Ark. GOP senate primary heats up over climate change dispute (2010-04-02)

(UALR Public Radio) - Republican Senate hopeful Jim Holt's campaign is suggesting that rival Gilbert Baker supports cap-and-trade energy legislation. But the resolution he's criticizing Baker for co-sponsoring in the Arkansas Legislature last year doesn't mention any type of cap-and-trade measure.

[A more powerful climate driver than your iPod charger?]: Svensmark explains the faint young Sun paradox at Heliogenic Climate Change

“Abstract: Using kappa Ceti as a proxy for the young Sun we show that not only was the young Sun much more effective in protecting the Earth environment from galactic cosmic rays than the present day Sun; it also had flare and corona mass ejection rates up to three orders of magnitude larger than the present day Sun. The reduction in the galactic cosmic ray influx caused by the young Sun’s enhanced shielding capability has been suggested as a solution to what is known as the faint young Sun paradox, i.e. the fact that the luminosity of the young Sun was only around 75% of its present value when life started to evolve on our planet around four billion years ago [and yet the Earth didn't freeze over]. This suggestion relies on the hypothesis that the changing solar activity results in a changing influx of galactic cosmic rays to the Earth, which results in a changing low-altitude cloud coverage and thus a changing climate. Here we show how the larger corona mass ejection rates of the young Sun would have had an effect on the climate with a magnitude similar to the enhanced shielding capability of the young Sun.” “How did the  Sun affect the climate when life evolved on the Earth?“  h/t Lubos Motl

GM-Toyota quits California at Heliogenic Climate Change

High energy costs (caused by “green” laws), high taxes, and onerous enviro and labor regulations have driven GM-Toyota out of California...Many other businesses have done and will do likewise. Greenies say California is a model for the nation. If so, the nation is in deep trouble

The Ultimate Peer Review « Digital Diatribes

The internet has become the ultimate peer review, not because a paper is reviewed by a select few experts, but because it can be reviewed by anyone, from a high school dropout with an interest in the subject, but with maybe a unique insight, to the PhD who is an expert in the area of study. Granted, some comments will not be helpful, but as the analysis of Stieg, et al has demonstrated, a team of people who are not necessarily experts in that particular area of science, but may be engineers, statisticians, economists, and yes, scientists can make a valuable contribution to the review. It is that varied experience and knowledge that can bring a different point of view to a study and point out deficiencies or irregularities in the analysis or presentation that ultimately make the study better. This is the true essence of peer review, to try to obtain the best product possible, while winnowing out the junk.