Friday, June 01, 2012

New Scientist : Herbivores Can’t Survive A Warm Climate | Real Science

This explains why herbivores in warm climates are so small and sickly.

RealClimate: What makes sea-level rise?

Last week the science community was shocked by the claim that 42% of the sea-level rise of the past decades is due to groundwater pumping for irrigation purposes. What could this mean for the future – and is it true?

Biofuels or Bust

But the "most striking result," as they continue "may be the lack of evidence that biofuel policies can be expected to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and that they may actually increase emissions." Summing things up, therefore, they conclude that "judged on the basis of reducing fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions," their results suggest that U.S. biofuel policies "have been ineffective and highly costly, producing negligible reductions in fossil fuel use and significant increases, rather than decreases, in greenhouse gas emissions."

Isn't it amazing what a feel-good (but irrational) belief in an unverified climatic hypothesis can lead a supposedly enlightened populace (and their elected governmental representatives) to do.

Heartland Replies to The Economist

We have now raised considerably more from current and new donors than we may have lost due to the controversy.

Two directors had to step down from our board, but two new members will be elected at our next meeting to take their place. Attendance at our climate change conference was greater than at three of the seven previous events, and would have been higher were it not for short notice (only three months) and our new policy of not providing travel scholarships to elected officials and allies.

Next round of UN climate talks set for Bangkok | The Australian Eye

A new round of climate talks will be held in Bangkok from August 30 to September 5 to prepare for minister-level negotiations at year end, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said on Friday.

...The pre-Qatar meeting had been dependent on getting financial support.

“Pledges have been received from the state of Qatar, Norway, Germany, the UK, Japan and Sweden,” the UNFCCC said.