Write a Heretical Essay, Win £8,500 « NoFrakkingConsensus

Acclaimed science writer Matt Ridley has just announced a new literary prize. £8,500 (approximately $13,500 USD) will be awarded annually to the author of an essay that demonstrates rational environmental analysis. Magical thinking and uncritical reporting won’t win you this prize. Hard-nosed realism – the kind that’s so rare these days it seems heretical – is what he’s looking for.

THE HOCKEY SCHTICK: New paper shows major glacier was smaller than the present during the Medieval Warming Period

A paper published today in the journal Climate of the Past used radiocarbon dating to determine the age of trees uncovered in 2003 by retreat of a major glacier located in Southern Patagonia. The authors conclude that the glacier was smaller than the present during the Medieval Warming Period, and that the trees were covered by advance of the glacier during the Little Ice Age from 460 to 250 years ago.

Letter: Wind farms will be seen as a monument to man’s crass stupidity | Climate Realists

I cannot resist including here the comments of an engineer who has been employed in dealing with wind turbine problems for ten years, and I quote: “Incidentally, on the question of wind energy, I expect to have to go to Greece to inspect and carry out a failure investigation on a wind turbine gearbox, and I learn that to avoid bearing failure, some turbines need to have an auxiliary diesel engine to keep them moving when there is no wind.
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Future generations will probably conclude that wind farms are a highly visible monument to the crass stupidity of man, in general, and today’s leading politicians, in particular. I must add that I have reason to believe that my MP, Andrew Tyrie, has strong doubts about the wisdom of constructing wind turbines.

Developer may sue to trigger rethink on sea level rises

a property developer, Jeff McCloy, said he was contemplating leading a class action suit against the council, which he said was ''falling for this unjustified, worldwide idiocy about sea level rises''.

Mr McCloy recently arranged for climate change sceptics Ian Plimer, Bob Carter and David Archibald to address residents and councillors, and said the presentation seemed to convince many people there was nothing to worry about.