Idiocy from Realclimate

Realclimate is a website which promote the theory of man-made global warming and that the warming will be catastrophic. They are known for being dishonest, censoring information which contradicts their own, and for being run by people claiming to be scientists who are anything but scientific.

Their latest post, Is Sea-Level Rise Accelerating?, is trying to distract from the fact that the sea level rise has been decelerating over the last decade or so. In order to “debunk” this they show this chart:

Ah yes, very interesting chart. For one thing, you’ll notice that it cuts off the recent decades where it is decelerating, but there is something that is even less obvious if you don’t follow this sort of thing – the greatest acceleration in sea level rise, from their chart, is from 1940 to 1970 – which is a time period when global temperatures were cooling even by the GISS datasets put out by the members of Realclimate:

 

That is their temperature data. I hate to link to it since it is so inaccurate and dishonest, but you can clearly see the cooling from 1940 to 1970.

So again, why did the sea level rise accelerate so much when it was cooling? According to these people the sea is rising from melting ice and thermal expansion. This means the connection between sea level rise and temperature is not that great – or their instruments are woefully inaccurate (surface stations or tidal gauges).

My comment pointing this out to them was of course deleted without comment, which is typical of climate “scientists” who don’t like their dogma, and the gravy which flows from it, questioned with inconvenient truths.

 

Radiation Fears from New Mexico

My general impression is that people tend to fear far too much. I’m guilty of this as well.

The Fukushima nuclear accident has created an entire industry of fear-mongering around it. People create videos showing scary numbers of dosimeters they just bought over the internet, which simply show regular levels of radiation. They copy and paste wholesale from anti-nuclear activists and associated kooks with sketchy credentials. The most dangerous however is when they use legitimate websites, but, as with the dosimeters, misread the information on them and come to stupid conclusions.

They will take that information and repost it to various blog websites designed to look like legitimate news outfits like those at the Examiner.

Specifically, the New Mexico Environment Department, has a page here, which shows them their tests for several radioactive isotopes. Essentially, the chart shows the “minimal detectable activity,” for specific isotopes at various monitoring stations. This number is basically the expected amount for that station and its testing period – a baseline from which to measure any increase.

The second column after that shows the activity above that baseline – in every case it shows “no detectable activity.”

Despite this, the low-IQ wingnuts who promote this doom have seized upon this webpage as proof of their apocalyptic fantasies! I emailed Michael Ortiz who is in charge of the website and asked him if he could clarify the webpage, but he seems to think it is clear enough already.

Here is our email exchange (emails redacted):

From: Me
Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2011 8:27 PM
To: Ortiz, Michael, NMENV
Subject: If it isn’t too much trouble

Can you please clarify on this page:

http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/nmrcb/documents/LasConchasFireAirMonitoring.html

that the chart means there are no detectable levels of radioactive isotopes over background levels?

Your webpage is being linked to a lot of conspiracy sites, blogs and pseudo-websites as “proof” that we are all going to die. I know it isn’t your fault that people can’t read your chart properly, but perhaps you can add a note to it clarifying that there are no elevated levels of the isotopes.

From: Ortiz, Michael, NMENV

Sent: July 18, 2011

To:  Me

 I believe the statements on the site explain there is no detectable activity above the Minimum Detectable Activity and that the 1-MDA is defined.   I hope this helps with your question.

 Michael Ortiz, Chief

Radiation Control Bureau

NMED/EPD

Hopefully this clears up this nonsense once and for all.

The “Land of the Aryans” will start World War 3

Iran, the common name of Persia since 1935, which translates as the “Land of the Aryans” has sent several submarines into the Red Sea. And since the Egyptian revolution Iran has, for the first time since 1979, been allowed to send warships through the Suez canal.

The nice thing about submarines is that they are difficult to track and therefore excellent at surprise attacks. Officially, Iran has about 11 Iranian-made subs and 3 Russian-made kilo class submarines. Press TV, the Iranian regime’s official media outlet, has made it clear that the subs are in the Red Sea for “information gathering” – but what if they were actually a bit north, past the Suez canal and in the Mediterranean Sea?

Towards the end of this month the second Gaza “Freedom” flotilla is planned. What would happen if those vessels, even just a few, were sunk during their planned conflict with the Israeli navy? Who would get the blame?

Alternatively, what would happen if the Israeli navy preventing them from breaking the blockade was sunk? Those ships could then rush to Gaza in the confusion and unload any weapons they may be smuggling – dirty bombs, nuclear weapons or simply conventional weapons.

I think the first option is more likely, less far-fetched. and consistent with the UN and media’s portrayal of Israel as heartless war-mongers. Very few people will question the destruction of the flotilla’s vessels and nearly all of the Muslim countries in the area will instantly declare war against Israel.

Yes, this is speculation, but it is consistent with the Iranian’s method of terrorism. They fund and supply insurgents in Iraq to kill Americans, Afghanistan, Lebanon and all throughout the muslim world. They do not like to get their hands dirty. This sort of underhanded tactic, to get others to fight on their behalf, is entirely consistent with their actions.

The motive is obvious. There is a sort of Armageddon fever in Iran. A belief that their Messiah will soon come forth and create his worldwide Islamic caliphate. Of course, he will only come when the world is immersed in chaos and war – something that could certainly be set off by a third World War.

Obama in Britain: A Video Diary

Off to a rocky start….

I guess he has the same problem with the British national anthem as he does with America’s.

He definitely needed to relax.

And get a pint.

Err…perhaps he had too much to drink.

At least this time he didn’t give the Prime Minister an Ipod filled with his own speeches.

Obama birth certificate subpoenaed

I’m not a lawyer but this look legitimate. It has always annoyed me that Obama released his “certificate of live birth” first through the DailyKos and then a few months later he showed it to a couple doe-eyed interns at “FactCheck.”

I have to show my documents in real life – I can’t just point to some image online to prove my personal details.

The rejection (before the subpoena) is recent as well – why would they deny it if it is already on Obama’s website? Being the curious sort of person that I am I would really like this subpoena to go through because Obama has been way too evasive for too long to get a pass just because he came up with some document a few years after the questions came up.

For crying out loud, a guy in the military went to prison to see the certificate but Obama wouldn’t release it until some billionaire started hurting him in the polls a bit.

Fingers crossed.

Also, for an interesting perspective on the new document take a look at the Right Counterpoint’s analysis of it.

Obama’s illegal “kinetic military action”

The War Powers Resolution requires that the President get congressional approval within 60 days of initiating military action. That deadline has now passed, but don’t worry, Obama will not be returning the troops, instead he will be, in NPR’s words, “looking for ways to lawfully continue the military intervention without asking Congress to authorize it.”

So once again, as with firearms, Obama is looking for a way around congress to ram through his agenda.

Keep in mind that the War Powers Resolution was meant to allow presidents to use the military to defend the US in case of an emergency created by an attack on the US, our terrotories or our military – obviously this does not apply to the Libya situation.

So there we have it, Obama has flagrantly disregarded the law in two instances because the Libyan situation was somehow so important. Why isn’t the media talking about Obama’s “illegal war?”

Is Imam Obama’s speech on Israel about getting re-elected?

A little piece of news caught my eye back during the Democrat primaries that ultimately led to Barack Obama’s election as president – Gazans (i.e. “Palestinians”) were phone-banking to get him elected (see video here). Add this to the fact that Obama turned off the controls to prevent illegal foriegn donations to his campain, the numerous donations below $100 (which don’t have to be reported) from esteemed individuals like “Mickey Mouse” and you get a sense of where many millions of dollars came from to help buy the last election.

The FEC is investigating these past activities, but with a limited budget, a mind-boggling amount of paperwork and typical government incompetence and speed one wonders when if the results will arrive in a timely or accurate manner.

So what does this have to do with Obama calling for Israel to return to its indefensible pre-1967 borders? It is simple, he wants, he needs  that foreign money and support to help him once again buy an election he cannot win on credentials or record. By dangling a very big carrot to Muslims in the Middle East he will surely get some of those petrodollars – it isn’t like he his policies have resulted in lower gas prices.

Hell, this might be the only way Barack can get the neo-nazi vote back and it’ll certainly help rally his base, since according to a study by the Anti-Defamation League, strong anti-Semitic beliefs are held by both the black and Hispanic communities. And if you look at Barack’s background and friendships with anti-Semites like his pastor of 20+ years Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan then you can easily see the crowd that he runs with – and is likely still a part of.

Whether a re-election ploy, an expression of Barack’s bigotry, or a convenient marriage of both we can be pretty sure that the liberal media will not call out Barack on his “bold steps towards peace in the Middle East.”