American Loon #2124: Bill Posey

William Joseph Posey is the U.S. Representative for Florida’s 8th congressional district, member of the Freedom Caucus and Congress’s resident (main) anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist after the departure of Dan Burton. Together with Carolyn Maloney, Posey – who has received significant...

Read the full lunacy: #2124: Bill Posey Encyclopedia of American Loons

Glimmers of hope and progress in 2018

My last post was rather depressive, and I certainly do not want my readers to be under the weather when they go into 2019. For this last post of 2018, I have therefore selected 20 events which gave me hope that perhaps we – those who prefer rationality to nonsense – are making progress. It […]

Read the rest here: Glimmers of hope and progress in 2018

2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #52

Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... SkS in the News... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... 

Story of the Week...

2018 Was A Milestone Year For Climate Science (If Not Politics) 

 

The devastation from Hurricane Michael over Mexico Beach, Fla. A massive federal report released in November warns that climate change is fueling extreme weather disasters like hurricanes and wildfires. Gerald Herbert/AP

2018 was a hot year — in fact, the fourth warmest on record. The only years that were, on average, warmer were the past three, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

It has been warming for decades now. But 2018 brought several major new and markedly more precise reports from scientists about what climate change is doing to the weather and how dire they expect the consequences to be.

That didn't stop President Trump and others from continuing to question the evidence.

"Is there climate change?" Trump said to reporters from Axios on HBO in November. "Yeah. Will it go back like this?" he added, motioning up and down with his hand. "I mean will it change back? Probably. That's what I think."

Another politician who weighed in on the clear evidence of a warmer planet was Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, when he was campaigning this past fall.

"Well, listen," he assured a moderator at a televised debate. "Of course the climate is changing. The climate has been changing from the dawn of time. The climate will change as long as we have a planet Earth."

Both statements are at odds with the consensus within the climate science community.

2018 Was A Milestone Year For Climate Science (If Not Politics) by Christopher Joyce NPR News, Dec 27, 2018

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Editorial of the Week...

Opinion: Our house is on fire, and many Albertans want more lighters

Do we want to save the planet or get rich and watch it die? POSTMEDIA

It boils down to this. 1) Albertans have become very wealthy by exporting fossil fuels. 2) Scientists state that the climate crisis is an existential threat to civilization. 3) The only way to minimize catastrophic climate change is to immediately decrease our fossil fuel use as quickly as possible. 4) 3 threatens 1.

Let’s unpack some of this, shall we? 1) Due to geographical fortune, our province sits on a vast reservoir of fossil fuels: coal, natural gas and oil. With their high energy content and transportability, they have been highly desired for (historically) a much higher value than their extraction cost, which has made us extraordinarily rich. Even now, in the downturn, even as many people are hurting financially, we still have the highest average monthly income in Canada. Being rich is fun, and we don’t want it to end.

The problem is Point 2. As time passes, and we put more and more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, it’s becoming increasingly clear that all that we love is at risk. Our ecosystems, food systems, economic systems, life support systems. Scientists are talking about a doomsday scenario where it all just collapses, within our lifetimes, if we don’t act now.

Opinion: Our house is on fire, and many Albertans want more lighters, Opinion by Joe Vipond & Noel Keough, Calgary Herald, Dec 29, 2018

Joe Vipond is an emergency physician in Calgary. He sits on the board of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.

Noel Keough is an associate professor of sustainable design at the University of Calgary. He is the president of the board of Sustainable Calgary Society. 

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Toon of the Week...

Hat tip to the Clean Air Cartoons Facebook page.

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SkS in the News

The "explainer" article*, 9 questions about climate change you were too embarrassed to ask, contains the following paragraph:

4) There are other human fingerprints that suggest increased greenhouse gases are warming the planet. For instance, back in the 1960s, simple climate models predicted that global warming caused by more carbon dioxide would lead to cooling in the upper atmosphere (because the heat is getting trapped at the surface). Later satellite measurements confirmed exactly that. Here are a few other similar predictions that have also been confirmed.

The first link embedded in the above paragraph is to the SkS article, 10 Indicators of a Human Fingerprint on Climate Change by John Cook, July 30, 2018

* This explainer was updated by Umair Irfan in December 2018 and draws heavily from a card stack written by Brad Plumer in 2015. Brian Resnick contributed the section on the Paris climate accord in 2017. 

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Coming Soon on SkS...

• 2018 in Review: a recap of the Skeptical Science year (Baerbel)
• Portuguese translation of The Debunking Handbook (Baerbel)
• Climate negotiations made me terrified for our future (Climate Adam)
• New findings on ocean warming: 5 questions answered (Scott Denning)
• New research this week (Ari)
• 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #1 (John Hartz)
• 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #1 (John Hartz)

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Poster of the Week...

 

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SkS Week in Review... 

• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #52 by John Hartz
• New research, December 17-23, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki
• Greta Thunberg's TEDx talk by Guest Author
• Global warming ‘hiatus’ is the climate change myth that refuses to die by Kevin Cowtan & Stephan Lewandowsky (The Conversation UK)
• 2018 was the hottest La Niña year ever recorded by Dana Nuccitelli (Yale Climate Connection)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #51 by John Hartz

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The most nonsensical nonsense of 2018: 20 of my favourite slices of baloney

Over the years, I have become somewhat of an expert in spotting nonsense in the realm of alternative medicine, also known as SCAM. Here are – in no particular order – the 20 most remarkable examples of baloney that I came across (and wrote about) in 2018. Based on a totally inadequate study (which was […]

Read the rest here: The most nonsensical nonsense of 2018: 20 of my favourite slices of baloney

American Loon #2123: Jim Porter

President of the NRA from 2013 to 2015, James W. Porter II is a charicature of a gun-toting, racist Alabaman landowner, of the kind who refers to the American Civil War as the War of Northern Aggression. A conspiracy theorist (of course), Porter received some attention for...

Read the full lunacy: #2123: Jim Porter Encyclopedia of American Loons

Yoga or low FODMAP diet for irritable bowel syndrome?

You probably know what yoga is. But what is FODMAP? It stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, more commonly known as carbohydrates. In essence, FODMAPs are carbohydrates found in a wide range of foods including onions, garlic, mushrooms, apples, lentils, rye and milk. These sugars are poorly absorbed, pass through the small intestine and enter […]

Read the rest here: Yoga or low FODMAP diet for irritable bowel syndrome?

What is osteopathy?

What is osteopathy? That’s a straightforward question; and it’s one that I am being asked regularly. Embarrassingly, I am not sure I know the optimal answer. A dictionary definition states that osteopathy is ‘a system of medical practice based on a theory that diseases are due chiefly to loss of structural integrity which can be […]

Read the rest here: What is osteopathy?

Laser Lipo: a solution for the obesity epidemic?

Who would not like to get rid of their post-Christmas bulge? Diet and exercise would do the trick, of course, but they are all too cumbersome for most. And liposuction? That’s invasive. Why not chose something much easier? Why not ‘LASER LIPO’? This website explains it all: If you have or are considering Liposuction, take a […]

Read the rest here: Laser Lipo: a solution for the obesity epidemic?

Tricky Larry Is at It Again

The Kid seems mad because a study being cited by CDC as evidence that vaccines do not cause autism is apparently too complex for him to understand. The study in question is a meta-analysis of several studies on the effects of vaccination on children. A meta-analysis takes different studies and analyzes their findings together to […]

Read more at: Tricky Larry Is at It Again by Reuben

American Loon #2122: Sarah Pope

A.k.a. The healthy home economist Sarah Pope is a Weston-Price Foundation board member with training in economics and financial management, who offers dangerous health advice and insane conspiracy theories under the description “the healthy home economist”. Pope is an antivaxxer, and...

Read the full lunacy: #2122: Sarah Pope Encyclopedia of American Loons

Why ‘Rudolf The Red Nose Raindeer’ dislikes X-mas

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the deer antler, the young, non-ossifying, and pilose antler on the head of deer, is known as Lu Rong. It is a prized and highly sought after commodity and thus an ideal X-mas present for TCM-fans.  Deer antler has been used for hundreds of years for health and  longevity and is […]

Read the rest here: Why ‘Rudolf The Red Nose Raindeer’ dislikes X-mas

For those who leave it to the last minute: here are 4 alternative X-mas presents + plenty of hilarity

Need a last minute X-mas present? I might have just the right thing for you: Healing Courses Online. They are run by true professionals who clearly know what they are doing: The founders of The Online Bio Energy Healing Training Course are John Donohoe and Patricia Hesnan, both of whom have been working in the alternative complementary […]

Read the rest here: For those who leave it to the last minute: here are 4 alternative X-mas presents + plenty of hilarity

Canadian naturopaths can no longer call themselves ‘medically trained’

Naturopathy is an eclectic system of health care that uses elements of alternative and conventional medicine to support and enhance self-healing processes. Naturopaths employ treatments based on therapeutic options that are thought of as natural, e. g. naturally occurring substances such as herbs, as well as water, exercise, diet, fresh air, pressure, heat and cold […]

Read the rest here: Canadian naturopaths can no longer call themselves ‘medically trained’

The interview

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by a journalist who wanted to publish the result in a magazine. He now informed me that his editor decided against it, and the interview thus remained unpublished. I have the journalist’s permission to publish it here. The journalist who, in my view, was well-prepared (much better than […]

Read the rest here: The interview

Chiropractic manipulation and primary prevention. It’s time that chiropractors stop misleading the public in order to fill their pockets

Most chiropractors claim that their manipulations prevent illness, not just spinal but also non-spinal conditions. But is there any sound evidence for that assumption? A team of chiropractic researchers wanted to find out. Specifically, the objective of their systematic review was to investigate if there is any evidence that spinal manipulations/chiropractic care can be used in […]

Read the rest here: Chiropractic manipulation and primary prevention. It’s time that chiropractors stop misleading the public in order to fill their pockets

American Loon #2121: Scott Pollack

Scott Pollack is the self-declared chief editor of something called the Critical Post, where he constructs sentences like this (concerning socialists): “Your leadership, which springs from post graduate degree, liberal feminist chauvinists, brought about by a usurpatious lawyer class, and the...

Read the full lunacy: #2121: Scott Pollack Encyclopedia of American Loons

Acupuncture for carpal tunnel syndrome – bin the studies and consult a surgeon!

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is caused by the tendons in the wrist getting too tight and thus putting pressure on the nerves that run beneath them. The symptoms can include: pain in fingers, hand or arm, numb hands, tingling or ‘pins and needles’, a weak thumb or difficulty gripping. These symptoms often start slowly and they […]

Read the rest here: Acupuncture for carpal tunnel syndrome – bin the studies and consult a surgeon!

Royal College of Chiropractors: please allow me to revise your statement on safety?

On their website, the UK ‘ROYAL COLLEGE OF CHIROPRACTORS (RCC) published a short statement regarding the safety of chiropractic. Here it is in full: Experiencing mild or moderate adverse effects after manual therapy, such as soreness or stiffness, is relatively common, affecting up to 50% of patients. However, such ‘benign effects’ are a normal outcome and […]

Read the rest here: Royal College of Chiropractors: please allow me to revise your statement on safety?

American Loon #2120: Ted Poe

Lloyd Theodore Poe represented Texas’s 2nd congressional district in the US House of Representatives since the redistricting efforts in 2005 –though he did not seek reelection in 2018 – representing a number of eastern and northern Houston suburbs. Poe is famous for sponsoring – with genuinely...

Read the full lunacy: #2120: Ted Poe Encyclopedia of American Loons

Homeopathy for uritcaria? No!

According to the investigators, the primary objective this study (thanks again Dr Jens Behnke) was to evaluate the effectiveness of homoeopathic remedies in improving quality of life (QoL) of chronic urticaria (CU) patients. The study population included patients attending the Outpatient Department of State Homoeopathic Dispensary, Ahmadpur, India. Quality of Life (QoL) questionnaire (CU-Q2oL) and […]

Read the rest here: Homeopathy for uritcaria? No!

2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #50

Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... SkS in the News... Coming Soon on SkS...  Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... 

Story of the Week...

UN climate accord 'inadequate' and lacks urgency, experts warn

Agreement will fail to halt devastating rise in global temperature, say scientists

The two-week-long conference left questions about reducing greenhouse gas emissions unanswered. Photograph: Ryan Tong/EPA

The world has been put on notice that its best efforts so far will fail to halt the devastation of climate change, as countries came to a partial agreement at UN talks that failed to match up to the challenges faced.

Leading figures in climate science and economics said much more must be done, and quickly, to stave off the prospect of dangerous levels of global warming.

Nicholas Stern, the former World Bank chief economist and author of a seminal review of the economics of climate change, said: “It is clear that the progress we are making is inadequate, given the scale and urgency of the risks we face. The latest figures show carbon dioxide emissions are still rising. A much more attractive, clean and efficient path for economic development and poverty reduction is in our hands.”

Johan Rockstrom, director designate at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said: “My biggest concern is that the UN talks failed to align ambitions with science. We continue to follow a path that will take us to a very dangerous 3-4C warmer world within this century. Extreme weather events hit people across the planet already, at only 1C of warming.”

UN climate accord 'inadequate' and lacks urgency, experts warn by Fiona Harvey, Environment, Guardian, Dec 16, 2018 

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Editorial of the Week...

John Kerry: Forget Trump. We All Must Act on Climate Change.

If we fail, it won’t be just the president’s fault.

Future generations will measure us by whether we acted on facts, not just debated or denied them. The verdict will hang on whether we put in place policies that will drive the development and deployment of clean technologies, re-energize our economies, and tackle global climate change. Every day that goes by that we’re paralyzed by the Luddite in the White House is a day in the future that our grandchildren will suffer. That’s not hyperbole — that’s science.

Instead of tacitly accepting that inaction is preordained for the remaining two years of the Trump presidency, Congress should send Mr. Trump legislation addressing this crisis. It will force him to make choices the American people will long remember: Will he say no to deploying solar technology that would turn the American West into the Saudi Arabia of solar? No to turning the Midwest into the Middle East of wind power? No to a manufacturing revolution that could put West Virginia back to work in ways that his beloved coal never will?

Make him choose — and let’s find out.

Forget Trump. We All Must Act on Climate Change., Opinion by John Kerry, New York Times, Dec 13, 2018 

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Toon of the Week...

 

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SkS in the News...

[To be added.] 

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Coming Soon on SkS...

• Explainer: Why some US Democrats want a ‘Green New Deal’ to tackle climate change (Zeke Hausfather)
• Little Ice Age? No, try Big Warming Age (Dana)
• New findings on ocean warming: 5 questions answered (Scott Denning)
• Climate carbon bookkeeping (Evan)
• New research this week (Ari)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #51 (John Hartz)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #51 (John Hartz)

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Poster of the Week...

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SkS Week in Review... 

• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #50 by John Hartz
• New research, December 3-9, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki
• The Security & Sustainability Guide, Guest post by Michael Sales, Michael Marien, & David Harries 
• Like health care, climate policy could tip elections by Dana Nuccitelli (Yale Climate Connections)
• Australia - Moving to Renewable Energy by Riduna
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #49 by John Hartz 

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Chronic illnesses will cripple the NHS – unless the NHS adopts more alternative medicine

An article alerted me to a new report on alternative medicine in the NHS. The report itself is so monumentally important that I cannot find it anywhere (if someone finds a link, please let us know). Behind it is our homeopathy-loving friend David Tredinnick MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group. I am sure you remember him; […]

Read the rest here: Chronic illnesses will cripple the NHS – unless the NHS adopts more alternative medicine

American Loon #2119: Joseph Pizzorno

Not as market-aggressive as Joe Mercola or as high-profile as Andrew Weil, Joseph Pizzorno is nevertheless one of the most influential pseudoscientists affiliated with the world of woo (and associated conspiracy mongering) working today. Pizzorno is the founding President and currently...

Read the full lunacy: #2119: Joseph Pizzorno Encyclopedia of American Loons

Death by acupuncture

The most frequent of all potentially serious adverse events of acupuncture is pneumothorax. It happens when an acupuncture needle penetrates the lungs which subsequently deflate. The pulmonary collapse can be partial or complete as well as one or two sided. This new case-report shows just how serious a pneumothorax can be. A 52-year-old man underwent acupuncture […]

Read the rest here: Death by acupuncture

American Loon #2118: Larry Pittman

State assmeblies again. Larry G. Pittman is a preacher and member of the North Carolina General Assembly, representing the 82nd district. He is most famous for calling Abraham Lincoln a “tyrant” like Adolf Hitler (Lincoln was “personally responsible for the deaths of over 800,000 Americans in...

Read the full lunacy: #2118: Larry Pittman Encyclopedia of American Loons

Chiropractors worry about the Spanish ‘Health Protection Plan against Pseudotherapies’

The Spanish Ministries of Health and Sciences have announced their ‘Health Protection Plan against Pseudotherapies’. Very wisely, they have included chiropractic under this umbrella. To a large degree, this is the result of Spanish sceptics pointing out that alternative therapies are a danger to public health, helped perhaps a tiny bit also by the publication of […]

Read the rest here: Chiropractors worry about the Spanish ‘Health Protection Plan against Pseudotherapies’

Birth-trauma: a diagnosis that richly fills the pockets of many chiropractors

Many chiropractors tell new mothers that their child needs chiropractic adjustments because the birth is in their view a trauma for the new-born that causes subluxations of the baby’s spine. Without expert chiropractic intervention, they claim, the poor child risks serious developmental disorders. This article (one of hundreds) explains it well: Birth trauma is often overlooked […]

Read the rest here: Birth-trauma: a diagnosis that richly fills the pockets of many chiropractors

Homeopathy for polycystic ovary syndrome: more homeopathic pseudoscience

It is time, I think, to express my gratitude to Dr Jens Behnke, a German homeopath employed by the pro-homeopathy lobby group the ‘Carstens Stiftung’, who diligently tweets trials of homeopathy which he obviously believes prove the value of his convictions. The primary objective of this new study was to evaluate the efficacy of homoeopathy […]

Read the rest here: Homeopathy for polycystic ovary syndrome: more homeopathic pseudoscience

American Loon #2117: Mark Amaru Pinkham

It is sometimes a bit unclear whether some of the pseudohistory concocted by the denizens of the more deranged corners of the Internet devoted to New Age stuff, UFOs, pastel fluff and unicorns, is intended as, well, alternative history or just intuition-based explorations of the authors’ own...

Read the full lunacy: #2117: Mark Amaru Pinkham Encyclopedia of American Loons

This Guy Lies About Vaccines Without Even Blinking

Apparently, having a medical degree allows you to just lie and lie and lie again about vaccines. I lost the number of lies (not even misinformation, but lies) in this guy's opinion piece. He's now a late entry into my "Douchebag of the Year" award.

Read more at: This Guy Lies About Vaccines Without Even Blinking by Reuben

Neck pain? Forget about chiropractic; a simple device might be much better

A pain in the neck is just that: A PAIN IN THE NECK! Unfortunately, this symptom is both common and often difficult to treat. Chiropractors pride themselves of treating neck pain effectively. Yet, the evidence is at best thin, the costs are high and, as often-discussed, the risks might be considerable. Thus, any inexpensive, effective […]

Read the rest here: Neck pain? Forget about chiropractic; a simple device might be much better

Another serious complication after chiropractic manipulation; best to avoid neck manipulations altogether, I think

I have repeatedly discussed the risks of chiropractic manipulation. Sadly, when doing so, we have to rely mostly on case reports (there is no monitoring system that would record such events, reliable incidence figures are therefore not available). This means every new case report is of considerable importance. Korean neurosurgeons recently reported the case of a […]

Read the rest here: Another serious complication after chiropractic manipulation; best to avoid neck manipulations altogether, I think

American Loon #2116: Daniel Pinchbeck

Daniel Pinchbeck is the author of Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism (2002), 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl (2006), and Notes from the Edge Times(2010), as well as co-founder of Reality Sandwich and founder of the think...

Read the full lunacy: #2116: Daniel Pinchbeck Encyclopedia of American Loons

2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #49

Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... SkS in the News... Video of the Week... Reports of Note... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week...

Story of the Week...

French senate ‘failed to heed’ UN science warning before protests

 

Demonstrators stand next to metal barriers around the tomb of The Unknown Soldier at The Arc of Triomphe during a protest of yellow vests (Photo: Lucas BARIOULET/AFP) 

Just a few months before protests exploded across France, the country’s senate was warned the shift to a clean economy risked social disruption, according the scientist who presented the evidence.

Valérie Masson-Delmotte, a French climate scientist and co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told Climate Home News’ podcast CopCast that members of the senate committee of sustainable development had been “surprised” by findings in a major report in October, which said green policies must be coupled with public consultation or face social resistance.

“They expressed how difficult it is for them as members of the senate to think on how to implement transitions. They also said they were powerless. They didn’t know how to change things, basically,” said Masson-Delmotte. 

French senate ‘failed to heed’ UN science warning before protests by Karl Mathiesen, Climate Home, Dec 8, 2018

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Editorial of the Week...

Trump's pursuit of 'American energy dominance' threatens the entire planet

 

President Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on April 28, 2017, before signing an Executive Order directing the Interior Department to begin review of restrictive drilling policies for the outer-continental shelf. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press)

President Trump upended decades of U.S. policy that started with Richard Nixon when he declared that the goal of the United States was no longer “energy independence” but rather “American energy dominance.” This wasn’t Trumpian hyperbole. Few policies have been pursued by the administration with more cohesiveness, zeal, and success — or with more potential to yield great and lasting harm.

Trump has unleashed a massive, untethered expansion of oil, natural gas and coal production, designed to make this country the world’s foremost dirty energy powerhouse. The policy not only worsens catastrophic climate change, it pushes the U.S. into a small and increasingly isolated club of autocratic regimes intent on maintaining a global commitment to fossil fuels.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke laid out Trump’s energy policy in Secretarial Order 3351: “Achieving American energy dominance begins with recognizing that we have vast untapped domestic energy reserves. For too long America has been held back by burdensome regulations on our energy industry. The Department is committed to an America-first energy strategy.”

Michael Nedd, then the acting director of the Bureau of Land Management, put it more succinctly: “We want to make the BLM a better business partner for the oil and gas industry.”

Trump's pursuit of 'American energy dominance' threatens the entire planet, Opinion by Antonia Juhasz, Los Angeles Times, Dec 9, 2018

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El Niño/La Niña Update...

2019 may be the hottest year yet—here's why

Spurred by a likely El Niño as well as climate change, the planet is expected to heat up even more, scientists warn.

An El Niño event is very likely under way, amping up extreme weather already made worse by climate change and increasing the odds that 2019 will be the hottest year in recorded human history, scientists warn.

There is an 80 percent chance a full-fledged El Niño has already begun and will last until at least the end of February 2019, according to the Climate Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The impacts of El Niño have been more severe in recent years because of global warming, and these impacts will be worse as temperatures continue to rise, according to a recent study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

2019 may be the hottest year yet—here's why by Stephen Leahy, Environment, National Geographic, Dec 6, 2018 

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Toon of the Week...

 

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SkS in the News...

[To be added.] 

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Video of the Week...

[To be added.] 

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Coming Soon on SkS...

• Explainer: Why some US Democrats want a ‘Green New Deal’ to tackle climate change (Zeke Hausfather)
• Australia - Moving to Renewable Energy (Riduna)
• New findings on ocean warming: 5 questions answered (Scott Denning)
• The Security & Sustainability Guide (John Hartz)
• New research this week (Ari)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #50 (John Hartz)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #50 (John Hartz) 

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Climate Feedback Reviews...

[To be added.] 

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SkS Week in Review... 

• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #49 by John Hartz
• New research, November 26 - December 2, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki
• Trump's disbelief won't stop dangerous climate change by Dana Nuccitelli (Environment, Guardian)
• Is Methane Worse than CO2?? | Climate Chemistry, Video by Climate Adam
• SkS Analogy 16 - Arctic ice, sailboat keels, and wild weather by Evan & jg
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #48 by John Hartz
• COP24: UN climate change conference, what’s at stake and what you need to know by John Hartz (Un News)

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Poster of the Week...

 

from Skeptical Science
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The Anti-Vaccine Zealot’s Endgame

But what, exactly, is their endgame? In chess, we know that we need to capture the King, getting through all the other pieces while anticipating your opponent's every move. In football, you get the ball from one end to the other, yards at a time. In baseball, you have to put the ball in play and run around the bases, all within the limits of the 9 innings of play. That is, there are rules of engagement for those activities and sports. Heck, one could argue that even war has some sort of an endpoint, despite the recent examples of the war on terror. So what are anti-vaccine people aiming for? When will they be happy enough that they stop being so goddamned evil?

Read more at: The Anti-Vaccine Zealot’s Endgame by Reuben

HOMEOPATHY WORKS! It is as effective as Ibuprofen for pain control … No, no, no – just joking

For some researchers, the question whether homeopathy works beyond a placebo effect is not as relevant as the question whether it works as well as an established treatment. To answer it, they must conduct RCTs comparing homeopathy with a therapy that has been shown beyond reasonable doubt to be effective, i.e better than placebo. Such […]

Read the rest here: HOMEOPATHY WORKS! It is as effective as Ibuprofen for pain control … No, no, no – just joking

American Loon #2115: Buddy Pilgrim

Buddy Pilgrim (real name?) is a Biblical business consultant (Integriy Leadership) who “teaches Biblical principles of leadership, business management and financial success applicable to every Christian in the workplace.” Note the absence of a statement about what applying these principles are...

Read the full lunacy: #2115: Buddy Pilgrim Encyclopedia of American Loons

Acupressure: you thought it was harmless? Read this, it might change your mind!

Acupressure is the stimulation of acu-points by using pressure instead of needles, as in acupuncture. The evidence for or against acupressure mirrors that of acupuncture, except there is far less of it. This is why this new trial might be important. The aim of this RCT was to determine the effect of self-acupressure on fasting […]

Read the rest here: Acupressure: you thought it was harmless? Read this, it might change your mind!

American Loon #2114: Anna L. Pierre

Ok, so this one is pretty minor. Anna L. Pierre is a citizen of North Miami, who in 2013 ran for mayor with a campaign touting that she was endorsed by Jesus Christ. Earlier in her campaign she complained that voodoo was being used against her. Pierre was unfazed, however: “They can put all the...

Read the full lunacy: #2114: Anna L. Pierre Encyclopedia of American Loons

Sauna bathing reduced cardiovascular disease mortality

Personally, I like sauna bathing. It makes me feel fine. But is it healthy? More specifically, is it good for the cardiovascular system? Finish researchers had already shown in a large cohort study with 20 years of follow-up that increased frequency of sauna bathing is associated with a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), fatal coronary […]

Read the rest here: Sauna bathing reduced cardiovascular disease mortality

Ginkgo is harmless, I thought. But I was wrong: with the help of Chinese researchers, it could kill thousands

Ginkgo biloba is a well-researched herbal medicine which has shown promise for a number of indications. But does this include coronary heart disease? The aim of this systematic review was to provide information about the effectiveness and safety of Ginkgo Leaf Extract and Dipyridamole Injection (GD) as one adjuvant therapy for treating angina pectoris (AP) […]

Read the rest here: Ginkgo is harmless, I thought. But I was wrong: with the help of Chinese researchers, it could kill thousands

American Loon #2113: Stephen Pidgeon

Stephen Pidgeon is a Washington attorney and former candidate for State Attorney General (he lost the primaries), anti-gay activist and general rightwing conspiracy theorist. There’s a decent profile of him here. Pidgeon is a birther, and in 2008 he led a Lawsuit Challenging Obama’s Presidential...

Read the full lunacy: #2113: Stephen Pidgeon Encyclopedia of American Loons

Shiatsu: more rubbish research from a rubbish journal and an increasingly suspect publisher

Shiatsu has been mentioned here before (see for instance here, here and here). It is one of those alternative therapies for which a plethora of therapeutic claims are being made in the almost total absence of reliable evidence. This is why I am delighted each time a new study emerges. This proof of concept study […]

Read the rest here: Shiatsu: more rubbish research from a rubbish journal and an increasingly suspect publisher

The benefits of chiropractic X-rays do not outweigh the risks

The over-use of X-ray diagnostics by chiropractors has long been a concern (see for instance here,and here). As there is a paucity of reliable research on this issue, this new review is more than welcome. It aimed to summarise the current evidence for the use of spinal X-ray in chiropractic practice, with consideration of the […]

Read the rest here: The benefits of chiropractic X-rays do not outweigh the risks

American Loon #2112: David Pickup

Conversion therapy is, as we’ve had the opportunity to emphasize numerous times before, dangerous pseudoscience. It is nevertheless of course forcefully championed by various anti-gay groups. David Pickup is currently one of the most vocal defenders – and practitioners – of conversion...

Read the full lunacy: #2112: David Pickup Encyclopedia of American Loons

2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #48

Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review...  

Story of the Week...

G20 told crucial COP24 climate change conference 'must succeed': Guterres

 

UN News/Natalia Montagna: Delegates to the G20 summit have gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (30 November 2018)

During press briefings at the beginning of the G20 meeting of industrialized nations in Buenos Aires, UN Secretary António Guterres described the event as an essential forum, citing a lack of confidence and high level of confrontation within the international community.

As well as mistrust between nations, and the risk of confrontation and escalation, Mr, Guterres said that there was a lack of trust between peoples in general and institutions everywhere, both at a national level – in the form of governments and parliaments – and internationally; because globalization has divided the world into winners and losers.

Those left out, he said, “feel angry, that feel frustrated, that many times…there was not enough effort from their government, or from international organizations like the UN, in order to attend their problems, to attend their difficulties in the rustbelts of this world. I think it is very important to come together, the different countries around the world, and to have a common strategy for a fair globalization, which means a globalization that leaves no one behind.”

For this reason, the world’s largest economies, such as the G20 group, must support the UN’s 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, said the UN chief, which was developed precisely to ensure a fair globalization and aims to eradicate poverty and address a wide range of governance problems worldwide.

Mr. Guterres also pointed out that this year’s G20 meeting is important because it precedes the COP24 climate change conference taking place in Katowice, Poland from 3 December, at which the “Work Programme” or rule book of the 2015 Paris Agreement – when practically all countries signed up to a pledge to ensure global temperatures do not rise by more than 2 degrees before the end of this century– is expected to be agreed.

Addressing the media on Friday, the Secretary-General said that “Katowice must succeed. We need to build in Katowice the momentum that is necessary for an increased ambition to be shown by the international community…when in 2020 the commitments made in Paris will be renewed in order to make sure that we are able to bring the increase of temperature in the world until the end of the century to clearly below 2 degrees and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees.”

“Political will is lacking,” said the UN chief. “That is why it’s so important to come here and to express to political leaders how important it is for everybody to understand that this is a make it or break it moment in relation to guaranteeing that the Paris Agreement is implemented."

G20 told crucial COP24 climate change conference 'must succeed': Guterres, UN News, Nov 30, 2018

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Toon of the Week...

 

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Coming Soon on SkS...

• SkS Analogy 16 - Arctic ice, sailboat keels, and wild weather (Evan)
• Is Methane Worse than CO2?? (Adam Levy)
• New findings on ocean warming: 5 questions answered (Scott Denning)
• The Security & Sustainability Guide (John Hartz)
• New research this week (Ari)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #49 (John Hartz)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #49 (John Hartz)

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Poster of the Week...

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SkS Week in Review... 

• COP24: UN climate change conference, what’s at stake and what you need to know by John Hartz (UN News)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48 by John Hartz
• But their Emails! by David Kirtley
• New research, November 19-25, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki
• Why does CO2 cause the Greenhouse Effect?! | Climate Chemistry Video by Climate Adam
• Discussing climate change on the net by BaerbelW
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #47 by John Hartz

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The common assumptions of alternative medicine are unmitigated nonsense

Alternative medicine is an odd term (but it is probably as good or bad as any other term for it). It describes a wide range of treatments (and diagnostic techniques which I exclude from this discussion) that have hardly anything in common. Hardly anything! And that means there are a few common denominators. Here are […]

Read the rest here: The common assumptions of alternative medicine are unmitigated nonsense

American Loon #2111: Doug Phillips

We’ve covered some deranged fundies over the years, but Doug Phillips has something of a special position among them. Phillips is the kind of guy that conjures up the image of someone shedding tears of elation over the sheer beauty in the justice in seeing heretics tortured and people in general...

Read the full lunacy: #2111: Doug Phillips Encyclopedia of American Loons