Heliogenic Climate Change

“Wind turbines placed in cities across Minnesota to generate power aren’t working because of the cold temperatures.

The Minnesota Municipal Power Association bought 11 turbines for $300,000 each from a company in Palm Springs, Calif.

Special hydraulic fluid designed for colder temperatures was used in the turbines, but it’s not working, so neither are the turbines.”  “Cold keeps Minn. wind turbines from spinning“  h/t Green Hell Blog

Even Biden and Pelosi laugh:

“The 40,000 ‘eco-tourists’ who visit the South Pole every year cause enormous greenhouse gas emissions. The visitors to the snow-covered landmass are endangering not just the Antarctic region by their actions, but also the rest of the world.” “Tourists in Antarctica Cause of Major Concern“
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” Who is going to pay for all the greenhouse gases this volcano is pouring into the atmosphere? Surely the educated idiots from Copenhagen can talk this thing out of spewing out so much carbon and sulphur.

“People in sunny, outdoorsy states — Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida — say they’re the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why. A new study comparing self-described pleasant feelings with objective measures of good living found these folks generally have reason to feel fine.

The places where people are most likely to report happiness also tend to rate high on studies comparing things like climate, crime rates, air quality and schools.” “Sunshine States Are Happiest“

“But most of the talks presented [at the AGU meeting] followed the recipe that has become all too common in recent years: analyze the output of climate models that predict substantial global warming, and simply assume the models are somewhere near correct.

There seems to be great reluctance to consider the possibility that these computerized prophets of doom, which have required so many scientists and so much money and so many years to develop, could be wrong. I come along with an extremely simple climate model that explains the behavior of the satellite data in details that are beyond even what has been done with the complex climate models…and then the more complex models are STILL believed because…well…they’re more complex.

Besides, since my simple model would predict very little manmade global warming, it must be wrong. After all, we know that manmade global warming is a huge problem. All of the experts agree on that. Just ask Al Gore and the mainstream news media.” “Little Feedback on Climate Feedbacks in the City by the Bay“

“To a chorus of boos, a man dressed as a polar bear entered Copenhagen’s main conference center Tuesday and began paging the discredited climate scientist whose hacked e-mails sparked the Climate-Gate scandal.

Using a megaphone to pierce the rumble of hundreds gathered inside the Bella Center, which is hosting the city’s global climate summit, the polar bear boomed out:

“PHIL JONES??? HAS ANYONE SEEN PHIL JONES???”" “Polar Bear Goes Hunting for Climate-Gate Scientist at Copenhagen Summit“

“Watching the fallout of the so-called “ClimateGate” incident in recent weeks, one would think these revealed emails actually created a dent in the science of anthropogenic climate change. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. …

[N]or do they cast serious doubts on the exhaustive conclusions of the entire international scientific community over the last couple of decades. …

I’m no scientist, but as a rational human being, I can’t in good conscience doubt the enormous scientific consensus on climate change …

There is, however, a small minority of independent scientists with opposing theories on climate change. But they’re being continually discredited and exposed as serving the financial agendas of fossil fuel companies and the ideological agendas of right-wing think tanks, which see climate change as a threat to their prosperity. These entities have nevertheless utilized their extensive resources and clout to build an industry aimed at undermining widely-accredited science.” “Climategate exposed paranoia of conspiracy theorists“

“Even as the science of global warming gets stronger [!], fewer Americans believe it’s real. … And according to Kari Marie Norgaard, a Whitman College sociologist who’s studied public attitudes towards climate science, we’re in denial. …

Wired.com: Why don’t people seem to care?

Kari Norgaard: On the one hand, there have been extremely well-organized, well-funded climate-skeptic campaigns. Those are backed by Exxon Mobil in particular, and the same PR firms who helped the tobacco industry deny the link between cancer and smoking are involved with magnifying doubt around climate change. …

Climate change is disturbing. It’s something we don’t want to think about. So what we do in our everyday lives is create a world where it’s not there, and keep it distant. …

Wired.com: How does this translate into skepticism about climate change?

Norgaard: It’s a paradox. Awareness has increased. There’s been a lot more information available. This is much more in our face. And this is where the psychological defense mechanisms are relevant, especially when coupled with the fact that other people, as we’ve lately seen with the e-mail attacks, are systematically trying to create the sense that there’s doubt.

If I don’t want to believe that climate change is true, that my lifestyle and high carbon emissions are causing devastation, then it’s convenient to say that it doesn’t.

Wired.com: Is that what this comes down to — not wanting to confront our own roles?

Norgaard: I think so. … Global warming … threatens the survival of our species. Psychologists tell us that it’s very important to have a sense of the continuity of life. …

That sense of continuity is being ruptured. But climate change has an added aspect that is very important. The scientists who built nuclear bombs felt guilt about what they did. Now the guilt is real for the broader public.

Wired.com: So we don’t want to believe climate change is happening, feel guilty that it is, and don’t know what to do about it? So we pretend it’s not a problem?

Norgaard: Yes … It may be a weakness of our capacity as sentient beings to cope with this problem.” “The Psychology of Climate Change Denial“

As California goes bankrupt and businesses flee the state:

“California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says world policymakers do not have to choose between a clean environment and economic growth. Schwarzengger said “we’ve proved that over and over again in California.”" “Schwarzenegger: Tread Carefully on Climate Change“

“Long ago, Cicero suggested that a mysterious public act could be best assessed by asking: Who benefits? Is it really any accident that Palin and most of the GOP lawmakers trying to discredit the science on global warming come from states enriched by petroleum production and industries with sizable carbon footprints? (The delegate from Saudi Arabia has taken a similar position at Copenhagen.)

If you feel like you’ve been here before, think back on the long and agonizing debate over tobacco regulation and second-hand smoke. As additional tens of thousands died,

Big Tobacco produced one eccentric scientific skeptic after another. Every one of them got a sympathetic hearing from lawmakers elected from tobacco-growing states.” “The silliness of Climategate“
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“Business interests and US partisan politics are behind the furor over leaked emails that have whipped up a controversy at the Copenhagen climate talks, Canadian experts say.

The global talks to hammer out a deal on curbing greenhouse gas emissions are being derailed by public attention on the so-called “Climategate,” scientist Andrew Weaver and author James Hoggan told AFP. …

But more importantly, [Hoggan] said, the success of the treaty being hammered out in Copenhagen in talks until December 18 will depend on the United States, where political opposition to climate change is “driven by an extremist view.” …

But Hoggan said close examination shows the email messages are not “scandalous,” and the real issue is the identities of whomever stole them and is “attempting to create or fabricate this scandal. …

“There is a war on science,” [Weaver] added, alleging it was being led by right-wing ideologues and business interests and their tactics “exploit a lack of scientific literacy in the general public.”

“An all-out attack on the validity of climate science has been undertaken by industry groups,” agreed Hoggan …” “US deniers behind ‘Climategate,’ experts allege“
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“On Tuesday, we asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger why he wouldn’t even consider suspending AB 32, the state’s landmark 2006 anti-global warming law, given that state unemployment was 12.5 percent. Schwarzenegger threatened to veto AB 32, which will force Californians to use cleaner but costlier sources of energy, unless it included a provision allowing for its suspension in times of economic distress.

The response from the governor’s office: “Your question is premised on an unproven assertion that implementation of AB 32 would be harmful to the economy when all the evidence points in the opposite direction.”” “Green fantasies / Governor ignores anti-AB 32 evidence” h/t NC Media Watch

Does this explain the paranoid Nature editorial?:

“So stressed out you can’t think straight? Well, it turns out that’s not just a figure of speech. Long-term stress damages the brain, impairing everything from emotion and impulse control to certain big-picture analytical thinking.

“In essence, with chronic stress, you become more primitive,” says Amy Arnsten, professor of neurobiology at Yale University.” “Chronic Stress Causes Brain Damage“

Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Cats Against Climate Change from Londonlime on Vimeo.

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Thanks to reader/commenter Fred.
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News flash: sea ice retreats in summer!

“Photos from US spy satellites declassified by the Obama White House provide the first graphic images of how the polar ice sheets are retreating in the summer. The effects on the world’s weather, environments and wildlife could be devastating.” “Revealed: the secret evidence of global warming Bush tried to hide” h/t Tom Nelson