"Warming near the storm acts to increase the potential intensity of hurricanes, whereas warming away from the storms acts to decrease their potential intensity,"

In most other fields of science, people have understood for hundreds of years that energy flow is driven by differences in energy, not absolute amounts. For example, electricity is measured as voltage - which is the potential difference between two points. Heat flow is proportional to dT/dx.

How astonishing it is that climate science is just starting to grasp the basic concepts of physics.

The Pope fights back -

Pope Benedict XVI has launched a surprise attack on climate change prophets of doom, warning them that any solutions to global warming must be based on firm evidence and not on dubious ideology.

The leader of more than a billion Roman Catholics suggested that fears over man-made emissions melting the ice caps and causing a wave of unprecedented disasters were nothing more than scare-mongering.

The German-born Pontiff said that while some concerns may be valid it was vital that the international community based its policies on science rather than the dogma of the environmentalist movement.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=501316&in_page_id=1811&ito=1490

This is what people like Dr. Gray have been saying for years but were shouted down by the global warming predators (as PH calls them).
Eventually, most of the facts us skeptics are pushing will come to be known as the real truth.

Wha Wha What?????...Bu-Bu-But Brett!!! I thought Katrina was the precursor to pending gloom and doom!!! I thought there would be storms (Al) Galore every year if we don't pass more laws and implement enviro-nazi tacticts on capitalism and our lives!!! I thought the earth was in peril!!!...I thought the sky was falling...I thought the polar bears were on the brink of extinction!!!!....I thought...I thought......ROFLMAO!!!!!....:-DDDDDDDD....I can't get enough! It's turning into a comedy show!!!!

Save the planet from hot air. MUZZLE AL GORE, THE IPCC, THE NOBEL COMMITTEE, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, GEORGE SOROS, AND THE ENVIRO-ZELOTS!!!!!

Looks like sanity is beginning to return to climate science, the way it was back before Michael Mann ever came around and his Hockey Team took it all over with that artifact of bad statistics (see Climate Audit, great scientific site. I go there for real science when the comments here become unreadable.)

Global warming hits the Mediterranean.

Snow over most of Southeastern Europe, and that might even include seeing some snow in cities like Bucharest, Belgrade, Budapest and Sofia. But some of the more impressive locations that could see snow include near Istanbul, and into much of Greece. All I can say is this is quite an impressive cold wave,

http://www.accuweather.com/news-blogs.asp?partner=forecastfox&blog=reppert

Almost every day, we hear of something else that was "modeled" and is in dispute.

Yet, people still put 100% faith in the most complex and difficult "models".

The models for global warming.

Are they really interested in the truth?

This year has also seen sea-ice extent in the northern hemisphere below average in each month of 2007, with record minima sea-ice reported in July, August and September. In the southern hemisphere, sea-ice coverage has remained close to average.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3045976.ece

The southern hemisphere also saw record (maxima) sea ice this year, but the Met office apparently doesn't want people to know about that one. The truth isn't important when you are pushing a political agenda ahead of science.

Also, the southern hemisphere sea ice anomaly is currently at the highest level ever recorded. Did the professionals at the Met office somehow miss that piece of information?

http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/current.365.south.jpg

The Pope fights back -

REPLY: Marie: Better not bring in the evil (Christian) religion to this fray. Our progressive friend will pounce hard with their "religion always tries to supress science" garbage. Be advised. It's coming. By the way, Merry CHRISTMAS.

The Grinch That Stole Global Warming

Mark,

The Bali polluters want you to cut your CO2 by 40% over the next 13 years. Have at it and save the world from "oblivion!"

Thank God for President Bush having the courage and integrity to stand up to these hypocrites.

US rejects climate guidelines at Bali conference

European leaders and environmental campaigners reacted angrily yesterday after the United States rejected guidelines for reducing greenhouse gas emissions intended to check global warming.

The proposal, supported by the members of the European Union as well as Brazil, would have set out in writing an ambition to cut greenhouse gases produced by industrialised countries by up to two fifths in the next 13 years.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3042430.ece?Submitted=true

It seems that the Pope is actually getting information from more than just one side of the AGW debate ... maybe he reads this blog!

So let me get this straight Brett,

1. The Antartic will not undergo global warming
2. Hurricane activity is not a cause of global warming.
3. The worlds oceans are below normal on average
4. The southern hemisphere had one of the coldest winters in recent history
5. The ice in the southern hemisphere reached an ALL TIME maximum (27 years, big whoop!)
6. The northern U.S. is having an early and harsh winter, (here in North west Jersey, I just hot two inchs in the past 20 minutes)
7. What next? Global warming will cause cooler temperatures rather than warming?????

I can't believe some people are still buying into this scam...

This is another prime example of why I have a problem with the whole AGW thing. We have been led to believe that there was no question that AGW was and would lead to more hurricanes. Those experts that disagreed with this were called deniers, and various other names. This regardless of there credentials. Now it turns out that some of these deniers may have been right. The question must be raised as to how many so called "facts" regarding AGW are not facts at all. Wild claims about the effects of AGW should always be questioned for reasons just like this. I can't help but believe that had the last two years had a high number of hurricanes, we would still be told it was being caused by AGW and this study wouldn't have popped up.

Imagine this study being released shortly after the end of a second consecutive hurricane season of below normal activity.

The Pope fights back. - Marie

Marie, the Daily Telegraph is just plain lying. Read the Pope's statement for yourself:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/peace/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20071208_xli-world-day-peace_en.html

The words "global warming,""evidence,""emissions," "fear," "melting," "ice cap."and even "science," appears no where in the Pope's speech. Once again global warming skeptics are telling us nothing but a pack of lies.

What the Pope does say is:
"The problems looming on the horizon are complex and time is short. In order to face this situation effectively, there is a need to act in harmony. One area where there is a particular need to intensify dialogue between nations is that of the stewardship of the earth's energy resources. The technologically advanced countries are facing two pressing needs in this regard: on the one hand, to reassess the high levels of consumption due to the present model of development, and on the other hand to invest sufficient resources in the search for alternative sources of energy and for greater energy efficiency. The emerging counties are hungry for energy, but at times this hunger is met in a way harmful to poor countries which, due to their insufficient infrastructures, including their technological infrastructures, are forced to undersell the energy resources they do possess. At times, their very political freedom is compromised by forms of protectorate or, in any case, by forms of conditioning which appear clearly humiliating."

Gore and "Green" Goonies

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=520555

The leading spokesperson of today�s enviro-chic celebrities is Al Gore, whose face is everywhere from his award winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth to Norway where he recently received the Nobel Peace Prize. Many Americans would naturally assume Gore follows the green lifestyle he widely promotes, and they would be wrong. Gore and his wife Tipper, whose children all live elsewhere, reside in a behemoth 20-room mansion outside of Nashville that used nearly 23,000 kilowatt-hours last August, more than twice the annual - yes, annual - energy usage of a typical American home. Gore's preferred mode of transportation between stops on his international publicity tour is his private jet, which spews out CO2 emissions at the rate of a small army of SUVs.

Hypocritical enviro-advocates abound these days, constantly reminding us to make sacrifices in the interest of the earth while forgoing few comforts themselves. Green activist and actor John Travolta likes to spend his free time toying around in one of his five private planes, including a commercial Boeing 707, racking up 800 tons of carbon emissions in the last year. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has managed to promote his idea of an environmentally friendly lifestyle by creating a hydrogen-fueled Hummer�a car that gets a whopping 10-15 miles per gallon�while crisscrossing the country in his private jet. Last year, former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (D-Il.) gave a speech in Washington D.C. emphasizing the need to drive more fuel-efficient cars before hopping into his own hybrid car. Several blocks away, he was caught switching from his environmentally friendly ride into a gas-guzzling SUV.

Looks like 2007 will be the seventh warmest year on record (or coolest in last seven years lol)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKL135212720071213
and now they are saying (WMO) that it is the hottest decade on record (and we haven't reached it yet).
Then of course
2008 eight, 2009 ninth warmest ect..is what will probably happen and so on so, until they realize the enormous mistake which has been made. (In fact 2008-2009 could easily be the 20th-40th warmest!) The SST data is showing a strong cooling trend
http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/map/images/sst/sst.anom.gif and its hard to see how global temps are going to theoretically keep going up.. but we will see. BTW solar cycle 24 may have started but whether it becomes a weak or strong one cannot be determined for some time (transition period) (see Solar cycle 24 website). May tend towards weak because of the delay

Isn't it ironic that those who label people who agree with the scientific consensus on AGW as being part of a "religion" are now citing the Roman Catholic Church?

LOL

Gotta hand it to the Pope on this one

"He added that to further the cause of world peace it was sensible for nations to choose the path of dialogue rather than the path of unilateral decisions in how to cooperate responsibly on conserving the planet."

Even he understands "concensus" can be a dangerous word in relation to science.

We now see the slow retreat and
cherry picking of words ("southern sea ice coverage has remained close to average") of
those who would ram their mantra down our throats and wallets.

Its all about good conservation folks. Take care of the planet responsibly ie reduce pollution, manage forests properly, clean up toxics and put in place responsible policies throughout the world (not just in the US and a few select countries. How the heck do India and China get off easy)and everything will fall into place.

Raising the issue is one thing. Scaring
the crap out of people and politics of fear is another and a dangerous road to walk.

Oleg - One year of data? What's your point? Perhaps you missed this plot at UIUC? http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/current.anom.south.jpg . While this year's anomaly is above average, it is not much above the normal range. Compare that to NH Ice Extent Anomaly here http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/current.anom.jpg which remains well below the range of normal variability.

Check out the open letter to the UN Secretary General regarding the Climate Conference in Bali. It was published in a Canadian News-site, but is unlikely to receive any mainstream (LIBERAL) media attention (I wonder why...) The letter, which is signed by dozens of scientists, points out major flaws in the IPCC and the "beliefs" about man-made global warming.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=164002

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=164004

Vincent,

we may have seen the first activity for SC24, but the official SC23 minimum will not come for at least 3 and perhaps 6 - 12 months after the first significant SC24 activity, afterwhich is the official start to SC24.

The jury is still out as to whether this latest activity will qualify as being genuine SC24, although at the moment it appears likely.

This whole debate is really getting comical. Gore is everywhere. I assume all saw his latest diatribe in Bali. Get down on your knees and thank whoever it is you pray to,that that man was not the president of the United States.

Charles Barton:

Thank you for clearing that up. I was shocked when I first read that the Pope had issued a statement that made sense and followed actual scinece.
Now that you point out that he is merely making more pronouncements on Mythical Religious issues, I feel much better.
After all it took until the 1950 for the Vatican to admit that the earth rotated around the sun, it certainly take a long time for them to admit AGW is a Myth too.

Thanks again.

Very telling wording from the Met-

since the end of April the La Nina event has taken some of the heat out of what could have been an even warmer year
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2007/pr20071213.html

So the implication is that La Nina is not part of the climate? They could just have easily said "it would have been a much cooler year if not for the winter El Nino which skewed the data markedly upwards"

Also interesting to note that they rushed this statement out before the cold December temperatures get averaged in and drop 2007 to being the coolest year this millennium. Why couldn't they wait until the full year data set was in before making declarations about the rankings?

More Bali fun....

Open Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations

Dec. 13, 2007

His Excellency Ban Ky-Moonbeem

It is not possible to stop climate change, a natural phenomenon that has affected humanity through the ages. Geological, archaeological, oral and written histories all attest to the dramatic challenges posed to past societies from unanticipated changes in temperature, precipitation, winds and other climatic variables. We therefore need to equip nations to become resilient to the full range of these natural phenomena by promoting economic growth and wealth generation.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=164002

List of Signatories:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=164004