By Vijay Jayaraj News reports of summer heatwaves often perversely misrepresent a modern climate favorable to human flourishing in order to fearmonger the false narrative of catastrophic global warming. The geological epoch of the Holocene, which roughly corresponds to the last 11,700 years, is a time of warmth that has been vital in fostering the… Continue Reading
by Gregory Wrightstone Hotter Than the Fourth of July! It was widely reported recently that July 4th, 2023 was the hottest day in Earth’s recorded history. Paulo Ceppi, a climate scientist at London’s Grantham Institute stated: “It hasn’t been this warm since at least 125,000 years ago, which was the previous interglacial.” And, of course,… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo recently made headlines with its record-breaking order of Airbus passenger jets. The deal, worth an estimated $50 billion, is the largest single order in Airbus history. While the order for 500 of the A320neo aircraft is a major coup for Airbus, it is being termed a “setback” for… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj As an Indian, I don’t know whether to be more annoyed by Al Gore’s condescension or his hypocrisy when he describes my country as “the world’s third-highest emitter” of carbon dioxide in a tweet congratulating it for pausing investments in coal-fired power plants for five years. As the world’s most populous nation, India’s CO2… Continue Reading
By Daniel W. Nebert Summer solstice is that time of year when our sun is “closest to directly overhead”; the next day it begins its gradual march toward winter solstice, when the angle of the sun is most oblique (for us in the Northern Hemisphere). Between June 14 and 28, Portland sees 17 hours from sunrise… Continue Reading
By Gregory Wrightstone In our last newsletter, we provided a chart revealing that the number of fires in Canada had been in a decades-long decline. This reflects a global trend in decreasing fire. Beginning in 1998, advanced satellite detection of fires was initiated. The data shown in the chart to the right confirm that the area burned… Continue Reading
5.22.2023
Perspective: Climate Change Gave Us the Great Salt Lake, but It’s Not the Reason It’s Shrinking Today
By William Hayden Smith The Great Salt Lake, or the “Bad Water,” as it was known to the Shoshoni, exists thanks to climate change. The present lake was formed from a much larger lake, Lake Bonneville, about 30,000 years ago. A drier climate reduced Lake Bonneville to the Great Salt Lake’s current dimensions. The lake… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Since an earthquake and tsunami severely damaged nuclear reactors at Fukushima, Japan has struggled with powering its economy. While the country’s initial reaction to the 2011 disaster was to abandon a once robust nuclear program, a decade later Japan is not only returning to splitting atoms and but also seeking to burn… Continue Reading
by Daniel W. Nebert “Global warming wreaks havoc in California.” “Ocean acidification will make climate change worse.” “Miami will soon be underwater.” “2022 warmest year on record.” Each day we are bombarded with scary news stories. What’s true versus what’s exaggerated? What should the average citizen “believe?” “Climate” is measured in 30-year segments. Conversely, “weather”… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj On May 4, India’s capital of New Delhi recorded the third coldest May morning since 1901. At 16 degree Celsius (60 Fahrenheit), the region’s 32 million residents woke up to a relatively cold morning in what is usually the hottest month of the year. So why is there a record low temperature… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj On May 14, Cyclone Mocha made landfall near Myanmar and Bangladesh. It was not surprising to see many mainstream media blame climate change for it. The pattern has now become common. Every time there is a major cyclonic event, the media fan fear of climate change and argue that human-induced emissions of… Continue Reading
by Vijay Jayaraj Polar bear populations remain healthy in the Arctic irrespective of the once popular images of bears somehow suffering from a warming planet. Nevertheless, native people’s freedoms are being restricted by impractical government policies inspired by an irrational adherence to a doomsday vision. Canada is home to approximately two-thirds of the global polar… Continue Reading
By Gregory Wrightstone People should be celebrating, not demonizing, modern increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). We cannot overstate the importance of the gas. Without it, life doesn’t exist. First, a bit of history: During each of the last four glacial advances, CO2’s concentration fell below 190 parts per million (ppm), less than 50 percent… Continue Reading
by Vijay Jayaraj India’s unconstrained use of coal for electricity generation is helping 1.4 billion people adapt to intense heat waves that registered 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on thermometers. However, I’ve not seen a single story from the mainstream media highlighting why coal is essential to the comfort – and even survival – of… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Reports from the mainstream media that climate change will lead to food shortages – along with all manner of other calamities – have it exactly backward. The changing climate of the last couple centuries or so is in fact a big reason why the world is fed better than ever. Warming temperature… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Nuclear energy offers humanity the safest, most efficient approach to harnessing natural resources for its use. As the densest energy source available, nuclear fuel requires the least amount of material and land for electricity production. This is sufficient reason to support the technology. Yet, some promote it as a means to address… Continue Reading
by Vijay Jayaraj More than half the population of sub-Saharan Africa lives without reliable electricity, hindering the region’s development and economic growth. Even basic services in hospitals are a rarity due to insufficient power supplies. Offers of off-grid wind and solar energy as a solution demonstrate a lack of both a long-term vision and a proper understanding… Continue Reading
National Science Teachers Association Rejects the Scientific Method by Dr. Sharon Camp Never have I been so inspired upon being removed from a venue. Actually, as a retired teacher of AP (advanced placement) environmental sciences and chemistry, I haven’t been escorted from very many places. Perhaps none. I should explain. I am a member of… Continue Reading
by Gordon Tomb The “Bootleggers and Baptists” of Pennsylvania’s energy markets cost consumers and taxpayers billions while undermining the state’s economy and power grid. Bruce Yandle, an economist, coined the unlikely pairing to describe the whys of “protective regulatory cocoons” based on the prohibition of Sunday alcohol sales. The Baptists, write Yandle with coauthor Adam Smith, “enable… Continue Reading
by Gordon Tomb During his campaign, Gov. Josh Shapiro expressed concern over a new carbon tax initiated by his predecessor, Tom Wolf, noting the impact on energy jobs and already soaring energy prices. “I have real concerns about the impact it will have on consumer prices, hurting families at a time when many are struggling… Continue Reading
By Wallace Manheimer Statements of scientific societies are often used to justify extreme measures for dealing with a supposed climate emergency. “The scientific community is telling us in no uncertain term,” began a statement addressing the climate issue on the 2020 campaign website of doomsayer Sen. Bernie Sanders. Such statements make me nervous. They assume… Continue Reading