Month: May 2024

Daily News

Net Zero Watch calls on energy minister to come clean about renewables costs

By Paul Homewood

 

Net Zero Watch has called on Lord Callanan to come clean about the costs of renewable energy. The demand came after the minister’s refusal to address a question posed by Lord Frost in the House of Lords.

In oral questions on Thursday, Lord Frost noted Whitehall claims that renewables are half the cost of gas-fired electricity, and asked for an explanation of why subsidies were still required, and why the strike prices on offer to windfarms this year are twice what Lord Callanan says they need to make a profit. As Hansard shows, Lord Callanan failed to answer the question, simply reiterating his false claims about levelized costs.[i]

Net Zero Watch director Andrew Montford said:

If wind power is as cheap as Lord Callanan claims, then no subsidies are necessary. He can’t have it both ways. It’s painfully obvious that he is trying to hide the truth from the public. This can’t go on.

During the subsequent discussion, Lord Callanan told Lord Howell that the levelised cost figures he was quoting “take account of other system costs”.[ii] This is incorrect.

Notes

[i] https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2024-05-16a.685.0

[ii] https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2024-05-16a.684.4#g687.0

via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

https://ift.tt/gnlhLz0

May 17, 2024 at 08:56AM

Daily News

Facts gaining ground on climate

Exaggerations, misleading narratives and outright lies are "Team Climate’s" stock and trade.  One-sided coverage may be coming to an end.

via CFACT

https://ift.tt/Pg4uUtC

May 17, 2024 at 08:33AM

Daily News

NOAA’s Latest Climate Data Shows the Global Land Region Temperature Anomaly Peaked in February 2016 Over 8 Years Ago

Guest essay by Larry Hamlin

The graphs below from the NOAA April 2024 Climate Report  show comparisons of the latest April 2024 Global Land and Ocean average temperature anomaly results compared to all other April months from 1850 to 2024 and all January through April Global Land and Ocean average temperature anomaly results from 1850 to 2024

Unfortunately, NOAA’s latest climate report does not provide comparisons of the April 2024 average temperature anomaly results for all months over time which led to an incomplete and misleading evaluation of the April 2024 outcome. 

Fortunately, NOAA’s extensive climate temperature data base provides the information and data needed for making comparisons of April 2024 with all other months with that information and comparison results discussed below.

To provide better visibility of the differences between the results of all monthly measured average temperature anomalies (versus just looking at the month of April) a 30-year period from January 1995 to April 2024 is being used.     

The NOAA Global Land and Ocean region average temperature anomaly graph below shows all months during the last 30 years from January 1995 through April 2024 and establishes that the April 2024 result is only the 9th highest value with the peak value occurring in November 2023 as indicated in NOAA’s graph and table showing the November 2023 average temperature anomaly at 1.43 degrees C compared to the lower April 2024 value of 1.32 degrees C (highlighted in red).

This outcome suggests that the year 2023 – 2024 El Niño event may be beginning a weakening phase at this time.     

The NOAA Global Land region graph and table shown below for the period from January 1995 to April 2024 indicate this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in February 2016 (over 8 years ago during a prior El Niño event) with the April 2024 value of 1.97 degrees C (highlighted in red) being below the February 2016 peak result of 2.53 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.

The Global Land region of the earth is where more than 8+ billion people live. This global region’s climate outcomes are of considerable importance and clearly merit visibility, analysis, and discussion none of which happened in NOAA’s latest climate report.

There are many other NOAA Global regions which are unaddressed in NOAA’s most recent climate report with these regions measured average temperature anomaly results establishing that their average temperature anomaly values peaked years ago.

These significant results clearly merited disclosure and discussion in NOAA’s latest climate report given that earth’s climate regions are numerous with largely different, unique, and varying climate result outcomes.         

The graph below shows NOAA’s Northern Hemisphere Land region average temperature anomaly results over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishing that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in February 2016 (over 8 years ago during a prior El Niño event) with the April 2024 value of 2.53 degrees C (highlighted in red) being exceeded by the highest anomaly value of February 2016 of 3.17 degrees C as shown in NOAA’s graphs and tables.

The Asia Land region represents the largest population group on earth and is shown below by displaying  NOAA’s average temperature anomaly measurements over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishing that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in February 2020 (over 4 years ago) with the April 2024 value of 2.61 degrees C  (highlighted in red) being well below the highest value of 4.13 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.  

NOAA’s Oceania Land region is shown below for the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishing that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in December 2019 (over 4 years ago) with the April 2024 anomaly value 0.24 degrees C (highlighted in red) well below the highest anomaly value of 2.20 degrees C as presented in the NOAA’s graphs and tables.

NOAA’s East N Pacific Global Land and Ocean region results over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishes that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in October 2015 (over 8 &1/2 years ago) with the April 2024 value of 0.83 degrees C (highlighted in red) below the highest anomaly value of 1.79 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.  

NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico Land and Ocean global region results over the period from 1895 through April 2024 establishes that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in March 2020 (over 4 years ago) with the April 2024 value of 0.89 C degrees C (highlighted in red) below the highest anomaly value of 1.82 degrees C as presented in the table.

NOAA’s Hawaiian Land and Ocean region results over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishes that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in September 2015 (over 8 &1/2 years ago) with the April 2024 value of 0.39 degrees C (highlighted in red) well below the highest anomaly value of 1.76 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.

NOAA’s Arctic Land and Ocean region results over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishes that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in January 2016 (over 8 years ago during a prior El Nino event) with the April 2024 value 2.69 degrees C (highlighted in red) well below the highest anomaly value of 4.99 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.

NOAA’s Antarctic Land and Ocean region results over the period from January 1995 through April 2024 establishes that this regions average temperature anomaly peaked in August 1996 (over 28 years ago) with the April 2024 negative value of -0.21 degrees C (highlighted in blue) well below the highest anomaly value of 2.25 degrees C as presented in NOAA’s graphs and tables.

It is completely inappropriate and absurd to attempt to characterize global temperature climate outcomes by using a global average temperature anomaly result when the earth is made up of such a huge number of significantly varying climate regions with each representing completely unique climate behaviors as reflected in this analysis.     

NOAA’s April 2024 latest climate data for the Contiguous U.S. are addressed here with the maximum temperature anomaly results shown below establishing there is absolutely nothing ominous about the Contiguous U.S. climate outcomes regarding the April 2024 climate results.

Furthermore, none of the 48 Contiguous U.S. states experienced an April 2024 maximum temperature record with that outcome also applying to the state of Alaska as addressed in the referenced report.  

NOAA’s April 2024 climate report missed very significant climate outcomes and analysis as provided and discussed above with these results clearly reflecting that the world is not facing a climate emergency.    

via Watts Up With That?

https://ift.tt/uOtR9rW

May 17, 2024 at 08:13AM

Daily News

BBC Complaint–Ozone Hole

By Paul Homewood

You will recall this BBC article from last month:

 

 image

image

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68906013

I complained to the BBC at the time, pointing out that the study did not state that the bushfires were either unprecedented or fuelled by climate change. Nor is there any evidence to that effect.

The study also stated that the main factors involved in ozone loss in recent years were natural ones such as the polar vortex, La Nina and the Hunga Tonga eruption. The BBC report did not even mention the first two, and only mentioned “volcanic eruptions” in passing at the end of the report.

The BBC has responded. As is always the case they fail to answer any of my points:

Thank you for contacting the BBC about the article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68906013
We have looked at the concerns you have raised, the article and other sources of information on this topic.
I have included below some additional information, which I hope will resolve your concerns about the impact of the Australian bushfires.
The BBC article links to this study
Extended ozone depletion and reduced snow and ice cover—Consequences for Antarctic biota
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.17283
Which includes information about the impact of the Australian bushfires, including:
Other events that may have contributed to the larger-than-normal hole size in 2020 and 2021 (but not their duration) include ozone destruction catalyzed by aerosols emitted during the 2019/2020 Australian bushfires (Solomon et al., 2023) and the injection of aerosols into the stratosphere from the La Soufrière and Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruptions in 2021 and 2022 (Evan et al., 2023; Yook et al., 2022).
The paragraph above links to a paper by Solomon et al which supplies additional information on this issue:
https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2117325119
That information includes:
These findings suggest that if wildfire smoke injection into the stratosphere increases sufficiently in frequency and magnitude as the world warms due to climate change, ozone recovery under the Montreal Protocol could be impeded, at least sporadically. 
In the article, the BBC provides context and analysis and quotes a number of experts in this field.
For example the article includes this section:
One major reason for the longevity of the ozone hole is the vast scale and extent of Australian bushfires in 2019 and 2020. 
Jim Haywood, who is Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Exeter, told BBC News that the record duration of the Antarctic ozone hole over recent years was "a wake-up call". 
"Society cannot be complacent about our achievements in tackling it," he said.
But there are still a number of factors that are delaying ozone recovery, including wildfires and major volcanic eruptions – these release particles that fuel the ozone-eating reactions that have already done so much damage. 
I hope this additional information resolves your concerns about this article and thank you again for contacting the BBC.

.

So I have now filed a follow up complaint:

Your report states "A major cause of ozone loss is believed to be the amount of smoke from unprecedented Australian wildfires, which were fuelled by climate change. "
But the study you quote from does not claim they were unprecedented or fuelled by climate change. Nor is there any evidence that they were unpredecedented. Bushfires have always occurred in Australia.
Although the study speculates that bushfires may get worse in future, this has no relevance to what is happening now or to the 2019 fires.
Moreover the study finds that other natural events such a the Polar Vortex, La Nina and the Hunga Tonga volcano were mainly responsible. The first two of these don’t even get mentioned in the article, and the volcano only gets a passing mention.
Readers will therefore have been badly misled by your claim that climate change was a major cause of ozone loss.

.

via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

https://ift.tt/5UAobkX

May 17, 2024 at 08:05AM