2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #13

A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook page during the past week. 

Editor's Pick

Stanford law and science experts discuss court case that could set precedent for climate change litigation

A closely watched federal trial pitting two cities against major oil companies has taken surprising and unorthodox turns. Stanford researchers examine the case, which could reshape the landscape of legal claims for climate change-related damages.

A federal trial pitting two cities against major oil companies could reshape the landscape of legal claims for climate change-related damages. (Image credit: Walter Siegmund/Wikimedia Commons)

A judge in California took an unusual step in trying to untangle who is to blame for increasingly frequent droughts, floods and other climate change-related extreme weather. The case in San Francisco is weighing the question of whether climate change damages connected to the burning of oil are specifically the fault of the companies that extract and sell it.

The judge in People of the State of California v. BP P.L.C. et al. had both the plaintiffs – the cities of Oakland and San Francisco – and the defendants – several major oil companies – answer basic questions about climate change in a tutorial format. Counter to what some might have expected, an oil company lawyer largely confirmed the consensus science on the issue, but challenged the idea that oil companies should be held accountable.

Stanford Report spoke with Katharine Mach, a senior research scientist at the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Science, and Deborah Sivas, the Luke W. Cole Professor of Environmental Law, to get their perspectives on the climate tutorial, the science in question and the role of the judiciary in confronting climate change challenges. 

Stanford law and science experts discuss court case that could set precedent for climate change litigation by Rob Jordon, Stanford News, Mar 30, 2018 

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Links posted on Facebook

Sun Mar 25, 2018

• Macron pushes for EU minimum price for carbon by Richard Lough, Reuters, Mar 22, 2018
• ‘We want to repower NSW’: thousands rally against coal in Sydney by Helen Davidson, Environment, Guardian, Mar 24, 2018
• A Heat Wave Left Arctic Sea Ice Near a Record Winter Low. This Town Is Paying the Price. by Sabrina Shankman, InsideClimate News, Mar 23, 2018
• Is Partisanship the New Religion? by Jeremy Deaton, Nexus Media News, Mar 20, 2018
• National Flood Insurance Is Underwater Because of Outdated Science by Jen Schwartz, Scientific American, Mar 23, 2018
• Arctic Sea Ice Missed a Record Low This Winter. Barely. by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Nadja Popovich & Adam Pearce, Climate, New York Times, Mar 23, 2018
• Darren Aronofsky’s New TV Series Breaks With The Hollywood Playbook On Climate Change by Alexander C Kaufman, HuffPost, Mar 26, 2018
• How Do Big Oil Companies Talk about Climate Science? Four Takeaways from a Day in Court by Kristina Dahl, Union of Concerned Scientists, Mar 22, 2018

Mon Mar 26, 2018

• Good news about renewables: but the heat is still on to cut fossil fuel use, Business Leader, Observer/Guardian, Mar 25, 2018
• Threatened blue carbon ecosystems store carbon 40 times faster than forests by Joanna Kahn, ABC News (AU), Mar 26. 2018
• Adjusting your sails for the winds of climate change, NewsRoom (NZ), Mar 26, 2018
• Study: wind and solar can power most of the United States by John Abraham, Climate Consensus - the 97%, Environment, Guardian, Mar 26, 2018
• The Paris Climate Accords Are Looking More and More Like Fantasy by David Wallace-Wells, The Intelligencer, New York Magazine, Mar 25, 2018
• Half of Alberta's boreal forest could disappear due to fires and climate change by Colette Derworiz, Canadian Press, CBC, Mar 26, 2018
• One of World's Dirtiest Oil Sources Wants to Go Green by Jim Efstathiou Jr & Kevin Orland, Bloomberg News, Mar 26, 2018

Tue Mar 27, 2018

• Europe's $38 Billion Carbon Market Is Finally Doing Its Job by Jeremy Hodges, Ewa Krukowska, & Mathew Carr, Bloomberg News, Mar 26, 2018
• Arctic sea ice hits second-lowest winter peak on record by Robert McSweeney, Carbon Brief, Mar 26, 2018
• Judge: Trump Admin. Must Consider Climate Change in Major Drilling and Mining Lease Plan by Neela Banerjee, InsideClimate News, Mar 26, 2018
• Megadisasters devastated America in 2017. And they’re only going to get worse. by Umair Irfan & Brian Resnick, Energy & Environment, Vox, Mar 26, 2018
• Land degradation now at a critical level warn experts by Catherine Harte, Ecologist, Mar 26, 2018
• In Climate Tutorial, Oil Industry Doubles Down on Science Uncertainty by Amy Westervelt, Climate Liability News, Mar 22, 2018
• Shell — yes, that Shell — just outlined a radical scenario for what it would take to halt climate change by Chris Mooney & Steven Mufson, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 26, 2018
• Hotting up: how climate change could swallow Louisiana's Tabasco island by Oliver Milman, Environment, Guardian, Mar 27, 2018

Wed Mar 28, 2018

• Runaway Arctic Ice Menaces Oil Rigs and Shipping as the Planet Warms by Bob Berwyn, InsideClimate News, Mar 27, 2018
• New Canadian Bill Would Help Cities Sue Oil Industry for Climate Damages by Karen Savage, Climate Liability News, Mar 26, 2018
• Is the IEA underestimating renewables? by Gero Rueter. Deutsche Welle (DW), Mar 26, 2018
• Aging Wind Farms Are Repowering with Longer Blades, More Efficient Turbines by Lindsey Gilpin, InsideClimate News, Mar 26, 2018
• Flooding and heavy rains rise 50% worldwide in a decade, figures show by Arthur Neslen, Environment, Guardian, Mar 21, 2018
• How the Global Warming Information Mode Scrambles Ecological Understanding by Timothy Morton, Earth Island Journal, Mar 27, 2018
• Leaked Memo: EPA Shows Workers How To Downplay Climate Change by Alexander C. Kaufman, Politics, HuffPost, Mar 28, 2018
• Climate Change Is Becoming a Top Threat to Biodiversity by Chelsea Harvey, E&E News/Scientific American, Mar 28, 2018

Thu Mar 29, 2018

• Q&A: What does ‘subsidy-free’ renewables actually mean? by Simon Evans, Carbon Brief, Mar 27, 2018
• The Climate Is Changing For Climate Skeptics by Amy Westervelt, Environment, Huffpost, Mar 23, 2018
• Canada's climate gap twice as big as claimed - 59 million tonne carbon snafu by Barry Saxifrage, Climate, National Observer, Mar 27, 2018
• Chevron just agreed in court that humans cause climate change, setting a new legal precedent by Umair Irfan, Energy & Environment, Vox, Mar 28, 2018
• Ice cores show Greenland’s melting is unprecedented in at least four centuries by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 28, 2018
• Climate scientists debate a flaw in the Paris climate agreement by Dana Nuccitelli, Climate Consensus - The 97%, Guardian, Mar 29, 2018
• Partisan split on climate grows, even as U.S. fears are on the rise, poll finds by Steven Mufson, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 28, 2018
• Federal report: High-tide flooding could happen ‘every other day’ by late this century by Jason Samenow, Captial Weather Gang, Washington Post, Mar 28, 2018

Fri Mar 30, 2018

• How could global warming accelerate if CO2 is 'logarithmic'? by DPiepgrass, SkepticalScience, Mar 25, 2018
• The Sahara is growing, thanks in part to climate change by Darryl Fears, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 29, 2018
• About half of Americans don’t think climate change will affect them — here’s why by Alessandra Potenza, The Verge, Mar 29, 2018
• Federal Judge Dismisses Exxon Lawsuit Challenging State Climate Probes by Karen Savage, Climate Liability News, Mar 29, 2018
• Big Oil’s Business Model Could Be on the Verge of Failing  by Geoff Dembicki, Vice, Mar 27, 2018
• Buried, altered, silenced: 4 ways government climate information has changed since Trump took office by Morgan Currie & Britt S. Paris, The Conversation US, Mar 24, 2018
• ‘We’re Talking Very Big Bucks’: New Bill Could Put Oil Companies on the Hook for Climate Change Costs by Jimmy Thomson, DeSmog Canada, Mar 28, 2018
• Mapped: Cambridge Analytica’s Ties to the Fossil Fuel Industry by Mat Hope, DeSmog UK, Mar 29, 2018

Sat Mar 31, 2018

• Why India’s CO2 emissions grew strongly in 2017, Guest Post by Robbie Andrews, Carbon Brief, Mar 28, 2018
• NOAA Report: Today’s Damaging Floods Will Be Tomorrow’s High Tides by Bob Henson, Category 6, Weather Underground, Mar 28, 2018
• In-depth: Is Shell’s new climate scenario as ‘radical’ as it says? by Simon Evans, Carbon Brief, Mar 29, 2018
• Trump distracts America from the task of facing three existential threats, Opinion by Michael H Fuchs, Guardian, Mar 30, 2018
• Independents Are Shifting To Climate Denial, According To The Latest Gallup Poll by Alexander C Kaufman, HuffPost, Mar 30, 2018
• Stanford law and science experts discuss court case that could set precedent for climate change litigation by Rob Jordon, Stanford News, Mar 30, 2018
• To Supercharge Chinese Renewables, Fix Their Financing by Miao Hong & Ye Wang, World Resources Insittute (WRI). Mar 27, 2018
• California Bans Climate-Warming HFCs in New Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration by Sabrina Shankman, InsideClimate News, Mar 30, 2018

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A pseudo-prize for pseudo-research into pseudo-medicine

An announcement (it’s in German, I’m afraid) proudly declaring that ‘homeopathy fulfils the criteria of evidence-based medicine‘ caught my attention.

Here is the story:
In 2016, Dr. Melanie Wölk, did a ‘Master of Science’* at the ‘Donau University in Krems, Austria investigating the question whether homeopathy follows the rules of evidence-based medicine (EBM). She arrived […]

Read the rest here: A pseudo-prize for pseudo-research into pseudo-medicine

Is Reiki effective? The researchers say yes, but I am far from convinced

Reiki is a Japanese technique administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is […]

Read the rest here: Is Reiki effective? The researchers say yes, but I am far from convinced

INSPIRAL PAEDIATRIC SEMINARS … chiropractic quackery at its most obvious

Chiropractic for kids? Yes, many chiropractors advocate (and earn good money with) it, yet it has been pointed out ad nauseam that the claim of being able of treating paediatric conditions is bogus (in fact, the BCA even lost a famous court case over this issue). But evidence does rarely seem to stop a chiro […]

Read the rest here: INSPIRAL PAEDIATRIC SEMINARS … chiropractic quackery at its most obvious

Exaggerations and untruths in the promotion of homeopathy

There seem to be plenty of myths and misunderstandings about homeopathy in India.

Homeopathy was first introduced to India by a German doctor from Siebenbuergen, Martin Honigberger (1795 – 1869). He first came to India in 1829 as a conventionally trained physician and treated amongst other personalities the Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab. In 1834, he returned to Europe, met Hahnemann, and became a convert of homeopathy. Subsequently he returned to India, in 1839, and brought homeopathy to this country. Initially, homeopathy was practised mainly by lay practitioners. Mahendra Lal Sircar is said to have been the first Indian who became a homeopathic physician, and he is often called the ‘Hering of India’... Exaggerations and untruths in the promotion of homeopathy

Chiropractors are being educated to become a danger to public health

Chiropractors are fast giving up the vitalistic and obsolete concepts of their founding fathers, we are told over and over again. But are these affirmations true? There are good reasons to be sceptical. Take this recent paper, for instance.

The objective of this survey was to investigate the proportion of Australian chiropractic students who hold […]

Read the rest here: Chiropractors are being educated to become a danger to public health

2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #12

Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... SkS in the News... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

Story of the Week...

Taking Greenhouse Gases from the Sky: 7 Things to Know About Carbon Removal

Restoring degraded landscapes like this one in Costa Rica is a natural way of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Photo by Luciana Gallardo Lomeli/WRI

With greenhouse gas emissions climbing and climate impacts becoming increasingly severe, the urgency to address climate change has never been greater. Many of the solutions to date have focused on mitigation—ways to slash emissions as quickly as possible, such as by adopting renewable energy, promoting energy efficiency and stopping deforestation. These efforts remain critically important, and we need to accelerate them. Yet the science shows they will not be enough on their own to have a good chance of meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

To prevent the worst impacts of climate change, the world will need to reach net-negative emissions, a point at which we’re actually removing and storing more carbon from the air than we’re putting into the atmosphere. This will involve deploying techniques that remove carbon from the atmosphere and permanently store it.

Here, we take a look at the latest science on negative emissions and carbon-removal approaches:

Taking Greenhouse Gases from the Sky: 7 Things to Know About Carbon Removal by Kelly Levin, James Mulligan & Gretchen Ellison, World Resources Instittue (WRI), Mar 19, 2018

Note: Also see the Graphic of the Week section of this Digest.

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Toon of the Week...

 

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Quote of the Week... 

Europe Saw a Spike in Extreme Weather Over Past 5 Years, Science Academies Say

Flooding like Carlisle, England, experienced during Storm Desmond in 2015, is becoming more common as the planet warms, research shows. Credit: Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images

Europeans are facing more frequent extreme weather as the planet warms. Floods and big landslides have quadrupled and extreme heat waves and crop-damaging droughts have doubled since 1980, with a sharp spike in the last five years, according to the European Academies' Science Advisory Council's latest extreme weather update.

The increase in the frequency of extreme weather events should spur European countries to boost adaptation and resiliency efforts, said EASAC Environment Program Director Michael Norton.

"Policy makers and lay people think climate change is something gradual and linear, but we need to keep explaining that the gradual change is increasing the chance for dangerous extremes, and that's what we have to prepare for," Norton said.

"The increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events makes climate-proofing all the more urgent. Unfortunately, there's a disconnect between the political time scale of taking action, and the time scale on which climate change happens," he said. "And by the time a lot of these more serious problems are widely recognized, the changes will be irreversible."

Europe Saw a Spike in Extreme Weather Over Past 5 Years, Science Academies Say by Bob Berwyn, InsideClimate News, Mar 21, 2018

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Graphic of the Week...

 

Taking Greenhouse Gases from the Sky: 7 Things to Know About Carbon Removal by Kelly Levin, James Mulligan & Gretchen Ellison, World Resources Instittue (WRI), Mar 19, 2018

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SkS in the News...

In his article, Answers to the Judge’s Climate Change Questions in Cities vs. Fossil Fuels Case (InsideClimate News), John H Cushman Jr wrote:  

Some people, well-known for disputing the mainstream consensus on climate science, are asking the judge to admit their views in a friend of the court brief, asserting that  "there is no agreement among climatologists as to the relative contributions of Man and Nature to the global warming" of the past several decades. Another familiar trio, asserting that the climate always changes, that it's impossible to say how much of the "modest" recent changes are due to humans, and that there's been no significant increase in damage, offered their own answers to the eight questions.

The first link embedded in the above pragraph is to: Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming, Cook et al, Environmental Research Letters, Volume 11, Number 4, April 13, 2016

In her article, How do you talk to Pruitt about climate change? (ClimateWire/E&E News), Nina Heikkinen sounded out to a number of experts including Dana Nuccitelli and John Cook for advise on how to interview the US EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt.  Both Nuccitelli and Cook are quoted extensively.

In his article, The judge in a federal climate change lawsuit wants a science tutorial (Vox Energy & Environment), Umair Irfan wrote: 

The “Little Ice Age,” a period of cooling in North America and Europe between 1300 and 1800, is actually a separate phenomenon from true ice ages, and it occurred on a regional rather than global scale. Scientists are still figuring out why it happened, but there is some evidence that it started due to volcanic eruptions and ended with a change in output from the sun.

The third link embedded in the above paragraph is to the SkS rebuttal article, What ended the Little Ice Age. 

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Coming Soon on SkS...

• Wind and solar can power most of the USA (John Abraham)
• In court, Big Oil rejected climate denial (Dana)
• How could global warming accelerate if CO2 is 'logarithmic'? (qwertle)
• A flaw in the Paris climate agreement leads to a scientific debate (Dana)
• New research this week (Ari)
• 2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #13 (John Hartz)
• 2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Waming Digest #13 (John Hartz)

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Poster of the Week...

 

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Climate Feedback Reviews...

Washington Post accurately covers permafrost study, albeit under a somewhat sensational headline

Climate Feedback asked its network of scientists to review the article, The Arctic’s carbon bomb might be even more potent than we thought by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 19, 2018

Three scientists analyzed the article and estimate its overall scientific credibility to be 'very high'.

A majority of reviewers tagged the article as: Accurate, Sound reasoning

Review Summary

This article in The Washington Post describes new research on greenhouse gas emissions from thawing permafrost—specifically the balance of carbon dioxide vs. methane released from waterlogged permafrost soils.

Scientists who reviewed the article found that it accurately described the study and provided context on its overall implications by quoting comments from two other researchers. The article’s headline, however, may mislead readers through the use of the sensational phrase “the Arctic’s carbon bomb”, which calls to mind a catastrophic, explosive release of greenhouse gas. The study could indicate that more of the carbon released from thawing permafrost will be released as methane—increasing its near-term warming influence—but it is not clear how much additional methane this would represent. 

Washington Post accurately covers permafrost study, albeit under a somewhat sensational headline by Scott Johnson, Climate Feedback, Mar 22, 2018 

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SkS Week in Review... 

• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #12 by John Hartz
• New research, March 12-18, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki
• Web of Power: Cambridge Analytica and the Climate Science Denial Network Lobbying for Brexit and Trump by Mat Hope (DeSmog UK)
• Global warming to date could ‘obliterate’ a third of glacier ice by Robert McSweeney (Carbon Brief)
• Developing countries need fossil fuels to reach the standard of living we enjoy, right? Global Weirding Video with Katharine Hayhoe
• John Kelly shut down Pruitt’s climate denial ‘red team,’ but they have a Plan B by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #11 by John Hartz

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97 Hours of Consensus...

 

 

Wally Broecker's bio page and quote source. 

High resolution JPEG (1024 pixels wide)

 

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‘Doctors turn to herbal cures when the drugs don’t work’ … THE TIMES is wallowing in nonsense

An article in yesterday’s Times makes the surprising claim that ‘doctors turn to herbal cures when the drugs don’t work. As the subject is undoubtedly relevant to this blog and as the Times is a highly respected newspaper, I think this might be important and will therefore comment (in normal print) on the full text […]

Read the rest here: ‘Doctors turn to herbal cures when the drugs don’t work’ … THE TIMES is wallowing in nonsense

2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #12

A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook page during the past week. 

Editor's Pick

Mailings to Teachers Highlight a Political Fight Over Climate Change in the Classroom

Last spring, science teachers across the nation began receiving unsolicited packages containing classroom materials from a libertarian group that rejects the scientific consensus on climate change.

This spring, some of the same teachers are opening packages containing very different materials: A book written by a Cornell University affiliate called “The Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change,” which embraces the prevailing science, explains the phenomenon in detail and includes recommendations for how to teach the subject to children.

This rare back-and-forth of direct mailings to teachers demonstrates how classrooms have emerged as a battleground in the American political war over climate change. While those who reject mainstream climate science have long advocated their view in Washington and statehouses across the country, their efforts to influence educators – and the counter-efforts from the science community – shows the extent to which the minds of children are also being targeted. 

Mailings to Teachers Highlight a Political Fight Over Climate Change in the Classroom by Katie Worth, Frontline, PBS, Mar 23, 2018

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Links posted on Facebook

Sun Mar 18, 2018

• Interfaith Voices: Climate change in a post-truth world by Gary Jewel, Corvalis Gazette-Times, Mar 17, 2018
• What has art to do with climate change? by Paddy Woodworth, Irish Times, Mar 16, 2018
• Kelp Farms and Mammoth Windmills Are Just Two of the Government’s Long-Shot Energy Bets by Brad Plumer, Climate, New York Times, Mar 16, 2018
• Climates change faster in a warmer and wetter world by Tim Radford, Climate News Network, Mar 16, 2018
• The Koch Brothers Vs. God by Kenya Downs, Grist, Mar 14, 2018
• Avalanches can be deadly. Climate change has made them more frequent. by Umair Irfan, Energy & Environment, Vox, Mar 17, 2018
• When Congress finally takes action on climate change, this senator will deserve a lot of the credit by Andrew Freedman, Mashable, Mar 17, 2018
• A discussion with experts on California wildfire links to climate change by Scott Johnson, Climate Feedback, Mar 16, 2018

Mon Mar 19, 2018

• These are the countries best prepared for the global energy transition by Rob Smith, World Economic Forum (WEF), Mar 14, 2018
• None like it hot - warmer winters worry Arctic scientists by Thin Lei Win, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 15, 2018
• World’s great forests could lose half of all wildlife as planet warms – report by Jonathan Watts, Environment, Mar 13, 2018
• India to meet solar capacity addition target of 10,000 Mw by Kaavya Chandrasekaran, Economic Times, Mar 18, 2018
• India most vulnerable country to climate change - HSBC report by Nina Chestney, Reuters, Mar 19, 2018
• The biggest solar parks in the world are now being built in India by Shashank Bengali, Los Angeles Times, Mar 19, 2018
• The Arctic’s carbon bomb might be even more potent than we thought by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 19, 2018
• John Kelly shut down Pruitt’s climate denial ‘red team,’ but they have a Plan B by Dana Nuccitelli, Climate Consensus - the 07%, Guardian, Mar 19, 2018

Tue Mar 20, 2018

• 'It's not impossible': Western Canada's risk of water shortages rising by Erin Collins, CBC News, Mar 18, 2018
• Climate change soon to cause mass movement, World Bank warns by Fiona Harvey, Environment, Guardian, Mar 19, 2018
• These Climate Pollutants Are Short-Lived, But They’re Wreaking Havoc on the Arctic by Sabrina Shnakman, InsideClimate News, Mar 19, 2018
• Unprecedented' marine heatwave triggered huge carbon-dioxide release by Peter Hannam, Sydney Morining Herald, Mar 20, 2018
• Climate Denial Arguments Make Their Way to Federal Judge’s Science Tutorial by Amy Westervelt, Climate Liability News, Mar 20, 2018
• Turnbull knows better than to deny fire weather link to climate change by Peter Hannam, Sydney Morining Herald, Mar 20, 2018
• Can climate litigation save the world? by Damian Carrington, Environment, Guardian, Mar 20, 2018
• 143 Million People May Soon Become Climate Migrants by Laura Parker, National Geographic, Mar 19, 2018

Wed Mar 21, 2018

• Solar power’s greatest challenge was discovered 10 years ago. It looks like a duck. by David Roberts, Energy & Environment, Vox, Mar 20, 2018
• Global warming to date could ‘obliterate’ a third of glacier ice by Robert McSweeney, Carbon Brief, Mar 19, 2018
• 8 Answers to the Judge’s Climate Change Questions in Cities vs. Fossil Fuels Case by John H Cushman Jr, InsideClimate News, Mar 20, 2018
• Tougher climate policies could save a stunning 150 million lives, researchers find by Darryl Fears, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 20, 2018
• Chevron Says Climate Change Lawsuit `Not Viable' As It Prepares To Educate Judge On Science by Daniel Fisher, Legal Newsline, Forbes, Mar 21, 2018
• When will the US feel the heat of global warming? by John Timmer, Ars Technica, Mar 20, 2018
• Web of Power: Cambridge Analytica and the Climate Science Denial Network Lobbying for Brexit and Trump by Mat Hope, DeSmog UK, Mar 21, 2018
• Scott Pruitt Will Restrict EPA's Use of Legitimate Science by Gretchen Goldman, Observations, Scientific American, Mar 20, 2018

Thu Mar 22, 2018

• Subsidy-free renewable energy projects set to soar in UK, analysts say by Adam Vaughn, Environment, Guardian, Mar 20, 2018
• Plight of Phoenix: how long can the world’s 'least sustainable' city survive? by Joanna Walters, Cities, Guardian, Mar 20, 2018
• Turning cities into sponges: how Chinese ancient wisdom is taking on climate change by Brigid Delany, Design, Guardian, Mar 21, 2018
• Despite Government Pledges, Ravaging of Indonesia’s Forests Continues by Nithin Coca, Yale Environment 360, Mar 22, 2018
• Europe Saw a Spike in Extreme Weather Over Past 5 Years, Science Academies Say by Bob Berwyn, InsideClimate News, Mar 21, 2018
• A Whole New Decade for Water by Tharanga Yakupitiyage, Inter Press Service (IPS). Mar 22, 2018
• Why is an infamous climate denier speaking at a Miami Beach climate change workshop? by Alex Harris, Miami Herald, Mar 21, 2018
• State of Climate in 2017 – Extreme weather and high impacts, Press Release, World Meteorlogical Organization, Mar 22, 2018

Fri Mar 23, 2018

• Washington Post accurately covers permafrost study, albeit under a somewhat sensational headline by Scott Johnson, Climate Feedback, Mar 22, 2018
• Expect tens of millions of internal climate migrants by 2050, says World Bank by Jocelyn Timperley, Carbon Brief, Mar 19, 2018
• How Pruitt’s New ‘Secret Science’ Policy Could Undermine Air Pollution Rules by Marianne Lavelle, InsideClimate News, Mar 22, 2018
• Global carbon emissions hit record high in 2017 by Nina Chestney, Reuters, Mar 22, 2018
• In court, Big Oil rejected climate denial by Dana Nuccitelli, Climate Consenus - the 97%, Guardian, Mar 23, 2018
• Climate science’s official text is outdated. Here’s what it’s missing. by Eric Holthaus, Grist, Mar 22, 2018
• In the Courtroom, Climate Science Needs Substance—and Style by Adam Rogers, Wired, Mar 21, 2018
• Time running out to save the Earth's plants and animals by Dave Keating, Deutsche Welle (DW), Mar 23, 2018

Sat Mar 24, 2018

• New research, March 12-18, 2018  by Ari Jokimäki, Skeptical Science, Mar 23, 2018
• Coal Plant Development Continues To Drop For Second Year Straight by Joshua S Hill, Clean Technica, Mar 22, 2018
• Congress Says Biomass Is Carbon-Neutral, but Scientists Disagree by Chelsea Harvey & Niina Heikkinen, E&E News/Scientific American, Mar 23, 2018
• Smith’s Error-Filled Climate Op-Ed by Vanessa Schipani, FactCheck.org, Mar 23, 2018
• The EPA needs science to make rules to protect health. Scott Pruitt wants to make that harder. by Umair Irfan, Energy & Environment, Vox, Mar 23, 2018
• Mailings to Teachers Highlight a Political Fight Over Climate Change in the Classroom by Katie Worth, Frontline, PBS, Mar 23, 2018

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Low back pain: alternative practitioners feel encouraged by the recent Lancet-articles – wrongly so, I hasten to add

The media have (rightly) paid much attention to the three Lancet-articles on low back pain (LBP) which were published this week. LBP is such a common condition that its prevalence alone renders it an important subject for us all. One of the three papers covers the treatment and prevention of LBP. Specifically, it lists various […]

Read the rest here: Low back pain: alternative practitioners feel encouraged by the recent Lancet-articles – wrongly so, I hasten to add

A new RCT of homeopathy … and, guess what, it reports a positive result (but are we being misled or not?)

Homeopathy works!

At least this is what the authors of this new study want us to believe.

But are they right?

This RCT is entitled ‘Efficacy and tolerability of a complex homeopathic drug in children suffering from dry cough-A double-blind, placebo- controlled, clinical trial’. It recruited children suffering from acute dry cough to assess the […]

Read the rest here: A new RCT of homeopathy … and, guess what, it reports a positive result (but are we being misled or not?)

Suffering from back pain? Walk to your therapist, don’t accept (or pay for) treatment, but walk straight back home again

We all know that there is a plethora of interventions for and specialists in low back pain (chiropractors, osteopaths, massage therapists, physiotherapists etc., etc.); and, depending whether you are an optimist or a pessimist, each of these therapies is as good or as useless as the next. Today, a widely-publicised series of articles in the […]

Read the rest here: Suffering from back pain? Walk to your therapist, don’t accept (or pay for) treatment, but walk straight back home again

Prof Frass’ criticism of the Lancet meta-analysis of homeopathy: a rebuttal of a rebuttal

by Norbert Aust  as ‘guest blogger’ and Edzard Ernst 

Professor Frass has repeatedly stated that his published criticism of the Lancet meta-analysis has never been refuted, and therefore homeopathy is a valid therapy. The last time we heard him say this was during a TV discussion (May 2018) where he stated that, if one succeeded […]

Read the rest here: Prof Frass’ criticism of the Lancet meta-analysis of homeopathy: a rebuttal of a rebuttal

Ayurvedic medicines to die for

“In my medical practice, writes Sheila Patel, M.D. on the website of Deepak Chopra, I always take into consideration the underlying dosha of a patient, or what their main imbalance is, when choosing treatments out of the many options available. For example, if I see someone who has the symptoms of hypertension as well as a Kapha […]

Read the rest here: Ayurvedic medicines to die for

I smell a rat: something extremely odd about the ‘positive’ studies of homeopathy

As I often said, I find it regrettable that sceptics often say THERE IS NOT A SINGLE STUDY THAT SHOWS HOMEOPATHY TO BE EFFECTIVE (or something to that extend). This is quite simply not true, and it gives homeopathy-fans the occasion to suggest sceptics wrong. The truth is that THE TOTALITY OF THE MOST RELIABLE EVIDENCE FAILS TO SUGGEST THAT HIGHLY DILUTED HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES ARE EFFECTIVE BEYOND PLACEBO. As a message for consumers, this is a little more complex, but I believe that it’s worth being well-informed and truthful […]

Read the rest here: I smell a rat: something extremely odd about the ‘positive’ studies of homeopathy

Another dodgy meta-analysis published in a dodgy journal (except ‘Acupuncture in Medicine’ is from the BMJ-group)

The plethora of dodgy meta-analyses in alternative medicine has been the subject of a recent post – so this one is a mere update of a regular lament.

This new meta-analysis was to evaluate evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). (Call me pedantic, but I prefer meta-analyses […]

Read the rest here: Another dodgy meta-analysis published in a dodgy journal (except ‘Acupuncture in Medicine’ is from the BMJ-group)

2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11

A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook page during the past week. 

Editor's Pick

5 reasons the Arctic’s extremely warm winter should alarm you

You can see dramatic climate change impacts even in the dead of Arctic winter. 

This polar bear is alarmed. LightRocket via Getty Images 

Cape Morris Jesup in Greenland is just about the northernmost piece of land on planet Earth. It’s located just 400 miles south of the North Pole, on Greenland’s craggy, desolate north shore. This is a place so far north that the sun doesn’t rise for most of the winter months.

In February, in the dark of winter, Cape Morris Jesup’s weather station recorded nearly 60 hours of temperatures above freezing — a new record. On February 24, the temperature reached a high of 43 degrees Fahrenheit.

Think of it like this: On February 24, you could be standing on the northernmost bit of land in the entire world, in darkness, in shorts and a T-shirt. That you wouldn’t quickly die is astounding because the cape’s temperatures are usually closer to minus 30 degrees in February.

It’s often said that on this warming planet, nowhere is changing faster than the Arctic. But this winter is providing stunning new evidence of a region in extraordinary, worrying flux. It’s also a hint of the future to come: an Arctic Ocean that’s not permanently frozen and all the disastrous consequences that come with that.

Here are five of the most alarming observations of the Arctic from the beginning of this year.

5 reasons the Arctic’s extremely warm winter should alarm you by Brian Resnick, Energy & Environment, Vox, Mar 16, 2018 

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Links posted on Facebook

Sun Mar 11, 2018

• The Carbon Brief Profile: Brazil by Jocelyn Timperley, Carbon Brief, Mar 7, 2018
• China’s CO2 emissions grew less than expected in 2017, Guest Post by Jan Ivar Korsbakken, Robbie Andrew & Glen Peters, Carbon Brief, Mar 8, 2018
• Exxon-Funded Study Rebuts Research That Showed It Deceived Public on Climate by Karen Savage, Climate Liability News, Mar 8, 2018
• This mind-boggling study shows just how massive sea level rise really is by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 10, 2016
• In Iceland, global warming no longer a joke - president by Sophie Hares, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 10, 2018
• Yes, Exxon Is Accusing Local Governments of Misleading Investors on Climate Change by Justin Mikulka, DeSmog, March 10, 2018
• Northeast preps for 3rd winter storm in the past 10 days by Eric Levenson & Haley Brink, CNN, Mar 11, 2018
• A must-do list for climate change in Greater Boston, Opinion by Editorial Board, Boston Globe, Mar 11, 2018

Mon Mar 12, 2018

• Climate-threatened African nations to get profiles of drought and flood risk by Nicole Hoey, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 9, 2019
• Economic Equality Is Key to Solving Climate Change, Report Show by Jeremy Hodges, Bloomberg News, Mar 5, 2018
• Scott Pruitt’s terrible plan to “objectively” assess climate science by David Roberts, Energy & Environment, Vox, Mar 10, 2018
• How Air Pollution Has Put a Brake on Global Warming by Richard Shiffman, Yale Environment 360, Mar 8, 2018
• Q & A: Climate change causing Calgary to alter how it plans for the future, CBC News, Mar 8, 2018
• The Trump administration just failed to stop a climate lawsuit brought by 21 kids by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 7, 2018
• The government is close to finishing a major climate change report. Trump won’t like it by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 12, 2018
• Burning coal may have caused Earth’s worst mass extinction by Dana Nuccitelli, Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian, Mar 12, 2018

Tue Mar 13, 2018

• California Utilities, Climate Change and Wildfires: A Liability Quagmire by Ucilia Wang, Climate Liability News, Mar 12, 2018
• Solar geoengineering: Risk of ‘termination shock’ overplayed, study says by Robert McSweeney, Caron Brief, Mar 12, 2018
• EPA Youth Advisors Urge Agency to Act on Climate Change by Niina Heikkinen, E&E News/Scientific American, Mar 12, 2018
• How Climate Activists Failed to Make Clear the Problem with Natural Gas by Bill McKibben, Yale Environment 360, Mar 13, 2018
• Third nor'easter in 2 weeks is pummeling New England by Madison Park & Jason Hanna, CNN, Mar 13, 2018
• Interior Officials Are Citing Coal Execs And Crank Bloggers To Defend Climate Stances by Alexander C. Kaufman & Chris D’Angelo, Politics, HuffPost, Mar 9, 2018
• U.S. government sued after failing to submit climate change report by Sebastien Malo, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 13, 2018
• Pompeo, who has raised doubts about climate change, would lead State during key climate negotiations by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 13, 2018

Wed Mar 14, 2018

• La Niña ends, El Niño-Southern Oscillation returns to neutral, ENSO Warp-up Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Mar 13, 2018
• 22 National Science Academies Urge Government Action on Climate Change by Georgina Gustin, InsideClimate News, Mar 13, 2018
• Ignoring Science at Our Peril by Jane E Brody, New York Times, Mar 12, 2018
• Rain or shine: new solar cell captures energy from raindrops by Damian Carrington, Environment, Guardian, Mar 13, 2018
• Warm Arctic Means Colder, Snowier Winters in Northeastern U.S., Study Says by Ken Branson, Rutgers Today, Mar 13, 2018
• Here’s what real science says about the role of CO2 as Earth’s preeminent climatic thermostat by Tom Yulsman, ImaGeo, Discover Magzine, Mar 12, 2018
• Warm Arctic? Expect Northeast Blizzards: What 7 Decades of Weather Data Show by Bob Berwyn, InsideClimate News, Mar 13, 2018
• New maps pinpoint the potential for BECCS across the US by Zeke Hausfather, Carbon Brief, Mar 12, 2018

Thu Mar 15, 2018

• Predicted spike in Ottawa temperatures worries experts, councillor by Susan Burgess, CBC News, Mar 9, 2018
• Climate Change May Be Hazardous to Your Health by Renee Cho, State of the Planet, Earth Institute, Columbia University, March 12, 2018
• The fast-melting Arctic is already messing with the ocean’s circulation, scientists say by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 13, 2018
• Chain reaction of fast-draining lakes poses new risk for Greenland ice sheet by Sarah Collins, News, Cambridge University, Mar 14, 2018
• Fear, fun or facts? Researchers look at what drives climate action by Nicole Hoey, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 14, 2018
• If business leaders want to regain our trust, they must act on climate risk, Opinion by Ian Dunlop, Environment, Guardian, Mar 14, 2018
• Biofuels can help solve climate change, especially with a carbon tax by John Abraham, Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian, Mar 14, 2018
• Climate Change Goes Firmly in the “Loss” Column for Insurers by Benjamin Hulac, E&E News/Scientific American, Mar 15, 2018

Fri Mar 16, 2018

• INSIGHT-Weathering Trump's skepticism, US officials still fighting global warming byTimothy Gardner & Alister Doyle, Reuters, Mar 15, 2018
• Easter Island Is Eroding by Nicholas Casey, Climate, New York Times, Mar 15, 2018
• Trump just put a climate science doubter in charge of the department that leads international climate talks by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 13, 2018
• Trump EPA Sued Over Refusal to Release Heartland Institute Communications by Marianne Lavelle, InsideClimate News, Mar 15, 2018
• Pruitt Expected to Limit Science Used to Make EPA Pollution Rules by Scott Waldman & Robin Bravender, E&E News/Scientific American, Mar 16, 2018
• 5 reasons the Arctic’s extremely warm winter should alarm you by Brian Resnick, Energy & Environment, Vox, Mar 16, 2018
• FEMA Drops 'Climate Change' From Its Strategic Plan by Richard Gonzales, NPR News, Mar 15, 2018
• It's 50 years since climate change was first seen. Now time is running out. Opinion by Richard Wiles, Climate, Guardian, Mar 15, 2018

Sat Mar 17, 2018

• New research, March 5-11, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki, Skeptical Science, Mar 16, 2018
• Beyond Three Thirds, The Road to Deep Decarbonization by Michael Liebreich, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Mar 13, 2018
• Mashup Messaging: How To Create Effective Climate Change Communication by Carolyn Fortuna, CleanTechnica, Mar 14, 2018
• Half a degree more global warming could flood out 5 million more people by Liz Fuller-Wright, Princeton Research, Mar 15, 2018
• Tree Farms Will Not Save Us from Global Warming by Chelsea Harvey, E&E News/Scientific American, Mar 13, 2018
• Power utilities forced to adapt as climate change brings wilder weather, Canadian Press/CBC, Mar 15, 2018

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The pathetic arguments of the British Homeopathic Association in defence of homeopathy on the NHS

The British Homeopathic Association (BHA) is a registered charity founded in 1902 which aims to promote and develop the study and practice of homeopathy and to advance education and research in the theory and practice of homeopathy. The British Homeopathic Association’s overall priority is to ensure that homeopathy is available to all…

One does not need […]

Read the rest here: The pathetic arguments of the British Homeopathic Association in defence of homeopathy on the NHS

Beware of (poor-quality, redundant, nonsensical, biased) systematic reviews

What an odd title, you might think.

Systematic reviews are the most reliable evidence we presently have!

Yes, this is my often-voiced and honestly-held opinion but, like any other type of research, systematic reviews can be badly abused; and when this happens, they can seriously mislead us.

A new paper by someone who knows more about […]

Read the rest here: Beware of (poor-quality, redundant, nonsensical, biased) systematic reviews

Homeopathy for cancer: Dr Wurster and the ‘Clinica Sta Croce’ in Switzerland

A few days ago, the German TV ‘FACT’ broadcast a film (it is in German, the bit on homeopathy starts at ~min 20) about a young woman who had her breast cancer first operated but then decided to forfeit subsequent conventional treatments. Instead she chose homeopathy which she received from Dr Jens Wurster at the […]

Read the rest here: Homeopathy for cancer: Dr Wurster and the ‘Clinica Sta Croce’ in Switzerland

Fraud and greed can cause enormous harm

We have repeatedly discussed the journal ‘Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine’ (see for instance here and here). The journal has recently done something remarkable and seemingly laudable: it retracted an article titled “Psorinum Therapy in Treating Stomach, Gall Bladder, Pancreatic, and Liver Cancers: A Prospective Clinical Study” due to concerns about the ethics, authorship, quality […]

Read the rest here: Fraud and greed can cause enormous harm

Chiropractors seem to believe that the earth is both flat and spherical

On this blog, we had many chiropractors commenting that their profession is changing fast and the old ‘philosophy’ is a thing of the past. But are these assertions really true? This survey might provide an answer. A questionnaire was sent to chiropractic students in all chiropractic programs in Australia and New Zealand. It explored student viewpoints […]

Read the rest here: Chiropractors seem to believe that the earth is both flat and spherical

Homeopathy, Cancer and Dr Dietmar Payrhuber: how TV endangers cancer patients

Dr. Dietmar Payrhuber is not famous – no, by no means. I had never heard of him until a watched this TV discussion about homeopathy (it’s in German, and well-worth watching, if you understand the language). I found the discussion totally mesmerising: Payrhuber is allowed to come out with case after case alleging he cured […]

Read the rest here: Homeopathy, Cancer and Dr Dietmar Payrhuber: how TV endangers cancer patients

The death of a diabetic child: God had guided the herbalist to use herbs rather than conventional medicine

Newsweek recently reported that a herbalist has been charged with the death of a 13-year-old diabetic boy. Allegedly, the therapist replaced the boy’s insulin with herbal remedies. Tim Morrow, 83, was charged with

1. child abuse causing death
2. and with practising medicine without a license. 

Morrow stated that god had guided him to use herbs rather than […]

Read the rest here: The death of a diabetic child: God had guided the herbalist to use herbs rather than conventional medicine

2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #10

A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook page during the past week. 

Editor's Pick

Climate change threatens ability of insurers to manage risk

Extreme weather is driving up uninsured losses and insurers must use investments to fund global warming resilience, says study

Severe flooding in Carlisle, north-west England, December 2015. Photograph: Andrew Yates/Reuters

The ability of the global insurance industry to manage society’s risks is being threatened by climate change, according to a new report.

The report finds that more frequent extreme weather events are driving up uninsured losses and making some assets uninsurable.

The analysis, by a coalition of the world’s biggest insurers, concluded that the “protection gap” – the difference between the costs of natural disasters and the amount insured – has quadrupled to $100bn (£79bn) a year since the 1980s.

Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, warns in the new report that: “Over time, the adverse effects of climate change could threaten economic resilience and financial stability [and] insurers are currently at the forefront.”

The ClimateWise coalition of 29 insurers, including Allianz, Aon, Aviva, Lloyd’s, Prudential, Swiss Re and Zurich, conclude that the industry must use more of its $30tn of investments to help fund increased resilience of society to floods, storms and heatwaves. 

Climate change threatens ability of insurers to manage risk by Damian Carrington, Climate, Guardian, Mar 7, 2018 

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Links posted on Facebook

Sun Mar 4, 2018

• New research, February 19-25, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki, Skeptical Science, Feb 23, 2018
• Arctic spring is starting 16 days earlier than a decade ago, study shows by Jonathan Watts, Environment, Guardian, Mar 3, 2018
• Maybe Blue States Won’t Take Serious Action on Climate Change by Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, Mar 2, 2018
• Southern Californians know: climate change is real, it is deadly and it is here, Opinion by Nora Gallagher, Environment, Guardian, Mar 3, 2018
• The North Pole just had an extreme heat wave for the 3rd winter in a row by Umair Urfan, Energy & Environment, Vox, Feb 28, 2018
• This one picture sums up climate change's growing role in coastal flooding by Andrew Freedman, Science, Mashable, Mar 3, 2018
• Global deforestation hotspot': 3m hectares of Australian forest to be lost in 15 years by Michael Slezak, Environment, Guardian, Mar 4, 2018
• Implementing climate pact would dramatically save health care costs- researchers by Sebastien Malo, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 2, 2018

Mon Mar 5, 2018

• Chevron Says Climate Change Fallout No Quick Threat to Oil by Kevin Crowley, Bloomberg News, Mar 1, 2018
• Zambia taps climate fund to battle worsening drought by Charles Mkoka, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 3, 2018
• The Importance of Keeping Forests Intact by Morgan Erickson-Davis, Pacific Standard, Feb 28, 2018
• Cities, scientists unite in battle against climate change at U.N. summit by Sebastien Malo, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 4, 2018
• It was officially New Zealand's hottest summer on record by Megan Gattey, Environment, Stuff, Mar 5, 2018
• Stop blaming ‘both sides’ for America’s climate failures by Dana Nuccitelli, Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian, Mar 5, 2018
• Widespread Drought Across US Stoking Fears That 2012's Devastation Will Repeat by Madelyn Beck, Harvest Public Media, Feb 26, 2018

Tue Mar 6, 2018

• Far northern permafrost may unleash carbon within decades by Carol Rasmussen, NASA's Global Climate Change, Mar 5, 2018
• The World Is Embracing S.U.V.s. That’s Bad News for the Climate. by Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, Mar 3, 2018
• Funding Renewable Energy is Easier Than Taxing Carbon by Steve Cohen, State of the Planet, Earth Institute, Columbia University, Mar 5, 2018
• Cool, Cool; Another Nor’easter Is Going to Hit the East Coast This Week by Brian Kahn, Earther, Mar 5, 2018
• Powerful Winter Storms Show Damage High Tides With Sea Level Rise Can Do by Phil Mckenna, InsideClimate News, Mar 5, 2018
• Models show global warming could be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius by Brooks Hays, UPI News, Mar 5, 2018
• Millennials’ Climate Views Could Sway 10 House Elections This November by Josh Kurtz, E&E News/Scientific American, Mar 5, 2018
• ‘Water is the new fire,’ says the Insurance Bureau of Canada by David Rider, The Star, Mar 5, 2018
• At U.N. summit, an evangelical Christian makes the case for climate change by Sebastien Malo, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 6, 2018

Wed Mar 7, 2018

• U.N. Chief Picks a Very Rich New Yorker (Not Named Trump) for Climate Job by Somini Sengupta, Climate, New York Times, Mar 5, 2018
• While politicians question the reality of climate change, farmers and businesses act by Michael Brissenden, ABC News (AU), Mar 4, 2018
• America’s flood insurance chief has a message for all Floridians: You’re at risk by Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, Mar 5, 2018
• College Republicans Propose an Unusual Idea From the Right: a Carbon Tax by Lisa Friedman, Climate, New York Times, Mar 6, 2018
• Science Says: Arctic not so chill this record warm winter by Seth Borenstein, AP News, Mar 6, 2018
• ‘Lowering our personal carbon footprint is a question of credibility’ by Bob Berwyn, Environment, Deutsche Welle (DW), Mar 6, 2018
• Shared values unite Americans from both sides of the aisle by Robyn Purchia, Green Space, San Francisco Examiner, Mar 7, 2018
• Why TV Meteorologists are Talking About Beer, Chocolate, Peaches and Poison Ivy by Jim O'Donnell, Ensia, Mar 7, 2018

Thu Mar 8, 2018

• French hydro firm builds wind turbines as Swiss glaciers melt by Geert De Clercq, Reuters, Mar 6, 2018
• 13 cities may exceed 2C temperature rise by 2020s, say scientists by Sebastien Malo,Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 7, 2018
• Teenagers Defeat Trump’s Move to Kill Climate Change Lawsuit by Kartikay Mehrotra, Bloomberg News, Mar 7, 2018
• The U.S. just hit a major milestone for energy storage — which is also great news for solar by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 6, 2018
• 9 questions about climate change you were too embarrassed to ask by Brad Plumer, Brian Resnick & Umair Irfan, Energy & Environment, Vox, Mar 7, 2018
• Wanna limit global warming to 1.5°C? Get cracking by Scott K Johnson, Ars Technica, Mar 7, 2018
• Record warmth in February 2018 by Tom Di Liberto. NOAA's Climate.gov, Mar 6, 2018
• Sea Level Rise Will Rapidly Worsen Coastal Flooding in Coming Decades, NOAA Warns by Nicholas Kusnetz, Inside Climate News, Mar 7, 2018

Fri Mar 9, 2018

• U.S. weather forecaster sees 55 pct chance of La Niña waning during March-May by Vijaykumar Vedala, Reuters, Mar 8, 2018
• These huge new wind turbines are a marvel. They’re also the future. by David Roberts, Energy & Environment, Vox, Mar 8, 2018
• At energy summit, climate pits U.S. against Europe by Ron Bousso, Reuters, Mar 7, 2017
• $1.6 Trillion Of Investments At Risk If Fossil Fuel Firms Fail To Heed Climate Targets by Mike Scott, Forbes, Mar 8, 2018
• The E.P.A Chief Wanted a Climate Science Debate. Trump’s Chief of Staff Stopped Him. by Lisa Friedman & Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Climate, New York Times, Mar 9, 2018
• The Battery Will Kill Fossil Fuels—It's Only a Matter of Time by Mark Chediak, Bloomberg News, Mar 8, 2018
• This dire ocean scenario is a stark reminder of why the world is trying to stop climate change by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Mar 9, 2018

Sat Mar 10, 2018

• New research, February 26 - March 4, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki, Skeptical Science, Mar 9, 2018
• What did NZ's hottest summer do to our glaciers? by Jamie Morton, New Zealand Herald, Mar 8, 2018
• New scenarios show how the world could limit warming to 1.5C in 2100 by Zeke Hausfather, Carbon Brief, Mar 5, 2018
• 3 Dozen Shareholder Climate Resolutions Target Oil, Gas and Power Companies by David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News, Mar 8, 2018
• Analysis: UK carbon emissions in 2017 fell to levels last seen in 1890 by Zeke Hausfather, Carbon Brief, Mar 7, 2018
• Climate change threatens ability of insurers to manage risk by Damian Carrington, Climate, Guardian, Mar 7, 2018

from Skeptical Science
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