Bloggies voting closes late Sunday – Your chance to promote skeptical science blogs

After skeptical climate science blogs dominated the science category in 2013, the bloggies caved in and dumped the whole category. This is your opportunity to show that scientists are skeptics, and the opinions of hundreds of thousands of readers still count.

So in 2014, I suggested we could lodge a protest, or we could just nominate our favorite blogs for other categories couldn’t we? And boy-o-boy, nominate we did. (Thank you.) Skeptical science blogs are now spread across many other categories. (In the end, trying to keep skeptics out may give skeptics more wins. Ain’t that the way?) But voting closes on Sunday, so if you haven’t already done it, please take the time to tick those boxes. I know it’s a chore, but it’s  a way you can help bloggers reach a wider audience, spread their influence. It’s also a way you can direct readers to sites you find rewarding that they may not have heard of. It’s also a way you can let the Bloggies organizers know that it’s no accident that skeptical blogs are so popular.

This year I’ve been lucky enough to be a finalist in three (gosh) heavy hitting categories, with some stiff competition.

  • Best Topical Weblog 
  • Lifetime Achievement
  • Weblog of the Year

What am I most proud of?

Since Sept 2008 I have written 1,403 posts and almost two million people have visited this site from over 200 countries. The Skeptics Handbook has found its way in hard copy to 220,000 people, including all politicians in Australia and the US, and was  translated by volunteers into 16 languages, and remarkably — in such a contentious topic — five years later, has survived unscathed — there is not much I would change. John Cook took two years to try to knock it down with help from four professors, but I only needed four days to take his arguments apart. Thanks to this blog, I’ve done repeated Op-Eds for The Australian, a sought after Diary post on the Spectator, and been named in the Australian Parliament — where Rob Oakshott “smelt a rat” and claimed I ran a well organized and well funded campaign “to her credit”. My favourite posts include an epic five part debate with Prof Andrew Glikson. I was one of the key protagonists getting Dr Paul Bain and Nature to issue a partial correction “regretting the offence cause by the term denier”. I still think my initial response to him is one of my best pieces. Among my readers are three national cartoonists, and at least a dozen MP’s and senators. I’ve been cited by and talked to the very people who I admire greatly — Mark Steyn, Matt Ridley, James Delingpole and Andrew Bolt, who described this post as outstanding and “a magnificent polemic”.

On the 2014 Bloggies Voting Page — Look out  for Tallbloke, Donna La Framboise (No Frakking Consensus), WattsUp,  GWPF, Climate Audit, and Small Dead Animals. Yes, some are competing with each other. Darn — you shall have to choose! Voting closes 10pm Sunday EST US time.

Anthony Watts has a list of suggestions, check his page or see below for the details on making your vote count. Remember you must tick a blog in three categories, you must scroll down, fill in the darn Captcha, with a real email, and click the link that will be sent in your email.

Whatever happens I’ve already had a win, and I’m grateful to those who nominated and voted for me in the shortlist.

HOW TO CAST YOUR VOTE

1. Click on the 2014 Bloggies Page

2. Scroll through the categories  (you must vote in at least three categories).

3. Click on the small circle of your chosen blog. (Look for the tick).

 

4. Don’t forget to do the Captcha at the very bottom . (NOTE: – don’t use cursor keys, it will change your vote!)

5. Use a REAL email address. Press the SUBMIT button. Note- you won’t get spammed by doing so. See the fine print under the email box.

6. To make your vote count you must click  on the official link in the email sent by the bloggies. (Check your spam or junk folder if you don’t get it). You should see a success message page pop up.

7. Spread the word! Twitter, Facebook, emails, comments. Please share.

8. As Anthony says: Don’t cheat. Don’t encourage cheating, and simply let the chips fall where they may. May the best weblogs win.

 

9.2 out of 10 based on 60 ratings

62 comments to Bloggies voting closes late Sunday – Your chance to promote skeptical science blogs

  • #
    Scott

    Already voted Jo 🙂

    P.S. I’m enjoying working in your fair city

    90

  • #
    Interested

    Just voted (thanks for the ‘heads up’).
    GWPF and WattsUpWithThat featured in my voting but you, Joanne, received more than one of my votes.

    You and your husband are ‘top notch’ people.
    It’s a privilege to know you – even if only in a roundabout kind of way.

    May a thousand blessings rain down upon you both!
    Warmest good wishes.

    140

  • #
    Richard

    You have already won, Jo. Whether you win a prize or not, you have won by educating we, the public, in the scientific method. And thereby enabling us to discern real science from AGW pseudoscience.

    More strength to your arm.

    160

  • #
    Paul

    Jo,
    Irrespective of the result you’ve won as you have helped make a difference. Along with people like Anthony Watts, Christopher Monkton, Richard Lindzen, Richard Booker, James Dellingpole and several others you have been brave enough to endure personal scorn and while providing a platform for people like me with subjective views to raise their concerns about a topic that deeply concerns them.
    Keep doing what your doing, because the tide is beggining to turn.

    161

  • #
    Truthseeker

    Already voted – twice.

    Voting is not always by natural persons. Shareholder voting, for example, is by shares. The more shares as person has the more votes they get. This voting is by email address (a very rough proxy for internet footprint?). More than one address, more than one vote.

    Simples …

    61

  • #
    Rod Stuart

    Over the past year or so I have had a few exchanges with Greg Hunt regarding the evidence for AGW. I posted some of his responses on this blog. Fundamentally his reason for ‘believing’ is the two logical fallacies; the call to authority and the consensus. Greg insist that as a minister of the crown he MUST listen to his agencies; the CSIRO and the BOM.

    Malcolm Roberts at The Galileo Movement has conducted a huge amount of correspondence with Hunt and other ministers of current government, and has on occasion even gone to have face to face meeting with them.

    Now, through FOI requests, he has confirmation from Megan Clark of the CSIRO and Rob Vertessy of the BOM that they have never offered, from 2004 until now, any minister of a Howard, Rudd, Gillard, or Abbott government any empirical evidence whatsoever of AGW. Here is the correspondence.

    “To all members of federal parliament and friends

    127 words

    Attached letter to Environment Minister Greg Hunt proves he has no empirical scientific evidence for cutting human CO2. (http://bit.ly/OGd0sQ)
    (http://www.conscious.com.au/letters.html)

    Page 2 is mind-cracking.

    Includes Freedom of Information results on CSIRO & BOM covering 2005-2013: no one in Howard or Rudd-Gillard governments received any evidence from BOM. No report sent from CSIRO Chief Executive.

    Correspondence with CSIRO & BOM executives confirms evidence does not exist.

    Greg continues contradicting evidence. Why?

    He’s publicly documented implementing UN Agenda 21. Yet denies detailed knowledge of it. Why?

    Greg’s had more than a fair go to tell the truth. Yet continues misrepresenting science, climate and Nature. Why?

    Wasting taxpayer funds, hurting Aussie families and businesses, hurting the environment. Why?

    So, where’s the empirical scientific evidence on which he bases his belief?

    Please hold Greg accountable: [email protected]

    Malcolm Roberts

    Malcolm-Ieuan: Roberts.
    BE (Hons), MBA (Chicago)
    Fellow AICD, MAIM, MAusIMM, MAME (USA), MIMM (UK), Fellow ASQ (USA, Aust)

    Project Manager (voluntary)
    The Galileo Movement (non-profit, independent non-aligned & in existence only until the carbon dioxide tax is axed)

    http://www.galileomovement.com.au/

    YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/GalileoMovement

    Facebook: The Galileo Movement (link http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Galileo-Movement/101728306584541)

    Twitter: search for GalileoMovement or visit http://twitter.com/#!/GalileoMovement

    www DOT conscious DOT com DOT au

    Linkedin as Malcolm Ieuan Roberts

    Personal declaration of interests at:
    http://www.conscious.com.au/__documents/additional%20material/Personal%20declaration%20of%20interests.pdf
    (www DOT conscious DOT com DOT au, look for ‘Summaries’, then click on ‘Aims, background and declaration of interests …’)

    [SNIP. Theres no need to publish personal details here. Anyone with sufficient interest can locate these at Malcolms site. mod oggi]

    Please note: Apart from suburb and state, contact details are not for publication nor broadcasting and are provided only for your personal use to respond.

    At stake is human freedom, your freedom, our freedom”

    How about that? They never offered it because it does not exist.

    161

    • #
      scaper...

      Greg Hunt has the full confidence of the sceptic, Tony Abbott. Why?

      Tony Abbott supports Direct Action. Why?

      It is all about politics, look at the field day the left had when Abbott said that the science is settled is crap.

      To dismantle the global warming rubbish will require a multi pronged approach, methodical and with finesse.

      This government does not ascribe to Agenda 21, unlike other nation governments of left and right leanings.

      Not a put down of Malcolm, we go back to a dinner with the member for Tangney years ago. Same battle, different theatres.

      60

  • #
    gbees

    Done.

    What the hell is the Occupy Wallstreet Blog doing in the awards for “Best Business or Corporate Weblog”? Occupy Wallstreet is all about corporate and business destruction.

    150

  • #
    James Bradley

    These awards are just such a sad commentary on alarmist blogs whose contributors are forced to comment on Jonova out of sheer desperation for their posts to be read… by anyone.

    70

  • #
    scaper...

    Will get the message out.

    21

  • #
    bobl

    Already voted. JO, you came up trumps in two categories for me.

    40

  • #
    bobl

    Was interested if SS would turn up in the religion category…

    70

  • #

    Dear Jo,

    The Austrian economist who best understood all forms of (social and economic) entrepreneurship and innovation with his observation in all economies of the process of creative destruction, had you and David in mind.

    He spoke of these special people who go ‘beyond familiar beacons’, who by their nature, simply find themselves defying the Hive Mind of the herd; and who are thus scorned and defined by those who resist the truth and the nature of change as ‘deniers’ (although he didn’t use this word).

    Although you and David shine brightly beyond those familiar beacons, you are actually beacons of truth and science and enlightenment.

    Like all such souls, reward for integrity always comes at a cost.

    I trust there is a reward and I, like many of your readers, will do my best to see you rewarded for your efforts especially in the now, and also the hereafter.

    Chris

    80

  • #
    pat

    without jo/anthony/big mac/bish et al, i doubt if we would be reading the following in the MSM today:

    20 March: UK Daily Mail: Ben Spencer: End this obsession over climate change: It stops us tackling floods and storms now say experts
    Climate experts from the University of Manchester argue that flood defences must be given greater priority
    They claim the Government is too focused on reducing greenhouse gases, which will never eliminate devastating floods
    Senior politicians have clamoured in recent months to link Britain’s devastating floods to global warming
    Instead, the focus should shift towards dealing with the impact of fierce weather, which will happen regardless of climate change, argued David Schultz and Vladimir Jankovic…
    And UN executive Christiana Figueres prompted fury when she said the floods had a ‘silver lining’ as they forced climate change on to the political agenda.
    But Professor Schultz, an expert in meteorology, and Dr Jankovic, a climate historian, said that it was almost impossible to link any one weather event to global warming…
    Trying to do so was ‘a distraction’, they wrote in the journal Weather, Climate and Society.
    Linking ‘climate change and high-impact weather events, although an interesting scientific question, has been a social and policy disaster’, they added.
    ‘The over-emphasis on “was this associated with climate change?” distracts from the issue that weather happens whether or not climate change is occurring.
    ‘For most purposes, any change due to climate change is a less immediate concern than the impact of the weather itself.
    ‘Society ought to do its best to protect the planet but society should also protect itself against weather disasters.’
    Politicians wrongly thought cutting greenhouse gas emissions should be the main response, the authors said…
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2585519/Social-policy-disaster-Our-climate-change-obsession-distraction-flooding-say-scientists.html
    (TRUE, THE MAIL STILL WENT TO OLD FAITHFUL, BOB WARD, AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE, BUT HOW TIRED DOES HE SOUND?)
    But Bob Ward, policy director at the London School of Economics Grantham Institute said talking about climate change was vital.
    ‘Frankly it is dangerous to suggest that all we need to do is make ourselves resilient to weather extremes,’ he added.
    It was important ‘the public understands climate change is already occurring and the scale of the risk is huge’, he said.

    50

  • #

    I have already voted. I agree wholeheartedly with what you have said here – let’s show them skeptics count. Good luck, Jo, and I’m so pleased you have the following you do. You’re getting through to people! 🙂

    50

  • #
    Yonniestone

    I suppose in the blurred eyes of self loathing anti freedom prats I would be fraternized into a conservative middle aged white male with an infatuation with a, and I quote “Mildly attractive woman” so let’s get this out of the way.
    Jo you have done a great deed with your blog and all the best for the future (fawn fawn), but seriously I admire anyone who stands by their convictions for the benefit of others and you and your husband are no exceptions.
    I can see a shift in peoples attitudes towards so called PC and Agenda 21 directives even if they don’t realize it yet, and once again when the real bastards pushing this lose their hold to a population wanting freedom above all they will crawl away for the next round, think of your blog as catalyst in a bigger reaction and smile when you do.

    51

  • #

    Voted for Jo in every category she was listed. Also, voted for Tallbloke and Climate Audit. WUWT has in the last year become more self centred and leaning towards support of authority.
    Jo, keep up the good work including articles about democracy, politics and economics. Maybe some Geology and mineral resources occasionally -after all you are in WA and David looks at gold stocks.

    50

  • #
    Mortis

    I have always studies politics, as far back as I can remember. I debated in high school and college, and the internet came along at just the right time for me (mid 80s) to transfer my skills into the new hobby of troll smashing as the years went by. I was at a political site a few years ago and some troll was cutting/pasting CAGW points to make political points, and I didn’t know much details about it then but my debate “BS sensor” was buzzing like mad. Another poster wrote, “Take that argument over to WUWT and see how it flies”. I was immediately intrigued and have studied climate change since. Recently, however, I have been somewhat more reserved in my opinion of WUWT as there seems to be some sort of shift there as they become they new status quo. I had read several links to this site but the last few months of last year I found myself here more and more and WUWT less and less. I am an American and am proud of what Anthony has accomplished but really feel like I found a new climate home here.

    Thank you from 1/2 a world away for this site, not just to Jo (although she gets the lions’ share) but also to the regular posters here as they are part of the experience and why I keep coming back for more. Here’s to a big year for us skeptics and to crushing defeats for our opponents. 🙂

    90

    • #
      KinkyKeith

      Hello Rigour,

      Well said.

      This blog is about the scam of man made climate change, an idea which only gained currency because real science failed to check the claims of “Climate Science” because they assumed that other scientists would not lie. They did.

      Well, that loop hole has been closed forever wrt climate science and in the near future it would be nice to see some of our Aussie US “professors” of klimate science move on to other pastures.

      Unfortunately here we have great scientists but for some reason the area of climate science in Australian Universities is top heavy with your compatriots.

      I guess you don’t want them back?

      The great thing about this blog is that everything gets a hit:

      anger, love , bitterness, joy, frustration, politics, religion, war: in fact “the full catastrophe”

      and in dealing so well with the Climate Science Scam it has shown signs of wanting to deal with many of life’s imponderables.

      Am I rambling?

      It is Saturday morning; break time.

      Hopefully we can understand from all this how CAGW came to have such a strong grip on our lives and tax dollars.

      Ultimately this blog is about finding the truth (whatever that means) as defined by all the inquiring minds that splash out here;

      sometimes splashing about as seen here just rambling along with little or no scientific discipline just because I can and looking out the

      window and thinking about going out to feed my best friend; a tame magpie.

      KK 🙂

      40

  • #
    handjive

    Vote 4 Jonova!

    Why?

    Time to rein in the climate change carbon-baggers

    “Climate carbon bagging is a lucrative business for the right people.
    In a power-point presentation from 2007, Baker Mackenzie gave us an example: a Chinese power plant sells it’s emission credits; a private fund and the World Bank buy them, then resell them through “the IM process” and the World Bank, raising “U$1.2 Billion in 23 minutes.

    By contrast, ordinary investors are not able to sell or trade carbon credits once acquired.”
    . . .
    Here @Jonova, fighting Climate carbon baggers is what we do!

    50

    • #
      Graeme No.3

      Too late, I’ve already voted for her.

      I count 7 sceptical blogs getting 13 nominations in 7 different categories. I couldn’t find any “the science is settled” ones at all.

      Could it be that believers in AGW only represent 3% of the voters? Or should I have looked in the Cooking Category?

      40

    • #
      Tim

      handjive; did they mention that the Chinese are re-starting old, abandoned coal-fed power plants and getting the credits for shutting them down again?

      Now, that’s what I call money for jam.

      10

    • #
      Rod Stuart

      Somewhere recently I read that the Chinese are restarting old abandoned coal fired facilities so that they can get paid again for shutting them down. Sorry. Can’t remember where that was. On CFACT or something.

      10

  • #

    A few votes for you from the Cold Frozen North, Jo. Cheers –

    50

  • #
    Phil Ford

    My votes are cast – good luck, Jo!

    30

  • #
    Chris

    You’ve got my votes, Jo. Best of luck.

    10

  • #

    You have my vote, Jo. Well done and good luck.

    30

  • #
  • #
    pat

    gbees says –

    “What the hell is the Occupy Wallstreet Blog doing in the awards for “Best Business or Corporate Weblog”? Occupy Wallstreet is all about corporate and business destruction”

    well, in the topsy turvy Occupy world, google is “a benevolent corporation that’s making the world a better place” & eric schmidt should be President. some billionaires are cool, some are not:

    21 March: UK Telegraph: Scott Campbell: ‘Make Google’s Eric Schmidt CEO of America’
    Petition by Occupy founder calls on Obama to hand federal control to the tech industry
    Justine Tunney, now a software engineer at Google, has posted a petition on the official White House website proposing that Barack Obama resigns and appoints Eric Schmidt as the “CEO of America”.
    Mr Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google, would lead a government “more prepared for change” staffed by the US technology industry, according to Ms Tunney.
    “It’s because I’m a Googler, I’m familiar with Eric Schmidt being very good at running a successful organisation. He was responsible for building Google, which is a benevolent corporation that’s making the world a better place,” she told the Telegraph…
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/10712822/Make-Googles-Eric-Schmidt-CEO-of-America.html

    20

  • #
    pat

    21 March: UK Daily Mail: Chris Pleasance: Conman who used James Middleton to promote his bogus rainforest protection scheme which he used to swindle ethical investors out of £1.6million is jailed
    A ‘green finance’ boss who hired the brother of the Duchess of Cambridge to promote a bogus rainforest protection scheme was jailed today…
    His business Forestry For Life, which netted over £400,000 by claiming to protect the Amazon rainforest, was represented by Kate Middleton’s brother James at a trade fair in London in 2010.
    Ames also hired England World Cup winner Jack Charlton and sport supremo Sir Rodney Walker to promote Forestry for Life and his other firm, the Investor Club, at events.
    The company director used glossy brochures including quotes from Prince Charles and Tony Blair to promote teak plantation schemes in Sri Lanka and investment in the protection of the Brazilian rainforest.
    But no land was ever purchased by Ames’ two companies and not a single tree was ever planted…
    Ames blew the cash on sports cars, flying first class around the world and staying in luxury villas in the Caribbean.
    A jury of six men and six women at Isleworth Crown Court found Ames guilty of two counts of fraudulent trading by majority verdict.
    Today, Judge Paul Dugdale sentenced the con-artist to 40 months imprisonment…
    James Middleton was photographed representing the green firm at a carbon trading exhibition in London in October 2010 – while Ames was under investigation by the Financial Services Authority…
    The company would offer investors carbon credits that would be used to plant trees and offset their carbon footprint, the court heard.
    But Forestry For Life was offering credits for rainforest it did not own and the firm rarely gave investors certificates or proof of purchase…
    Ames, the son of David Ames, 62, the boss of Caribbean property developer Harlequin Ames, was arrested in September 2011 following a referral from the FSA to City of London Police’s specialist fraud unit…
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2586338/Conman-hired-James-Middleton-promote-bogus-rainforest-protection-scheme-used-swindle-ethical-investors-1-6m-jailed.html

    30

  • #

    All Warmista Blogs should be entered in the “Religious” category as there is no Science involved in their content. My Vote went twice to Jo, and I voted for WUWT, Tallbloke and Climate Audit.

    50

  • #
    mikemUK

    I would have given Jo all my votes, but for Donna L being there for one nomination – it’s a lonely furrow she ploughs, holding IPCC machinations up to the light to such great effect, without supporting feedback comments.

    I was a little sad to see that Cook’s blog SkS didn’t make it in the Humorous category but I’ll support him again next year unless the Bloggies introduce a new ‘Surreal Blog’ category.

    10

  • #
    pat

    22 March: Bloomberg: Ewa Krukowska: EU Russian-Gas Cut Bid Amid Ukraine Crisis Sidelines Climate
    Leaders of the 28-nation EU delayed a decision on carbon-reduction targets until October at the two-day summit in Brussels.
    “We are serious about reducing our energy dependency,” EU President Herman Van Rompuy told reporters today. “Europe was first built as a community for coal and steel; 64 years later and in new circumstances it’s clear we need to be moving towards an energy union.” …
    The EU’s energy dependency rate is set to rise to 80 percent by 2035 from the current 60 percent, according to the International Energy Agency. Gas from Russia accounted for almost 32 percent and oil for about 35 percent of EU imports in 2010, according to EU data…
    Europe’s oil and gas import bills rose to more than 400 billion euros ($552 billion) in 2012, representing about 3.1 percent of the region’s gross domestic product, according to EU data. That compares to about 180 billion euros on average in 1990-2011…
    The commission proposed in January accelerating emission-reductions to 40 percent by 2030 compared with the 2020 goal of cutting greenhouse gases by 20 percent from 1990 levels.
    The planned climate framework has divided governments and businesses. A group of 13 member states including the U.K. and Germany called earlier this month for a swift decision to adopt an ambitious strategy. A coalition of countries led by Poland, which in previous years vetoed EU attempts to pave the way for tighter climate countries, urged further analysis of the proposed policies on the bloc’s economy…
    ***Europe will reach the decision on carbon goals in stages, taking stock of the debate in June and defining the targets in October, said France’s President Francois Hollande…
    EU chiefs agreed that their new emissions goal for 2030 will be in line with the long-term aim of cutting greenhouse gases by at least 80 percent by 2050, EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said in an e-mailed statement…
    The EU has for decades been at the forefront of that process, and hesitation on its part may remove a spur for the U.S. and China to act.
    “The crisis in Ukraine seems to have cemented the arguments that Europe needs to have coherent energy security, industrial competitiveness and climate policies rather than rushing a climate package through,” William Pearson, director for global energy and natural resources at Eurasia Group, said by phone from Brussels today.
    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-21/eu-bid-to-cut-russian-gas-amid-ukraine-crisis-sidelines-climate.html

    10

  • #
    pat

    ignore the rhetoric – coal is still king:

    14 Feb: Bloomberg: Coal Burns Brighter as Utilities Switch From Natural Gas
    By Mario Parker and Naureen S. Malik
    Predictions of coal’s demise in the U.S. may be greatly exaggerated.
    Natural gas prices at a four-year high have utilities shifting to coal to generate 4.519 million megawatt-hours a day, the most since 2011, government data show. Within three years, coal’s share of power production could climb to 40.3 percent from about 39 percent last year, while gas’s share will probably drop to 27 percent from 27.5, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said…
    The U.S. is poised to emit the most carbon dioxide in three years, undermining President Barack Obama’s efforts to reduce pollution and steer utilities away from the fossil fuel.
    “The idea of coal disappearing is not an effective climate change policy,” said John Thompson, an analyst at the Boston-based Clean Air Task Force. “Coal use is growing.” …
    Thompson said implementing technology that allows utilities to capture carbon is better than trying to eliminate coal because other countries are increasing use of the fuel…
    Dethroning Oil
    Coal is the fastest growing energy source in the world, rising 2.3 percent a year through 2018, and poised to dethrone crude oil as the largest source by 2020, the International Energy Agency said in its December Medium-Term Coal Market Report.
    That’s being driven mostly by China, “where coal is powering an industrial revolution,” Laszlo Varro, head of the agency’s gas, coal and power markets, said in a Jan. 29 presentation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. The fuel is also experiencing a resurgence in Europe as the continent’s economic woes increase its appetite for cheap electricity, he said…
    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-13/coal-burns-brighter-as-utilities-switch-from-natural-gas.html

    10

    • #

      So then, when you really ….. really, need electrical power, have a guess where it comes from.

      Remember that cold snap in the U.S. in January, euphemistically referred to as The Polar Vortex, when temperatures plummeted, and then stayed there. It was also just as cold in February, and now, they are saying that this is the coldest start to Spring in history.

      The U.S. Energy Information Administration publishes full U.S. electrical power data with just a two Month lead time, and the data for January has just appeared a few hours back now. I’m still working my way through it, but in those freezing temperatures, you might guess there would be a pretty large spike in electrical power consumption, and the data bears this out, the largest electrical power consumption for January in a number of years.

      While coal fired power generation has been falling for a number of years, it is now increasing. Some of you may find this odd, as no new coal fired plants have been constructed in many years, and in fact coal fired power plants are closing in quite large numbers, all of them old, (well, positively ancient really) and replaced by more than the total closed with Natural Gas Fired power.

      What is happening is that those still existing plants are now being asked to work harder and longer to supply the huge amounts of power to actually run the U.S.

      In 2012 coal fired power supplied its lowest amount for the year, 37.4% of all power being generated. That rose in 2013 to 39%.

      However, during that big freeze in January, coal fired power supplied 41.8% of all generated power across the U.S. a percentage not seen for many years now, even during the Summer Peaks, traditionally, the largest consumption periods of the year.

      For some perspective, the amount of power generated from coal fired sources in the U.S. for just the Month of January is 71% of the total power generation for the whole of Australia for a FULL YEAR.

      So, when power is really needed, it falls back to coal fired power to supply that.

      Tony.

      Source EIA Net Generation by Energy Source: Total (All Sectors) Scroll down the page close to the bottom along the line for 2014 January. Oh, and while you’re there, have a look at what Nuclear power supplied for the same Month, a figure also the highest for a number of years. That’s a Winter Capacity Factor of 94.3%, further emphasising the when power is really needed, then only large scale plants can run constantly to supply that power, and keep in mind those 104 reactors driving just 104 generators have an average age of 45 years, operating better now than when they were new, just humming along, doing what they do year in year out.

      30

  • #
  • #
    Ted

    Use mask my website, apart from spam control it allows multiple voting.

    Ted, thanks for the sentiment, but we don’t need to win that badly. Cheers – Jo

    00

    • #
      Eddie

      A magnet for nefarious activity and have you any idea the viruses that can be pick up from such sites ?

      00

  • #
    speedy

    Silly question I know, but shouldn’t there be a category for Science? Possibly more relevant than many of the other categories on offer. I see there is a feedback area on the Bloggies site…

    10

    • #
      Eddie

      Speedy, did you forget the /sarc. Tag ?
      I know sarcasm should be self evident, but a few innocent souls reading this might not realise that it was due to so called ‘Skeptical Science’ throwing its toys out of the pram in the face of imminent defeat that brought Science to its knees and then had Science abolished altogether in the Bloggies.
      The unpopularity of their climate alarmism was apparently something they’d rather not have more attention drawn to.

      10

      • #
        Robert in Calgary

        When I voted in the first round I used the feedback area to chide them for getting rid of Science category.

        10

  • #
    Peter Carabot

    You definately have my votes!,
    Thank you. I have very little time to research BS from the warmist, you have done it for me. Love it!

    10

  • #
    Aussieute

    Didn’t someone say … vote early vote often?

    I’ve spread the word across my newsletter .. 1,500 of them

    00

  • #
    Radical Rodent

    Alas, there is too much to-ing and fro-ing over the aether for my present fragile and too, too slow connection to handle, so I cannot take part in the voting (huh… satellites… don’cha love them?). However, I can stand on the sidelines and chant my support. I have a feeling that it is going to be a toss-up between yourself, Bishop Hill and WUWT… and the AGWistas are going to be furious!

    10

    • #
      Ava

      Radical, I imagine you might be able to vote by proxy, having someone else with better access placing your votes for you with your instructions.

      The AGWistas will of course feign not caring as they cry into their cornflakes, lamenting the loss of their cause.

      10

  • #
    Ceetee

    I am proud to be a member of this online community. I sometimes wonder if Jo truly understands the enormity of the contribution this site has made to the rebalancing of the ledger as it were. It’s sites like these that despite the fact they aren’t as much in the public arena as the MSM that are making such a huge impact. The Left who are the principle proponents of that we are fighting have simply fallen behind in every aspect and quite frankly shown themselves to be hopelessly behind the game. This is a new. fluid digital world and they are scratching around trying to save their antiquated news outlets. We read papers and watch television for entertainment not for veracity. They haven’t worked that out. That’s why we are winning.

    10

  • #
    Chester

    Yes, come on all. Off and lodge your vote as instructed by the Pauline Hanson of science.

    And then, in time, Jo will hit you up for a new PC or a bit more dosh…or a new house and private schooling for the brat.

    Have to keep the family business turning over, eh Jo?

    05

    • #
      Graeme No.3

      Chester:
      pleased to see that you realise that Joanne is supported by VOLUNTARY donations.

      Unlike the people who’ve duped you who want COMPULSORY donations without putting forward any sound reason why we should give.

      P.S. Gore, Suzuki, Flannery, Rudd and Gillard are all supporters of AGW and have all bought new houses recently. No doubt there are others as it has been such a lucrative business.

      41

    • #
      Eliza Doodle

      Envy. Envy & bitterness. It doesn’t matter how much public money they award themselves the left think they are always entitled to more and what have they got to show for it ?

      20

  • #
    richard

    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/22/climate-change-deniers-have-won-global-warming

    after all the billions spent to push AGW you would think they would realize that no one is buying this scam.

    The hilarious thing is that the Guardian has sold the company that was propping it up financially- a car magazine, it was a chunk of money so I guess the Guardian will limp along with a gradually dwindling readership.

    00

  • #
    PeterPetrum

    Done! Guess you are a winner anyway!

    10

  • #

    Ballot cast from deep in heart of the Republic of Tejas! Best of luck, Jo.

    10