg half life) quantities.

              MAHAN, Bruce, H; “University Chemistry“. 1965, Addison Wesley Publishing Company (no ISBN given).

              20

        • #
          Graeme No.3

          The reference was to the atomic WEIGHT as the writer was referring to the percent carbon in carbon dioxide.

          20

  • #
    Mal

    The world population has increased dramatically over the last 50 years.
    Mo

    Stay in the 3rd world and china
    Many more like be in poverty and have no resources to deal with emergencies.

    In “smart” First World countries like America, environmentalists have ensured there is no forest management and they want to get back to nature.

    As usual, fake news.
    Take a number and spin it to try and make it seems impressive.

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  • #
    ivan

    Of course there is no actual physical proof that these ‘events’ were caused by the 0.5degree C rise in overall world temperature. After all the UN Church of Climatology (a CULT) only deals with unicorn farts and pixy dust driven models that bear absolutely no relation to the real world events.

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    • #
      sophocles

      Ivan, they are modelling an atmosphere, we just don’t where that atmosphere is. It’s certainly not the one we live in.

      40

  • #
    TdeF

    Extreme weather driven by climate change hit every populated continent this year, the British relief organisation says, warning urgent action is needed to combat global warming.

    “This report shows that for many people, climate change is having devastating impacts on their lives and livelihoods right now,” said Kat Kramer, who heads Christian Aid’s work on climate issues, in a statement on Thursday.


    Of course he did. That’s his job. Without Climate Change and Extreme events and Global Warming and Devastating Impacts, he would be out of work.

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    • #
      TdeF

      Elsewhere..

      Sea level rise is expected to exceed 40 centimetres if global warming is not limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. With the world’s urban population expected to grow to 59 per cent by 2030, city dwellers will become increasingly under threat.

      The report’s author, Dr Kat Kramer, Christian Aid’s Global Climate Lead, said: “Some of the world’s most famous cities are sinking under the waves as climate change drives up sea levels. We’re starting to see what happens when climate change acts as a threat-multiplier, compounding poor development decisions.

      140

      • #
        OriginalSteve

        I think were starting to see years of climate propaganda turning peopke into “stupid multipliers” more like……

        70

      • #
        TdeF

        Also I looked at those cities she alleges are going underwater right now. All were built at and below sea level in swamps. They have always had regular massive inundations. Jakarta, Bangkok, Dhaka, New Orleans. No news there. People have sat on the roof for centuries during the floods. Even Venice was built in the water on sandbars in a shallow lake. As for London, the daily tidal change there is an amazing 7 metres, so hardly any news. Still, it sounds like they need to either fix the problem or move, not change world CO2 levels. Dr. Kramer might look up the meaning of equilibrium.

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        • #
          TdeF

          There is always a good reason to build in a swamp. Firstly it is hard to be attacked over mud and water. The fishing is good. Sanitation too, in a way. The whole East coast of Japan is shallow for kilometers and people live over the water. Half of Bangladesh is less than 0.5metres out of the water. You would think they would notice the water rise first, but it’s business as usual in some of the world’s largest cities like Dhaka and Jakarta. I also question whether the alleged world figure of 0.5C actually applies in the tropics?

          Broome for example
          Relocation to Broome Airport
          (elevation 7m, 1.6km distance)
          1941-1970 (30 years) / min 21.2 / max 32.2
          1951-1980 (30 years) / min 21.2 / max 32.1
          1961-1990 (30 years) / min 21.1 / max 32.2
          1971-2000 (30 years) / min 21.2 / max 32.2

          1981-2010 (30 years)
          Average mean minimum 21.1
          Average mean maximum 32.2

          12 months December 2017 – November 2018
          Mean annual minimum 20.9
          Mean annual maximum 32.3

          BoM average means all available years
          Mean annual minimum 21.2
          Mean annual maximum 32.2

          Where’s this temperature change which is going to drown the tropical cities in her list?

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          • #
            Bill In Oz

            TdF, once the effect of the Urban Heat Island is removed, it’s the same story at Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills..Barely any change on the BOM’s own data..

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        • #
          Greg in NZ

          DMI’s 2018 summary of the Arctic and Greenland: “Unusual weather resulted in an atypical melting season in the Arctic – The 2017-18 season in the Arctic has once again been extraordinary. A cold summer with high levels of precipitation has benefitted the Ice Sheet, whilst glaciers have continued the development seen during the last six years in which they have more or less maintained their area.” [emphasis mine]. Whoops, observation trashes wild-eyed prophecy yet again –

          http://polarportal.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/polarportal-saesonrapport-2018-EN.pdf

          And talking of Jakarta, one of many cities built in a swamp – Norwegian photographer, Øystein Andersen, was on Java’s west coast photographing Anak Krakatau the evening of the landslide tsunami: before-and-after pics, and commentary, below –

          http://www.oysteinlundandersen.com/krakatau-volcano-witnessing-the-eruption-tsunami-22december2018/

          Lest we forget: 22 December was summer solstice + full moon + perigee (closest to Earth) = triple whammy syzygy. No wonder the planet was rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’ and creakin’ ‘n’ crackin’…

          60

          • #
            sophocles

            22 December was summer solstice + full moon + perigee (closest to Earth)

            <Pedantic:>
            Nope. You’re early: Perigee was: 24 Dec 10:48 p.m.(local or Auckland time) closest distance was: 361,061 km
            See 2018 apogee and perigee calendar
            biased in favour of Auckland.
            </Pedantic:>

            No argument with solstice or phase of moon. 🙂

            50

      • #
        Bobl

        Hmm a whole 40cm. That’s a sea wall just 3 150mm besser bricks high, Fee, well never have the technology to beat that!
        /sarc

        BTW my dog can build a pile that high in a few minutes, if just I could tell him where to dig, I could make a fortune.

        00

    • #
      sophocles

      Kramer is just showing off his ignorance and telling porkies. They’re not facts of any sort, not even fake. He’s Another One along with the IPCC (and 350.org) who is over a decade out of date.

      If there is a lack of aid money and funds to recover from any disaster is likely because of so much money which could have been used, being wasted on trying to contain a mere 1.5 ° C warming. The Holocene Optimum of over 5000 years ago was about 2-3 °C warmer than it is now and the globe didn’t melt then. Instead, the Sahara was green with hippopotami disporting themselves over north africa.
      Yes, it’s been cooling for at least that long.

      The east coast of the USA from south of NYC to Florida is slowly sinking ( = subsiding ) so seas appear to rise, from the glacial iso-static rebound of the northern land (from about NY City north). Everywhere else in the world, except for land on the edge of subduction zones, as are some islands in Fiji, where it is also sinking, sea level is rising at minimal rates up to about 1.8 mm p.a.

      60

  • #
    a happy little debunker

    Speaking of 0.1% or more precisely 0.125% is the amount of additional funding that Trump wants from the latest US funding bill that the Democrats will not pass.

    60

    • #
      Bobl

      And that would reduce the costs to the economy by at least 50b per annum, with that sort of IRR the investment is a no-brainer. Frankly a big part of our return to surplus has been due to the stemming of centrelink seekers.

      00

  • #
    TdeF

    Can anyone find this Dr Kat/Katherine Kramer? All I get is a Kenyan Farmer as International spokesman on Climate Change but Dr Kramer is not on their web site and is ‘Global’ spokesman/person/ze. The only Dr Katherine Kramer I can find is a veterinarian. You would think someone might quote their qualifications not their job.

    110

    • #
      Robber

      On LinkedIn: Kat (Watts) Kramer
      Law student, Independent Consultant, Climate and Energy
      London, United Kingdom.
      A law student, currently doing the conversion course with a view to practising in environmental law.
      An experienced policy expert with a solid understanding of politics and policy formation, having worked within the EU institutions, and for nearly a decade within the UN climate negotiations. Has additionally worked on UK energy policy, the SDGs and ICAO’s development of a market-based mechanism to limit greenhouse emissions from the sector. Adept at liaising and collaborating with people from around the world to be able to develop and provide sound policy and political ideas and advice. A clear and coherent communicator, able to tailor information and messaging to the audience. Has a broad knowledge base, having Master’s degrees in chemistry, environmental technology and a PhD in carbon forestry and biodiversity. Pursued languages and other knowledge through adult continuing education classes. Highly adaptable, enjoying taking on new ideas and areas of work, being able to assimilate information quickly.

      80

      • #
        TdeF

        Thanks. Great work.

        “PhD in carbon forestry and biodiversity”.

        What on earth is carbon forestry? There must be an engine for making up these names. Lizard sorting. Radar painting.

        We used to joke about PhDs in ice cream manufacture. I am amazed at the proliferation of PhDs which used to measure in the tens per year, now in the hundreds from a single institution. Everyone’s Dr. Dentists and veterinarians I can understand. PhDs in truck loading I cannot.

        So what part of carbon forestry and biodiversity allows this person to predict sea level rises with such certainty?
        Then a Masters in chemistry also environmental technology? Highly adaptable? Obviously.

        This is environmental activism on anything and everything. Dr TIm Flannery managed to avoid any mathematics, physics, chemistry, computing, statistics in his entire university life with a PhD on giant dead kangaroos. Clearly a candidate for Chief Climate Commissioner. What would a PhD in meteorology know?

        What is worrying is “worked on UK energy policy, the SDGs and ICAO’s development of a market-based mechanism to limit greenhouse emissions from the sector.” This is their equivalent to our improper RET law, how to corrupt the market so that the good reliable and adequate suppliers are forced out and their friends in the wind and solar industry make fortunes and the people suffer, especially the poor. So a new Christian approach perhaps, a form of ClimateAgeddon, the four horsemen of the Ecopolypse (James Delingpole).

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        • #
          OriginalSteve

          Carbon forestry is where you farm carbon dioxide maybe? All our modern society then could be CO2 forestry, also known as builing up modern society…

          30

      • #
        Mark D.

        Reads to me like she’s looking for work. I guess carbon forestry doesn’t pay very well.

        10

  • #
    Another Ian

    Maybe some hints on “how the work was done”

    ” The year began on a highbrow note as the University of Denver’s Professor Ryan Evely Gildersleeve informed the world that laziness is a “a political stance,” a way to “combat the neoliberal condition,” and a “tool for contributing to social justice.” Half-arsed incompetence is, we were assured, both radical and empowering. The professor also shared his belief that plastic is sentient.

    Inanimate objects also troubled Dr Jane Bone, a senior lecturer at Monash University, Melbourne, who specialises in “feminist post-structural perspectives” and the political implications of problematic furniture. Dr Bone’s research involves quite a lot of “embodied knowing,” i.e., visiting IKEA and sitting on chairs. Her work, she revealed, is “not necessarily logical.”

    Further feminist insights came via Phoebe Patey-Ferguson, whose feminist fight club is “a mode of resistance,” because the spectacle of unhappy ladies body-slamming each other and breaking each other’s ribs is an obvious way to “destroy the Conservative government” and “bring down the patriarchy.”

    That’s January. There’s another eleven months to get through.”

    http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/index.php/2018/12/28/the-year-reheated/

    20

  • #
    PeterS

    Given mankind’s contribution to climate changes is supposedly about 4% that means only 4% of the $100 billion ($4 billion) at most is in reality what we can mitigate. BTW the elephant in the room is still being ignored by the alarmists. Many hundreds of new coal fired power stations are being built over the foreseeable future. So on the one hand mankind is wasting hundreds of billions of dollars on mitigating climate change yet spending hundreds of billions of dollars building new coal fired power stations. Clearly those nations who are on the bandwagon of CAGW are doing so criminally and/or are insane.

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  • #
    el gordo

    The lack of serious US tornado influence in 2018 is all down to Trump and of course a blank sun is definitely his doing.

    https://4k4oijnpiu3l4c3h-zippykid.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/latest_512_HMIIC.jpg

    60

  • #
    Robber

    Oh no, $100 billion of climate caused losses globally in 2018, that means on a pro rata basis it cost Australians $320 million or $13 per head.
    Meanwhile I’m paying an extra $400 per year for “greener” electricity – and that hasn’t stopped climate change?

    110

  • #
    yarpos

    Extreme weather does tend to occur on every continent , every year. Those are what used to be called the seasons.

    Dont recall this perfectly benign world climate that they tell us was once normal. As they say on the quiz shows , that must have been before my time.

    100

  • #
    Neville

    This year will probably be the first year since 1950 that there have been NO violent ( top 2 CATS) tornadoes in the USA. Unbelievable but true.
    But we should wait until 1-1-2019 to be sure.
    Of course there has been a drop ( around the globe) of 97% fewer people killed by extreme weather events over the last 100 years.
    And over 5 billion more people are alive today than there were in 1918. Could we wish for better, safer, weather conditions? Just asking.
    But will they ever wake up?

    https://www.thegwpf.com/2018-will-be-the-first-year-with-no-violent-tornadoes-in-u-s/

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    • #
      el gordo

      ‘But will they ever wake up?’

      Yes, from a climatological point of view it indicates we are back in the early 1950s. This shouldn’t be too hard to sell.

      40

      • #
        Neville

        You may be right, but how do we connect with that organ between their ears?
        Religions are the devil to deal with and many a parent/ relative/friend have tried and failed to save a loved one from a cult.

        51

        • #
          el gordo

          Good humour is required, but because the women and children have been ‘weaponised’ it won’t be an easy task.

          May I suggest you move away from your lukewarm position and tell them CO2 doesn’t cause global warming and as a consequence global cooling has begun. That should get a few laughs, then when they get angry just tell them they are brainwashed cultural marxists.

          My preference is to stay mute and preserve the peace, and let nature do my talking.

          31

  • #
    Yonniestone

    Ok talking about Climate money this from the Heartland Institute October 2018 HOW AL GORE BUILT THE GLOBAL WARMING FR**D

    “When he ended his tenure as Vice President in 2001, his net worth was $2 million. By 2013, it exceeded $300 million.”

    Besides Maurice Strong one of the biggest public figures to profit and promote from the ruse?

    30

  • #
    John F. Hultquist

    Christians lie.
    Who knew?

    43

    • #
      Annie

      Correction…SOME Christians lie. We went off the ‘charity’ Christian Aid many years ago.
      Likewise Oxfam, Red Cross, WWF, Save the Children, Caritas, etc. etc.
      If you are looking for a charity that doesn’t waste your donations on expensive CEO’s and big expensive politicising advertisements, try Mercy Ships (as they are currently working).

      110

      • #
        Annie

        BTW, that red thumb wasn’t from me.

        30

        • #
          Annie

          Or, at least, I don’t remember giving it if it was! 🙂

          30

          • #
            Annie

            No, I didn’t. Need coffee…

            30

            • #
              Yonniestone

              Having a coffee now Annie with leftover Christmas shortbread biscuits 🙂

              How was your Christmas also?

              A work mate gave me a book on Ecclesiastes as a gift, an interesting read.

              60

              • #
                Annie

                Had coffee but no shortbread. Enjoyable Christmas with daughter and grandson. Spent most of the last few days dozing and grazing on various sites while awake, or trying to stay awake.
                One thought…to start a Climate Realist Network to counter the local shire one that is completely greenie orientated?

                60

              • #
                Annie

                How was your Christmas Yonnie?
                Ecclesiastes is an interesting book…I haven’t looked at it much lately so I might again now.
                I reread A Christmas Carol and have also dipped into a Christmas anthology by Elizabeth Goudge. (Also keep dipping into the Christmas edition of The Spectator).
                This made a good break from worrying about what utter rubbish is being spouted about the climate and the absolutely iniquitous behaviour of our supposed servants in government. I’m still stunned that the majority of the population don’t see what’s being said and done and sense the palpable falsity being exuded by so many of these politicians/world ‘leaders’.

                51

              • #
                Hivemind

                In Canberra, Coles is already selling hot cross buns (for Easter, for anybody that doesn’t know what they are)!

                20

              • #
                Yonniestone

                My Christmas was good, we overindulged on food and drink but had time to sleep it off, its a quiet affair here as its just the two of us but we appreciate the peace after the Christmas rush.

                The network is a good idea, using proactive methods to counter the ingrained Green system is the only way and use the internet while we can as the MSM has long been a lost cause, the network would have to be nation wide for any chance of change and it would be a struggle but remember big changes in nations have started with only a handful of people.

                30

              • #
                AndyG55

                “hot cross buns (for Easter…)”

                I always thought they were “for breakfast” 🙂

                10

              • #
                Another Ian

                Hivemind

                “In Canberra, Coles is already selling hot cross buns (for Easter, for anybody that doesn’t know what they are)!”

                Obviously the pre-staled kind?

                10

      • #
        Another Ian

        Try Robert Burns and “Holy Willie’s Prayer” for a bit of back-dating

        20

      • #
        John F. Hultquist

        Annie,

        Never intended to imply that all Christians lied. Nor that some don’t do good. This one, though (Christian Aid), is way off base with the climate disaster thing.

        About now we are getting tired of Christmas music, and tree shaped cookies.
        As for charities, we try to donate as directly as possible; local food bank, for example, and money for local student scholarships. Our utility has a program where we give a small amount for local folks to get help with electric bills.
        I was astounded at the salaries some of the big charities pay their top people. The Salvation Army seems to be a better choice, but not our choice.
        Back in the 1950s our parish priest would allow just two missionaries per year to speak to the congregation. These would move from one town to another for several months, then return to Africa or wherever with their loot. Africa seems to have gotten worse, not better during those 70 years. It is easy to become a cynic.

        But be of good cheer, and Happy New Year.

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        • #
          Annie

          OK…but it would have been good if you had been more specific to start with. As Christians, we are now so under attack, especially thanks to the wrong ‘uns re child abuse, that we all feel tarred by the same brush, which is grossly unfair. There are so many who are trying to lead a good and decent life but they are often ignored.
          If you mean ‘Christmas muzak’ as inflicted on us in so many places, I agree that a cessation can’t come too soon; I loathe it. However, I never tire of proper Christmas carols sung by a good cathedral choir.
          I gather that hot cross buns are already available in Aus. supermarkets…that sure tries my patience!
          The Salvos are still on our list as an acceptable charity, so long as they don’t keep wasting funds on mailouts; ditto Mercy Ships.
          Our Christmas tree stays up until we are good and ready to remove it; after all, we don’t put it up until very shortly before Christmas! The Christmas season technically lasts until 2nd of February. That’s my excuse anyway!

          30

          • #
            Yonniestone

            We do a yearly secret Santa in our area for those that are less fortunate, without giving too much away on the operation its just Mrs Yonnie and I but the recipients are selected through observations while going about our rounds 😉

            Its nothing special but a chance to make a direct difference without worrying about where your donation might go.

            40

        • #
          Hivemind

          “Africa seems to have gotten worse, not better during those 70 years”

          You should read his “Sanders of the River” series to see what Edgar Wallace thought of missionaries and their effect on the locals.

          20

  • #
    OriginalSteve

    Kind of reminds me when MacBeth goes to ask the witches about his future….

    Burnam Wood isnt far off coming to Klimate Dunsinane though….

    60

    • #
      Yonniestone

      The Scottish Play would be a great parody of the Climate Change thingy.

      ‘By the greening of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.’

      40

      • #
        OriginalSteve

        ” Out out, damned hockey stick….”

        Yea verily, tis a pity the climate malaise has thus festered so far, in body and spirit afflicted, we are…..

        Rauri – one for you…. slightly longer that normal, love to see what you will come up with if you were to adapt MacBeth with the same sharp wit, thus applied 🙂

        MacBeth, Act 5, Scene 1

        Doctor How came she by that light?

        Gentlewoman Why, it stood by her: she has light by her continually; ’tis her command.

        Doctor You see, her eyes are open.

        Gentlewoman Ay, but their sense is shut.

        Doctor What is it she does now? Look, how she rubs her hands. 30

        Gentlewoman It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thus washing her hands: I have known her continue in
        this a quarter of an hour.

        LADY MACBETH Yet here’s a spot.

        Doctor Hark! she speaks: I will set down what comes from
        her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly.

        LADY MACBETH Out, damned spot! out, I say!–One: two: why,
        then, ’tis time to do’t.–Hell is murky!–Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?–Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.

        Doctor Do you mark that?

        LADY MACBETH The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?– What, will these hands ne’er be clean?–No more o’
        that, my lord, no more o’ that: you mar all with this starting

        Doctor Go to, go to; you have known what you should not.

        Gentlewoman She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of
        that: heaven knows what she has known.

        LADY MACBETH Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!

        Doctor What a sigh is there! The heart is sorely charged.

        Gentlewoman I would not have such a heart in my bosom for the dignity of the whole body.

        Doctor Well, well, well,–

        Gentlewoman Pray God it be, sir.

        Doctor This disease is beyond my practise: yet I have known
        those which have walked in their sleep who have died holily in their beds.

        LADY MACBETH Wash your hands, put on your nightgown; look not so
        pale.–I tell you yet again, Banquo’s buried; he
        cannot come out on’s grave.

        Doctor Even so?

        LADY MACBETH To bed, to bed! there’s knocking at the gate: come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s
        done cannot be undone.–To bed, to bed, to bed!

        [Exit]

        Doctor Will she go now to bed?

        Gentlewoman Directly.

        Doctor Foul whisperings are abroad: unnatural deeds Do breed unnatural troubles: infected minds To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets:
        More needs she the divine than the physician.

        God, God forgive us all! Look after her;
        Remove from her the means of all annoyance,
        And still keep eyes upon her. So, good night:
        My mind she has mated, and amazed my sight.
        I think, but dare not speak.

        Gentlewoman Good night, good doctor.
        [Exeunt]

        30

  • #
    Dennis

    2/10/2015 Economic Systems: The alarmists keep telling us their concern about global warming is all about man’s stewardship of the environment. But we know that’s not true. A United Nations official has now confirmed this. At a news conference last week in Brussels, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of U.N.’s Framework Convention on Climate Change, admitted that the goal of environmental activists is not to save the world from ecological calamity but to destroy capitalism. “This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time, to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the Industrial Revolution,” she said. Referring to a new international treaty environmentalists hope will be adopted at the Paris climate change conference later this year, she added: “This is probably the most difficult task we have ever given ourselves, which is to intentionally transform the economic development model for the first time in human history.” The only economic model in the last 150 years that has ever worked at all is capitalism. The evidence is prima facie: From a feudal order that lasted a thousand years, produced zero growth and kept workdays long and lifespans short, the countries that have embraced free-market capitalism have enjoyed a system in which output has increased 70-fold, work days have been halved and lifespans doubled.

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    • #
      David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

      Thanks Dennis,
      For a while I thought your repetition of this was superfluous. Now I think it’s a useful reminder to us all, and probably new to recent joiners to Jo’s followers.
      Cheers,
      Dave B

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  • #
    John in Oz

    Michael was the strongest storm to hit the continental United States since 1969, and killed 45 people in the US and at least 13 in Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

    I’ll cover your small number of weather-related deaths and raise you one of many serious, IMMEDIATE issues that the waste of money on renewables and FUTURE CAGW fear-mongering could address NOW:

    The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that about 815 million people of the 7.6 billion people in the world, or 10.7%, were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2016.

    40

    • #
      sophocles

      … and between now and 2050 and beyond, that number will probably rise. Nobody seems to be taking any action at all to secure their national food supplies against the coming cold. Instead they’re still wasting their efforts on perceived warming. Idiots. That finished years ago.

      50

      • #
        el gordo

        There is a belief amongst the denialati that the Modern Grand Maximum of solar activity ended in 2008 and now we are searching for proof of global cooling.

        30

    • #
      Bobl

      And food production is underpinned by CO2 levels, a 2ppm fall in CO2 gives rise to 1% loss of production so getting back to say 385ppm would result in 10% production loss and that malnutrition number doubles.

      This is how the carbon (dioxide) cult is evil!

      10

  • #
    David Maddison

    It’s sort of true in a way but not due to supposed anthropogenic global warming (AGW).

    The attempt to terraform the planet via CO2 reduction based on the invalid hypothesis of AGW is possibly the single deliberate most destructive economic act mankind has ever committed apart from communism in its various forms.

    It is also stifling economic development in Africa where the world bank won’t lend money for proper power generation but will only lend money for the intermittents.

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    • #
      Yonniestone

      Yes the other side of the coin where reality bites the most vulnerable, this while “woke” people in 1st world countries throw tantrums if people don’t address their current gender correctly.

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  • #
    pat

    “10 of the worst climate-linked disasters in 2018 caused at least $A120.8 billion worth of damage, says a study released by the charity Christian Aid.”

    yesterday, it was only $AUD72 billion!

    27 Dec: UK Express: Climate disasters’ cost £40bn, says Christian Aid
    CLIMATE change has fuelled 10 disasters causing damage of at least £40billion in the past 12 months, say experts.
    By John Ingham
    Climate expert Dr Kat Kramer, of Christian Aid, said: “This report shows that for many people, climate change is having devastating impacts on their lives and livelihoods right now…

    Dr Michael Mann, from Penn State University in the US, said: “The world’s weather is becoming more extreme before our eyes. The only thing that can stop this destructive trend from escalating is a rapid fall in carbon emissions.”…
    https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1064225/environment-climate-change-cost-40bn-2018-christian-aid

    10

    • #
      Another Ian

      Pat

      “yesterday, it was only $AUD72 billion!”

      You’re not allowing for inflation!

      Actually it sounds like being a project application referee back in BC in the “week that was dryland salinity flavoured” and comparing the different values quoted for area affected.

      20

    • #
      Phoenix44

      Yet every single “disaster” happened before and to the same extent.

      At best you can assign only part if the figure to climate change – 10% say because it seems climate change made a hurricane a bit more powerful. To claim the whole figure is utterly dishonest.

      10

      • #
        Bobl

        Besides, the claim of doubling rainfall implies a doubling of evaporation. That absorbs sufficient energy to absorb all AGW for months. The ignorance of the law of conservation of energy is staggering.

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  • #
    pat

    this appears to be the Kat Kramer in question, tho the page doesn’t appear to be updated since 2016. check the following section (expand for all & note Kat was looking for work)

    Kat Kramer’s Posts & Activity

    LinkedIn: Kat Kramer
    Law student, Independent Consultant, Climate and Energy
    London, United Kingdom Government Relations
    https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kat-kramer-ba566660

    Kat’s time with Christian Aid appears to be short-lived (can’t find anything before 2018) but she did attend World Bank meeting:

    28 Aug: BrettonWoodsProject: MINUTES: UK civil society meeting with UK World Bank Executive Director Melanie Robinson
    Participants list (includes – READ THEM ALL)
    Kat Kramer, Christian Aid
    Questions:
    Kat Kramer: on HCI (Human Capital Index) – are climate change and “just transition” policies linked to this?…
    https://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/2018/08/uk-civil-society-meeting-uk-world-bank-executive-director-melanie-robinson-4/

    10

  • #
    pat

    7 Dec: IndependentCatholicNews: Natural solutions for climate change a better bet than sci-fi schemes says Christian Aid report
    Source: Christian Aid
    Following calls this week from Japanese businesses for their country to set a net-zero emissions target by 2050, and the UK government seeking formal advice on its own net-zero target, Christian Aid has released a report examining the various options for creating negative emissions…

    Report author Dr Kat Kramer, Christian Aid’s global climate lead, said: “The move to a net zero world by 2050 is gaining momentum as we realise how vital it is to limit global warming to 1.5C…
    The full report can be accessed here (LINK 6 pages, no credit for Kramer)
    https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/36142

    Christian Aid sent out the quotes by Mann, etc:

    27 Dec: IndependentCatholicNews: New Christian Aid report: World counts cost of a year of climate breakdown
    Source: Christian Aid
    Dr Kat Kramer, Christian Aid’s Global Climate Lead, said…
    Dr Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Centre for Climate Change & Development (ICCCAD), Bangladesh, said…
    Dr Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Penn State University, said…

    Dr Kevin Trenberth, Distinguished Senior Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said: “The year has once again featured extremes of weather made worse by human-induced climate change, with major consequences, costs, and human suffering. It is a global problem, shared among all peoples of the world, and US leadership is wonting. Let’s make the planet cool again!”…
    Counting the Cost: a year of climate breakdown is published by Christian Aid on 27 December.
    Read the report here (LINK 14 pages)
    https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/36252

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  • #
    John F. Hultquist

    Christians lied.
    Who knew?

    24

    • #
      Annie

      You have had a red thumb from me this time. Your statement is far too sweeping…by no means do all Christians lie, although, unfortunately and disappointingly, some do.

      50

      • #
        John F. Hultquist

        Did not mean to post twice. Something got lost.
        See my comment to your first reply to me. Thanks.

        30

        • #
          Annie

          I have seen it and replied John…see above. And added a balancing green thumb. 🙂
          BTW…I have often enjoyed your posts both here and on other sites…it’s unusual, to say the least, to have found myself disagreeing with you.

          10

          • #
            Yonniestone

            Without conflict there can be no progress. Galileo.

            and for Annie,

            Hold fast to the Bible.
            To the influence of this Book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization and to this we must look as our guide in the future.
            Ulysses S. Grant

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      • #
        ivan

        A certain T Blair surely did

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  • #
    Ruairi

    The man-made climate-change faction,
    Are alarmed to spend billions for action,
    To change Earth’s atmosphere,
    Which to skeptics is clear,
    Would be fine if just left to inaction.

    40

  • #
    TdeF

    You rarely see such extremes, from Breitbart news..

    “2018 First Year Ever with No Violent Tornadoes in the United States”

    Oh, the inhumanity. No tornadoes at all. Climate Change at its worst.

    60

  • #
    pat

    Guardian cares about the costs of CAGW policies! lol:

    28 Dec: Guardian: UK hit by 57 energy price rises in 2018 as cap looms
    This year is worst for number of increases, with average of £74 added to annual dual fuel bills
    by Adam Vaughan
    Some of the challenger firms upped tariffs as many as three times across the year and several of the big six that dominate the market raised them twice. Altogether, an average of £74 was added to annual dual fuel bills.

    The worst offender was Economy Energy, which hit its 250,000 customers with a 38% price rise in October, equivalent to a £311 increase.
    The firm recently reassured households it was trading normally after it missed a deadline for paying renewable energy subsidies, which is usually a sign a firm is struggling. Eight suppliers have collapsed this year…

    Gas prices, which usually decline in summer as demand goes down, continued to rise across the summer as companies bought supplies to replenish storage facilities run down by the cold snap at the end of last winter. The price of carbon in the EU, which feeds through to energy costs, has also been high because of anticipated carbon trading reforms taking effect in January…
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/dec/28/uk-hit-by-57-energy-price-rises-in-2018-as-cap-looms

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  • #
    pat

    27 Dec: TheNationalScotland: Warning over climate change threat to Scotland’s farmers
    By Greg Russell
    WWF Scotland said 2018 has been a year of extremes, with the Beast from the East delaying spring and an unusually hot and dry summer bringing multiple challenges to our food producers…

    Production of winter barley was down 24% and spring barley, the main ingredient in whisky, fell by 6%. The yield of wheat also dropped by 16%…
    WWF said hill farmers also suffered, as the combination of the unusually long winter and dry summer affected the availability of fodder, and led to a spike in sheep losses…

    “The temperature extremes experienced this year, from the Beast from the East to the prolonged hot, dry summer have had a major impact on farmers and on the food we can buy and eat…
    https://www.thenational.scot/news/17320572.warning-over-climate-change-threat-to-scotlands-farmers/

    blame the Beast from the East, and drop the references to the so-called hot summer, WWF.

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    • #
      Greg in NZ

      Pat, they’re one-eyed fanatics on a one-way road to [pay day]. From pro-alarmist NIWA, via pro-alarmist RadioNZ – “Cookin’ across the South Island today ♨️ Balclutha reached 29.6°C, good for the 5th warmest December temperature on record in the town.” Not the warmest EVAH!!!? Only the 5th?

      https://mobile.twitter.com/NiwaWeather/status/1078868001120673792/photo/1

      And a state-sponsored radio news reader, fighting back laughter in a Monty Pythonesque manner, had to say ‘sweltering on 26 degrees’. The what!? [I’ve worked outside in Kalgoorlie in 42˚C so 26˚ is a breeze]. Nary a mention this month of the 3 snowfalls we had this month, the 3 in Snovember, the 3 in October… it’s all about repeating ad infinitum the “unusually hot and dry summer” blah blah. [When I was a nipper, my mum would tell me she couldn’t wait to ‘pop me out’ when pregnant with me as that summer was a “sweltering heatwave” and it was “hot as Hades” and that was in the early ’60s. We obviously had blocking highs and warm NW winds coming off Australia’s desert even back then. Who’oda thunk it!]

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      • #
        Bobl

        I suggest those network weather people spend a week at marble bar in summer. 26 a heatwave? You’ve got to be kidding.

        00

        • #
          Greg in NZ

          Bobl, one of those ‘network weather people’, who is a radio d.j. / TV actor (presenter) / regular glossy girly mag cover boy, as well as someone who bats for his own team, referred to it as Marble Bay the other day. Bwah! News you can trust™ by professional actors who haven’t a clue about a) weather b) geography c) anything relevant beyond their pampered ‘happy’ lifestyle world. Then again, s/he hails from a town called… Gore. Say no more.

          00

  • #
    Another Ian

    Somewhat O/T

    For anyone affected by “sea level rise” on the NSW coast

    “Curry’s sea-level rise study disputes climate-disaster predictions – In many cases, ‘half of the sea-level rise is really from land sinking’”

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2018/12/28/currys-sea-level-rise-study-disputes-climate-disaster-predictions-in-many-cases-half-of-the-sea-level-rise-is-really-from-land-sinking/

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    • #
      David Maddison

      It’s amazing how nowadays so much of natural land subsidence is interpreted as supposed sea level rise.

      41

  • #
  • #
    Peter C

    Some Good News – Adani Fights Back
    https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/adani-to-make-indigenous-opponent-pay/ar-BBRy01Y?ocid=spartanntp

    Mining giant Adani expects an indigenous traditional owner opposed to their controversial Queensland coal mine to pay more than $600,000 in legal costs.
    Adani has filed a petition in the Federal Court seeking an order to bankrupt Wangan and Jagalingou man Adrian Burragubba after his numerous failed court actions to stop the $16.5 billion project in the Galilee Basin.
    “Activists should be held to account. They are not above the law,” the company said in a statement on Saturday.

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    • #
      Serp

      Crowd funding to his rescue for sure.

      20

      • #
        Peter C

        Crowd funding to his rescue for sure.

        I hope that he does Crowd funding. They should loose their money!

        The courts have already decided in favour of Adani. So costs are usually given to the winner of the case.

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  • #
    philthegeek

    Hey eg if you are around??

    Looks like Albo Made a Speech. 🙂

    But possibly something you have an interest in??

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/29/labor-rebuffs-elon-musks-hypothetical-hyperloop-to-solve-australias-transport-woes

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    • #
      Peter C

      Ok,

      But what does Albo mean? And will it become Labor policy?

      31

      • #
        AndyG55

        “But what does Albo mean?”

        Not much use asking Albo, pretty sure he hasn’t a clue what he means. !!

        52

      • #
        philthegeek

        But what does Albo mean? And will it become Labor policy?

        “My view is we need to advance that project, which is why I have a private member’s bill to create a high-speed rail authority before the parliament.”

        I’d take it that if that bill passes the establishment of a body to do planning on route and tech options to work it up as a proper infrastructure proposal rather than the pie in the sky nebulous politician brain fart stuff at election time done to date.

        41

        • #
          Peter C

          I think that you have defined Albo’s thinking:

          pie in the sky nebulous politician brain fart stuff at election time

          51

    • #
      AndyG55

      Maybe even Labor aren’t DUMB enough to be CONNED into handing Elon Musk the keys to the federal treasury.

      Then and again, Albo was always the slightly less insane of the Labor top end.

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      • #
        el gordo

        Albo is obsessed with very fast trains and he is right to disregard the hyper loop .

        The thing is, no matter which party gains the Treasury Benches, a continental bullet train network is coming and should only take five years to build.

        And thanks for the update Phil.

        30

        • #
          Robert Swan

          I fear you might be right. On the plus side, they’ll either have to build new useful power stations or I’ll be looking forward to seeing trains “becalmed” on days when the windmills aren’t twirling.

          20

  • #
    pat

    very lengthy – read all:

    28 Dec: AFR: Chanticleern (Tony Boyd): Changes in China’s bank capital will profoundly change green finance
    When Ma Jun, a member of the monetary policy committee of China’s central bank, put forward a radical idea in October this year to halve the amount of capital held on bank balance sheets against green loans there was barely a ripple of international interest.
    But global experts in the field of green finance tell Chanticleer that if Ma’s proposal is adopted it would have a profound effect on the global financial system. China could move unilaterally on capital concessions for green loans and this would affect other countries because its banks are among the largest in the world and it is home to the world’s second largest green bond market…

    Ma’s idea about changing the capital risk weighting for green finance is not new. Chanticleer understands it was raised about six years ago by legendary Australian investment banker Mark Burrows in several international forums when he was a senior adviser to the United Nations Environment Program…
    Burrows is now a senior adviser to Macquarie Group, which owns the world’s largest dedicated green finance lender, the London-based Green Investment Group…

    In Australia, there is early evidence to support the work done in China showing a positive correlation between green lending and loan performance…
    It would seem the global surge in demand for wind and solar power is not only driving a revolution in green finance in China; it is also driving a dramatic change in the structure of Australia’s national energy market.
    In a report published just before Christmas, the Energy Security Board, which is chaired by Kerry Schott, said that Australia is likely to lead the world in renewable energy by 2050…
    Already in South Australia, there is the second highest level of wind and solar energy in the world after Denmark. The Energy Security Board report said Australia’s renewable energy will be 40 per cent of total generation by 2050.
    https://www.afr.com/brand/chanticleer/changes-in-chinas-bank-capital-will-profoundly-change-green-finance-20181227-h19hng

    20

  • #
    pat

    links to study:

    28 Dec: NewBostonPost: US-China Researchers Claim Wind Speeds, And Wind Power-Generation Potential, Have Declined
    Researchers in China and the United States have found evidence that wind speeds, and the potential power generation such speeds allow, have been decreasing in the Northern Hemisphere since 1979. The findings are published in the January 2019 edition of Energy (LINK)…

    Using data collected from 1979 to 2016 and gathered from “over 1000 weather stations worldwide,” the study claims that “surface wind speeds were decreasing in the past four decades over most regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe and Asia.”

    The report further states that the decline in wind speeds is not only at the surface.
    “In conjunction with decreasing surface wind speeds, the wind power potential at the typical height of a commercial wind turbine was also declining over the past decades for most regions in the Northern Hemisphere. Approximately 30%, 50% and 80% of the stations lost over 30% of the wind power potential since 1979 in North America, Europe and Asia, respectively,” the report said…
    https://newbostonpost.com/around-the-web/us-china-researchers-claim-wind-speeds-and-wind-power-generation-potential-have-declined/

    1 Dec: Phys.org: Green finance blooms as investors look beyond profits
    by Angélina Boulesteix
    “Green bond issuance in 2018 so far have reached $156.8 billion, which is around two percent of the global bond market,” said Frederic Gabizon, head of Debt Capital Markets at HSBC France.
    “This may seem marginal, but growth has been exponential since the start,” he said, adding that investors needed to take the long view given the slow pace of green infrastructure growth…
    It is true that green investments rarely outperform traditional placements in terms of short-term yields, but modern investors seem to be taking a broader view than just monetary returns.

    ‘You can’t breathe’
    “We’re seeing a new young generation of savers coming through now, who want slightly different things,” said Rob Hardy, head of EMEA corporate governance at JPMorgan.
    “There is no point in earning a lot of money if you can’t breathe the air,” he said…
    https://phys.org/news/2018-12-green-blooms-investors-profits.html

    30

    • #
      pat

      29 Dec: EconomicTimesIndia: No land for wind projects as Solar Corporation of India demands financial closure
      By Kaavya Chandrasekaran
      BENGALURU: Wind energy developers who won projects in Gujarat are in a bind because they have been asked to achieve financial closure by January 3 but the state is not leasing them any land.
      The projects were won by companies in Solar Corporation of India’s (SECI) auction of 2,000 MW of projects in April this year. SECI has now asked for quick financial closure.
      This is impossible, the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) and the Wind Independent Power Producers Association (WIPPA) have together written to the minister for new and renewable energy (MNRE) R K Singh and sought a meeting with him.
      SECI has threatened to invoke the developers’ bank guarantees if the deadline is not met…

      “The project developers were given to understand that the state government has taken a call not to provide land in Gujarat for projects that have executed PPAs with SECI,” the joint letter says.
      With a scarcity of sites that have adequate wind speed in Gujarat, the state government decided some months ago that it will lease land solely for projects supplying power to its own utility, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd, and not for central projects, whose power can be supplied anywhere in the country through the interstate transmission system (ISTS).
      https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/no-land-for-wind-projects-as-solar-corporation-of-india-demands-financial-closure/articleshow/67295961.cms

      posting for the Polman mention:

      27 Dec: HarvardBusinessReview: The Story of Sustainability in 2018: “We Have About 12 Years Left”
      by Andrew Winston
      (Andrew Winston is the author, most recently, of The Big Pivot. He is also the co-author of the best-seller Green to Gold and the author of Green Recovery. He advises some of the world’s leading companies on how they can navigate and profit from environmental and social challenges)
      The world’s scientists sound a final alarm on climate
      We have about 12 years left…

      Entire towns are wiped off the map by extreme weather…
      Coral is dying, insects are disappearing, and the fate of major ecosystems looks dim…
      The U.S. environmental protection system continues being dismantled … from within…

      A prominent leader retires, but new leaders step up
      For nearly a decade, no business leader has done more to bring sustainability into the business mainstream than Paul Polman, Unilever’s outgoing CEO (Full disclosure: I’ve worked with Unilever)…But it wasn’t just talk. The company also grew throughout Polman’s tenure and the stock outperformed peers and the FTSE index. Luckily, there are other corporate leaders who are stepping up, including Danone’s Emmanuel Faber (see below for more)…
      https://hbr.org/2018/12/the-story-of-sustainability-in-2018-we-have-about-12-years-left

      20

  • #
    Phoenix44

    Yet spending far more than that in Green subsidies and taxes is not a disaster?

    50

  • #
    robert rosicka

    All that wind , solar , and battery power aren’t really doing much for South Australia right now but the coal fired extension plug is keeping the lights on .

    81

  • #
    Serp

    Now Don Harwin has trumped SA with his approval of Yarrabee Park solar farm near Narrandera; how can this be a billion dollars well spent?

    That large hail episode demonstrating the vulnerability of solar panels has been forgotten within a fortnight!

    Such politicians are no more than stooges of Big Money and no less than saboteurs of the national interest.

    It’s time we legislated against hare-brained renewable schemes after first repealing the RET.

    80

    • #

      When I read proposals like this written by a journalist, and read what he wrote, it’s just laughable, that a journalist can (a) be so clueless and (b) not even bother to check the truth.

      He still fails by referring only to the Nameplate.

      The actuality is that this 900MW Nameplate solar PV plant is effectively only a 180MW plant, when averaged across the full year.

      The total generated power delivered by this plant across a full year is delivered by Bayswater in 29 days of normal operation.

      And you must seriously wonder how they can write that a plant like this will cost ….. ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and then claim that renewables are cheaper than coal fired power.

      $1 Billion for 180MW.

      All you can do is shake your head. You wonder what’s going to happen to a journalist like this when the truth comes out and he has now gone to print ….. forever with what is so obviously incorrect on so many levels.

      And where he mentions this plant is more than half the closed Hazelwood total, (Nameplate again) this plant actually generates less power than just ONE of the now closed Hazelwood’s eight Units.

      Tony.

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      • #
        robert rosicka

        Tony , the journalists creed ! , never let the facts get in the way of a good story .

        30

      • #
        Serp

        On the ABC news the price is quoted at eight billion dollars!

        Of course if we kill the RET there’s no need to outlaw fanciful renewables projects as they’re financially viable solely on account of their “eligibility” under the RET.

        I note that Spooner on page 33 of his “What The Hell Was He Thinking?” book remarks: “Any attempt to reverse the RET scheme may now represent a sovereign risk to investment in Australia. A reformer will have to tread rather carefully.” Thank you Robert Hill and gang.

        20

      • #
        Robber

        Gotta love the hype in the caption to to the photo – “The new solar farm will produce enough energy for a city of one million people.” Article reports capital cost as $1 billion.
        So just 25 of these and Australia’s total electricity needs will be covered – for free! (sarc)
        The Yarrabee project website has some other facts:
        – “The first phase will have a capacity of 300MW” – to be followed by a second phase.
        – It will be located near Narrandera in the Riverina area of southern NSW.
        – “The Yarrabee project is designed to be up to 900MW(AC), which would make it one of the largest in the world”
        – “The construction is expected to extend over 2 years, producing an abundance of natural energy for 30 – 40 years with 15 – 25 permanent staff”.
        – “Energy Storage System and synchronous condensers” (no details provided)
        – “A new, 330kV high voltage electrical substation”
        – “Equivalent of up-to 540,000 cars removed from the roads” – wow, so it solves NSW traffic congestion as well!!
        – Decommissioning period 2051
        – Total Project Energy: up to 2,250 GWh (the AEMO grid generates about 22 GW on average, or about 193,000 GWhr per year, so this project will supply about 1% of demand)
        Let’s do some sums.
        If we take the first two phases providing 600 MW nameplate capacity x 25% capacity factor, that equals 1314 GWhr per year.
        Using the quoted 900 MW design number gives 1971 GWhr, fairly close to their stated 2250 GWhr per year, so possibly assumes a capacity factor of 28.5% (system includes single axis tracking system)
        Using 2250 GWhr per year, and a wholesale price of $80/MWhr gives gross annual income of $180 million per year.
        What are some guesstimated annual costs?
        – Write off the investment over 30 years to 2050 = $33 million per year
        – 30 permanent staff = $3 million per year
        – Allow 3% of capital costs per year for operating/maintenance costs = $30 million per year
        That leaves net annual income of $114 million for a 11.4% annual return on capital before tax.
        But wait, there’s more – as long as renewable energy certificates are in existence, they can expect an additional $40-$80/MWhr income, an additional profit of $90-180 million per year.

        What’s wrong with this analysis?
        – To supply power 24×7, this solar plant must be 100% backed up with reliable dispatchable power, so double investment is required, with each component sitting idle for half the day.
        – Therefore the price of this solar power should be discounted by about 50%, so it should only be paid $40/MWhr, reducing its net income to just $24 million per year, and making it uneconomic.

        But under the wacky wreckonomics of our governments, this project receives their blessings, confident in the knowledge that they are helping to “save the planet”. Meanwhile Australian consumers and businesses suffer through electricity prices among the highest in the world. “By mid-2020, the average consumer will pay about $28 less than today, as the national average annual power bill falls from $1367 to $1338.” The same report said that power storage system such as batteries or pumped hydro, and peaking gas plants, were necessary to smooth over the intermittent nature of wind and solar and the grid would need to lean heavily on consumers to use less power at peak times.

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  • #
    Henning Nielsen

    How very convenient, 100 billion,that’s the sum “promised” to developing countries per year, so just pay up, and those 100 billion of climate change damages will go away. Simple, isn’t it?

    00

  • #
    Andrew McRae

    Nobody else has mentioned it so far, so I guess the duty falls to the reasonable minority.

    The headline figure is claiming damages of 0.1% of GWP (the GDP of the world) for one year of present day climate change.

    If I recall correctly, the Labor-party / Treasury modeling estimated cost to the Australian economy of the carbon tax in 2009 was to be 0.8% of GDP per year, which some economists considered an underestimate due to ripple effects of energy pricing.

    Therefore world damage from global warming has to get at least 8 times worse before it is economically worth stopping it.

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    20 hottest years in the last 22? Not where measurements are actually taken. Admittedly for data only to 2015 (source World Bank) but more than 50% of the land area of the earth had fewer than 15 of their hottest years in the 22 years before.

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