Weekend Unthreaded

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193 comments to Weekend Unthreaded

  • #
    Michael Collard

    All this talk of “hottest temperatures ever” has got me thinking…
    If this is true, then we have reached those “unprecedented” temps that the experts predicted. And things are supposed to get even warmer.
    This would put us in literally uncharted territory, with no past history of temps this high.
    So, my question is this:
    How can someone be an expert on something that has never happened before, and hasn’t happened yet?

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    • #
      The Backslider

      I find it remarkable that anybody can make the claim of “hottest temperature ever” when we know full well that temperatures during the Holocene have been significantly hotter, without disaster.

      Far better to say “hottest temperature since The Little Ice Age” (even though we are not even sure of that).

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    • #
      Yonniestone

      Most technology was invented not exactly knowing the results but knowing the mechanics of reality that could achieve the desired outcome.

      The debate over the two pillars of modern physics is an example of how ideas can be split on testing an hypothesis, besides Relativity and Quantum we now have Electric thrown in the debate to further incite serious thought which is a good thing.

      Personally I think the claims of those pro CAGW was good for those that are expert in earths systems,

      1- It kept them alert that others had alternate ideas that they could disprove in turn honing their own skills.

      2- It exposed the politicisation of science and the need to eradicate this corruption for the sake of positive progress.

      3- It once more highlighted one of the corner stones of the scientific method that nothing trumps data.

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      • #
        Ted O'Brien.

        Exposed the politicisation? To whom?

        Highlighted the corner stones? To whom?

        I fear that the lies may yet prevail. “Whom” may be less than 50% + 1.

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  • #
    doubtingdave

    I am spoiling for a fight this weekend , just watched my beloved Nottm forest lose to our sheep bothering rivals , so in the spirit of fair play , can you come on and explain why some on this site back Ted Cruz and give me a good reason to vent my frustrations against you

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    • #
      AndyG55

      Maybe Cruz should just cut his losses, making sure Trump gets the number to become the Republican candidate.

      Then become Trumps running mate.

      Trump President, Cruz vice president

      That would really stir up some fun in AGW circles 😉

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      • #
        doubtingdave

        Andy that’s a dream ticket I hope and pray that you are correct

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        • #
          Manfred

          …that’s a dream ticket…

          Embodying all aspects of the political spectrum from the crony capitalists on Capitol Hill to the rent-a-progressive lynch mob that stopped the Trump rally in Chicago, it is warming to see what may be colloquially referred to as ‘the establishment’ vigorously squirm in what must be their personal nightmare, a reawakening awareness of ‘we the people‘.

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      • #

        Even reversed that a Cruz/Trump combo would get all votes from the ABC crowd! Such would really test the skills of the secret service. If the SS is not up to the job, expect act II of the American Civil War!
        All the best! -will-

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      • #
        jorgekafkazar

        …Then become Trumps running mate.

        Oho. If it were that easy, any and every candidate would “become Trump’s running mate.” Even I would be interested, though I really aspire to being named Ambassador to Gondwanaland. I speak all the major languages of that fair country, so it should be much more likely than “becoming” Trump’s VP candidate.

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    • #
      Yonniestone

      Ted Cruz is the only option to restore sanity and prosperity to the USA, with his high level legal background he can reason in a professional manner that others simply cannot, his excellent education gives cause to oppose CAGW claims and schemes with factual points that resonate with the public.

      The only reason anyone would not back Cruz for POTUSA is political stubbornness or lack of self education with insanity as the exception.

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      • #
        Rod Stuart

        From Oz we can watch the electoral process in the USA as interested observers, or perhaps voyeurs.
        For my part, there is something very ominous about the process. There are clearly some very anti-American undercurrents in operation.
        Some of the work of Dinesh D’Sousa suggested that the 2016 election might be the last.
        With Trump under attack by the mob, and Clinton possibly facing indictment, could such a scenario play out?
        The brown shirt tactics employed by the Left, and the reluctance of the Administration to indict Clinton on what would appear to be some pretty conclusive evidence, suggests to me that the democratic processes have become completely overwhelmed in the USA.
        The silent majority appears to have awakened to realise the impact of the diabolical choices it made in 2008. But is it two late?

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        • #
          Roy Hogue

          Rod,

          You are a very astute observer. Perhaps more astute than most here in the U.S. I have an ever increasing sinking feeling in my gut. It looks like Trump will be nominated by the Republicans and I cannot see a way for him to win against Hillary who is a shoe-in for the Democrat on the ticket in November.

          As for elections actually ceasing, probably not. They will simply become the meaningless charade that they became in so many places around the world where the only candidate is the one approved of by the party and you better vote for that candidate or else. The other possibility is that elections will become so dishonest that no matter who the candidates are the party approved candidate wins.

          If he’s still on the ballot when the California primary comes around I will vote for Ted Cruz (not my first choice, also answering doubtingdave above) because at least by that I will not be a party to the travesty that is Donald Trump. I think Trump, even if he could get elected would be a disaster, perhaps different from Hillary but a disaster nonetheless.

          Make no mistake though — if Trump is nominated I will vote for him because Hillary is even worse. But either way it will be a party of sorts. You buy your beer and chips and sit in front of the TV watching your new president thrash around trying to figure out how to get his/her job done. But you won’t be laughing.

          Dinesh D’Souza had Obama pegged correctly right from the start. Unfortunately it took an immigrant from a far worse off country than America to be able to see through him and his left handed cronies. Native born Americans have gone to sleep and may only wake up when the chains are tightened around their necks. It just might be too late.

          If anyone thinks Trump is a good choice (doubtingdave?) I wish they’d explain why they think so.

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          • #
            Rod Stuart

            It is a travesty that affects Western Civilisation in its entirety.
            The UK, Canada, and Australia are far from immune to the attack of teh Socialist Hordes.
            As for D’Souza, he certainly has a knack for spelling it out. Watch him in this video.

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            • #
              Roy Hogue

              He does tell it like it is, doesn’t he? D’Souza is a naturalized citizen or I could be tempted to write in his name. But unfortunately the constitution demands a natural born citizen for president. And rightly so in the larger scheme of things. In spite of those who still try to claim otherwise there’s no doubt that Obama was born in Hawaii, not Kenya. But his having adopted his father’s dream as his own and his affinity for a way of life other than what we have practiced here for hundreds of years has proven to me that the requirement of the constitution is correct. If your heart is elsewhere, so are your actions and so are those you favor by what you do. And Obama is only the latest of many who carried that banner before he did.

              That we’re all sinking into that socialist (or worse) view of life is probably not the end of the world. After all, many were able to adapt and thrive in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during the cold war years. But I shudder to even think about it’s happening here.

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            • #
              The Backslider

              He he…..that will really get up the liberals, since so many of them are Dilbert fans.

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              • #
                Roy Hogue

                On the other hand, I’m the quintessential conservative about most things and I’m a Dilbert fan. I think it had something to do with so many years of writing computer code because there’s certainly no way in the world you could make a liberal out of me. But Dilbert clicks with whom he clicks. He’s just plain funny.

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          • #
            Manfred

            If anyone thinks Trump is a good choice (doubtingdave?) I wish they’d explain why they think so.

            Roy, with the deepest respect I think the voters have thus far made it abundantly clear whom in the Republican camp they consider a ‘good choice’. It is incumbent upon you to explain to us outside observers why you disagree with them (unless I missed an earlier post in which you did). For my part, I applaud the fact he speaks almost off the cuff, unpolished and in the moment. I applaud the employment he has created and his wealth. I find his lack of politesse a refreshing break after the platitudinous vacuity of the political class, which we know only too well. I appreciate that as a businessman he gets what a $21 trillion deficit actually means and he gets that America exports much/most of its industry to China et al. hand over fist.

            Trump often appears a vexatious mix, an enigmatic melange of the brash and the smart. I for one wouldn’t make the mistake of either generalizing around him or underestimating him. Doubtless his reputation precedes him, but no one can say he doesn’t have a reputation. Most know him so well they easily satirize him. They usually do so at their cost. The obvious fact that the Left are rabid toward him speaks volumes. They betray themselves at every turn.

            Trump states he wants to make America great again. I would be inclined to interpret this from a business perspective. In Australia and New Zealand in particular, whose tall poppy chopping machine is honed to precision ‘great’ usually implies success on the sports field, held as the epitome of national achievement. Little wonder then that the eco-marxists at the UN extol sport as a post-2015 millennium goal, a safe vent for energy, where the sheeple can vicariously live out their lives, leaving the political elite to romp in their chosen societal playground. Perhaps Trump wants to change this. If he does, and he wants to make America great again, he’ll probably have to precipitate a change in values, away from special interest groups and minority preciousness, to reinstate the required fundamentals of a wealth creating economy that once again values industry, creativity and hard work. In other words, he may be our best hope in a long time of reincarnating the American dream.

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            • #
              KinkyKeith

              A very informative post and well presented.

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            • #
              Mike

              For a scientific political analysis, for example, ‘political science’.

              Short quote from http://www.gurdjieff.org/gurdjieff2.htm

              “Every branch of science endeavors to elaborate and to establish an exact language for itself. But there is no universal language. For exact understanding exact language is necessary.… This new language is based on the principle of relativity; that is to say, it introduces relativity into all concepts and thus makes possible an accurate determination of the angle of thought—making it possible to establish at once what is being said, from what point of view and in what connection. In this new language all ideas are concentrated round one idea. This central idea is the idea of evolution … and the evolution of man is the evolution of his consciousness.

              G. I. Gurdjieff, paraphrased from page 70 of IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS”

              Personally i always get frazzled by the use of the word “green” when there are so many kinds of ‘green these days.
              ‘Carbon Green’ for example could be used in language that would immediately let the reader know exactly the kind of ‘green’ was being conveyed. With so many kinds of green, we need better distictions, that do not need to be the way i have chosen to convey them, but exact they must be.

              A further example is Trumps idea of “reincarnating the American dream”.
              Does this mean he needs to talk about getting rid of debt to privately owned central banks? So many questions, and such poor language with which to convey the answers, established by us ourselves.

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              • #
                Mari

                I am fairly sure that part of the vagueness of term is deliberate – to be precise, exact, to offer the finer distinction, well, that would reduce the number of people thinking that candidate (whichever one it may be speaking) is speaking to -them- and -their need- and possibly losing that vote or number of votes.
                The idea with campaigns, with advertising, is to be precise enough to convey something , but not so precise as to single out a specific .

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            • #
              Roy Hogue

              Manfred,

              OK, a fair question.

              Trump is angry. Now anger isn’t in and of itself a bad thing. I’m angry too. But Trump can’t control his, it seems to control him. And anger makes very poor decisions. So far in this campaign Trump has said and done so many things that appear to be driven by that anger instead of by calm cool thoughtfulness, that I’ve become afraid of him on that point alone. He picks unnecessary fights like his ongoing little war with Megyn Kelly of Fox News over something that isn’t worthy of the attention, not even worthy of mention — Donald thought one of the questions was unfair. But sorry Donald, in a debate it’s not your call to make.

              He’s made so many statements that alienate many of those whose support he may need that I can’t count them. And it goes on and on with him. Far from being refreshing, it’s a glaring fault. As president he can’t operate that way. His whole party structure is afraid of him and I suspect their motives are not only what you may think, that he’ll upset their nice cozy little apple cart but that he’ll not be able to handle the job. That’s certainly what I fear.

              And frankly, when he speaks about all the wonderful things HE knows how to do to fix the country, he sounds more like a blowhard than convincing, going on and on endlessly when he should stop or move on to something else.

              None of this is refreshing to me. It’s one thing to take no nonsense from an antagonist when you can do it without getting angry and then move on. But it’s quite another to start a war over it, which is just about the status of his quarrel with Megyn Kelly.

              And finally, none of our best presidents were political outsiders. They came up through the ranks, gaining experience as they went. Ronald Reagan cut his teeth as governor of California before running for president. He lost the first time and had to try again. And as bad as it can be when the insiders take over, as it is in DC right now, being an outsider in an insider’s game can get you outfoxed more easily than you might think. Obama has outfoxed even the insiders more than once.

              None of this tells me Trump is a good candidate. And for the record, Cruz isn’t my first choice either. He’s just the only alternative left.

              It may not matter anyway because I don’t think any Republican can beat Hillary.

              In the interest of not going on at length with this I’m going to leave it at the things I’ve mentioned. But there’s a lot more I could say.

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              • #
                Roy Hogue

                For a little emphasis, the voters also chose Obama. So maybe the voters can be dead wrong?

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              • #
                The Backslider

                Trump is not angry. He expresses simply the way that he knows the majority of people are thinking. This is just a tactic which has worked very well for him.

                He laughs at people calling him racist, homophobic, misogynist and everything else thrown his way, knowing full well that thinking people know it’s all BS.

                Very few people will share your fears.

                As for Hillary, most Bernie supporters would rather vote for Trump than her, or not vote at all. This will be a very tight outcome.

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              • #
                Roy Hogue

                Backslider,

                I don’t know whether you live in the states or not and if you don’t, how good your coverage of this election year is. But I suspect you know how to go after the information you want. So we’ll have to agree to disagree on that point.

                For me, since I’ve no way of knowing what’s actually in Donald Trump’s mind and heart I have to judge by what he does and by the result of what he does. And he does as a very angry man does. And he runs roughshod over anyone and everyone who irritates him the slightest little bit. He’s taken his anger so far that I think he’s pandering to the electorate’s anger, telling anyone listening to him whatever he thinks they need to hear to get another vote. And that may work to get him elected; there could hardly be a better strategy to win an election. But then he’ll need to actually accomplish. How will his anger serve him then? He’s already alienated most of those in congress whose support he’ll need to get anywhere.

                As I said, anger isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But his seems to control him rather than his controlling it. And that’s not a good combination.

                The minutia of how the election will actually play out, Bernie’s voters vs. Hillary’s, isn’t something I can predict and even the experts got things all wrong 4 years ago. But I can see that Hillary is a woman and to the left it’s time for a woman in the White House regardless of qualifications. So there you have a Hillary win fairly easily.

                As for this,

                He laughs at people calling him racist, homophobic, misogynist and everything else thrown his way, knowing full well that thinking people know it’s all BS.

                I don’t think he’s any of those things either, at least not to the extent that it bothers me, except that when he makes remarks publicly they stay in the hearer’s mind forever and Donald Trump becomes whatever is stamped on him by his words. And words do have consequences. I have no way of knowing if he’s actually any of those things and in that position I have to give him some benefit of the doubt. But I don’t know.

                A video I recently watched containing remarks from a woman in upper construction management on one of his major projects was not exactly reassuring.

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              • #
                Manfred

                Trump often appears a vexatious mix, an enigmatic melange of the brash and the smart. I for one wouldn’t make the mistake of either generalizing around him or underestimating him.

                Roy, I take your point and perhaps as time passes, the Primary process unfolds and the General Election looms, Trump the man, may be more clearly perceived, either because he let himself down once too often, or because he stepped up to the Presidential plate and the leadership became visible.

                I remember Obama prattling endlessly about ‘change’. The societal ‘projection’ that occurred around this won him the election. It also reverberated around the World. People in Europe were captivated, after all, a new age was dawning. Now they’re writing letters to him to cease his meddling.

                Caveat emptor – read the small print. We all need to do this. Obama knew that if we read his small print he’d have been consigned back to to Chicago to hang out with his mate Al Gourdo. His climate & EPA agendas, his UN eco-marxist globalization all lay nascent in the small print under what we might have called ‘adverse reactions’.

                I, like you, can only wonder at the Trumpian small print, although he has named his National Security Advisory Team. There are clues here. He probably delegates effectively. Nevertheless, at this moment the act of trust may actually be a bridge too far, but as the song goes, I’m open to persuasion.

                Meanwhile, over at the New York Post of all places, Michael Goodwin has nicely encapsulated the Trump phenomena, ‘Why it’s time for a Trump revolution‘.

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              • #
                Manfred

                And then there’s this over at Fabius Maximus

                “Why skeptics will lose the US climate policy debate.”

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              • #
                Roy Hogue

                Manfred,

                I’m, in a way, the same as you are, hoping that if Trump should win, he turns out to be better than the initial evidence suggests. It’s always in the back of my mind that no matter who we elect as president and no matter what his background and experience are, he’s an unknown and we’ll only find out what kind of president he is after he’s in office.

                Michael Goodwin makes a good argument about no one but Trump fighting for the middle class. And my trouble is all about the nature of that fight — his anger and careless statements. But I think some of the others would be good champions for the middle class too.

                This by Goodwin is interesting.

                If he weren’t the GOP front-runner, the gaps in his game would make it easy to dismiss him. But dismissing him requires dismissing the concerns of the 7.5 million people who have voted for him. That I can’t do.

                My gut tells me much of the contempt for Trump reflects contempt for his working-class white support. It is one prejudice gentry liberals and gentry conservatives share.

                I have no contempt as such for Donald Trump, only distrust. He’s clearly accomplished a lot, unlike Obama who can’t point to any pre first term accomplishments at all. So there’s certainly something there to take note of. But I guess I learned very early in my working life about doing things driven by anger instead of by thoughtful consideration. I very nearly ended up facing off against a man weighing about twice what I did and would have been thoroughly beaten up if not for the intervention of cooler heads. That lesson has stuck with me. I’m surprised that I didn’t lose my job over it.

                The everyday American living on side street, small town, USA needs a champion like never before. I’m just not certain Trump is that guy. We shall see how it all works out. I would very much prefer someone like Kasich, who now has no chance at all to win the nomination but who has real experience at govening and knows how to get things done in DC. Just the intrigues involving the local county board of supervisors tell me that it isn’t easy, even when you know your way around. And it’s harder when you don’t.

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              • #
                Roy Hogue

                It seems to me that the U.S. climate change policy debate is already lost. Possibly it’s lost worldwide. But we need to keep fighting nevertheless, right down to the bitter end.

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          • #
            sceptic56109

            Roy

            Ted Cruz lies a lot. He said Trump wants to leave NATO because he made comments suggesting that member states should pony up NATO defense spending commitments.
            All Cruz talking points come from lobbyists or Trump, whichever is more popular.
            Cruz has never spoken about Obamacare.
            [snip]
            Cruz is too [snip] and this compromises his negotiating ability.
            Trump is the only candidate who will satisfy the voters’ desire to “kick over the table” in Washington and try to remove some of the blatant crony capitalism. (Look at Cruz’s ties to Goldman Sachs)
            If Cruz is president, there will be no fence at the border, just excuses for not doing it.

            [We can’t handle the subjects I snipped. The potential moderation load is too big and there are other problems with part of it. I think the rest deserves to be seen so I’m approving it as I changed it.] AZ

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          jorgekafkazar

          I suspect the 2012 US election was the last.

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      • #
        handjive

        Some folks might be aware of Mark Faber, The Gloom, Boom & Doom Report Publisher:

        Faber: I’d Vote for Trump, Clinton Will Destroy World

        http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/videos/2016-03-18/faber-i-d-vote-for-trump-clinton-will-destroy-world

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      • #
        Yonniestone

        Hey doubtingdave I thought you were spoiling for a fight or wasn’t my comment facetious enough? 🙂

        Honestly I don’t know what will happen if either get the nod, I like how Trump has taken the leftist media head on and laughed at their tantrums but I also like Cruz’s intellect and relevant factual points in debates, who knows such a seemingly odd pairing could work out to be a great team?

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        • #
          Scott

          Cruz mentioned both his parents have science backgrounds in one of his videos. I havent checked on this might be interesting to find out what their backgrounds were?

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        PeterPetrum

        Yonniestone – Cruz has a legal background? As has Turnbull! So what?

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      • #
        Just Thinkin'

        There are too many “legal people” in our governments already.
        Look at the mess we’re in here in Australia.
        Back scratching going on everywhere.

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    • #
      el gordo

      Ted Cruz is urbane and The Donald is not, the party hierarchy has a clear choice.

      Cruz understands the science and is the best man to defeat Hilary.

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      • #
        Roy Hogue

        Cruz understands the science and is the best man to defeat Hilary.

        At least Cruz has a chance, yes. But I’m not very optimistic.

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        • #
          el gordo

          There is a similarity with the Regan nomination in 1980, the Establishment didn’t think he had a chance of winning the election.

          What happens if the party decides not to nominate either candidate?

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          • #
            Mari

            The party can select anyone – it generally chooses the one with the votes, but does not have to. Both parties have this option. Trump has “warned” of riots if he has the votes AND does not get selected. I don’t know that there would be any, but as I live fairly close to the 2016 Republican Convention site (Cleveland, Ohio) I am hoping no riots.
            I see Trump as having a few – er, personality issues – he doesn’t much care about who gives him attention or why, and I doubt he respects most of those who DO support him. That he likes being the center of attention, and does what he can to get there, is fairly obvious from watching him over the years.

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          Another Ian

          But then – –

          “There goes the pardon.”

          Link at

          http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2016/03/bills-wife-91.html

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          sceptic56109

          The only reason polls show Trump losing to Hillary is because the GOP still think there is a better nominee than Trump.

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  • #
    Joe Lalonde

    I enjoy researching and be more knowable in many areas.
    You find many mistakes or find out if you have been taken.
    Currently, the US has had their media hijacked by government and business interests which over the decades have broken what their Constitution was suppose to represent by the government dictating and overstepping their original powers mostly due to the corrupt banking and business sector.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjb4is33rVQ

    Certaily is an interesting concept to tell your government what the people want.

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      Rod Stuart

      This document should give you food for thought.

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        Joe Lalonde

        Actually it has and here is what I am doing about it…

        Canadian Government partnering with an Illegal Government the US

        I have just sent the following letter to our Prime Minister Justin
        Trudeau of Canada:

        Our country has a different governance due to being from a monarchy
        and such is bound by the laws that this government generates.

        The United States is of a totally different governance where by the
        States have greater power over the Federal Government due to the way
        their Constitution is laid out.
        They are not from a monarchy and such have been governed for many
        decades beyond the bound of their Constitution of States. The presidential
        executive power is very weak and as such cannot dictate powers beyond
        it’s mandated office.
        The banking and business sector through the corrupted media has given
        the office far more power than what is in the American Constitution
        due to being a group of states that delegates to the executive office.
        See this video and you will understand that the President has exceeded
        his powers and mandate.
        Here is a FANTASTIC video that shows how the government is
        Unconstitutional and are totally fleecing the people.
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjb4is33rVQ

        Our country following what the United States dictates from their
        office is Unconstitutional as we should be dealing with every
        individual State.

        Thank you for your time and consideration,

        Joe Lalonde

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          Rod Stuart

          Joe
          As you are no doubt aware, Justin is cut from the same cloth as Pierre.
          It was Pierre that threw out the British North America Act and replaced it with an indigenous constitution which stripped the Provinces of many of their rights and responsibilities granted at the time of Confederation. Until Pierre the Red arrived on the scene, the Provinces were largely autonomous and held rather loosely together with the fabric of Confederation.

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            Joe Lalonde

            Ah, but he told the media with Obama there, that he was not his Dad…ya right, we’ll see in this upcoming budget.

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              Rod Stuart

              Poor buggar. His biological father could be any of the Montreal Canadiens or the Alouettes!

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                Joe Lalonde

                I remember…Margret that you?
                Certainly knew how to PARTY!!!

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                Rod Stuart

                I’m not certain, but it seems to me that about 1973 Margaret Sinclair was quoted thus “If an entire hockey team, including coaches and officials, were to be laid end to end, it wouldn’t even keep me occupied until the dawn’s early light”.

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        Roy Hogue

        This document should give you food for thought.

        And then there’s Steyer. But I must hand them congratulations on at least one thing. They have known for over 100 years exactly what they want and have worked steadily, patiently and ruthlessly to get it.

        I hope that once they have it they can make it work — so maybe I’ll get the last laugh another way if I can’t get an honestly run country again.

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    F. Ross

    Seemed like a pretty ordinary February in my area.

    If, as has been reported, this February is the warmest February ever it is probably from the heat of too many climate scientists “cooking the books”

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    Ruairi

    The warmist claim that climate zones have moved,
    And likely caused by man, is far from proved.

    In desperation, warmists clutch at straws,
    To claim a hottest month from one long pause.

    The Pacific now reveals a great cold spot,
    Which skeptics might explain, but warmists not.

    When socialists or Greens come into power,
    Expect at least a week of forced Earth Hour.

    When governments promote consensus science,
    They denigrate all curious defiance.

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    Another Ian

    “The end of average”

    http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2016/03/the-end-of-aver.html

    link and comments

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  • #
    David Maddison

    Australia under Turnbull is going to spend A$150 billion on 12 diesel submarines. That’s $12.5 billion each. A nuclear submarine of the Virginia class costs US$2.7 billion per piece or A$3.5 billion. Why the massive price discrepancy for smaller and inferior submarines?

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia-class_submarine

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      Graeme No.3

      The extra cost is from fitting the solar panels.

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      Fromdownunder

      The cost is 1/3 build 2/3 maintenance

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        David Maddison

        That still makes the cost $4.2 billion per piece compared to a much larger Virginia class sub at $3.5 billion.

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      James Murphy

      What makes you say that the (as yet unknown build/model) conventional subs are inferior? Nuclear subs have advantages over conventional, but they also have disadvantages. Nuclear is not inherently “better”, just as ‘more expensive’ is not inherently “better”.

      If the subs are to be built, I would prefer that they be built and maintained in Australia, but I guess I suffer from the delusion that such an undertaking provides a stable and long term platform for training and developing the careers of tradespeople and engineers, amongst other professions, which, in turn, benefits Australia.

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        Glen Michel

        If one can find crews for them.

        20

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          James Murphy

          It’s true, the Collins class have their problems, and crews are one of them – is this where I should start complaining about the young people of today, and their (lack of) work ethic??!

          20

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      Dennis

      I understand that there has been no contract signed yet for new submarines for the RAN. And I understand that the approximate price each of latest technology (can remain submerged for weeks for example) submarines is about 25 per cent per vessel of a nuclear powered submarine, before weapons and other technology is installed?

      40

    • #
      TdeF

      US Nuclear submarines are not for sale. For good reason. Then you have to add nuclear weapons.
      As for Australia which soon will not even make cars or jet aircraft or even a 1950’s transistor, how can we support and operate nuclear submarines? With some of the highest labor costs in the world, we cannot make anything much. In fact as was in the paper on Friday, it is cheaper to buy bricks from Spain than Perth because of the cost of coastal shipping in this island country. As a developed country, we are going backwards rapidly technically and economically. I cannot believe we are paying 350 CSIRO scientists to study Climate Change. Who makes such crazy decisions?

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        Dennis

        Who? Very determined legist politicians who know the truth but remain prepared to push leftist international agendas.

        Some are not: “I will not stand for socialism masquerading as environmentalism”: Tony Abbott

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        KinkyKeith

        Yep!

        Right on target.

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    • #

      And don’t forget the louvre windows, the worls heating up, doncha know.

      30

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      Mike

      What you really mean is that Turnbull is going to ask creditors if he can ‘borrow’.
      thanks
      Mike

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    • #
      Mike

      What you really, really, really mean is that Turnbull is going to ask creditors if he can ‘borrow’.
      thanks
      Mike

      (Not sure what happened during this post…didn’t turn (bull) up where i thought it should.

      00

      • #
        Mike

        Ok…It was from this…
        “under Turnbull is going to spend A$150 billion on 12 diesel submarines.”

        In that case it was ok for me to say he was going to “borrow”, according to my latest top sectret info the Russians, or some other geographical location.

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    Random Comment

    There are two conferences being jointly held in Perth this coming week for health practitioner educators – The Ottawa Conference 2016 and ANZAHPE Conference. On Monday 21st March at 10:15am at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in one of the first sessions of the Australia New Zealand Association of Health Practitioner Educators conference, Graeme Horton of University Of Newcastle will present The Attitudes of Australian Medical Students to the Incorporation of Health Impacts of Climate Change in the Medical School Curriculum: Survey Results From Four Universities.

    It would be interesting to see what level of indoctrination has been achieved in a cohort that includes some of brightest young people. I will try to source the results from the session.

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    Bob Malloy

    Here’s one for Tony, On my facebook feed comes the following from One Million Clueless Women! “How’s this for an indicator of social change!? Canada’s Nanticoke coal plant will be converted to a 44 MW solar installation”.

    Nanticoke when it was a coal plant, at full capacity could provide 3,964 MW of power into the southern Ontario power grid. Wound down over recent years it ceased opperations in 2014 and was the largest coal generating plant in North America, replacing this Goliath with a 44 MW solar plant is truely progress, I don’t think.

    On another front parts of Sweden have cancelled Earth hour in fear of their women being raped during the Black Out.

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      Rod Stuart

      There is little wonder then that this billboard could be 100% crowd funded. The green madness has nearly destroyed the economy of a Province that at one time had everything going for it. Are Bruce, Darlington, and Pickering still in operation? Or did Goofy have them shut down? I understand Gentilly-2 has been shut down by the green glob in Quebec.

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        James Murphy

        I don’t know about the status of Gentilly-2, but I was in Gentilly yesterday, and it hadn’t been shut down!

        (sorry, I couldn’t resist…)

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    • #

      The original Nanticoke coal fired plant opened in 1967, and wound down from it’s full power operations in 2007, so in full operation for 40 years. The other units were progressively taken out of service and the plant ceased operations with coal fired power in 2013, after 46 years.

      Now I could bore you with a huge amount of maths, but let’s just do one thing here.

      This new solar PV plant will open, well, who cares when, and will have a total life of 25 years, if everything goes well. Let’s actually pretend for a minute that the plant delivers its full power right to the very end of that 25 years, which it won’t, but hey, let’s pretend anyway, shall we.

      Across the FULL 25 years of operation for this Solar plant, it will deliver to the local grids an amount of total power equivalent to what was generated by the old coal fired plant in, umm, ….. 19 DAYS of average year round operation.

      Saying that, there were times, and plenty of them, when all 8 units were in operation, sometimes for weeks on end.

      So, with all 8 units in operation this plant delivered the 25 year solar plant total power in, umm, ….. 14 days and twelve hours.

      25 years Solar – 14 days Coal Fired.

      So, in effect this humungous solar plant across its whole 25 year lifespan life will save 14 days worth of CO2 emissions from the old plant.

      Oh for joy!

      Tony.

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        Rod Stuart

        Tony
        I worked on overhauls on both of these when I worked for GE in the early ’70’s.
        Apart from the boilers, they had the same 500 MW GE machines. Four machines per station. Bearing journals 950 mm in diameter!
        It looks like they closed Lambton three years ago. The coal came up the St Lawrence Seaway, generally from the USA in special purpose lake freighters.
        It seems Lennox is still in operation. A unit train would operate continuously hauling oil from from Montreal where it was unloaded from ocean going freighters originating in Venezuela.
        The train never stopped. It only slowed to a walking pace for loading and unloading.
        The good old days!

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          It’s sometimes a difficult thing to realise just how much coal a large coal fired power plant consumes. We have the Blackwater line running from the coalfields in the Basin near here at Rockhampton, and those trains run continually 24 hours a day, year round, only stopped by floods. Each coal train has 5 of those huge locomotives hauling the 100 cars, and each car carries 100 tons of coal, so 10,000 tons per coal train. The line to the coal loading port of Gladstone goes just to the south of ‘Rocky’.

          An average large scale coal fired power plant will consume around 15,000 to 20,000 tons of coal per day when in full operation, so I point out to family members when I see each of those coal trains that 2 of those coal trains is about a days supply for a power plant.

          Tony.

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            Rod Stuart

            It was a long time ago. My memory perhaps fails me. I seem to recall the consumption at Lambton being 365 Tonnes per hour, or 8,720 per day. Perhaps that was only two or three units operating, as it was not unusual for Lambton to operate with less than a full complement of 2 GW. Just did some arithmetic and It would have required an overall thermal efficiency of about 80%! my memory fails me.

            20

            • #
              Analitik

              Here is the tail of the demise of Ontario’s coal plants – all sorts of environmental spin used to justify their shutdown.
              The End of Coal

              In Appendix A, it states that Lambton had 4 gensets, 2 powered by High Sulfur Coal and the other 2 by Low Sulfur Coal. Since it lists Atikokan as (formerly) consuming lignite, I would assume that the Lambton coals were black coals.

              The 2014 generation mix is worth looking at – nuclear has largely picked up the load while the much vaunted renewables (excluding hydro so mostly wind turbines with a bit of Drax style biomass) only contribute 7% of the electrical supply. Meanwhile, Ontario’s electricity costs have rocketed up – I guess the blame is the nuclear plants…

              Historical Electricity Prices

              10

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        The Backslider

        Would love to see your calculations Tony.

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          Rod Stuart

          That figure 365 was stuck in my head associated with Lambton GS.
          I figured out what it was. 365 SHORT tons per hour per UNIT.
          365 x 2000 =730,000 lb/hr.
          Bituminous coal has a heating value of about 8500 BTU/lb.
          Combustion releases 730,000 x 8500 = 6,205,000,000 BTU hr.
          1 BTU = 2.93E-07 MW.
          Power is 6,205,000,000 BTU/hr x 2.93E-07 = 1816 MW.
          Overall plant thermal efficiency 500MW/1816MW = 27%
          I think it was a bit better than that, but then I can’t remember exactly what coal they were burning.
          So the entire facility, Lambton GS, balls to the wall, flat out, at 2,000 MW would have been using 365 x 4 = 1460 short tons per hour or 35,040 short tons per day.
          This is 31,788 metric tonnes per day.

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        • #

          The Backslider,

          that’s one of the things I find really odd, the incredulous looks I get when I mention coal consumption and CO2 conversion from coal.

          People are so willing to believe the most complex Science when it comes to Climate Change/Global Warming, and yet, as soon as I mention that you get (on average) 2.86 tonnes of CO2 from the burning of one tonne of coal, everyone tries not to laugh at my (supposed) stupidity, and that’s just an extrapolation from first year high school Science that every child learns, when their teacher goes through the first few elements on the periodic table.

          As to coal consumption at a large plant, I’ll use my goto Plant Bayswater, which burns around 7 million tonnes of coal a year at normal operation. A simple division by 365 brings that down to 19,178 tonnes of coal a day, and that’s just normal operation at the yearly (average) Capacity Factor. (CF)

          So, to get the burn for all four units in operation, or for a single unit at full run, then you need to divide by the CF, so 7 million divided by 0.75 (75% average CF), so 9.33 Million tonnes per year, (theoretically) so 25,570 tonnes per day. That comes down to 1065 tonnes per hour, so 17.75 Tonnes per minute, or one Tonne of coal every 3.38 seconds.

          That’s with all four units running at max, so multiply that time by 4 and you get each unit burning one tonne of coal every 13.5 seconds.

          One tonne of coal every 13.5 seconds.

          So, 2.86 tonnes of CO2 every 13.5 seconds, or one tonne of CO2 every 4.7 seconds, or with all four units running at max, then one tonne of CO2 every 1.18 seconds.

          Makes you think eh!

          Maths makes people disbelieve, and yet they’ll believe complex Science they haven’t the slightest comprehension of.

          Tony.

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            The Backslider

            I was more interested in the calcs for the comparison of the coal plant against the solar – how we get to the 14 days.

            00

            • #

              …..how we get to the 14 days.

              It’s just so hard to believe isn’t it. I say stuff like this, and people just laugh at me.

              SOLAR PLANT

              This is a PV Plant, hence solar panels and not the mirrors heating the compound, so it only generates power while the Sun is actually shining on it.

              These have a Capacity Factor which varies considerably depending on the Latitude, but for this far North in Canada, it’s around 13.5%, averaged across the whole of one year.

              So we have a Nameplate of 44MW, a CF of 13.5% and a lifepsan of a hoped for 25 years, so it’s as follows.

              44 (NP) X 24 (hours in a day) X 365.25 (days in a year, leap year included) X 0.135 (CF of 13.5%) = 50,141MWH or 50GWH per year, and for 25 years, that’s 1250GWH.

              COAL FIRED PLANT

              8 units, each 500MW, hence 4000MW. So, if they run for one hour, then that’s 4000MWH or 4 GWH.

              1250GWH divided by 4GWH is 312.5 hours or 13 days.

              I gave the solar plant the benefit of the doubt, hence an extra day, but hey, who cares. Either way, it’s just ridiculous.

              Tony.

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      Analitik

      Meh.

      We did it first, last year – Once coal-fired (56MW), Brisbane Powerhouse resurrected as 100kW solar power plant

      http://www.solarchoice.net.au/blog/news/brisbane-powerhouse-resurrected-as-solar-power-plant-211215

      21

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    Rod Stuart

    There is more than one way to skin a cat. Or challenge age discrimination.

    A frumpy, middle-aged couple return to a Mercedes dealership where the salesman

    has just sold the car they were interested in to a beautiful, leggy blonde.

    “I thought you said you would hold that car till we raised the $155,000 asking

    price,” said the man. “Yet I just heard you close the deal for $130,000 to the lovely

    young lady there. You insisted there could be no discount on this model.”

    “Well, what can I tell you? She had the ready cash and, just look at her; how could

    I resist?” replied the grinning salesman.

    Just then the young woman approached the middle-aged couple and gave them the keys.

    “There you go, Dad,” she said. “I told you I could get this goof to reduce the price. See you later.”

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    Joe Lalonde

    Jo,

    The US is trying to rush into law a new Anti-propaganda bill that will close RT and any website that is not following the mainstream media.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqs22pGTZEI

    This sickness of the government control has to stop!!!

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    Another Ian

    “If every person in favour of a carbon tax just went to their doctor for an assisted suicide note, the planet could be saved.”

    http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/

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    David Maddison

    This was on ABC-RN this morning. Features Flim Flannery. “Climate Emergency”.

    http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sundayextra/climate-emergency/7258968

    42

    • #
      el gordo

      Truth in journalism:

      The world’s atmosphere is experiencing a warming spike similar to 1877-78, but of greater interest is the unprecedented speed of ocean cooling at the moment.

      82

  • #
    handjive

    Red Thumb Challenge!

    Sierra Club President Aaron Mair identifies and confirms the 40’s pause in Global Warming (“the slowing of Global Warming in the 40s”). 3.00mins

    Mair also claims he gets his information from the Union of Concerned Scientists. 1.30 mins
    . . .
    I have spent time searching the Union of Concerned Scientists site for any information about this “pause/slowing”

    Maybe I used the incorrect search words.

    Besides cherrypicking the 40s as the beginning of the current claimed & famed Doomsday Global Warming expected in 100 ‘fluid’ years (and moving), I could not find one page dedicated to explaining the cause of this 40’s pause/slowing.

    Red Thumb Challenge!

    Can the redthumbers, or anyone, find the information that Sierra Club President Aaron Mair would have used to identify and confirm the “40’s pause/slowing in Global Warming on the Union of Concerned Scientists website?

    NB. I expect the redthumbers will choose to remain anonymous.

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    • #
      Andrew McRae

      More astonishing concerning about the UCS articles is this incredible highly concerning claim:

      Scientists can evaluate the effect of climate change on a single extreme event
      This report is a really big deal, and its novelty lies in the fact that attribution of a single event can now be estimated.

      It certainly is a big deal… for all the wrong reasons. A single event. n=1. Statistical reliability… zee-ro!
      It’s not 1st April yet, UCS.

      10

      • #
        Mike

        “Scientists can evaluate “ …………………………..

        It depends on ‘which scientists’

        Names, links. and any further qualifying info

        Thanks in advance.

        Mike

        01

  • #
    Rod Stuart

    Millenial LOGIC from the Great White North.
    Some of the Prime Minister’s most revealing quotes.

    50

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    pat

    the ultra-trendy/progressive/innovative/disruptive/??? South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival has just wrapped up in Austin, Texas. Pres Obama & the First Lady attended.

    according to transcripts at Boston Globe, the Pres didn’t mention CAGW at all and the First Lady merely passed the buck (in Texan fashion?), telling the audience “And why I work so much with young people is that you ALL are going to be the ones who take on these issues. You’re going to be the one that carries these things over the finish line — whether it’s climate change, or global education, or health and fitness, you ALL are the ones who are going to have to do that work.”

    nevertheless, SXSW did have its CAGW moments, e.g.

    14 Mar: SXSW: Mapping the Movement for Climate Action
    Over the past several months, Purpose and Here Now conducted a research project to map the current state of the climate movement. We’ve done this to better understand the connections between public discussion, community actions, and big moments like Paris and the release of the SDGs to empower climate activists in shaping global policy. During the session, we will do a deep dive into our research and campaigns, and then engage in a conversation about potential implications and future research possibilities. Attendees will learn about using data to improve interventions and measure our influence on complex social issues. We will also be releasing our findings simultaneously on Purpose.com.
    ***This event is part of the SXgood Hub, a creative content venue that is curated and produced by SXSW Eco in partnership with the ***United Nations Foundation…
    Presenters: Joshua Hendler, CTO, Purpose and Renee Miller, Social Media Strategist, Purpose
    http://schedule.sxsw.com/2016/events/event_OE05470?_ga=1.211106967.341059350.1458432710

    more to come…

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    pat

    the SXSW presenters:

    Sept 2014: Purpose: Purpose Welcomes Josh Hendler as New CTO
    His sweet spot is technology leadership roles in politics, having served as the technology chief for the Democratic National Committee and Organizing for America. During the 2008 campaign, he was a consultant to the Obama campaign, managing technology for distributed organizing efforts. Most recently, Josh was the Chief Technology Officer at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, a global communications agency, where he led product and consulted with the Digital and Sustainability practice. Working across NGOs and startups, he has been at Rock the Vote, Jumo and Major League Baseball Advanced Media.
    “My goal is to develop the next-generation of tools to empower people across the globe to build movements,” said Hendler. “Purpose is the place to do that. Its power lies in its incredible team—it’s a gathering place for world-changers, movement-makers and social entrepreneurs.”
    http://www.purpose.com/purpose-welcomes-josh-hendler-as-its-new-cto/

    LinkedIn: Renee Miller
    Co-create cultural campaigning strategies around music, film, TV, etc. that leverages compelling digital tactics to move constituents to action; develop a network of cultural influencers that can be activated for specific campaigns; identifying relevant youtube/instagram/tumblr stars and pop culture icons, working with their gatekeepers to secure their support; curate an experience for them that is translatable to their medium i.e. vlogging, tumblr, insta-blogging etc; help to set up a long-lasting conversation between them and their followers re climate change; curate messaging for influencers that is on-brand for them, and also fits in with overarching campaign goals and messaging; generate ideas for opportunities to use cultural moments / memes to advance climate campaigns…
    2004-2005 Renee was Office Assistant, Goldman Sachs
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-miller-esq-783a4932

    20

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    pat

    as we know, the MSM is not interested in giving science presenter/communicator extraordinnaire Joanne Nova a CAGW platform.

    but if you are Aussie Jayde Lovell, u are welcomed with open arms:

    14 Mar: South x South-West: SCIWARS: Dark Side Tactics to Fight for Science
    Science is under attack. The enemies don’t fight with logic – they fight dirty. From anti-GMO groups, anti-vaccers to climate-deniers, Dr Oz and the Food Babe – these entities pose an increasing threat to the progress of scientific research, conservation and public health campaigns. As long as scientists (and those who represent them) stick to the facts – they’ll continue to struggle in the war of public opinion. This session draws on the latest case studies to deconstruct the communication tactics of the anti-science lobby. It also arms evidence-based organisations with strategies to positively persuade the public whilst maintaining scientific accuracy and integrity.
    Presenters:
    Jayde Lovell
    Science Communicator
    Did Someone Say Science?
    http://schedule.sxsw.com/2016/events/event_PP50694

    LinkedIn: Jayde Lovell, Scientist & Presenter – ‘Did Someone Say Science’, New York
    2015-present: Manager: Explainer TV, New York Hall of Science
    2008-2014: Co-Owner and Founder, Melbourne Institute of Language Studies
    I set up the Melbourne Institute of Language Studies in Jakarta, Indonesia with the hope of improving educational standards in Indonesia…
    Education:
    2009 – 2012: University of Melbourne, Masters of Science Communication, Digital Media / Health Literacy
    2004-2007: University of Melbourne, BA/BSc, Communications, Neuroscience…

    jaydelovell.com: Did Someone Say Science?
    About Us
    Jayde Lovell and Bec Susan Gill are a writing/producing team who create educational content for the internet. Jayde is a science communicator (BSc neuroscience, MA Science Literacy) and host of videos for Scientific American, New York Hall of Science, American Institute of Physics and AOL. Bec is a writer whose work has appeared in the Huffington Post, The Australian and Thought Catalog. She’s also written and produced for the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
    Jayde and Bec created the science YouTube channel ScIQ, as part of The Young Turks Network, which is produced out of YouTube Studios in New York City. The channel focuses on explaining the science behind the news, debunking ‘bad science’ and fighting the antiscience movement – and has been featured on Buzzfeed and Business Insider. As the shows main host, Jayde is also a frequent speaker at STEM events and conferences. She has presented on panels at Google New York, University of Chicago, New York University and is slated to speak at SxSw 2016 (March), the North American Congress for Conservation Biology (July 2016) and the Massachusetts Environmental Education Society Annual Conference (March 2016).
    Jayde and Bec have also produced videos for organizations such as NASA, Rolls Royce Engineering and Pearson English – and are the CoDirectors of the Explainer TV program at the New York Hall of Science, which mentors the next generation of science storytellers…
    Jayde and Bec met whilst working at Weber Shandwick (the world’s largest PR agency) in their Asia and Europe offices. As Vice President (Jayde) and Creative Director (Bec) of the company’s digital division – they lead projects for clients like Facebook, Coca Cola, MasterCard as well as Procter and Gamble.
    http://www.jaydelovell.com/

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    pat

    the wit and wisdom of Jayde & Bec!

    Youtube: Climate Change Talks in Paris – ScIQ Explains!
    Jayde and Bec discuss.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCfjIVx0RGE

    Youtube: Top 10 Tips to Survive the Climate Change Apocalypse!
    NOTE FROM SCIQ TEAM: Hey guys! It’s Throwback Tuesday! Here’s a fun video we filmed a year ago now; when New York was all in a polar vortex – and we were feeling very glum about climate change inaction…
    These handy tips give you a rock-solid chance of being the last one standing when death and destruction rolls around!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq_rUO3HpWU

    jo, how can u compete with this?

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    • #
      Joe Lalonde

      Sure will be interesting to see what or if something happens with our atmosphere with those two hunks for burning love passing soooo incredibly close to our planet…tick….tock…tick…tock…
      Only a couple days to go guys…tick…tock…tick…tock.

      10

  • #
    Joe Lalonde

    Here is my look like a Duck Question…

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/304204765/Grant-Williams-Duck-Test

    Now does not that look like a full blown depression coming?

    (Johnny Cash singing)… I hear that train a coming….

    40

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    pat

    18 Mar: WSJ: Pushing Back Against Progressive Bullies
    A company takes Greenpeace to court for defamation.
    Any day now a Canadian court could force the radical environmental group Greenpeace to open up its records world-wide to scrutiny from attorneys for Resolute Forest Products. The progressive green bullies may have picked on the wrong business.
    Standard operating procedure for many companies faced with a protest campaign is to write a check and hope it goes away. But not at Montreal-based Resolute. CEO Richard Garneau tells us, “If you believe you’re on firm ground, you stand firm.”…READ ALL
    http://www.wsj.com/articles/pushing-back-against-progressive-bullies-1458342391

    20 Mar: UK Telegraph: Christopher Booker: Our crazy energy policy just got madder still
    Until last week, the greatest collective flight from reality in the history of British politics was that brought about by Ed Miliband’s 2008 Climate Change Act
    Anyone with a shred of common sense would have known that, with fossil fuels still providing (according to the latest government figures) 84 per cent of all our energy – including 70 per cent of our electricity and pretty well 100 per cent of our transport – while renewable wind, sun and hydro supply less than 2 per cent, it was not entirely rational to set ourselves a goal that could only be reached by closing down virtually our entire economy.
    Yet this 80 per cent figure was at the last minute plucked from the air by Mr Miliband, on the advice of a young lady called Bryony Worthington, previously the climate change campaign director for Friends of the Earth, who had been invited to draft an Act which was then supported by all but five of our MPs.
    When (energy minister) Mrs Leadsom announced that the Government now wishes to raise that 80 per cent figure to 100 per cent, she offered fulsome thanks to Ed Miliband and the now Baroness Worthington for suggesting it…
    So carried away into cloud cuckoo land have been all those responsible for our energy policy that Mrs Leadsom now proposes that we should go literally for broke. If our existing policy is like committing suicide by taking ever larger doses of paracetamol, she now wants us to make doubly sure by knocking back a cup of cyanide…
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/12199248/Our-crazy-energy-policy-just-got-madder-still.html

    20

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    pat

    can’t help laughing over Fairfax staff being on strike til Monday, mssing out on reporting on their beloved Earth Hour!

    Tim Blair has linked to a Crikey piece, that I dare say is well worth a read for the laughs & the detail:

    2012: Crikey: David Salter: An hour to ponder why Fairfax bothers turning off the lights
    What tends to be forgotten — or deftly sidestepped — is that Earth Hour began in 2007 as a promotional campaign for Fairfax dreamed up by an advertising agency, Leo Burnett (the Earth Hour website now describes this genesis as a “partnership with brand co-owners, Fairfax Media”). The basic idea pitched by the advertising “creatives” five years ago was to cloak the Fairfax broadsheet mastheads with the feel-good moral superiority of joining the Good Fight against global warming while adding to paid sales and making an extra little pot of cash from spin-off custom display advertising. To clinch the warm-inner-glow value of their pitch, the World Wildlife Fund was enlisted as a partner, complete with their heart-tugging little Panda Bear logo…
    http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/03/29/history-of-earth-hour-at-fairax/

    Wikipedia frames it differently:

    Wikipedia: Earth Hour
    Conception and start: 2004–2007
    In 2004, confronted with scientific findings, WWF Australia met with advertising agency Leo Burnett Sydney to “discuss ideas for engaging Australians on the issue of climate change”…
    WWF Australia presented their concept to Fairfax Media who, along with Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, agreed to back the event…
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Hour

    20

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    pat

    19 Mar: Philippines Inquirer.net: #InquirerSeven Facts that prove climate change is real, according to Al Gore
    by Sara Isabelle Pacia
    How do you convince a room that climate change is real?
    Such was the challenge former US Vice President and climate advocate Al Gore hurdled at the Philippine leg of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training at Sofitel Plaza…
    Here are seven of the many statistics used by Gore to simplify the science showing why climate change is real and what factors contribute to the global phenomenon. All images are from Gore’s presentation…
    More than once, Gore said that he included certain slides “because it was shocking.”…READ ON
    http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/775121/inquirerseven-facts-that-prove-climate-change-is-real-al-gore

    10

  • #
    DonS

    Hi Jo

    I woke this morning to a wonderful sunny Perth Sunday, birds chirping, a nice breeze blowing, people going about their usual Sunday activities, but something seemed somehow wrong. Something was causing the hairs on the back of my neck to twitch, I found a certain unease had set in. Then I turned on ABC news to see what was might be up and there it was, The climate commission had released another report!

    There was our old mate Flannery given another uninterrupted and unchallenged 2 minutes to spout his “The End is Nigh” propaganda. According to Tim all that heat that has been hiding in the oceans is now coming back out to get us. Scary stuff.

    I think I even heard someone say it was the hottest Autumn ever. Pretty big call given we don’t have temperature readings that go back for ever and that all geological evidence suggests that it has been much hotter, and cooler, in the past. Also given it is only the 3rd week of Autumn it would seem a bit premature to make that sort of claim. Surly I must have miss heard?

    Seems to me that the climate commission is taking it’s last opportunity push the global warming agenda before the cold weather sets in. Given Tim Flannery’s history of weather prediction I think we can now pretty much be sure of snow in Victoria before the end of April.

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    pat

    despite the strike, Fairfax doesn’t miss a CAGW moment.
    Guilfoyle is with AAP, attribution at bottom of article- her piece is on 9News & The West as well, with various headlines:

    20 Mar: SMH: Caitlin Guilfoyle: Record temperatures for March a warning of what’s to come, say experts
    Record-breaking autumn heat is just a warning of what’s to come if Australia doesn’t act immediately to combat climate change.
    That’s the message from environmental experts armed with a report that reveals a notable climb in average temperatures across the country at the start of March…
    Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie says Australia is now experiencing the consequences of climate change, moving past the time for mere concern…
    Average global temperatures could be four to six degrees warmer by the end of the century if nothing is done, Ms McKenzie said.
    “That is something we just don’t want to imagine,” she said at the launch of the Climate Council’s report, Heat Marches On, on Sunday…
    “We’re seeing the impact in our daily lives around Australia.”
    “We need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels, coal, oil and gas which are driving climate change and move to more renewable energy.”
    Professor Tim Flannery said temperatures would become less extreme as the current El Nino cycle began to fade, but the next would be even hotter.
    Conditions over the last few months had been unprecedented and inaction from Australia was “quite disgraceful”…
    http://www.smh.com.au/national/record-temperatures-for-march-a-warning-of-whats-to-come-say-experts-20160320-gnmkc9.html

    20 Mar: Council: Will Steffen: The Heat Marches On
    DOWNLOAD THE REPORT PDF 20 pages
    http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/marchheatreport

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    handjive

    What a difference a pause makes.

    2009: Co-authored by 26 climate scientists, The Copenhagen Diagnosis … finds the statistical global warming trend has continued over the past decade, contradicting assessments by some scientists including Copenhagen Climate Council chairman Tim Flannery that there has been a recent cooling.

    Matthew England, co-director of the University of NSW Climate Change Research Centre, said the world’s three leading climate data series showed claims of temperatures cooling were “patently untrue”.

    “These are the data set even the sceptics go to, and they show that the last 10 years has been one of warming even if you start in [the particularly hot] 1998,” Professor England said.
    ~ ~ ~
    Jonova, May 1, 2012 at 10:36 am
    Prof Matthew England, comment#85:

    “I stand by my statements on Q&A. Jo Nova’s error is that she pulls out IPCC projections to 2100, quoted in degs C per decade, not acknowledging that the projected warming at the start of the century will be slower than the more rapid climb at the end of the Century.

    I also noticed that Jo plots a satellite record of tropospheric temperature, not the surface layer temperature.

    So she shows an apples vs. oranges comparison.”
    ~ ~ ~
    March 3, 2016, Prof Matt England, of the University of New South Wales climate change research centre:

    “This is only the global average surface temperature and it’s only one measure of the climate system – and it’s a very fickle measure.

    There’s an over-emphasis on the surface air temperature. – Prof Matt England”
    ~ ~ ~
    Related links:

    2015, April, Bolt: “Warmists who denied the pause now claim to explain it”

    2016: What To Know About February’s Satellite Temp Record
    Mann: “I’ve always consider the satellite record the least reliable of all instrumental temperature observations”

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    pat

    20 Mar: Guardian: Joshua Robertson: Australian Climate Council calls for urgent action as records tumble
    Autumn brings no relief following a record-breaking summer driven by rapid global warming, the Climate Council report says
    The report’s release on Sunday came as the federal environment minister, Greg Hunt, took an aerial tour over the Great Barrier Reef to inspect the impact of coral bleaching.
    Hunt was due to address reporters after the flyover with the chief executive of the Great Barrier Reef marine park authority, Russell Reichelt…
    Flannery: …“Our world heritage ancient forests in Tasmania have been razed by bushfires sparked by tinderbox conditions driven by climate change.
    “And, just weeks after health experts warned of the grave dangers posed to Australians through more frequent and severe heatwaves, we’ve seen hospitals in Perth overwhelmed after four consecutive days over 40°C…
    She (McKenzie) called for an “orderly closure of our ageing and polluting coal-fired power plants” to make way for renewables…
    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/20/australia-climate-council-urgent-action-temperature-records-summer-march

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      Graeme No.3

      This morning was cold in the Adelaide Hills – in single figures – and the sun shine late morning made the colour of the autumn leaves on the trees in the main street stand out. the leaves have been changing for 3 weeks, and this is very early for such a change. Obviously this is a sign of unprecedented warming. As they say in China Ah Phooey!

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    el gordo

    The Conversation is running a story on the theory that the massive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way is responsible for the cosmic ray particles bombarding earth.

    ‘Professor Geraint Lewis, an astrophysicist at the University of Sydney, emphasised that the study also makes us aware that the universe can do things that far outstrip what we are capable of here on Earth. However, our understanding of cosmic rays is still far from complete.

    ‘He mentioned that the biggest question is explaining the precise cause of the particle acceleration.

    “It is like a game of Cluedo: they’ve tied down what they think is the site of the murder, but now they are trying to locate the weapon,” he told The Conversation.

    What it does tells us is that the cosmos can accelerate particles to velocities that far exceeds what we are capable doing on Earth.

    “These particle accelerators in outer space put the Hadron Collider in the shade,” he said.

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    • #
      Louis Hissink

      Since nothing can escape from a black hole by definition, they must be having a rather weird conversation at the conversation, what?

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      • #
        AndyG55

        I’m surprised we ever hear anything from that particular site.

        Obviously there are some facets of black holes that are not fully understood.

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          el gordo

          Louis is correct, Science mag thinks the action is probably happening close to the event horizon.

          ‘According to Hofmann, there are “very few clues about what the actual accelerator is.” One possibility the paper mentions is that very close to the black hole, where gas and dust are being sucked in by its gravity, the tangle of electric and magnetic fields in this superheated material is somehow whipping protons up to very high energy.’

          40

        • #
          Joe Lalonde

          Like how to make one?
          They haven’t done that yet.

          Hmmm Thinking of that black hole shooting out material…I guess they both suck and blow…lol

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      • #
        Analitik

        Radiation should be generated from the region just outside the event horizon. The increasing concentration of infalling matter spiralling in results in an accretion disk and collisions between particles results in radiation

        http://www.physicsoftheuniverse.com/topics_blackholes_event.html

        The article from The Conversation makes some intuitive sense since it states:

        “the researchers were able to estimate the direction of the cosmic ray, and found it pointed back towards the centre of our galaxy”

        But we should get a high level of radiation across the whole spectrum and not just highly energetic particles (cosmic rays). I guess they are looking for a mechanism that would transfer the radiation energy to particles close by, like a hyper solar wind.

        This is good science

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    • #
      Glenn999

      At the center of the universe is a giant popcorn popper

      40

  • #
    Ross

    Prominent Environmental Activist arrested for fraud when his Pro-Bernie Super PAC
    turned out to be a front for fraudulent business deals.

    Who is Cary Lee Peterson .
    Cary Lee Peterson (born April 6, 1980) is an American businessman, lobbyist, political activist, and philanthropist who is the founder, chairman, and president for Environmental Control of Carbon Dioxide Corporation [also known as ECCO2 Corp], a US-based non-profit organization that is an admitted non-governmental organization (NGO) partner to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Global Compact, and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)..

    Ref Link

    Ref Link

    Google : Wiki Page here .

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    NickInOz

    A few years old but non the less a great speech in the UK by our Prof Ian Plimer

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    NickInOz

    Whoops forgot the link

    Ian Plimer

    40

  • #
    Ross

    Further to my prior post .

    Just about everything Cary Lee Petersen has claimed appears to be doubtful so perhaps his Climate links
    are also just fluff and puff .

    “In reality, as Peterson knew, RVPlus had no relationship with the U.N. — let alone one that provided any financial benefits — and RVPlus’s touted government contracts and resulting accounts receivable were fictitious,” the SEC said Monday in a civil complaint.

    In addition to the SEC case, Peterson was arrested Monday on parallel criminal charges. Each of the three counts in the criminal complaint carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

    Peterson acquired RVPlus in May 2012 through his ECCO2 Corp., a company that had claimed as early as 2010 to be an “affiliate organization” of the U.N. Climate Convention. The May 2012 press release announcing the acquisition said the U.N. connection “opens many windows of opportunity to over $100 billion in financial aid to fund ECCO2 projects.”

    Extract Source found here .

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    fromdownunder

    Just and interesting article that we might have missed. From an Antarctican tour specialist.

    That shed light into the 150K dead penguins nonsense with commentary from leading penguin researchers and counting experts (and no they are not hiring)

    http://www.chimuadventures.com/blog/2016/03/adelie-penguins-doing-just-fine-experts-say-but-thanks-for-asking/

    1) The maths is awfully inaccurate. No such numbers have ever been recorded at Cape Denison.
    2) The article doesn’t tell the full story – penguin numbers have always fluctuated greatly. Adelie penguin numbers have fallen and risen dramatically over the last 7 decades. Just on 10,000 penguins were reportedly counted in 1931 and, four decades later in 1974, this number had fallen to about 2,000 adults.
    3) Relax! There really is no risk of penguin Armageddon The iceberg may still be there, but the sea ice between it and Cape Denison has finally broken away.
    4) The furry ones are currently looking good! According to David Killick, the numbers may be down in respect to two decades ago, but the Adélies he encountered were happy, fluffy, fat and feisty, the way they have always been.
    5) The expert quoted in the article was there barely a day It takes days if not entire weeks to accurately carry out a proper and conclusive survey of penguin numbers.

    http://www.chimuadventures.com/blog/2016/03/adelie-penguins-doing-just-fine-experts-say-but-thanks-for-asking/

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    Another Ian

    Jo

    Wry thought on the latest round in Queensland vegetation management aafter reading on the “conservationist” position in 2006.

    Seems dealing with those of communistic bent is easy – you only have to deal with two words

    “No”

    and

    “More”

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    David Maddison

    Here’s an interesting factoid.

    In a proposed design of a liquid fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR) one tonne of 232Th costing US$300,000 could fuel a 1,000 MW reactor for one year.

    Can someone again remind we why “planners” see our future in solar and wind?

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    • #
      Analitik

      Because a reactor could actually be made to work.

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      Joe Lalonde

      Money, money, money…oh politically correct profits over any quality or quantity, what ever is cheaper with subsidies and future contractual promises.

      Damn you! You poisoned my mind!

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    doubtingdave

    Sorry to have dropped out of the discussion so abruptly last night , my excuse is that I was a victim of the success of this blog ,and trying to comment across multiple time zones , or was it the beer ? Anyway my question about support for Ted Cruz was mainly aimed at Australian and New Zealand viewers , when you had Turnbull foisted upon you by Goldman Sachs , was it entirely down to Abbots stance on global warming or at least partly to help implement the trade agreement known as the Trans Pacific Partnership ? . TPP will dissolve your borders and undermine your sovereignty , giving some power over your rights to foreigners , back in 1975 we British got taken into a trade agreement known as the common market , we the people actually got to vote to enter it , are you Aussies and Kiwis getting a referendum for TPP , or is it implemented via secret meetings behind closed doors and even when ratified ,the details kept secret from you for a number of years, support for Ted and his wife Heidi Cruz is support for trade agreements like NAFTA and TPP

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    • #
      el gordo

      Dave free trade agreements are nobbled together by politicians and that’s pretty much the end of the matter.

      Its not the end of the world, greater liberalization of trade is better for all in the long run and Ted is alright in my book.

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      el gordo

      ‘Trump’s broader argument is that a generation of unfair economic relations with China (and also Mexico, Japan and others) is a primary cause of the troubles of US workers.

      ‘Mainstream economists are more sympathetic to this view now than they were even a few years ago. Traditional trade theory holds that the losers from global trade factory workers who lose their jobs when that factory moves overseas are more than compensated by other opportunities created by a more efficient economy.

      ‘New scholarship suggests that the pain from globalisation in certain geographic locations may be longer-lasting. One study found that Chinese imports from 1999 to 2011 cost up to 2.4 million American jobs.’

      Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/china/what-trump-gets-pretty-much-right-and-completely-wrong-about-china-20160317-gnlgk6.html#ixzz43TuVK7ts
      Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook

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      • #
        doubtingdave

        El Gordo , yes TPP is being sold to us as a free trade agreement , that’s what it says on the tin , but can you blame people for being suspicious when they won’t take of the lid and show us what’s inside .

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    ScotsmaninUtah

    British Totalinarianism – and the hits just keep on coming !

    In keeping with the [snip] British Government way of doing things…
    they have decided to tax sugar, which everybody loves 😀
    It is unfortunate that the British do not have the right to bear arms coz this infringement on freedom is a step too far.

    Someone in whitehall has a serious problem with enjoying life ( Especially dessert)

    [snip]

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    Rocky

    solar-thermal project, financed with $1.5 billion in federal loans, has riled environmentalists by killing thousands of birds, many of which are burned to death — and has so far failed to produce the expected power.

    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/could-californias-massive-ivanpah-solar-power-plant-be-forced-to-go-dark-2016-03-16

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/challenges-for-desert-solar-power/

    Started with fanfare it did

    When all three of its units are operating by the end of the year, its 392-megawatt output will make it the largest concentrating solar power plant in the world, providing enough energy to power 140,000 homes. And it is pretty much smack in the middle of nowhere.

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    TdeF

    One topic which needs discussion is the burning of other materials than carbon, not because CO2 is ‘polluting’ but because the world has precious few resources and it is truly unsustainable. The problem is therefore self fixing when all the cheap carbon is gone.

    An old friend sent me this article

    He knew my passion was Aluminium, a metal which is totally renewable as alumina, competitive with oil, safe to store and transport.

    Then you get the CSIRO Climate Change crew, who are solving nothing. I wondered who directed 350 scientists to work on Global Warming in the first place. In the act under which they are established the CSIRO has
    the following functions
    (a) to carry out scientific research for any of the following purposes:
    (i) assisting Australian industry;
    (ii) furthering the interests of the Australian community;
    (iii) contributing to the achievement of Australian national objectives or the performance of the national and international responsibilities of the Commonwealth;
    (iv) any other purpose determined by the Minister;

    The UN wants us to keep working and clearly the minister thinks it is a wonderful idea keep spending $90million a year on Climate Change. Why is apparently irrelevant. Money goes in, fantasy comes out.

    What about $1Million a year on alternative sources of energy and by the way, aluminium has better storage and safety and portability than oil or gas. Then there is Thorium research. Better to play with computer models all day, I guess. Our contribution to the world energy debate is what exactly? More windmills?

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      TdeF

      What could be achieved with 350 full time salaried scientists working on alternative sources of energy? It might have even helped if someone had used a pocket calculator to advise Tasmania on how to run their hydro scheme under section (ii)? Why are we funding continuing climate change research at all?

      Even in weather, as the dominant observer in weather south of the equator, it would be great if we offered our own opinion on our half of the globe, especially our exclusive third of the planet below the Tropic of Capricorn where most Australians and only 2% of the world’s population live. Who knows, we might come up with a different result, like our half is cooling as evidenced by Antarctica.

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        Joe Lalonde

        Need one guy with one good idea rather than pay 350 for bad ones…make sense?

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        TdeF

        Is there a potential to miniaturize smelting of Alumina (AL2O3)? Consider the Lithium battery, invented in WWII to power a new range of German submarines, all grabbed by the Russians. Now you can start your car with a phone battery. Some cars use these instead of Lead Acid batteries. A 70 year revolution.

        Refrigeration too, invented to dehumidify tobacco factories and then printing presses for colour printing in New York. Every suburb in Australia had an ice works. During the war soldiers needed fresh food, so they were miniaturized for the D day landings. After the war, the factories made small refrigerators for everyone. Now even with ice makers.

        So why not aluminium engines, powdered aluminium. Reinvent the steam engine. So many options. Every small power source could be turning white alumina powder back into safe, storable, portable aluminium pellets. Then windmills would make sense. Even solar.

        It is just so annoying that the government funds Science for political purposes so our Foreign ministers can parade this incredible waste of lives and education and money in New York. Why not actually invent stuff ourselves? Or is there a belief in politicians that Australians could never do better than the stump jump plough or the combine harvester or an obscure noise reduction invention for radio telescopes?

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        • #
          TdeF

          We would still need the big refineries to convert bauxite ore into alumina. This part is not recylcable and needs to be large scale. That is why it is tragic to see alumina refineries closing because they are allegedly ‘polluting’ as in Point Henry/Anglesea or the current situation in the Tamar with Bell Bay. Aluminium refining is a continual target of the Greens, not only because it is evil manufacturing but also because it generates evil CO2. Cows will be next because they output methane. So even driven by hydro, Tasmanian smelting is likely doomed. The Greens are a science free group like all our politicians.

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          • #
            ianl8888

            … convert bauxite ore …

            And how does one aquire the ore to start with ?

            Exactly the mindless attitude Cassandra was describing a thread or two ago …

            10

            • #
              TdeF

              Sorry, this does not make sense. What do you mean?
              You start with bauxite and convert to alumina. with the Bayer process.

              10

              • #
                TdeF

                Or perhaps you means how does this cycle start?

                Yes, of course you need to create the alumina in the first place. That is all in place. However unlike iron oxide, it is really recyclable which raises the question about some time in the future when the world is self sufficient and the cycle is perpetual, but no one is actually doing this yet. The quote I remember that aluminium was 90% electricity, a startling figure. As such it is a battery. The 10% is the conversion from bauxite to alumina.

                I am writing about burning aluminium as a fuel. This will require vast amounts in circulation but in time it will peak and stay there. No one burns aluminium today, but it is very valuable for recycling. Then like carbon, we can find endless uses for aluminium. My cars are aluminium, not steel. Aircraft are aluminium. It is the wonder metal of the 20th century and explosive. There is a 1kg pyramid on top of the Washington memorial which was worth $1Bn at the time it was put there as the world’s most expensive material. No one has stolen it.

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                TdeF

                In all this, I am trying to propose solutions. Otherwise we are just a reflection of the Greens. They want to stop everything and we want to stop them from stopping everything, a noble objective but not a solution to anything. There are real problems other than the fantasy of Global Warming.

                We really will run out of oil. Peak oil was real. What was unimagined was fracking, massive exploration and sheer human ingenuity and even greed. That too will be exhausted. Dubai is empty. Victoria’s Bass straight is emptying and we are going from a lifetime 100% local energy to 60% and ultimately to zero. Where is the provision for this? We will run out of Natural Gas.

                NSW gas and fracking and coal mining is being throttled by the Greens. Do we have to wait for a Tasmanian disaster for people to raise questions about real sustainability? It is not enough just to crow that they could not manage a chook raffle. What are we doing about waterproofing, energy proofing the country? Where is our Thorium, our alternative fuel? Where are our energy recylables? How will we fly to other countries? What will be left in fifty years? The Greens are non science people and many are nutcases but not all. However the people fighting their extremes are not offering solutions. We have to do more.

                This is where spending an incredible $90Million a year on CSIRO scientists to do nothing is criminal waste of cash and education and lives. Apparently, no one actually cares unless it is about an argument for or against Global Warming. We have to be careful that our input is not as simply argumentative as the Greens. People are really concerned about sustainability. Solutions are needed. I read no suggestions.

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                David Maddison

                He is the story of the aluminium pyramid on the Washington Memorial.

                http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/jom/9511/binczewski-9511.html

                10

              • #
                TdeF

                Thanks for the story on the aluminum pyramid! My memory was from a National Geographic article in the 1980s or so. Napoleon III had a baby rattle from the new material, then the most expensive metal in the world. At $256 it might have been five years wages so perhaps half a million dollars today. The story had grown. However it was a great deal of money to put into a decoration and shows the massive drop in value after the invention of electrolysis. You would wonder how much lower aluminum would go if the alumina was readily available. It would be far cheaper than oil and unlike oil, totally recoverable. I still believe metals are under used as fuel.

                We are carbon lifeforms, so it is our focus. We have burned wood since the invention of fire. We have been through the broze age and then the iron age and then the steel age, the key to machinery, railways and engines. Then alloys like chromium stainless steel. Coal made all the difference, saving the trees. Only now in an age of ignorance are people afraid of clean burning coal. However we are yet to enter the metals age, specifically aluminium.

                It is not enough to gloat that wind and solar are near useless. We have to find an alternative to oil and coal. That is why I raised it, so that people searching might find an answer, when they finally start to look.

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      Mike

      Although Thorium is plentiful, it is the processing of it that is the big concern.

      Just replace the aluminium peak on the memorial with a digital one representing digital fiat currency printed out of thin air……the ultimate renewable.

      How can your aluminium/aluminum compete??

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        Mike

        As i said here earlier, the people using the word “Green” need to qualify it. Is it ‘Carbon Green’ they are talking about of is it the pure form of Green represented by Bob Brown going to jail for us for merely trying to stop logging of the remarkable little that is left on this planet that is subject to conditions established by us ourselves.

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    Analitik

    Jo, would you be able to install this plugin?
    https://wordpress.org/plugins/open-external-links-in-a-new-window/installation/

    I know – First World problem of the highest order.

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    • #
      TdeF

      This makes the election a vote on the budget, a document which will be all smoke and mirrors. No one will pay more tax. Spending will go up. Everyone will win, except the rich and retirees who deserve to be punished and taxed again like wage earners. Nationally bankers like Malcolm love debt as we are heading for a trillion dollars in total National debt. However it will be a test of Malcolm’s seizure of government just as it was for Gillard. Backroom deals. Like Gillard, he is prepared to do deals with the Greens to keep power. He may even say there will be no carbon tax is a government he leads. What voters want is irrelevant.

      So either way, expect Malcolm’s beloved ETS with all three parties voting for it, especially Malcolm’s newly minted Green Liberals. Barnaby will be too preoccupied with Windsor to do much about it. Lobby groups and factions now control Australia’s governments. Government after government is doing nothing for Australia. It is all about the politicians and their jobs and their public service retirement schemes plus the chance to buy a job at the UN with our money.

      You can see why Trump is so popular with everyone. Like the Union leaders, the mainstream political parties no longer represent anyone but themselves. It is all about them. Like Abbott, the real threat to Trump is from his own party.

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    liberator

    Well…we survived the worlds hottest month. Nothing to do what so ever with the El Nino, it can’t be, it was hotter than the 1998 one so we’re all doomed. I survived, well I think I did, not sure about anyone else – but I think a few more people managed to survive. It still rains, there are still deserts, forests, the animals are still around, including the human ones. We managed to get through the hottest month ever! (on record) – I thought we were all doomed? If we survived this one – what’s a couple more degrees? Yeah I know that’s not the point, we’re stuffing up the world and it’s only a matter of time before we’re all doomed.

    What will we need to do to ensure we don’t have a repeat of the worlds hottest what ever…? Turn off your power hungry machines, stop burning your coal, your gas – go and put up more windmills and solar cells, who cares about supply and demand (no idea how were going to manufacture those if we turn off our coal and gas powdered power stations…if you can’t do that then go back into your caves and cut down the trees for your fuel and don’t come out until I tell you its safe to do so.

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    pat

    funny how the MSM simply ignores protests they don’t agree with…
    but when it’s pro-CAGW and full of smug faces!

    19 Mar: NYT: John Schwartz: Environmental Activists Take to Local Protests for Global Results
    Bound together through social media, networks of far-flung activists are opposing virtually all new oil, gas and coal infrastructure projects — a process that has been called “Keystone-ization.”
    As the climate evangelist Bill McKibben put it in a Twitter post after Paris negotiators agreed on a goal of limiting global temperature increases: “We’re damn well going to hold them to it. Every pipeline, every mine.”…
    The idea driving the protests is that climate change can be blunted only by moving to renewable energy and capping any growth of fossil fuels…
    As he was being handcuffed, Mr. McKibben called the morning “a good scene.”
    The actions against fossil fuels, he said, will continue. “There’s 15 places like this around the world today,” he said. “There will be 15 more tomorrow, and the day after that.”
    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/science/earth/environmental-activists-take-to-local-protests-for-global-results.html?_r=0

    21 Mar: Radio New Zealand: Protesters block petroleum conference
    About 150 protesters blocked all the main entrances to the SkyCity convention centre in central Auckland today, where a petroleum industry conference was being held.
    Continuously chanting and waving placards, they sat on the footpath in front of the centre, stopping anyone walking in or out…
    Greenpeace New Zealand invited the public to take part in “civil disobedience action en masse” against petroleum exploration, which they say damages the environment by accelerating climate change…
    Executive director Russel Norman, who was part of the protest, said they were prepared to stay for a long time to get their message across.
    “If you are part of the oil industry that’s trying to destablise a stable climate – find more oil and burn it – then you are acting immorally and unethically, and we are going to sit here and make it difficult for you to go ahead with your conference.”
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/299481/protesters-block-petroleum-conference

    21 Mar: Stuff.co.nz: The sit-in protest wrapped up at about 11am, despite Greenpeace spokesman Steve Abel earlier saying they were intending to wait at SkyCity all day.
    He said they felt their message was heard and they had caused enough of a hindrance.
    “The decision was made to leave in a dignified manner. This is it for today, until our next direct action event,” he said.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/78085513/Greenpeace-activists-blockade-petroleum-conference-in-Auckland

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    Greg Cavanagh

    Improbably Research has an old article that I hadn’t seen before.
    http://www.improbable.com/2016/03/13/down-down-in-the-dregs-of-academic-publishing/

    Which apparently took it’s source material from:
    http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2014/11/10/scam_scam_scam_scam_scammity_scam_wonderful_scam

    It’s about the utter failure of scientific publications.

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    pat

    read all.

    20 Mar: UK Telegraph: Victoria Ward: Viewers criticise BBC for ‘misleading’ Piers Corbyn appearance
    The decision to allow the climate change sceptic, and older brother of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, to part(sic) in climate change debate frustrated viewers
    But Piers Corbyn, brother of Jeremy, infuriated not only fellow guests but also viewers including Michael Fish, the weather forecaster, when he appeared on BBC1’s The Big Questions.
    The unconventional meteorologist and climate change sceptic caused an outcry as he took part in a debate entitled: “Has the time come to take climate change seriously?” hosted by Nicky Campbell.
    His appearance, in which he inevitably clashed with environmentalists, prompted Mr Fish, among many others, to vent his fury on Twitter… READ ON
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/bbc/12199709/Viewers-criticise-BBC-for-misleading-Piers-Corbyn-appearance.html

    a single CAGW sceptic moment in a sea of BBC CAGW advocacy and it’s news.
    reguar complaints about the CAGW advocacy/exaggeration rarely get a mention.

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      Annie

      So Michael Fish is trying to live up to his daft image after his dismissal of the October 1987 hurricane in England! We were in southern England at the time; I remember it all very well.

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      ScotsmaninUtah

      a great post Pat 😀

      The irony is that Piers has been accurately forecasting weather for many years which apparently the MET office is not able to do.
      The critics of Piers and that of his apperance reveals just how entrenched the dogma of climate alarmists is.

      How could so many in Britain be so wrong about CAGW ?

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    pat

    am trying to find the Piers Corbyn video, but can’t watch it at link below. I understand it is deplorable how he is treated, yet we’re told the public/twitterati is outraged!

    for those in UK who can watch this, I gather the Corbyn stuff begins at 22.45.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0755gl8/the-big-questions-series-9-episode-11

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    Oh the irony! How it burns.

    The brand spanking new $380 million English Royal Research Ship, an icebreaker is set to take the UK’s scientific exploration into the future.

    So, in the true British spirit, they asked the public to name this proud new vessel.

    You know, names in the true tradition of English exploration, like Shackleton, Endeavour or Falcon.

    The website collecting the names has finally crashed.

    The name for this scientific vessel for the future.

    Well, far and away the biggest and most popular name, polling more than all the others put together.

    “Boaty McBoatface”.

    Cue Curly

    Tony.

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    pat

    following got 50 likes:

    BiasedBBC blog: Weekend Open Thread
    COMMENT by Jeff March 20, 2016 at 11:27 am
    Anyone disputing the clear bias on the Beeb re “global warming” should have had a gander at The Big Question this morning. Piers Corbyn (Jezza’s brother) was the only dissenting voice; and interestingly the only speaker with any scientific background whatsoever and the only genuine expert in his field. He is, after all, a real climate scientist, but was treated with contempt. The others were priests, Green Party Members, Friends of the Earth members, irritating left wing journo’s, scientifically illiterate greeny audience participants and Dame Nikki.
    As expected Piers was given very little opportunity to voice his point of view. Indeed the resident dame was sneeringly disrespectful of the scientist, asking the greenies, “Can you believe opinions like this still exist?” Just who the fxxx is this pontificating prat to offer such opinion, anyway? Just because he’s got a degree in media studies doesn’t make him an expert on anything else. The upshot of this prog’ is that we’re all going to fry. our children will have nowhere to live, millions of “climate refugees” will be heading this way. Oh and let’s just go back for one final word to The Friends of the Earth. Biased, sneering, allowing one point of view to pontificate without restraint and attempting to ridicule any alternative viewpoint. And we’re paying for this crap!
    An utter bloody disgrace.
    http://biasedbbc.org/blog/2016/03/19/weekend-open-thread-98/

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    pat

    a bit more detail:

    IsTheBBCBiased blog: “There go the BBC again!”
    The panel featured many a Sunday morning BBC One regular – from Owen Jones, Jonathan Bartley and the Rev Peter Owen-Jones to Richard D North, but also included one Piers Corbyn – brother of Jeremy and non-believer in man-made global warming.
    Piers said that only 7% of scientists believe in man-made global warming and that the globe is in fact cooling. He was duly booed by the audience.
    Green Party supporter Jonathan Bartley then criticised the BBC for inviting people like Piers on in the first place. He told Nicky Campbell “You’re not helping”.
    Nicky then made a short speech saying that the BBC has a duly to allow such people on and it’s up to people like Jonathan Bartley to explain the public why people like Piers and Rupert Darwall (the other full-blown ‘sceptic’ on the panel) are wrong.
    For JB, such ‘balance’ is wrong.
    He and Nicky then shared a joke about the BBC allowing flat-earthers on. “I wouldn’t put it past you”, said JB. Nicky laughed.
    The odd thing about Jonathan Bartley’s protest against ‘BBC impartiality’ here is that Nicky Campbell had, at all times during this section of the programme, not even made the slightest pretence of being neutral. He was blatantly one-sided.He repeatedly made the case for believing in global warming and the need for action. He waxed apocalyptic at times. He made several slighting remarks about people who don’t believe in global warming…READ ON
    http://isthebbcbiased.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/there-go-bbc-again.html

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    pat

    21 Mar: news.com.au: Matt Young: Earth Hour Australia organisers hit back at the haters
    THE organisers of Earth Hour have hit back at criticism that the now nine-year-old campaign is a “silly fad” that should be “ignored”.
    On Sky News’ Viewpoint program last night, host Chris Kenny joined social media naysayers and called out the campaign for being a “pet rock”.
    Meanwhile, Earth Hour organisers have criticised Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for not switching off over the weekend “despite countless requests…to protect the places we love” and despite international momentum including support from the United Nations…
    Today, Earth Hour Australia’s Manager Sam Webb responded to the criticism, calling out Australian leaders – namely PM Turnbull – for “still dragging their feet”.
    “There are some very cynical people in the world,” Ms Webb told news.com.au.
    “There are also those who have very closely held interests that are threatened by the move away from fossil fuels on to clean, renewable energy. Sadly, a small number of powerful people make a lot of money from creating the pollution that is causing global warming and they are doing all they can to keep polluting, with no regard for the devastating impact this is having around the world.”…
    http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/earth-hour-australia-organisers-hit-back-at-the-haters/news-story/9642ca499701005152217a0372d3242f

    LinkedIn: Samantha Webb
    Communications & Online Campaign Manager, Climate Change
    WWF-Australia
    October 2014 – Present
    BBC
    Digital Business Associate
    November 2012 – September 2013…
    Online Producer, TV Multiplatform
    Australian Broadcasting Corporation
    June 2011 – August 2012
    Achievements
    Produced Q&AVote; the first live, real-time voting app for an Australian political talk show…
    https://au.linkedin.com/in/samantha-webb-3b6270b

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      Mike

      Thanks Pat.

      “Sadly, a small number of powerful people make a lot of money from creating the pollution that is causing global warming and they are doing all they can to keep polluting, with no regard for the devastating impact this is having around the world.”…

      “a lot of money”

      Thank goodness the global economic crisis has shut down oil rigs, fracking companies/coal, and etc (A small number??)……. the same way banks astutely shut down the building boom in the USA during 2007-2008 circa…

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