November 2012

Science and Environmentalism are not the same thing.

See the new Science Heresy Blog for further ideas and comments

In August this year a key paper became available on the Web. The paper, by Humlum, Stordahl and Solheim, has been accepted for publication by the peer-reviewed journal Global and Planetary Change and will be published in hard copy form before the end of the year.

They show that atmospheric CO₂ consistently LAGS ocean temperature.

Their data sources are impeccable and in the public domain. They have conducted the sort of statistical analysis which should have been done by the IPCC 30 years ago.

This is a very important paper because it constitutes the first direct experimental refutation of the theory that increased atmospheric CO₂ from industrial activity is the cause of increased global average temperatures. The lag between them indicates this cannot be the case.

An effect cannot precede its cause.

Further discussion here.

The failure of the Forest Peace Talks in the island state of Tasmania, Australia is a microcosm of what is happening throughout much of the western world. Conservation movements which began as a necessary foil for the senseless and unnecessary destruction of the environment have become influential and well-funded lobbies intent on preventing all human exploitation of natural resources.

Tasmania is a resource-rich state with only a small manufacturing base. Its unusual electoral system has lead to the Greens gaining a stranglehold over the political process to the ongoing detriment of industry and the community in general. The once burgeoning forestry industry has been brought to its knees.

It is time to unlock the forests.

Further discussion here.

Close-up of Hutton’s unconformity at Siccar Point.

Photograph by Dr Cliff Ford (Cliff.Ford@ed.ac.uk). Use permitted if acknowledged.

Until the late 18th Century there was scientific consensus that the earth was created around 4000 BC.

James Hutton observed discontinuities in the direction of geological strata (left) which implied that the earth must be much, much older than this. It must have taken much longer than 6000 years for the lower tilted strata to have weathered to the degree that newer horizontal strata to have formed on top of them. Hutton was aware of the slow rat of weathering from observation of ancient structures such as Hadrian's Wall.

Hutton had discovered Deep Time.

John Happs discusses James Hutton's discovery here.