The Chatter Box

Arctic Ice May 2010 - UpdateIn a recent article - Arctic Ice May 2010 - I predicted that Arctic sea ice would be lower by the end of the month than at the same time in 2007.  The extent as shown by the NSIDC is now touching the 2007 extent line on the graph.image source NSIDC 20 May 2010.http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/Arctic sea ice is on track to recede to a record low this year, suggesting that northern waters free of summer ice are coming faster than anyone thought.

Ethics And EvidenceThe purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the use of selected quotes entirely out of their context has been used to 'prove' the opposite of what was said in order to promote a political agenda in the guise of science.In a British court of law it is the duty of the lawyers to assist the court in acheiving a just result.A lawyer is perfectly entitled to show that evidence presented in court points to a particular conclusion, but is not entitled to present false evidence or to hold back evidence in order to support a case.  A lawyer who deliberately cites an extract from a document in a false context in order to bolster a case is likely to be disbarred from the practice of law.

Propaganda: Desperately Misquoting AuthoritiesAppeal to authority is not necessarily a logical fallacy.It is perfectly in order to present an argument and then bolster it with an accurate reference to an argument or finding by an acknowledged expert on the subject.  This is not only done when writing scientific papers.  It is a golden thread that binds together the founding principles of common law.  Lawyers in common law courts daily cite authorities to bolster their clients' cases.  Each opposing lawyer's task is to show that the citation may be distinguished; that it does not provide supportive argument within the particular circumstances of the case at hand.

A global Warming Skeptic Clouds The IssuesThis article is written in response to Dr. Roy Spencer's claims about cloud albedo effects in an article by Cameron J English: Interview With A Global Warming Skeptic: Dr. Roy Spencer.One of the most common arguments used by deniers of AGW is that computer models are unreliable.

Economics And Climate ChangeI am confident that global climate change is real.I am also confident that over-complicated knee-jerk legislation and taxation will make matters worse.  Problems get solved by rational actions, not panic attacks.Either economics stands on science or it stands on quicksand.The principles of taxation are not founded in science.  But they could be.The world is faced with a problem in need of a solution.The problem is this:

Carbon FudgeprintsIt seems that everyone has a carbon footprint.  The idea is that everything you do puts CO2 into the atmosphere or if it doesn't then it jolly well ought to so let's work out the carbon equivalent by just making stuff up.No calculation could be simpler.I go to the shop and I buy a loaf of bread.The bread was delivered by truck to the shopfrom the baker who got the grain by truck from the farmwhich got the seed and fertiliser by truck from ...Stop it, please!  William of Ockham wouldn't like it.

Is the 'plants love CO2' theory valid?Plants use CO2 from the atmosphere to grow.  It follows that more CO2 will promote more growth.  That is the gist of the 'plants love CO2' theory.  But is the theory valid?In a recent article I argued that Plants Can't Sequester Excess CO2.In this article I examine the matter further.

Why Plants Can't Sequester Excess CO2Plants love CO2, right?More CO2 makes plants grow more, right?It follows that a global rise in atmospheric CO2 will produce healthier plants globally, right?Wrong!  Wrong!  Wrong!Try this simple experiment.  Place a paper towel on a work surface.  Add water a drop at a time.  At first the paper will absorb every drop of water.  Eventually, though, there must come a time when the paper is so loaded with water that any excess is not absorbed.  This illustrates a fundamental principle of all systems:

What Is A Tipping Point ?The term 'tipping point' is in widespread use in English, but what does it mean?Imagine a child's seesaw with an empty bucket on each end.  The seesaw is initially at rest with one end touching the ground.  If left alone, nothing would happen - there would be no motion.  The whole mechanical contraption would be in a static configuration - in static, or stable equilibrium.

Musical ClownsWhy is it that so often a genius of comedy has brilliant musical talent?Or is it the other way round?I've also noticed that geniuses of comedy tend to be geniuses of language.  For example, I think Ken Dodd knows more about language than most professional linguists.  Victor Borge was also very talented in that department.What a fascinating topic this could be for a research project.  How many well-known singers, musicians or dancers are comedians; how many comedians have musical talents?  How do you rate ability anyway, without being subjective?  And what is it in the human psyche that makes a combination of music and humor so universally enjoyable?

Federal Regulators Allowed Oil Companies To Decide Safety IssuesI noted in my recent article Oil Spills And Troubled Waters:When safety depends on the ability to shut down a system by blocking a fluid flow it is absolutely imperative that the system should incorporate 'fail safe' design principles: the system should fail into the safest possible state.The most widely known fail safe devices are fuses and circuit breakers.  It is basic common sense that a fault condition should shut off power rather than risk fire or electrocution.

Arctic Ice May 2010The Arctic melt, already more rapid than average this year, has begun to accelerate.I have no doubt that by the end of this month, May 2010, there will be much less sea ice than there was in May 2007.I have no doubt either that the anti-science propagandists will continue to insist either that the ice is recovering or that Arctic melt is perfectly normal.