A Free-Market Energy Blog

Naturally Hot, Exaggeration Not

By Kennedy Maize -- October 21, 2024

“What has come to be known as ‘weather attribution,’ research assigning causation to observed weather events, is fraught with methodological problems. Veteran climate scientist Roger A. Pielke Jr. in his Substack publication The Honest Broker calls it ‘weather attribution alchemy’.”

Last year was hot, unusually so. The global temperature was almost 0.3°C above 2022 levels, so much higher that even conventional analyses of global warming didn’t appear to explain it. As a recent article in Science magazine notes, iconic climate scientist James Hansen was suggesting that a new, air-pollution-driven warming mechanism might be at work. NASA’s Gavin Schmidt posited that a novel, unknown force could be involved.

Wrong, says a team of six climate scientists led by Shiv Priyam Raghuraman (University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana). The culprit is more likely the familiar climate confounder, El Niño (technically, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation or ENSO).…

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Wind vs. Ecology in Australia (Nick Cater reports)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- October 18, 2024

“There are signs that we may be reaching peak madness as opposition to cowboy renewable-energy development grows in regional and rural Australia…. Anger about the rampant spread of solar, wind and transmission development proposals has galvanized communities into action.”

“I’m dismayed by the indifference of Green activists to the fate of the Greater Glider and other native wildlife that is losing its natural habitat in the rush for renewables,” Nick Cater recently posted. He continued with the specifics:

The vast hectares of native forest being destroyed to install wind turbines along the Great Dividing range is well documented in environmental impact statements for projects like the Upper Burdekin (Gawara Baya) Wind Farm in Far North Queensland.

Here’s an extract from the approval for the project given by Tanya Plibersek in April:

“To avoid and mitigate harm to protected matters, the Approval Holder must not clear more than:
“a) 605.3 ha of Sharman’s Rock Wallaby Habitat,
“b) 581 ha of Greater Glider (northern) Habitat, including:
“i) no more than 331 ha of Greater Glider (northern) Denning Habitat, and
“ii) no more than 250 ha of Greater Glider (northern) Foraging Habitat,
“c) 581 ha of Masked Owl (northern) Habitat,
“d) 614 ha of Koala habitat,
“e) 616 ha of Red Goshawk Habitat, including:
“i) no more than 331 ha of Red Goshawk Breeding Habitat, and
“ii) no more than 285 ha of Red Goshawk Foraging Habitat,
“f) 614 ha of Grey-headed Flying-Fox Foraging Habitat,
“g) 614 ha of Spectacled Flying-Fox Foraging Habitat
“h) 546 ha of Greater Large-eared Horseshoe Bat Roosting Habitat,
“i) 545 ha of Bare-rumped Sheathtail Bat Habitat,
“j) 614 ha of White-throated Needletail Habitat,
“k) 614 ha of Fork-tailed Swift Habitat, and
“l) 0 ha of occupied Magnificent Brood Frog Habitat”

These are vulnerable and endangered native species.

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Climate Anxiety Discussion Raises Alarmists’ Ire

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- October 17, 2024

“Could both sides of the climate debate just agree that it is time for resiliency before the fact and adaptation after the fact in the face of weather extremes, whatever the cause? Alex Epstein, meet Michael Mann. Michael Man, meet Alex Epstein.”

On LinkedIn, I reposted Bjorn Lomborg’s “We could stop scaring people witless with climate exaggeration,” and added the comment:

Is there any good reason for climate exaggeration–particularly to the mentally weak prone to ‘climate anxiety’? Is this a good thing even to the climate activists?

One Benjamin Silverstone responded:

The mentally weak prone to “climate anxiety”? That is the most insulting, bigoted thing I have ever heard. Check yourself Mr Bradley, look long and hard and never use the term mentally weak try and support your argument.

I replied:

Exaggeration and failed doomist predictions mark the climate debate.

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“Green” Energy: It’s Just a Bribe

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- October 16, 2024
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Risking Alaska’s Energy Exceptionalism (RPS looming)

By -- October 15, 2024
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Energy & Environmental Review: October 14, 2024

By -- October 14, 2024
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Democratic Platform 2024: Energy and Climate

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- October 10, 2024
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“Resilience and Adaptation”: Mitigation Demotion Ahead?

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- October 9, 2024
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“Free Market Electricity”

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- October 8, 2024
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Lynne Kiesling: All in with the ‘Virtual Power Plant’ (Biden/Harris policy vs. free markets)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- October 7, 2024
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