Penguins pretty happy about melting sea ice

Adelie Penguins would probably benefit from a bit of global warming. When 175 were tagged and tracked it turned out that they ate more krill when there was less sea ice. This is not so surprising given that they swim better than they waddle, so long stretches of sea ice make it harder to get to the supermarket and back.

And Krill (dinner) apparently like less sea ice too. Phytoplankton bloomed when the sea ice was gone.

Penguins on sea ice.

Penguins on sea ice.  Photo by Danielle Barnes on Unsplash

Penguins may be an unlikely winner from climate change

Tom Whipple, The Australian

“Counterintuitively for this ice-dependent species, body conditions and breeding success ­improved in the ice-free environment,” wrote researchers from the Japanese National Institute of Polar Research, in the journal Science Advances.

The scientists used accelerometers, video cameras and tracking devices to plot each hunt. They found that when there was no ice the penguins did a lot more swimming — and this was a good thing.

“For penguins, swimming is a whopping four times faster than walking.

For the first three seasons the sea ice was large, then it shrank and the penguins went crazy:

Penguins foraging in sea ice

Fig. 1 Sea-ice conditions and penguin behavior.
(E to H) All foraging trips recorded by GPS loggers for each season. Yellow circles represent the colony.

When sea ice is higher penguins don’t breed as well, and populations are less likely to grow. Though for the 30% of penguins living in the warmer parts of Antarctica, the pattern is the opposite.

Of course, a warmer world may or may not mean more sea ice. For most of the last few decades Antarctic sea ice grew til it reached record highs in 2014-2015. Then during the last few El Nino years Antarctic Sea ice plummeted to record lows, and nobody can figure out why.  If only climate scientists understood the climate.

Whatever happens, it may take a while for Adelie Penguins to die out in Antarctica because there are about 15 million of them. And they are pretty well adapted to climate change since Antarctica was warmer 1,000 years ago, and about 40 other times in the last 10,000 years.

Vostok Antarctica, last 12,000 years.

Vostok Antarctica, last 12,000 years of Interglacial temperature.

But penguins that need a perfect climate are dead.

h/t to Lawrence Solomon.

 

REFERENCES

Watnabe et al (2020) Foraging behavior links sea ice to breeding success in Antarctic penguins, Science Advances  24 Jun 2020:
Vol. 6, no. 26, eaba4828 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba4828

Lüning, S., M. Gałka, F. Vahrenholt (2019): The Medieval Climate Anomaly in Antarctica. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol., doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.109251

9.8 out of 10 based on 55 ratings

125 comments to Penguins pretty happy about melting sea ice

  • #
    Travis T. Jones

    “You post stuff on your blog … University of East Bumcrack about, you know, penguins still being alive in …”

    Annabelle Crabb on ABC Insiders @1.00 sec correcting Andrew Bolt about the fate of penguins in Antarctica in 2009

    https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/the-planet-vs-east-bumcrack-crackers-1–andrew-bolt,3379

    I never get sick of playing that.

    Perhaps Ms Crabb needs to attend the UEB.

    131

    • #
      AndyG55

      Thing is, being totally and irretrievable WRONG has absolute zero effect on these clowns.

      They are brain-washed to the stage that all they have left is a putrefied green sludge.

      And they don’t even realise it. !

      Would be sad if it wasn’t so funny . 🙂

      160

    • #
      PeterS

      Perhaps the ABC needs to be defunded for spreading lies at tax payers expense.

      110

      • #
        Serp

        The longer the covid19 crisis runs the more fraught the future becomes for Their ABC; it won’t be the only organization to see its funding evaporate —the age old ethical conundrum concerning the goods (public funding parasiste starved) which can proceed from evil (Kung Flu) comes to mind.

        11

  • #
    glen Michel

    Such a revelation! Modern science discovers the obvious. Food chain operating at optimum due to warming. If one read the whole paper would there be an illuminating moment somewhere within that could be considered a “wow” moment. Noting the abysmal state of research in these times,where 3rd rate scientists have to publish something; anything in order to keep up the funding.

    100

  • #
    glen Michel

    On the topic about Penguins, I observed a sole member swim along a breakwall on the mid- north coast of NSW some years back.

    20

  • #
    Zigmaster

    I’m sure Attenborough will find a group of these penguins plunging to their death somewhere.

    110

  • #
    Peter Fitzroy

    So a disruption to one predator/prey relationship is rejoiced, but raises other questions.

    1. What is the ‘proper’ number of penguins?
    2. What will be the effect of this disruption in other species?
    3. What else has changed (green snow/ice now visible from space for example)
    4. What will the longer term effects look like?

    317

    • #
      R.B.

      Are the conditions massively different to 40 longer and warmer periods in the Holocene? What were they like during the last interglacial, which was warmer?

      All these questions but you asked none when you were told that your feathery friends were being killed by SUVs.

      20

    • #
      robert rosicka

      Yes Peter and you can add the disappearance of polar bears in Antarctica I’d like to see them explain that one .
      The ABC filmed a few of them years back for a catalyst show on Antarctic sea ice and now they’re all gone !

      Sarc

      120

    • #
      Analitik

      What’s the “proper” number of krill, Peter, since they “kill” the plankton

      70

    • #
      John in Oz

      You heartless buggers never think of the fate of the penguins krill plankton …

      If I knew what was lower down in the food chain I’d scream and shout and run about for them, too.

      80

      • #
        GlenAustralia

        PLM … Plankton Lives Matter 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

        160

      • #
        Graeme#4

        Had to look that one up. Phylloplankton feed on sunlight, and are in turn consumed by zooplankton, which are eaten by animals.

        20

    • #
      MP

      5. What is the correct temperature of the planet.
      6. What is the correct level of the ocean.
      7. what is the correct amount of sea ice.

      90

      • #
        glen Michel

        I thought long and hard MP, but couldn’t come up with an answer….errr.

        10

      • #
        RickWill

        Everything on Earth is perfect when the level of CO2 is 350ppmv in the atmosphere. That provides perfect weather, the correct global temperature; the correct sea level as it was in 1980; the correct amount of wind to run the turbines; the correct amount of rain to grow the crops; the correct amount of sunshine to drive photosynthesis and keep solar panels generating.
        https://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/hansen_13/

        The authors suggest that global policies should have an initial target for atmospheric CO2 of 350 ppm.

        We should all strive to achieve 350ppmv CO2 in the atmosphere as that is the PERFECTLY CORRECT amount. The current level is an incorrect amount causing all the havoc across the globe; riots here, riots there and pandemics everywhere. It would all be fixed if we could just get back to 350ppmv CO2 in the atmosphere – James Hansen said so.

        70

    • #
      el gordo

      ‘ … but raises other questions.’

      Yes but we shouldn’t concern ourselves too much, its only natural and all species have to adapt. Antarctic sea ice running on average, rejoice we are saved.

      https://sunshinehours.net/category/antarctic-sea-ice/#jp-carousel-18812

      40

    • #
      Deplorable Lord Kek

      1. What is the ‘proper’ number of penguins?

      There is no ‘proper’ number of penguins [Leibniz’s theory of ‘pre-established harmony’ was destroyed by Voltaire in Candide.].

      2. What will be the effect of this disruption in other species?

      Possibly, it’s called nature.

      3. What else has changed (green snow/ice now visible from space for example)

      The world has been warming since the end of the little ice age in the mid-late 19th century.

      The null hypothesis is that the change is natural.

      You need to prove otherwise [which you have consistently failed to do].

      4. What will the longer term effects look like?

      Like the world looks when it warms naturally.

      50

    • #
      Lance

      Peter. Posting whilst drunk isn’t an excuse.

      “So a disruption to one predator/prey relationship is rejoiced, but raises other questions” Your words.

      I’ll now have my own words and invite your discussion.

      The Lotka–Volterra equations, also known as the predator–prey equations, are a pair of first-order nonlinear differential equations, frequently used to describe the dynamics of biological systems in which two species interact, one as a predator and the other as prey.

      Generation of Power is not a “predator prey model”. It is a social contract in real terms.

      Disrupting “what actually produces reliable power” in favour of “unicorn farts and imaginary benefits” suits your point.

      So, I’ll “see your claims and raise the stakes”.

      Here’s those “raises other questions” defence that you raised.

      1. Claims are not a defence, absent substance, they are hollow, juvenile, puerile, and meaningless.
      2. Do YOU or your affiliates, take responsibility ( legal, financial, punitive, etc) for the failure of unreliables?
      3. Why don’t the “intermittent, unreliable, generators” bid into demand, by contract, without subsidy or excuse?
      4. “Predator/Prey” models are mathematically 1st order equations. Grid power is 2nd order at least. Your model fails.

      We can play your word games forever. My point is that you are ignorant of the reality and arrogant about what doesn’t work in practice.

      Give us a warm fuzzy about the future of darkness, Peter, please.

      [I enjoyed that Lance. Thank you. :- ) – Jo]

      110

      • #
        Peter Fitzroy

        Well, not answering my questions seems to be the approved approach on this blog.

        But to answer yours.
        1. “Claims are not… what claims?
        2. “Do YOU or your aff” see your point one, claims are not…
        3. “Why don’t the “interm”. the must do, given the gradual decrease in coal power’s contribution at all hours of the day. see you point 1
        4. “Predator/Prey” models… well yes Capitan obvious, but it is not just a single species pair interaction now is it? as to grid power, why bring that into it, unless like some the other posters you believe that the penguins are prey to the wind turbines.

        We can play your word games forever. My point is that you are ignorant of the reality and arrogant about what doesn’t work in practice.

        I’m ignorant and arrogant now am I.

        13

        • #
          Peter Fitzroy

          We can play your word games forever. My point is that you are ignorant of the reality and arrogant about what doesn’t work in practice.

          Give us a warm fuzzy about the future of darkness, Peter, please.

          [I enjoyed that Lance. Thank you. :- ) – Jo]

          So much for banning personal attacks

          14

        • #
          Deplorable Lord Kek

          what doesn’t work in practice:

          windfarms
          solarpanels
          interstate extension cords
          climate models
          communism
          the UN

          30

        • #
          AndyG55

          “Well, not answering my questions seems to be the approved approach on this blog.

          No, that is YOUR mode of comment.

          Your comments at #5 and again at #5.8.1 are basically just empty nonsense.

          Followed by more of your pitiful self-victimisation.

          “I’m ignorant and arrogant now am I.”

          Nothing has changed !

          11

        • #
          AndyG55

          “decrease in coal power’s contribution at all hours of the day”

          Like when fossil fuels totaled over 95%of supply for 3 days in a row only a week ago ?

          Current Grid supply

          NSW: COAL 92%, wind and solar 1% each

          Qld: Coal and gas 90%

          Vic: COAL 78%, hydro 19%, wind and solar total 1%

          SA: GAS 93%, solar 6% wind ZERO%

          Seems you are ignorant of FACTS, yet again.

          11

          • #
            AndyG55

            If the wind doesn’t pick up in SA, they are going to be running on 100% gas in a couple of hours time

            (with help from Vic and NSW COAL)

            11

        • #
          AndyG55

          ““decrease in coal power’s contribution at all hours of the day””

          5:30pm 26/6/202

          NSW: 95% COAL, 4% gas, solar 0%, Wind 1%

          Qld: 76% COAL, 18% Gas, 4% hydro, solar 0%, wind 1%

          Vic: 68% COAL, 19% hydro, 13% gas, wind and solar ZERO%

          SA: 100% GAS

          oops, says Peter, as he is forced to FACE THE FACTS ! 😉

          10

        • #
          Serp

          Actually, it is not reading your posts that is a more likely norm on this blog.

          20

    • #
      AndyG55

      “What else has changed” that can be scientifically be proven to be caused by human CO2?

      ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, except maybe some GREENING.

      That’s what CO2 does, it enhances plant life. PROVEN

      Warming?… NOT PROVEN.
      .

      60

    • #
      RickWill

      The decimimation on the avian population has nothing to do with any so-called climate change. It is all to do with what is proposed to fix the non-problem:
      http://fisherynation.com/archives/81477

      Since the world’s biggest wind farm went up in the Irish Sea, Herring Gulls are down 82%, European Shag down 51%, and Razorbills down 55%. The list goes on…Isn’t there a conspicuous connection?

      Stupid part of all this is that the improperly termed “renewable energy” in the form of wind generators are not renewable. They can only ever be built by burning coal. They can never generate dispatchable energy required by modern manufacturing process used to make the components.

      So bird life over the globe is being wiped out by a feel good illusion.

      80

    • #
      MudCrab

      Yellow Snow, Peter. That’s the important stuff that you don’t touch.

      Green Snow? Pffff.

      00

    • #
      Evidence Please

      Peter
      I wonder what a biologist would make of this focus on a few creatures to imply that everything will be fine ?.

      02

      • #
        AndyG55

        I wonder what a real scientist would do with your continued total lack of any evidence of anything. ?

        21

      • #
        AndyG55

        Come on, what creatures are not doing fine because of human forced global “climate change”?

        Produce real scientific evidence to back your empty postings.

        Maybe first try to produce some real evidence that human forced global “climate change” actually exists.

        11

    • #
      AndyG55

      Answer to all your nonsense questions….

      Whatever NATURE decides.

      20

      • #
        Evidence Please

        Oh Andy, you seem to follow the philosopher Day who said “Whatever will be will be “.
        As to animals impacted by AGW, a brief look at that commie organization The CSIRO gives a handy list : coral , snow leopards, etc, even humans. Where does your empirical data come from?.

        01

        • #
          AndyG55

          You have NO EVIDENCE that human CO2 is affecting penguins, or any other animal.

          Let alone that there is any actual Anthropogenic Global Warming.

          (except in the temperature series from GISS et al, but “adjustments” are not real warming)

          Glad you realise the CSIRO has morphed into a far-left organisation.

          You have no empirical data of anything.

          I doubt you even know what it actually is.

          You remain EMPTY… and, as always, EVIDENCE-FREE.

          20

    • #
      Fred Streeter

      1. What is the ‘proper’ number of penguins?
      One Male, one Female. (MM, FF and Polygamy being considered improper).

      2. What will be the effect of this disruption in other species?
      An increase in those who, when feeling p-p-p-peckish, P-p-p-pick-up a Penguin.

      3. What else has changed (green snow/ice now visible from space for example)
      Longer queues at Penguin Conveniences.

      4. What will the longer term effects look like?
      More Penguins graduating in Malacostracology, due to longer study periods.

      30

      • #
        AndyG55

        “One Male, one Female. “

        eh? what about all the LBGQ whatevers…

        You have to woke-up, Fred !

        20

        • #
          Fred Streeter

          Lettuce, Bacon, Gherkin and Quince?
          Not to my taste, old chap.

          “Woke”? I see no reason to distort the English Language unnecessarily and prefer to be Aware.

          30

      • #
        Annie

        Gosh! P-p-p pick-up a Penguin. it’s been a long time since I heard that!
        For Aussies: Penguin bars are the British answer to Tim Tams.

        10

        • #
          Fred Streeter

          I have the impression that the biscuit is now smaller, and the chocolate coating thinner, than the 1960s/70s Derek Nimmo advertised version.

          Maybe it is that distance is lending enchantment to the chew.

          00

  • #
    Bill In Oz

    There is natural evolution and penguins respond to changes in their environment just like every other species on the planet.
    Lots of sea ice means that this species of penguin has to walk further from ‘nets’ to hunt for food for chicks. That means reduced breeding success.
    On the other hand less sea ice means shorter distances to walk and greater breeding success. .
    But please don’t anyone tell St Greta about this. She will red thumb me for being honest !
    🙂

    54

    • #
      John in Oz

      You received a red thumb. Who’d have thought that Greta was reading this blog (always with a frown, scowl and steam from the ears)?

      31

      • #
        Bill In Oz

        Greta must have two devotees reading here John In Oz, as there are now two red thumbies for my honest comment.
        No doubt now they will tell St Greta and I will be bombed with lots more red thumbies from her children.
        Such is my fate in Greta – World !
        🙂

        33

        • #
          OrignalSteve

          The Guardian appear to be very excited about covid nailing the economy to the wall….because climate change nonsense….. (aka leftist brain fart….)

          Now it appears that once the economy is locked down by covid hype, it seems they might want to keep it that way….because climate change nonsense….. (aka leftist brain fart….)

          https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/opinion/the-guardian-view-on-covid-19-and-climate-leadership-required/ar-BB15YmF3?ocid=OWAHP

          “Recognising this, the environmental movement came up with the excellent idea of a green recovery. The annual report published on Thursday by the Committee on Climate Change, which provides official advice to the UK government, is a crucial, national component of that global effort. It sets out to tell Boris Johnson, his ministers and the British public how we can embed the lessons of Covid-19 in the next phase of carbon cuts.

          “There is some hopeful news, amid the destruction: because of the economic contraction caused by the pandemic, global emissions are expected to fall by 5-10% in 2020

          50

          • #
            Bill In Oz

            Another brain fart from some idiot writing for the Guardian. All pretty normal for the Guardian !
            Co2 human global emissions are estimated to be 20% lower so far in 2020. But the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is still increasing each month !
            That means that what we do has no impact on CO2 levels. Nature rules just as with Penguins !

            31

      • #
        Another Ian

        Bill

        The other two are Greta’s dad and that bloke in India

        20

  • #
    Jojodogfacedboy

    They webble and the wobble and the don’t fall down…
    Amazing…

    42

  • #
    PeterS

    This is just one example of hundreds where the real science trumps the fake science being pushed by our education systems, the MSM and many politicians on both sides. It’s always interesting to see when an emissions reduction advocate is confronted with the facts they go off at a tangent talking nonsense. Of course the reason is they can’t respond with any common sense or the truth as their views are false. So they just talk rubbish and in some cases tell straight out lies. This applies to both sides of politics.

    50

    • #

      This is just a single behavioural response to one facet of one species’ environment. What fake science did it trump?

      If it warms down there krill are likely to head further south because that is where their food and preferred temperature will be and the sea ice will open up to allow this. Bonanza!

      Except the food wont be so plentiful for the krill due to the weaker sun.

      https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0758-4

      which can be obtained for free from here https://sci-hub.tw/10.1038/s41558-020-0758-4

      23

      • #
        PeterS

        The fake science it trumps is the myth that a slightly warmer climate is bad. If anything it’s actually very beneficial for everything and everyone.

        60

        • #

          Absolutes lose arguments I’m afraid. Always.

          22

          • #

            Having made my point in hilarious fashion here is one example of something that does not benefit. This example is chosen because it does not rely on waffly third order knock on affects that take too long to write down.

            The example is high alpine specialist species. Their habitat keeps going up in altitude with increasing temperature until there is no mountain left and they are gone. Indeed happened following the last glacial period – I’ll leave you to find out more from google scholar.

            Other examples almost don’t need to be stated. Species don’t always adapt to change. Even if you argue that getting warmer is better than getting colder, both directions can disadvantage indivuals of particular species.

            The final thing to note is the internal absurdity of the statement “beneficial to everything”. This can’t be possible in a closed system where the gain of benefit is contingent on getting an advantage over another thing. It is like a society with only rich people – it eventually collapses because there is no one to pay to produce food and dispose of the rubbish.

            23

          • #
            OrignalSteve

            You seem absolutely sure…..

            20

            • #

              glad you got the joke.

              12

              • #
                PeterS

                As usual the joke is on you because I wasn’t talking about extreme temperature rises. I was referring to a slight warming. Show me where it is detrimental in any way. As I said if anything it is beneficial. If not and it’s impact is insignificant then it’s absolutely not harmful to anything or anyone.

                10

              • #

                I wasn’t talking about extremes either. Just the slow changes upwards. Where did I state extremes?

                22

              • #
                AndyG55

                “Show me where it is detrimental in any way.”

                Gee Aye evades answering. 😉

                21

          • #
            PeterS

            2 > 1 absolutely.

            00

            • #

              touche. And I agree that that, mathematically, is an argument.

              I did mean using a statement of absolute in an argument where a point is in dispute. Something that is universally and without dispute held to be absolutely true, like 2>1, is not a point of contention and therefore is not used to argue a point.

              12

              • #
                PeterS

                You started it by being touche. I was simply posting my view that a slight warming is not harmful at all. So do you agree that CAGW is not real, absolutely?

                00

              • #

                I meant touché not touchy

                11

              • #

                Gee Aye,

                There is more life, more species, and more fun, absolutely, on the warmest latitudes of Earth, compared to the coldest ones.

                40

              • #

                depends on where you are!

                Life and species in warm places? Compare the sahara vs Amazon

                Fun? Compare Spain and China

                32

              • #
                AndyG55

                Spain

                “Amid some of the finest mountain scenery in Spain, there is a good chance of seeing Eurasian Brown Bear, as well as Iberian Wolf, Wild Cat and Wild Boar. More commonly encountered wildlife in Spain include Spanish Ibex, Cantabrian Chamois, Red and Roe Deer, and Red Squirrel.”

                https://www.christineabroad.com/animals-in-spain/

                Not bad for a small country. !

                China of course has much more “wild” areas, so mcuh more wildlife.

                There…. compared !

                Now the Sahara.

                Sahara wildlife

                Among the mammal species still found in the Sahara are the gerbil, jerboa, Cape hare, and desert hedgehog; Barbary sheep and scimitar-horned oryx; dorcas gazelle, dama deer, and Nubian wild ass; anubis baboon; spotted hyena, common jackal, and sand fox; and Libyan striped weasel and slender mongoose.”

                And its a desert.

                Antarctic: You won’t find one single land mammal, maybe a few creepy-crawlies.

                Seems that Jo’s comment was totally correct,

                … and your comment was meaningless or based on ignorance.

                Gee, that’s not unusual, is it. !

                20

          • #
            Kalm Keith

            So do micro adjustments.

            00

      • #
        Deplorable Lord Kek

        climate change is a naturally occurring reality.

        the green’s ‘golden age’ of a never-changing perfect climate is a ridiculous myth.

        40

        • #

          It is a ridiculous myth. An unwritten and poorly advertised myth that no one believes.

          Actually one group believes it. The group that believes in the young earth where only a cataclysmic flood wiped out the dinosaurs. Since then no change according to them.

          21

          • #
            Deplorable Lord Kek

            au contraire, the idea that here a ‘new climate extremes’ is direct invocation of this myth.

            30

          • #
            Deplorable Lord Kek

            au contraire, the idea that there are ‘new climate extremes’ is a direct invocation of this myth.

            10

          • #
            el gordo

            ‘Since then no change according to them.’

            The brainwashing is taking place throughout the education system and the paradigm needs to e toppled. Children should to be taught the truth about climate change, not just a biased version based on a myth.

            10

          • #
            MP

            Noah was the first recorded conspiracy theorist.

            20

          • #
            Kalm Keith

            Matthew 18:20.

            The best guide to an understanding of how to approach the old idea of, the ultimate one.
            It scares me to hear people say : believe and you will be saved, as if they didn’t have to exert themselves.

            “The group that believes in the young earth where only a cataclysmic flood wiped out the dinosaurs.”

            Yes, and some believe it happened on the Wednesday, but there are people in every group who want and need the simple solution.

            KK

            11

      • #
        Bill In Oz

        They’ve had hundreds of millions of years to evolve the capacity to deal with such problems as a weaker sub.It’s something that the sun does regularly.
        We don’t need to start a campaign to Save Our Krill
        Though no Doubt you’s like to !
        🙂

        02

        • #
          MP

          Who wants to be a Krillionaire? I don’t
          Who wants uranium to spare? I do
          Who wants to journey on a gigantic yacht?
          Do I want a yacht? Oh, how I do not.

          Frank Sinarta

          Some words have been changed to suit my narrative.

          30

        • #

          Bill… come back with an argument that demonstrates an understanding of evolution.

          33

  • #
    Crakar24

    I thought we already voted on this and decided nothing the green blob say makes any sense nor is it relevant, but yet still they present dilemmas causing the pea in the believers brains to rattle.

    30

  • #
    Analitik

    Stupid penguins not getting with the meme

    70

    • #
      Graeme No.3

      Analitik:

      But they don’t vote so they will be ignored by politicians.

      40

      • #
        PeterS

        Children are much easier to indoctrinate by the left, which is why the ALP and Greens want to reduce the voting age.

        30

        • #
          MudCrab

          Children, by definition, also don’t have to worry about ‘adult’ problems.

          Stuff like paying your own bills, maintaining a steady income, convincing their spoilt experience restricted sprogs that the Money Tree isn’t real and that their 3 week old iPhone doesn’t need replacing.

          Sympathy for other people’s social problems is, for the most part, inversely proportional to age.

          20

  • #
    Reed Coray

    As the poster animal for the positive/negative effects of global warming, I’ll see ten of your Adelie Penguins and raise you three polar bear cubs.

    30

  • #
    lyntonio

    There are more volcanoes in Antarctica than anywhere else.
    Sub surface thermal activity is the cause of local/regional ice melt.
    A single pissant volcano anywhere can alter global climate. Simples.

    50

  • #
    Mal

    Everything in the universe moves in cycles
    Read Cycles by Dewey
    There is NO static number that is perfect.
    The universe consists of vibrational energy and is ever changing and evolving

    20

  • #
    Penguinite

    Of course, the whales won’t appreciate it. Whales have been “Krill Seekers” as their major food source. We’ll have fatter seals/penguins and thinner whales!

    20

  • #
    Another Ian

    I don’t know about the penguins but this might cause a flurry in other places

    “New Climate Assessment Suggests No Dangerous Warming”

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/06/25/new-climate-assessment-suggests-no-dangerous-warming/

    20

    • #
      Another Ian

      Or not by some of the comments

      00

    • #
      Deplorable Lord Kek

      whoops, better memory hole that one, pronto.

      or maybe hand their data over for ‘homogenization’

      20

    • #
      Bill In Oz

      Interesting link Ian.
      “India was actually less warm between 2010 and 2015 than it was during the 1950s……Further, it reveals that the 1950s were as warm as the present. This is despite much lower atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration levels—increase in which is alleged to be the main cause behind global warming—in the 1950s compared to now. ”

      If only the BOM would sort out it’s weather station network so they give accurate data !

      21

  • #
    Bill In Oz

    These penguins have really benefited from something over the past 30 years. Maybe they should forma lobby group and start demanding more warming !

    https://www.antarctica.gov.au/news/2015/adelie-penguin-population-almost-doubles-in-east-antarctica/

    22

  • #
    MudCrab

    Penguins eat Krill?

    Well first up, colour me surprised because I was under the impression the only way whales got away with it was by having huge mouths so they could feed on an industrial size. There you go.

    Also, as a Crab I am ethically opposed to anything that eats fellow crustaceans and are not for the moment fooled by their little cute waddles and silly tuxedo outfits.

    Adelies can take their cold black crustacean eating hearts and go play with the nearest leopard seal. A curse on their house!

    40

    • #
      Bill In Oz

      Spoken like a true crusty old fart crab !
      🙂

      02

    • #

      I quite like this from here https://www.coolaustralia.org/antarctica-food-web/

      Krill eat phytoplankton (tiny ocean plants) and zooplankton (tiny ocean creatures), squid eat krill, penguins eat krill and squid, fish eat krill and other fish, seals eat krill, fish and squid, Leopard seals eat krill, squid, fish and penguins. Humpback whales eat krill, Skuas (birds) eat krill, fish, penguin eggs and penguin chicks, Petrels (birds) eat fish, squid, krill and penguins. Albatross eat fish and squid, Killer whales eat squid, fish, penguins, seals and other whales.

      30

  • #
    dinn, rob

    not easy to surpass #17; here’s to you and you, if we can get past the vast sea ice/encrustations eating hearts:
    367. We do not go to a shop to purchase clothing infected with smallpox; yet this infection will be only a one-thousandth part of the contagion present. How often have I stated that the accumulations of thought can be far more virulent than poisons! Just as fire deposits a patina upon a vessel, so is the fire of thought irremovable when it saturates the surface of an object. Among purifiers eucalyptus is useful, for it contains much fire. All living fire is also useful. Much infection has been destroyed around bonfires. -M: Fiery World 1933
    …………….
    122. We do not conceal the need for urgent measures, because, in the ongoing Armageddon, the dark ones hope to corrupt all human energies. But We know how to oppose them. Thus observe where We direct Our care. -M: Supermundane 1, 1938
    …………….

    11

  • #
    el gordo

    ‘ … in the ongoing Armageddon, the dark ones hope to corrupt all human energies.’

    Its a myth.

    20

    • #
      el gordo

      This is real.

      ‘Three videos of midair military interactions with UFOs, previously released without official permission by a UFO research group, were declassified and shared online today (April 27) by the U.S. Navy.

      ‘The footage, captured by U.S. Navy pilots years ago, shows mysterious, wingless aircraft traveling at hypersonic speeds, with no visible means of propulsion.’ Space.com

      00

  • #
    Bulldust

    Sorry for going wildly off topic, but this is appalling at the ABC:

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-26/nascar-releases-photo-of-noose-in-bubba-wallace-garage/12397248

    They are spewing full on propaganda at this stage by leading readers to believe the NASCAR Bubba Smullet (yes, joke) incident was a real hate crime. They carry on about the noose being real, here’s the photo etc. In a grossly disingenuous technique, known as “burying the lead”, they put the facts deep in the story showing it was, in fact, a complete nothing burger:

    “Earlier this week, authorities said the rope had been hanging there since the Cup Series race last October and thus was not a hate crime targeting the 26-year-old Wallace.”

    They know full well that the average reader will not read through the whole diatribe at the beginning to get to the truth in that paragraph.

    De-funding the ABC cannot, repeat CANNOT, come fast enough. They are stoking racial division with their disingenuous ‘reporting.’

    70

    • #
      PeterS

      One benefit of living in the “free world” is we have the freedom to say almost anything we like, unlike living in a dictatorship like China. However, it ought to come with some caveats, such as accountability when someone is caught telling stuff repeatedly after being shown they are false. If only we had such a system in place. The ABC would have been shut down a long time ago.

      20

      • #
        Bulldust

        I wouldn’t test that “freedom” if I were you PeterS. The girlfriend of the Brit who flew the vile, racist “White lives matter, Burnley” banner has now been fired from here job because she wasn’t interested in attending the company’s “intensive racial bias training” program. This is the modern version of re-education, or struggles sessions. Needless to say, the man in question has also been fired from his job, but his GF was guilty by mere association…

        The Western world is sleep waking into a communist revolution and they have no clue.

        80

        • #
          el gordo

          A slight correction, in reality its a fascist evolution and the Western World woke up smartly to the deceit because of the pandemic. But what do we do now?

          10

    • #
      Another Ian

      Bulldust

      Go over to

      https://theconservativetreehouse.com/

      and read through their threads on this

      Terms that are getting notice around this are

      “Fake noose” (for fake news)

      and that new and hopingful business called “Noosecar”

      00

    • #
      MP

      You new it was BS when there was no video footage, million dollar cars have lots of camera’s, their biggest worry is sabotage. Does not make sense does it, look at the size of the scam all NASCAR, the circus on the track. We are being gamed!

      Here is what I think is a good take on the scam.

      https://youtu.be/7YrpmcuSvJU

      00

  • #
    Greg in NZ

    Yet the really BIG question remains unanswered: how many penguins can dance on the head of a pin?

    10